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The PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs supports teachers and young people to report on important issues in their community, creating impactful video reports for the national NewsHour Extra audience. Along with technical instruction on the use of cameras and editing equipment, this program also includes a meaningful focus on understanding the role of journalism in society and developing broader communication skills, including listening, asking questions, public speaking, and finding, analyzing and evaluating the quality of information.
This curriculum was developed with our partners at the Media Education Lab of Temple University as well as media professionals and high school teachers. The curriculum consists of three flexible units with a total of 10 lesson plans aimed at strengthening digital and news literacy competencies.
These flexible lessons can be used in the context of courses in English, social studies, or video production classes and include critical thinking, analysis and production activities. Each lesson is designed for a 50-minute class with engaging high-interest activities to nurture a sense of purpose and accomplishment. The curriculum can easily be adapted to the McRel Standards, Common Core Standards and ISTE Standards.
Unit Resources
The curriculm is divided into three units:
More key resources for 2012-13 Teachers and Mentors:
Lesson Plans for Video Topics: Dropout, Science and the Constitution
One-pager explaining what the Student Reporting Labs are
Student Reporting Labs Media Kit
Top Ten Ways to Improve Student Videos
Jim Lehrer's 10 Rules of Journalism
Student Release Form - Please send this release form home with your students and have their parents sign it if they are under 18. Because students' work will be displayed across the Web and possibly on television, it's important to make parents aware of the program and receive their permission. (Click here for a version in Spanish).
A Letter to Parents - Send this letter home with the release form to explain the Reporting Labs program to parents. Contact the NewsHour team if you would like a customizable Word version that you can add your own name or comments to.
Student Reporting Labs timeline - Keep track of what's expected of students, teachers and mentors throughout the first semester of the 2012-13 school year. This is a suggested timeline, please go over the specific benchmarks with the NewsHour staff.
A Comic? About Fair Use and Copyright? - The Duke University Law School has produced a fun, informative and useful comic book about fair use and copyright issues - perfect for a classroom activity!
Student Reporting Labs match local PBS stations with classrooms, after-school clubs and other community groups to produce video reports on important topics. This site provides a journalism-based curriculum and "cloud reporting" environment where students can share resources, ideas and strategize about how to tackle tough issues.
The NewsHour Extra team, media professionals and scholars have developed three flexible units with a total of 9 lesson plans aimed at strengthening digital and news literacy competencies.
