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We believe that your visit to the Newseum, along with this unit of study on the way technology has shaped news and information, will allow you and your students to think about our history and the media in a way no textbooks can.

The technologies we use to share and gather information have a profound effect on our lives and our understanding of the world around us. Without actually experiencing the advent of new technologies as they emerged over time, we cannot fully appreciate

- How often do we think about the way information travels?

- What is freedom of press and how does it affect the ways we share and receive information?

- What might have happened if the technologies we use today were never invented?

- Why is it important to understand the way information travels?

- How does the way information travels affect our understanding of history and current events?

- Do you prefer some technologies over others when you need to share or receive information? Why?

Unit OverviewPre- and Post-Visit Activities for Elementary and Middle Schools

What were the earliest forms of communication? How fast did news travel 100 years ago? How fast can news travel today? What inventions have made it easier to spread information? What early forms of technology do we still use today?

We appreciate your willingness to share with your students the benefi ts of viewing, hearing, reading and experiencing the First Amendment, through which the Newseum brings history to life.

how news travels today and how that affects the way we receive and use information. But by exploring the ways people have gotten news across hundreds of years of history — from Lakota Winter Count blankets and cave drawings to television and smart phones — we can better understand how technology has impacted the way we experience and share news.

Our guiding question in this unit is: How has information traveled throughout history and how does technology affect the way we share and receive information? That question engenders a number of additional questions that will be good to keep in mind to get the maximum benefi t from your Newseum visit:

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National Standards of Learning

National Council for the Social Studies, Curriculum Standards for Social Studies Early Grades:

National Council for the Social Studies, Curriculum Standards for Social Studies Middle Grades:

a. Demonstrate an understanding that different people may describe the same event or situation in diverse ways. Citing reasons for the differences in views. e. Demonstrate and understanding that people in different times and places view the world differently.

a. Demonstrate an understanding that different scholars may describe the same event or situation in different ways but must provide reasons or evidence for their views. c. Identify and describe selected historical periods and patterns of change within and across cultures, such as the rise of civilizations, the development of transportation systems, the growth and breakdown of colonial systems, and others. d. Identify and use processes important to reconstructing and reinterpreting the past, such as using a variety of sources, providing, validating, and weighing evidence for claims, checking credibility of sources, and searching for causality.

g. Explore the role of technology in communications, transportation, information-processing, weapons development, or other areas as it contributes to or helps resolve confl icts.

g. Describe and analyze the role of technology in communications, transportation, information-processing, weapons development, or other areas as it contributes to or helps resolve confl icts.

(II) Time, Continuity

& Change

(II) Time, Continuity

& Change

(VI) Power, Authority

& Governance

(VI) Power, Authority

& Governance

Content: Standard

Content: Standard

a. Identify and describe examples in which science and technology have changed the lives of people, such as in homemaking, childcare, work, transportation, and communication.

(VIII) Science,

Technology & Society

b. Identify examples of rights and responsibilities of citizens. (X) Civic Ideals & Practices

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National Center for History in the Schools, National Standards for History Grades K-4:

The student can explain the importance of the basic principles of American democracy that unify us as a nation: our individual rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; responsibility for the common good; equality of opportunity and equal protection of the law; freedom of speech and religion; majority rule with protection for minority rights; and limitations on government, with power help by the people and delegated by them to their elected offi cials who are responsible to those who elected them to offi ce.

Topic 3, Standard 4A

Content: Standard

The student understands changes in communication and their effects. The student can compare and contrast ways people communicate with each other now and long ago, and list in chronological order technological developments that facilitated communication. The student can illustrate the origins and changes in methods of writing over time and describe how the changes made communication between people more effective. The student can explain the signifi cance of the printing press, the computer and electronic developments in communication, and describe their impact on the spread of ideas.

