Bias in Historical Newspapers

Grade Level:

High School

Subject:

English

Focus: In this lesson students will identify and support examples of bias in print media.Students will learn to effectively and efficiently search the Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection for articles, headlines and illustrations about Native Americans to locate and identify obvious, as well as subtle, examples of bias and prejudice.

Time:

One ninety-minute block

Standards Assessed:

• Reading & Writing 1
  Students read and understand a variety of materials.
• Reading & Writing 4
  Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing.
• Information Literacy 1
  The information literate student accesses information efficiently and effectively.
• Information Literacy 2
  The information literate student evaluates information critically and competently.
  
  

Assessment: See rubric, below.

Standards Addressed

Reading & Writing 5
Students read to locate, select, and make use of relevant information from a variety of media, reference, and technological sources.

• Reading & Writing 6
  Students read and recognize literature as a record of human experience.
• Information Literacy 5
  The information literate student appreciates literature and other creative expressions of information.
• Information Literacy 6
  The information literate student strives for excellence in information seeking and knowledge generation.
  

Materials/Teacher Preparation

• Samples of print materials (article, headline and/or illustration) on overhead transparencies
  
• Analysis Form
  
• Grading Rubric
  
• Computer lab time
  

Possible Procedures

1. As a class, brainstorm bias/stereotypes and prejudices about Native Americans.
   
   
2. Demonstrate examples of print media (newspaper articles, illustrations, headlines) illustrating bias/prejudice and discuss how bias/prejudice is illustrated.
   
   
3. Demonstrate use of the Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection database and location, and use of the analysis form. A good introduction to searching this database is available at http://www.bcr.org/cdp/teachertb/lessons/lesson10/showlesson_lessonid67.html.
   
   
4. Describe assignment to students: students will independently search for 2 newspaper articles and 2 newspaper headlines/illustrations that exemplify bias against Native Americans. Students will complete the analysis form (see above) on 2 newspaper articles and 2 headlines or illustrations.
   Under Content: students will identify 3 main points of the article;
   Under Format: students will identify the format of all 4 articles/headlines/illustrations;
   Under Intent : students will list 5 facts in the article/headline and gives a clear explanation of why these are facts, rather than opinion and will list opinion(s) in the articles/headlines and gives a clear explanation of why these are opinions, rather than facts;
   Under Summary: Student will uses 6+ sentences to describe clearly what the article/headline/illustration is about.
   
   
5. For the 2 headlines/illustrations have the students explain how each headline/illustration is related to the text and determines whether each headline/illustration agrees with information in the text.
   
   
6. Remind students that they must provide the MLA citations for all articles/headlines/illustrations that they use on a separate sheet of paper.
   
   
7. Have students work on assignment, and when completed, turn in the analysis form, the newspaper articles/headlines/illustrations used and the citations.
   

- Juliet Green & Sue Graham, Liberty High School, Colorado Springs