Teacher Note: This activity may be modified based on the students' ages. For example, with younger children you, might want to fill out the organizer as a whole-class activity. You might also limit the discussion to a few of the more general questions.



Steps

Activity One

In this activity students will use local newspapers as a source to examine and celebrate the various cultures in their community.

1. Involve students in a discussion about the culture of their local community. Discuss the ways that the people who live in their community come together to create this culture. Ask students to share examples of what people in their community think, what they do, and what products or materials they produce. Discuss how these examples play a role in the creation of this culture.

2. Explain to students that they are going to continue to explore and examine their community through the lens of their local newspapers.

3. Divide the class into small groups. Tell students that they are going to use local newspapers to create a collage that captures the essence of their community. Tell students that over the next few weeks, they will cut out photographs, images, and words that they think illustrate what people in their community think, what they do, and the materials they produce.

4. After students have collected their images, ask them create a collage by gluing the images onto a piece of poster board. After groups have completed their posters, provided time for groups to share their work with the entire class.

5. You may choose to display the students' work in various public areas in the community.

Activity Two

This activity is designed as an open-ended activity that may be used with any current event topic.

1. This activity may be used in conjunction with any current event topic and with multiple news media formats, i.e., newspaper, television, radio, Internet, etc. Begin the activity by calling students' attention to the headline. Ask students to predict what they think the story will be about.

2. After viewing the headline you may choose to complete a class K-W-L-H chart on the topic to activate students' prior knowledge of the topic. K –Record what students KNOW about the subject. W –Record what students WANT to learn about the subject. L – Record what students LEARN as they read about the subject. H – Record HOW students will learn more about the subject.

3. Pass out the "Current Events Organizer." Read the story and have students answer the following questions as they pertain to the article: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Does this event impact my life? Do I need more information on this topic? Does the story include multiple perspectives? This may be completed as a written or oral assignment and may be done individually, in pairs, small groups, or as a class. If this activity wasn't completed as a whole-class activity, discuss the article as a class.

Teacher Note: Again, this activity may be modified, based on the students' ages. For example, with younger children, you might want to fill out the organizer as a whole-class activity. You might also limit the discussion to a few of the more general questions.

4. After students have completed the "Current Events Organizer," you may choose to use complete one of the suggested activities listed below.

Conduct further research on the topic.
Create a cartoon on the news topic.
Draw a picture that explains what happened in the story.
Write an editorial or letter to the editor.
Write letters to elected officials.
Record thoughts and reactions in a journal.
Perform a skit.
Write a poem about what happened in the story, or about how the story made you feel.
Create a class mural on the topic.
Re-write the article from another viewpoint.

If the article took place in another country, find the country on the map and visit the CIA World Fact Book Website to learn more about the country. https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html



Extension Activity

Have students create culture collages for the state, the country and other countries from around the world