Topic 4, Standard 8C

Center for Civic Education, National Standards for Civics and Government Grades K-4:

Student should be able to explain the importance of the fundamental values and principles of American democracy as they are expressed in the Declaration of Independence, Preamble to the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, Pledge of Allegiance, speeches, songs, and stories.

Students should be able to explain why certain rights are important to the individual and to a democratic society.

II.A.1

Content: Standard

V.C.1

Center for Civic Education, National Standards for Civic and Government Grades 5-8:

Students should be able to evaluate the infl uence of television, radio, the press, newsletters, and emerging means of electronic communication on American politics.

Students should be able to explain the importance to the individual and society of such political rights as the freedom of speech, press, assembly, and petition.

III.F.2

V.B.2

Content: Standard

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National Council of Teachers of English, The Standards for the English Language Arts:

Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.

Standard 2

Content: Standard

Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identifi cation strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).

Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

Students participate as knowledgeable, refl ective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

Standard 3

Standard 4

Standard 11

Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, fi gurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.

Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Standard 6

Standard 12

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Pre-Visit Activities

Dear Educator,

We are looking forward to welcoming you and your class to the Newseum for The Speed of News school program. These three quick activities will introduce your students to some of the topics and concepts we will explore together in more depth during the visit. Enclosed you will fi nd the following activities:

Media Match-UpThis quick matching game introduces students to the forms of communication they’ll explore in more depth during their Newseum experience and starts a conversation about why we choose different forms of communication to share different messages.

The Big Six: The Reporter’s QuestionsWho is a reporter? What tools does a reporter use to do his or her job? Students learn about the six reporter’s questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? They dissect a newspaper article to analyze how a reporter answers these questions in a news story.

On the Hunt for Information: Where Can You Find News?Students go on a news scavenger hunt to discover the range of types of media we use to communicate today.

We hope these activities help you and your students get excited about your upcoming fi eld trip. We’ll see you soon!

— Newseum Education Staff

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Media Match-Up

Rationale/Main Concept: How do people communicate with each other? Why do we use different forms of communication at different times? Students will learn about seven different forms of communication, then play a matching game to explore when they would want to use these different forms.

Time: A 20-minute game (played as a class) and discussion.

Materials: - None

Objectives — Students/Participants Will Be Able to:- List different ways of communicating information.

- Compare and contrast different forms of communication.

- Understand that we use different forms of communication depending on the message we need to send and how we want it to reach other people.

Procedure:- Tell students they are going to explore different forms of communication.

- Ask students, What does “communicate” mean? To share information.

- Ask students, What different ways do you share information with other people? List answers on the board. Possible responses: e-mail, telephone, talking, written notes, etc.

- Tell students they are going to focus on seven different forms of communication. Write these in large print on the board:

Speech/Word of MouthPicturesWritingPrintingTelephoneTelevision Radio

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- With your students, go through what each form of communication is and how it is used to share information.

- Speech/Word of Mouth: Telling someone news directly, shouting out information.- Pictures: Sharing information using drawings, photographs or other images.- Writing: Writing down information with a pen, pencil, etc.- Printing: Using a printing press or a computer and printer to make many copies of the information you want to share so other people can read it. - Telephone: Sharing information by speaking to someone who could be far away, which is different from word of mouth because you don’t need to be close to a person to talk to them.- Television: Sharing information over the airwaves so people can see it on their TV sets.- Radio: Sharing information over the airwaves so people can hear it through their radios.

- Tell the students you’re going to play a matching game. You will read them a series of situations in which a person needs to share some information. For each one, they will vote for which type of communication they think should be used. Read each scenario, then tally the votes and write the name of the scenario under or next to the winning form of communication. Call on some students to explain why they voted for the form of communication they chose and why another form would not work as well. For the fi rst couple of scenarios, you may fi nd it helpful to talk through each communication option with the students, addressing the pros and cons of using it in this situation. Give the students some ideas about the issues they should be considering, for example: Do you want to fi nd a fast way of communicating or is slow OK? Do you want to share this information with a lot of people or just a few? Do you want to be able to see pictures, hear words or read words?

