Newspaper in Education - Curriculum Guides

Watch Monthly for a FREE Curriculum Guide!

This month's download:
Math from a Different Angle
This packet of math activities is designed to be used by upper elementary teachers / middle school teachers. The worksheets are based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Five Strands: Number Sense and Operations Patterns, Relations, and Algebra Geometry Measurement Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability

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SHOWCASE -- Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks Guides

Math from a Different Angle

Grades 3 - 10 *

A NEW guide that covers every strand in the State Frameworks, no exceptions! The guide is comprised of stand-alone activity sheets that can be used to complement your curriculum goals. Students apply their mathematical skills by turning to the newspaper where real-life mathematical problems, challenges, and solutions await. Geared toward elementary, middle and lower level high school math classes. Call NIE for sample pages: 585-5289.

ECONOMICS -- Ideas, Concepts, Applications

Grades 5 - 12*

A NEW guide that helps you cover Massachusetts Learning Standards for Economics! Review basic economic concepts while you develop expertise in the vocabulary of economics. The newspaper is your real-world textbook to help students think critically about today's economy and tomorrow's economic destiny! All lessons from the guide are correlated to Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks by Standard and by Grade.

Featuring The Frameworks--Linking Language Arts to Your Newspaper

Grades 3 - 9*

Cover ALL Learning Standards in the Language Arts Frameworks, and, have fun doing it! The Introductory Activities help students learn how to use the newspaper as a critical reading and writing resource; the subsequent activities provide creative opportunities to hone language arts skills. Each activity employs a graphic organizer. Use the activities separately, create a portfolio, or complement a "journaling" unit·the possibilities are endless!

Measuring Up in Mathematics

Grades 9 - 12 AND Advanced classes 5 - 8*

A NEW guide that addresses the NCTM Standards for Secondary School Math. How can you develop thinking students who know how to solve real 21st century math problems? The activities in this guide -- many of them interdisciplinary -- help you motivate students to be active and creative mathematicians.

What's the Problem?

Grades 3 - 8*

A NEW NIE curriculum focusing on the Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Frameworks. Help your students understand just what "Technology" is, and how they can evaluate, criticize and create technology themselves! Each activity uses a "design brief" to introduce students to the real-world design process as they think creatively and develop solutions. Guide correlates to Curriculum Frameworks for Grades 3-5 (Materials and Tools) and 6-8.

INTRODUCTORY or General NIE Guides

Know the News/Use the News

Grades4 - 9*

NOT a Guide, but an introductory LOOSE-LEAF binder of activities DIVIDED BY SUBJECT. This is the resource for beginners. Use this notebook to walk through the basics of newspapers--from editorials to advertising--with easy-to-use lesson plans at each step. Activities are correlated to national language arts and social studies standards (and many are matched as well as to Massachusetts Frameworks) and each lesson plan includes rubrics and assessment sheets. Most lesson plans also offer "adaptations" for use with younger or older students.

NIE for K-3

Grades K - 3*

Fun newspaper activities that follow basic curriculum guidelines for readiness, reading, math, language arts, social studies and science. Thousands of activities are included, AND, you'll find a set of worksheets at the end of the Guide.

Press Ahead!

Grades 3 - 9*

This is a teacher's guide to creating student newspapers. This guide covers National Language Arts and Social Studies Standards and can be used as a general teaching tool AND as a planning guide for creating classroom newspapers. Whether or not you're ready to develop your own newspaper, use this guide to give students opportunities to analyze newspapers and to think critically about press ethics and responsibilities.

SUBJECT-SPECIFIC Guides

Ancient Civilizations

Grades 3 - 8*

A guide that explores Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome! Help your students connect their studies of the Ancient World to the present. Plus, this guide is interdisciplinary, ranging from architecture to math, science to the arts.

Dinosaur Dynamics

Grades 2 - 6*

Teaching Prehistory, Reading and Science with the Newspaper! Activities are integrated across the curriculum and link the study of dinosaurs with the study of our modern world.

