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November 1, 2001
Online News for Kids and Teachers
By Susan Brooks-Young
In part, because social studies textbooks could not be kept as current as teachers would have liked, the New York Times began donating newspapers to schools in New York City during the 1930's. That was the origin of Newspapers in Education (NIE), a national program designed to promote student literacy through the use of newspapers as a teaching tool. Today across the country businesses and newspaper publishers form NIE partnerships to provide on and off-line news resources to teachers and students. Other news sources including student magazines and television networks have also come online, making access to relevant, timely information a mouse click away.
This tour takes you to exemplary newspaper sites for students and teachers, as well as to online news magazines, news sites sponsored by television networks, and some interesting sites students can use to increase their knowledge about current events throughout the world. We've even added a site for teachers that explains ways to use Internet news in the classroom and offers links to other teacher support sites. Get ready to 'read all about it!'
Newspapers
The New York Times on the Web: Learning Network Grades 3-12
The originator of the Newspapers in Education (NIE) program, the New York Times now hosts a comprehensive, free news site updated daily Monday through Friday. Students have access to features such as top news stories, daily news quizzes, and a science question and answer archive. Teachers will find daily lesson plans for use with students grades 6-12, news snapshots for grades 3-5, and the latest news in education. Parents are offered conversation starters about news articles to initiate discussions with their children about current events. There are also movie and product reviews designed for parents to talk about with their children. Additional features such as Word of the Day and Web Explorations are also available.
The Washington Post: Education--Schools and Parenting
Students, teachers, and parents will find current and archived information at The Washington Post site. The Kids Post section houses articles of interest to students as well as opinion polls and discussions where students can actively participate. One student feature called Brain Food has a movie of the day that answers a question submitted by a student (requires downloading Flash to view), study tips, and other general information for students. The teacher section includes articles and lesson plans as well as links to professional resources and organizations. Parenting offers articles, book and movie reviews.
Startribune.com
Published in Minneapolis/St. Paul, the Star Tribune hosts an online education section with areas for teachers and parents, students, and lifelong learners. Teachers may download articles that are modified to a grade 4-6 reading level and have pre and post reading questions for students to answer, along with an answer key and other classroom resources to use both on and offline. In addition to reading modified articles, students will find opinion polls they can participate in, homework help, Web links for research, and practice tests for basic standards in math and reading.
Television News
CNN fyi.com
Every day CNN reporters, in collaboration with classroom teachers, write and post news-breaking articles specifically for this CNN middle and high school student site. Each story also has an accompanying lesson plan or discussion activity for teachers to use in the classroom. There is an archive of past stories, information about topics for daily student-oriented broadcasts, and access to broadcast transcripts. In addition to reading or watching news features from CNN, high school students can also become field reporters by joining the Student Bureau. The application is available online and schools can become print and/or video certified to submit stories to CNN for possible publication or broadcast.
Online NewsHour Extra
PBS offers NewsHour with Jim Lehrer Specials for Students, in-depth explorations of topics primarily for high school students. New top stories are added every Thursday: recent subjects have included stem cell research, a new Russia, year-round schooling, and tax rebates. Additional features such as Student Buzz and Forums are designed to encourage student participation by responding to questions about current news topics or providing students opportunities to ask questions about current events. There is a support area for teachers and educators are encouraged to be active site users by becoming online advisors.
Television News Archive
In 1968 Vanderbilt University began maintaining an archive of abstracts of daily evening world news broadcasts from major networks. Today students can access the archives to see what top stories were reported and compare coverage from one network to another. Abstracts of special reports are also available as are two specialized collections on the Gulf War. The ability to review this kind of information enables students to readily identify trends in reporting and topics that may merit further investigation.
Online News Magazines
Time for Kids
Like their print counterparts, online news magazines tend to focus on news items that deal with broad, ongoing issues. Time Magazine, publishers of Time for Kids for elementary aged students in print, now has a Web site where you and your students can explore the news online. The articles cover the areas typically found in Time: world and national news, sports, and entertainment; but the site offers more than just articles. There are online research tools including a dictionary, thesaurus, and world map, an explore area for students to learn more about a wide array of topics, interactive educational game activities, and a feedback area for students, teachers, and parents.
Yahooligans!News
Yahooligans! News is designed strictly for kids. Top stories, monthly interviews, weird news, and pop news are among the regular features. An interesting area, Big Picture, offers topics for students to explore in depth through news articles and Web links. Reviewing this site brings to mind traditional print classroom newsletters such as Weekly Reader. While this may not be the place to send students for an assignment on current events, many readers in upper elementary and middle school grades will appreciate the site because it offers material they will find most interesting.
Scholastic News Zone
Scholastic magazines have been a staple in many classrooms for years. Now elementary and middle school students can also access Scholastic News online. Special reports, top news, games and quizzes, and teacher tips are just some of the features offered on this site designed for students grades 3 through 8. Two to four special reports are always available; recent topics include the Middle East crisis and a look at child labor.
Background Information on Today's News
The Why Files: Science Behind the News
Gulf War Syndrome continues to plague soldiers who were in the Persian Gulf in 1991: the government has spent $155 million trying to understand the syndrome. Do your students know the history of disease and military personnel or the effects of chemical warfare? Written in every day language and aligned to science standards for grades 5 through 12, the Why Files provide critical background information that enables students have a richer, more thorough understanding of current news topics related to science.
Facts Behind the News
This site takes current headlines and provides links to background information about the topic. For example, when the Japanese government decided not to extradite former Peruvian President Fujimori, students could review maps of Japan and Peru and read background articles about Fujimori. In addition to top headlines the site offers information on sports, entertainment, countries in the news, and a retrospective of news from 2000.
Further Help for Teachers
Newspapers and the 'Net
This is the teacher site promised in the introduction. Developed by Sherrye Dee Garrett, Ed.D. with Dr. Betty L. Sullivan, the three areas on the site offer background material for using newspapers with students, thirteen student activities, and additional resources including vocabulary terms for the Internet and newspapers and links to sites you will find helpful as you work with students and the news.
Email: Susan Brooks-Young
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