Scenarios:- Hurricane: You are in a city that has just been hit by a hurricane. The streets are

fl ooded and lots of trees have been blown down. You want to show people across the country all the destruction that has taken place. What form of communication should you use?

- Cupcake: You are at the bakery, and you see that they have your friend’s favorite kind of cupcake. You want to let your friend know before they sell out. What form of communication should you use?

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- Bracelet: You are in your classroom and fi nd a bracelet that you know your classmate has been looking for. You want to let her know you found it. What form of communication should you use?

- Hamster: You lost your hamster. You want to let everyone in your neighborhood know that he’s lost and what he looks like. What form of communication should you use?

- Library: You are at the library studying with some friends. You want to ask one of them a question, but you’re supposed to be quiet in the library study room. What form of communication should you use?

- Soccer: Your soccer team is playing in a championship game. You want everyone in the community to be able to follow what’s happening in the game as it’s played. What form of communication should you use?

- Circus: The circus is coming to town, but your best friend is sick at home. You want to fi nd a way for your friend to see the circus without having to leave home. What form of communication should you use?

- At the end of the game, use these questions to spark discussion:

- Did everyone agree on the form of communication to use for each scenario? Why or why not?- Choose one scenario. Would it be possible to share the information in a different way than the one that won the vote? What about for other scenarios? Is there more than one way to share each message?- Which forms of communication are best to use when you’re in a hurry? Which are good to use when you’re not in a hurry? Why?

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The Big Six: The Reporter’s Questions

Rationale/Main Concept: Who reports the news? What tools do journalists use to make sure they get the whole story? In this activity, students will learn about the “reporter’s questions,” the “fi ve W’s and an H” that lead journalists as they ask questions and report a story: Who?, What?, Where?, When?, Why? and How?. They will then dissect a story to trace how a journalist has put the questions into action.

Time: 45 minutesGrades: 4th–8th grade

Materials:- Copies of “The Big Six: Question Cut-Up” worksheet included in this packet

- Copies of Today’s News “New Museum Opens” article on the opening of the Newseum included in this packet

- Scissors

- Tape or glue

Objectives — Students/Participants Will Be Able to:- List the six reporter’s questions: Who?, What?, Where?, When?, Why? and How?

- Identify the who, what, where, when, why and how in a news story

Procedure:- Ask your students: What is a journalist? What is a journalist’s job?

- Explain that part of a journalist’s job is to ask a lot of questions so that he or she can use the answers to write news stories. Most reports begin by trying to answer six big questions, sometimes called the “reporter’s questions,” “the reporter’s best friend,” or the “fi ve W’s and an H.” Write these questions on the board:

- Who?- What?- Where?- When?- Why?- How?

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- Tell the students they are going to study a news article to see if the reporter did a good job answering all of the six reporter’s questions.

- Hand out copies of the Today’s News article and the “Question Cut-Up” worksheet.

- When the students have fi nished the activity, compare where they have put different parts of the article. Did everyone put things in the same place? Why or why not? (Some sentences or pictures can answer more than one question.) Are there any questions this article did not answer? What other information would you like to have about this story?

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The Big Six: Question Cut-Up

Instructions: Asking questions is an important part of a journalist’s job. When journalists write news stories, they share the answers they found to the questions they asked. Six of the most important questions a journalist should ask to start fi nding out about a news story are Who?, What?, Where?, When?, Why? and How?. In this activity, you will cut apart a newspaper story to fi gure out if the journalist did a good job answering all six of these questions.

First, read the Today’s News article called “New Museum Opens” about the opening of the Newseum. After you have read the article, it’s time to cut it up! Cut out the parts of the article that answer the question “Who?” and glue or tape them in the box labeled “Who?” Do the same thing for the other fi ve questions/boxes. Do pictures help answer the questions? If you think they do, cut those out and put them in boxes, too!

WHO?

WHAT?