Exploring Diversity

Grades 4 - 9*

Designed with today's diverse classroom in mind, this guide focuses on helping students understand differences through a series of learning experiences in communication and cooperation. The activities integrate reading, writing, speaking, listening and critical thinking skills, while encouraging students to explore cultural differences.

Getting There -- How to Read a Map

Grades 2 - 6*

New in 2001, this guide uses cartoon creatures to lead your students into and out of the world of maps. Just what CAN maps tell us about our land, our town, our roads?! The guide can be used to cover ALL Learning Standards for Geography, from Physical Spaces of the Earth to Human Alteration of Environments.

Keep Fit, Stay Healthy

Grades 3 - 8*

Information on diet, exercise, and building self-esteem, plus many fun activities. This guide can be used to teach the Core Concepts and Guiding Principles of Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Curriculum Frameworks.

Literature Links to the Newspaper

Grades K - 6*

If you love children's literature, this is the guide for you! Nineteen favorite children's books are featured, all with linked newspaper activities, graphic organizers, and rubrics. With this Guide, you can use the newspaper with your students as an integral part of your lesson plans. Activities are aligned with Massachusetts Language Arts Standards.

Meet Massachusetts

Grades 3 - 8*

An exploration of the past, present and future of Massachusetts·through the newspaper. Includes invaluable activities (each with a graphic organizer) that will introduce your students to Massachusetts' history and culture, from the Wampanoags to Beacon Hill politicians.

Mothers of Invention

Grades 3 - 8*

With this guide you'll cover women's history while helping your students use their curiosity, creativity and hands-on work to explore their world. Endless opportunities exist to extend the information in this guide into research projects.

Presenting Your Portfolio

Grades 4 - 8*

Help young writers overcome blank-page anxiety by showing them how to mine the newspaper for creative writing starter ideas. You'll find writing exercises, worksheets, and suggestions on how to develop plot outlines and characters. The guide also give students a chance to rate their own work by explaining how to assemble a portfolio.

Take it to the Bank

Grades 6 - 12*

Are you looking for ways to prepare your students for real life? Or for practical mathematical and economic problems they will face at the store, the mall, the bank? This guide offers hands-on activities that allow your students to explore the history of money and banking, the perils of credit (!), and the function of banks.

Testing, Testing 1, 2, 3!

Grades 4 - 8*

Concern with your students' success on tests will lead you to this Guide. How do YOU play the game of test-taking? And what can you do to help your students practice their test-taking skills? You can give this guide to your students, or, use parts of it yourself as instructional handouts.

Turkeys, Raccoons & Deer·Oh my! Great American Wildlife

Grades 3 - 8*

Explore the great American wildlife with this exciting curriculum guide. The guide includes creature features about Ghost Crabs, Snapping Turtles, Screech Owls, Striped Skunks and many more native animals.

Vote Massachusetts--Gubernatorial Election Curriculum

Grades 3 - 9*

NEW FOR 2002/3! Is your class participating in a Mock Election? Or, are you looking for creative ways to teach the Learning Standards for Civics and Government? This guide can help students understand the principles and practices of government while exploring real-world issues and events as they happen.

Water--From Here to Eternity and Back Again

Grades 4 - 8*

Help your students learn what they know (and don't know!) about water. Wonderful and bubbly illustrations plus cool activities will make students thirst to problem-solve and think critically about water!

What's Up with Gravity?

Grades 4 - 8*

A Look at the Mysterious Force and Its Hold on Our Lives! Get the low-down on the history of gravity and learn how to play with the concept as well! Games and activities will keep your students spinning in many directions. This is an interdisciplinary guide that pulls together math, science, history, technology and the arts.

*Grade level indicators are approximations. All guides may easily be adapted to serve children outside of the suggested grade levels. Many of the guides, for example, can be used in accelerated reading programs for younger students, OR, in remedial instruction centers for older students.