Yellow Journalism and Media Lesson Plan

1. Tyrone O’Meally

2.  8th Grade
 Social Studies
 Average class size ( 25-30) students
 Heterogeneous mix of students
 Extension Activity of U.S imperialism
 Estimated class time: 6 class days or 6-40
minute periods

3. Standards/Key Ideas/ Performance Indicators
SS1: History of the United States and New York
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their
understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in
the history of the United States and New York
Key Idea - SS1.2: History of the United States and New York
Important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions from New
York State and United States history illustrate the connections and
interactions of people and events across time and from a variety of perspectives.
Performance Indicator - SS1.I.2B:
students investigate key turning points in New York State and United States
history and and explain why these developments are significant
Performance Indicator - SS1.I.2C:
Students understand the relationship between the relative importance of
United States domestic and foreign policies over time.
Performance Indicator - SS1.I.2D:
Students analyze the role played by the United States in international politics,
past and present

4.  1. Media Literacy Education requires inquiry and critical thinking
about messages we receive and create
 2. Media Literacy Education expands the concept of literacy ( i.e.,
reading and writing) to include all forms of media
 3. Media Literacy Education builds and reinforces learners of all
ages. Like print literacy, those necessitate integrated, interactive, and
repeated practices.
 6. Media Literacy Education affirms that people use their individual
skills, beliefs, and experiences to construct their own meaning and
media messages

5.  Prior to this lesson, students learned the
reasons for U.S imperialism during the mid
to late 19th century as well as different
examples of imperialism.
 One example of imperialism was the United
States involvement in the Spanish American
War. There were several reasons for U.S
involvement in the Spanish American War,
but a major cause was Yellow Journalism.

6.  Students will define Yellow Journalism
 Students will textually analyze three different types
of media text: videos, newspaper headlines,
images, political cartoons; that that can be
categorized as Yellow Journalism
 When performing their textual analyses, students
must
 Analyze the media to determine target audience

7.  Analyze the media to determine representation
and reality
 Analyze the media to determine message and
meaning
 Students will produce their own media text
that demonstrates their comprehension of
Yellow Journalism

8.  Class presentation- PowerPoint- on Spanish
American War
 World Wide Web Search Engines: Google or
Bing

9.  Lesson plan overview and rubric
 Introductory activity
 NAMLE modified key questions graphic
organizer that allows students to complete
their textual analysis
 Computer lab time: access to computer and
internet

10.  School District Email
 Glogster student registration
 Glogster tutorial
 Projector/laptop for warm-up activity
 Computer lab with teacher station- need
overhead and screen- to give Glogster
tutorial

11.  Start class by googling tmz.com and choose one of
the headlines that appear on the main page
 It is important that you choose a headline that students are
familiar with ( i.e. Jennifer Lopez, Kanye West)
 After projecting the headline and the accompanying
article, distribute the key questions graphic
organizer.
 Explain to students that media has hidden messages
that we, as consumers, need to critically analyze for
their true meaning.
 Give students a 10-15 minutes to complete the
textual analyses of tmz.com article or whatever
media that you prefer.

12.  After students have completed textual their
analyses, begin whole class discussion based on the
key questions/ideas: who is the intended Audience;
Messages and Meanings; and Representation and
Reality.
 It is important that you select multiple students per
question to reinforce the idea that there can be various
interpretations of the same media text.
 After completing the warm up activity, reintroduce
the term yellow journalism and have students recall
it’s definition and how it was a catalyst to the start
of the Spanish American War.

13. • Next, distribute project description and rubric to
students and then begin discussion on assignment .
• When discussing the assignment
 Inform students that they will be working with
various media texts that they must analyze- this will
be the same process as the warm up activity
 Inform students that must select three different types
of media and it can be of any form: videos, articles,
newspaper headlines, etc…
 Inform students that media text they select must
demonstrate yellow journalism

14.  Bring students to the computer lab
 Ensure that they all have a copy of their rubric
 Inform students that they will spend the period
searching on Bing or Google looking for different media
that they could use as examples of yellow journalism
 Students are free to use any form of media they
choose, but it must be appropriate for school
 As they select their media text that demonstrates
yellow journalism, they must complete the key
questions graphic organizer for each example

15.  Students will return to the computer lab to select their different media
examples
 Inform students that they will have twenty minutes to complete their
media and all key questions on the graphic organizer must be complete
• Stop students after twenty minutes and inform them that if they did not
select all their media and complete the key questions graphic organizer,
they can do so after the Glogster tutorial
• Assist students with establishing Glogster accounts.
 Direct students to Glogster, but you must use the academic version
( edu) so that many of the sites function are free
 Students will need their school email address. Personal email addresses
will direct students to the commercial/private version of Glogster
where you must pay for many of the functions
 After students have completed the registration process, ensure that
they write down their username and password in a place that they will
remember

16. • Students will return to the computer lab to work to work on their Glog
• Students will log onto gloster.com using their username and password
• You will demonstrate how to use the different functions of Glogster so
they may complete their assignment
 As you demonstrate how to use the site, explain to the students that many of the
functions works the same as Microsoft Office products
• After tutorial, remind students that
 They must have selected three different types of media and also have the key question
graphic organizer complete before they begin to produce their Glog.
 Their media must be examples of yellow journalism
• Inform students that they will have two additional class periods to
complete the final assignment
 If students do not finish, inform them that they can work on the assignment at home
 For students who do not have web access in their homes, make time available afterschool
for them to finish.
 Teacher example: please copy and paste web address in browser
 http://tomeally.edu.glogster.com/glog-yellow-journalism/

17. Audience 1. Who made this message?
2. Why do you think it was made?
3. Who is the target audience?
Message and 1. What is the media text about?
Meaning 2. Are there any stereotypes in the media?
Representatio 1. Is this fact or opinion?
n and Reality 2. Are there any bias that exist in text?

18. The Spanish-American War was a major turning
point in American History. Overnight, the U.S
transformed from a powerful industrial nation to a
military world power. One of the major causes of the
Spanish-American was was yellow journalism, which
still exist. For this project, you will:
1.Define yellow journalism
2.Select three different types of media that are
examples of imperialism
3.Contextually analyze each form of media using the
key questions graphic organizer
4.Produce a Glog that demonstrates your
comprehension of yellow journalism

20. •This lesson combines key social studies terms-
yellow journalism- with textual media analyses.
• As students work their way through this
assignment, they become aware of the key
elements that are hidden in media: message and
meaning, representation and reality, and target
audiences.
•My hopes are that students will become critical
consumers of media. That is, in absences of the
teacher, students will be able understand media
for what it truly is, thus becoming critically
autonomous (Buckingham, 107)