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WHERE?

WHEN?

WHY?

HOW?

Name Date

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Today’s NewsNEW MUSEUM OPENS

The Newseum opened its doors for the fi rst time at 9 a.m. on April 11, 2008.

The Newseum is an interactive museum about the news and the First Amendment. It features seven fl oors of exhibits.

Visitors to the Newseum can learn not only by reading exhibits, looking at artifacts and watching fi lms, but also by interacting with touch-screen computers where they can play games and write comments.

The Newseum is located at 555 Pennsylva-nia Ave. in downtown Washington, D.C., in sight of the U.S. Capitol building.

Mayor Adrian Fenty, Newseum founder Al Neuharth, Newseum CEO Charles L. Over-by and hundreds of local citizens attended the grand opening celebration. The News Hound, the Newseum’s furry mascot, also made an appearance.

The Newseum, formerly located in Arling-ton, Va., moved to its new location because it is larger and more centrally located, so it will allow more people to visit.

Visitors enjoy the view of the U.S. Capitol from the Newseum’s Pennsylvania Avenue Terrace.

The Newseum is located at 555 Pennsylvania Ave.

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On the Hunt for Information: Where Can You Find News?

Rationale/Main Concept: How do people share information with other people? Where can you fi nd news stories today? In this activity, students will complete the “Are You an Ace Reporter?” scavenger hunt to see how many different kinds of media they can track down and learn about how diverse the media around us have become. The scavenger hunt can be done in class, in groups or alone as homework. As homework, these activities are also a wonderful way for students to let their families know about their upcoming Newseum fi eld trip.

Time: A 30-minute worksheet that can be completed in class or as homework, plus 20 minutes of discussion.

Materials:- Copies of “Are You an Ace Reporter?” scavenger hunt worksheet included in this packet.

Objectives — Students/Participants Will Be Able to:- List some of the media they use every day.

- Discuss why it is useful to have different forms of communication.

Procedure:- Distribute the scavenger hunt worksheets to students. Either give them time to complete them in class or assign them for homework.

- After students have completed the sheets, discuss their answers as a class.

- Compare the different sources students found to fi ll in their notebook pages, making a giant list of sources on the board or overhead.

- Discuss which types of media are most likely to include pictures, video or sound.

- Ask the students: Which forms of communication do you like the most? Why? Which don’t you like? If you could only choose one form of communication to use for a whole month, which would you choose? Why? Would you miss out on some information that month? Why is it helpful to have different forms of communication to share news? How would your life be different if you had only one way of getting or sharing news?

- Ask the students: What new types of communication do you think might be developed in the future?

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Are You an Ace Reporter?

Instructions: News is everywhere! These days, to be a good reporter, you have to be familiar with all the different places where people are getting their information. A source is a place where you can fi nd news or information — a magazine, newspaper, Web site, etc. See how many different kinds of sources you can fi nd. If you can fi ll in all the notebook pages, congratulations! You’re an ace reporter — a top-notch communication expert!

Find a story about sports that includes pictures or video.

Name of story:

Name of source:

Find a story that you can hear.

Name of story:

Name of source:

Find a story about science that is not in a newspaper.

Name of story:

Name of source:

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Find a story about your town.

Name of story:

Name of source:

Find a story about another country.

Name of story:

Name of source:

Find a story with a long title.

Name of story:

Name of source:

Name Date

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Find a story that has a big photograph with it.

Name of story:

Name of source:

Name Date

Find a story about someone you know. (Hint: Do all stories have to be written by professional journalists? Where can you fi nd information published about the people you know?)

Name of story:

Name of source:

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Post-Visit Activities

Dear Educator,

We hope you enjoyed your recent visit to the Newseum. Below are suggested activities that may extend the experience and allow you to apply concepts that were presented in The Speed of News lesson.

How’d You Get the Message?: Communicating Through the AgesStudents complete a timeline to trace how the ways we share information have changed over time, and they make predictions about what new communication inventions will emerge in the future.

