Dana teaches social sciences at the college level and English and psychology at the high school level. She has master's degrees in applied, clinical and community psychology.
Tabloid Journalism Lesson Plan
Length
1.5 to 2 hours
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
- identify tabloid journalism
- summarize the history and characteristics of tabloid journalism
- define 'yellow journalism'
Curriculum Standards
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2
Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.8
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.
Materials
- Assorted headlines from recent tabloid publications
- Paper copies of the text lesson Tabloid Journalism: Definition, History & Examples
- A worksheet created using the quiz from the associated text lesson
- Several tabloid newspapers
- Several reputable newspapers
Instructions
- Begin by reading the headlines aloud to the class.
- What do these headlines have in common?
- Does anything stand out about them?
- What adjectives might you use to describe these headlines?
- Pass out the paper copies of the text lesson now, one per student.
- Instruct the class to read the introduction and 'Tabloid Journalism' section of the text lesson.
- Did anyone identify the headlines we read aloud as examples of tabloid journalism?
- How might tabloid journalism have come into being?
- Tell the class to read the 'Origins' and 'The First Tabloids' sections of the text lesson now.
- Why might the term 'yellow journalism' be used to describe tabloids?
- Who can name some modern examples of tabloid journalism?
- Ask the class to read the rest of the text lesson now.
- Pass out the worksheet and have students work independently to complete it.
Activity
- Divide the students into small groups.
- Give each group one of the tabloid newspapers.
- Have each group select several articles upon which to focus.
- Now have each group take turns reading aloud to the group several of the articles from the tabloid.
- Have the students work together to identify language in their selected articles that seems less than authentic, underlining their identified examples.
- Now pass out the examples of reputable newspapers, one per group.
- Have the groups repeat the process of selecting and reading aloud a few of the articles in the paper.
- Now have students identify and underline any inauthentic language they can spot in their selected articles in the reputable newspaper.
- Instruct the groups to respond to the following questions in writing: 'Which publication had more examples of questionable language?', 'Which publication was more fun to read and why?', and 'What strategies can we use to spot tabloid journalism?'.
- Finally, have the groups share their analysis with the class during a discussion.
Extensions
- Have students create a mock tabloid with each students crafting one article to contribute to the whole.
- Ask students to research and report on cases where tabloid journalists have been sued.
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