Pictures Versus Words: A Communication ShowdownWhich is the better form of communication: pictures or words? In this activity, students test the two against each other and then discuss their fi ndings, leading to a discussion of each form of communication’s pros and cons.

Free Press and YouYour students become reporters-in-training and conduct interviews to fi nd out how different people get news and how they share information with the world. This activity also will teach them about the First Amendment and the idea of a free press.

We hope you enjoyed your visit and that you fi nd these activities a helpful way to build on your experiences here.

— Newseum Education Staff

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How’d You Get The Message?: Communicating Through the Ages

Rationale/Main Concept: How have the ways we share information changed over time? Is communication getting faster or slower? How quickly do communication technologies change? In this activity, students will fi ll in the blanks on the “How’d You Get the Message?: Communicating Through the Ages” worksheet to reveal how the media has changed over time — from word of mouth to newspapers to blogs — and gain an understanding of how new technologies change the ways we communicate. The activity sheet can be done in class, in groups or alone as homework. As homework, this activity is a good way for students to share their Newseum experiences with their families.

Time: A 30-minute worksheet, plus 15 minutes of class discussion.

Materials:- Copies of “How’d You Get the Message?: Communicating Through the Ages” worksheet included in this packet.

Objectives — Students/Participants Will Be Able To:- Explain several ways in which information was spread before the introduction of electricity, as well as ways information is spread today.

- Analyze the changes in communication media over time.

- Compare and contrast methods of communication throughout history.

Procedure:- Distribute “How’d You Get the Message?” worksheet to students. Either give them time to complete the worksheets in class or assign them for homework.

- After students have completed the worksheets, discuss their answers as a class.

- Ask the students to share the solutions they came up with for each communication situation.

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- Ask the students:

- Which forms of communication have you used and which ones haven’t you used? Of the ones you haven’t used, which forms of communication would you most like to try and why?- Do you think it has become easier or harder over time to get a message to someone fi ve miles away? What about someone across an ocean?- What do you think has stayed the same as new forms of communication have been introduced?- What did you notice about how quickly modes of communication have evolved and changed? During which period did they change faster? Was it a long time ago or more recent?

- What new types of communication do you think might be developed in the future?

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How’d You Get The Message?: Communicating Through the Ages

Instructions: Communication — the ways people share information with each other — has changed a lot over the centuries. Travel back in time and imagine you are living during each of the time periods described below. For each situation, look at the list of possible forms of communication and then fi gure out how you could share and receive information about the world at that time. Pick one of the options from the list below or think of a different one that’s not included here.

Be sure you pick a type of media that had been invented at that time. For example, could Christopher Columbus have used the Internet to look up information about weather for his trip? Could Martha Washington have gotten news about the Revolutionary War from the radio? Could Abraham Lincoln have watched the evening news broadcast on TV to learn what was going on in the Civil War? Could Harriet Tubman have sent text messages to the people she helped escape from slavery? If you get stuck, ask an adult to help you fi gure out what forms of communication were available at that time.

Ways we can communicate:

Radio Cell phone Texting Blogging TV Newspaper E-mail YouTube Telephone Letter Fax Smoke signals Drumbeats Word of mouth

1492You’re an American Indian who’s just caught sight of strange-looking men walking on the beach. How could you share this information with the other people in your community?

How could you share this information with another community that is 10 miles away?

Name Date

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1775The Revolutionary War just started, and you’re a storekeeper who’s heard rumors that British troops might be advancing toward your town. Where could you learn more about what’s going on in the war?

1805You are a tailor who has just designed a new style of dress. You’re sure everyone in town will want to buy one as soon as they see it. How could you show people in your town what you’ve made?

What form of communication would you use if you wanted to be sure people could see what your new styles look like? (Hint: Photography had not yet been invented. What did people use before we had photography?)

1888You are a business owner who is building a new train track across Oklahoma. You want to show the other people in your company how work on the track is progressing. How could you do this?

Name Date

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1963Martin Luther King Jr. is going to give a big speech at a protest on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. You want to hear the speech, but you aren’t able to travel to D.C. How can you learn about what is happening at the protest?

2008You are a member of a new club that wants to promote ways people can save energy in their homes. The club has written a new list of ideas for reusing old plastic bags and containers. How could you share these ideas with people all around the world?

Looking into the future …2100Your great-grandchildren have traveled to the Olympics being held ________. (On the moon? At the South Pole? Underwater? Where do you think?) How will they send you information about everything they’re doing, seeing, hearing and tasting? What new ways of communicating might we have a hundred years from now?

Name Date

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Pictures Versus Words:A Communication Showdown

Instructions: Is one form of communication always better? Is writing always faster than drawing? Why do we choose different forms of communication at different times? In this activity, students try their hand at both writing and drawing to share a message, then compare to see which form of communication was faster and which was more accurate. As a class, they discuss which way of communicating they like the best and why different forms of communication are better suited to different messages.

Time: 30 minutes for the communication race and class discussion.

Materials:- Paper (two sheets per student).

- Writing utensils for each student.

Objectives — Students/Participants Will Be Able To:- Compare the speed and accuracy of different forms of communication.

Procedure:- Make sure all of your students have two pieces of paper and writing utensils.

- Divide the class into halves. Tell one half they can only use drawing to communicate. Tell the other half they can only use writing in complete sentences to communicate. Explain that you are going to ask them a question, and they need to prepare their answers using only the one form of communication they’re allowed to use. When they have fi nished their answers, they should put their hands up, so you can roughly measure which half of the class fi nishes the fastest.

- Question One: How do you get to your house from school?

- Give students three to fi ve minutes (gauge their progress) to prepare their answers, then cut off anyone who hasn’t fi nished.

- Discuss as a class: Which form of communication was faster to answer this question? Was there a clear winner?

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- Have some students from each half of the room share their answers. Ask the class: Can you understand these answers? Would you be able to fi nd these students’ houses using what they’ve written or drawn?

- Tell the class you’re going to race one more time, switching their forms of communication. The half of the class that was using only writing now must draw, and the drawing half of the class must write. Have them take out their second pieces of paper. Remind students to raise their hands when they have fi nished, then read them the next question.

- Question Two: When you wake up in the morning, what do you do to get ready for school?

- Follow the procedure from question one, cutting students off after three to fi ve minutes working on their answers.

- Discuss as a class: Which form of communication was faster this time? Was there a clear winner? Was it the same as last time?

- Have some students from each half of the class share their answers to the question and compare and contrast them. Which answers contain the most information? Which ones are the easiest to understand?

- After everyone has tried both forms of communication, ask the students which one they preferred and why.

- What if you were allowed to use any form of communication you wanted, not just pictures or drawing? Have students help you list more possibilities on the board. Possible responses: text message, e-mail, phone call, etc. Which form would you choose to answer question one about the route from school to your home? Which would you choose to answer question two about your morning routine? Do you ever use more than one way of communicating to share a message? For example, sending a picture or photograph with an e-mail or letter.

- Imagine you had to tell someone the story of your whole life. How would you choose to communicate it? Written words? Spoken words? Photographs? Drawings? Videos? Or a mix of different forms of communication? Why? Students will probably say a mix — different forms of communication are good for telling different parts of the story, such as video for actions, words for what they were thinking about that can’t be seen, etc.

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Free Press and You

Rationale/Main Concept: This activity will help students think about all the different ways in which we all use and share information in our daily lives. Students will learn that it’s not just newspapers, TV news crews and bloggers who publish information — we are all publishers. We all share information with the people around us through e-mails, letters and Web sites, so freedom of the press — as protected by the First Amendment — is important to all of us. Students also will practice their reporting skills by interviewing people about their media and publishing habits.

Time: 30-minute worksheet, plus 20 minutes of class discussion.

Materials:- Copies of “Free Press and You” interview worksheet included in this packet.

- Copy of the First Amendment included in this packet.

Procedure:- Ask your students: Where can you publish — or how can you spread — news or information you want to share with the world? Encourage them to think of examples they saw at the Newseum, such as newspapers, TV news, online news sites, posters, radio shows, etc.

- Ask your students: If you send an e-mail to family members telling them about what you did last weekend, is that publishing information? Or if you put up a post on MySpace, Facebook or a Web site giving your opinion on a movie you saw last week, is that publishing information? Explain to the students that any time we share information with other people, we are publishing. We are all publishers.

- Because we are publishers, we should all know about freedom of the press. Freedom of the press is one of fi ve First Amendment freedoms guaranteed to all Americans and everyone in this country. Read students the text of the First Amendment.

- Ask students: What do you think freedom of the press means? What does “press” mean? Who or what is included in “the press”? What does it mean that the press is free? Discuss their ideas. Sum up the discussion by telling them that freedom of the press means that people in our government — the mayor, a member of Congress, the president — can’t stop us from publishing information, even if they don’t like that information or if it is upsetting or unpopular.

Washington, D.C., area school groups co-sponsored by WTOP 103.5 FM and The Washington Post.

THE SPEED OF NEWS

- Tell the students they are going to be reporters and get more information about how people in their community publish information and how they use freedom of the press.

- Hand out the “Free Press and You” interview worksheets. Tell your students they’re going to practice their reporting skills by interviewing one person. Explain and discuss what “interview” means.

- After students have completed their interviews, discuss what they found as a class. Where are people getting information about their families? Where do they get information about their town? Where do they get information about events in other countries? Did they fi nd people using a large variety of sources or just a few? Where do people share information about their families or their own lives? What types of publishing seem to be most popular among the people your students interviewed? Are people of different ages using different ways of sharing information or getting their news differently?

- Ask students: What do you think our country might be like if we did not have freedom of the press? Would it be easier or harder to get information about the people and the world around us? How might the answers of the people you interviewed change if we were not free to publish information? There might not be as many places to get information, or there might be fewer articles in newspapers or fewer stories on TV news. You might not be able to write whatever you want on your MySpace or Facebook page. You might not be able to fi nd information about some topics, such as wars or people protesting against the government.

Washington, D.C., area school groups co-sponsored by WTOP 103.5 FM and The Washington Post.

THE SPEED OF NEWSName Date

Free Press and You

Instructions: We all publish information every day — we share information on our Facebook or MySpace pages, in e-mails and in letters. Imagine you are a reporter who wants to fi nd out more about where people get information and how they share it with other people. Your task is to interview someone about where they publish information and what other sources of published information they use. You’ll discuss your answers as a class to learn more about how freedom of press affects people in your community.

Name of person you are interviewing:

Age of person you are interviewing:

Where do you get information about what’s happening in your city or town? Why do you use this source?

Where do you get information about what’s happening with people in your family? Why do you use this source?

Where do you get information about what’s happening in foreign countries? Why do you use this source?

Washington, D.C., area school groups co-sponsored by WTOP 103.5 FM and The Washington Post.

THE SPEED OF NEWS

How do you share information about what’s happening in your life with your friends and family? Why do you use this type of communication?

Do you use different information sources at different times of the day? For example, do you read a newspaper in the morning but watch TV news at night? Describe what sources you use and when.

In the United States, we have a free press, which means we are free to share any information, even if it is unpleasant or unpopular. The government cannot control what information we are and are not allowed to publish. How do you think your life would be different if we did not have a free press?

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Name Date

Where do you get information about what’s happening in Congress or what the president of the United States is doing? Why do you use this source?

Washington, D.C., area school groups co-sponsored by WTOP 103.5 FM and The Washington Post.

THE SPEED OF NEWS

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people

peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.