How the Spanish American War Was Reported

Grade Level:

8th-12thGrade

Subject:

Social Studies

Focus:

In this lesson students will learn to research and use information from historic newspapers to answer the following questions: what role did yellow journalism play in influencing the U.S. to enter into the Spanish-American War and how does the media influence its consumers? Students will learn the differences between "yellow journalism" and objective journalism practices.

Time: One ninety-minute block

Standards Assessed:

History Standard 2:

Students know how to use the processes and resources of historical inquiry.

Reading Standard 4:

Students apply thinking skills to their reading, writing, listening and viewing.

Information Literacy Standard 2:

The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently. Indicator 2. Distinguishes among fact, point of view, and opinion. Indicator 3. Identifies inaccurate and misleading information.

Assessment:

Evaluate completed newspaper analysis worksheet, looking for elements of a good news article, descriptions of bias and point of view in the article and for how this article contributes to the student's understanding of yellow journalism and it's effect on the Spanish American War.

Standards Addressed

History Standard 1:

Students understand the chronological organization of history and know how to organize events and people into major eras to identify and explain historical relationships.

History Standard 4:

Students understand how science, technology and economic activity havedeveloped, changed, and affected societies throughout history.

Reading Standard 2:

Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Reading Standard 5:

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

Geography Standard 2:

Students know the physical and human characteristics of places, and use this knowledge to define and study regions and their patterns of change.

Geography Standard 4:

Students understand how economic, political, cultural, and social processes interact to shape patterns of human populations, interdependence, cooperation and conflict.

Materials/Teacher Preparation

• Example of yellow journalism: "The Doubt Removed", Durango Wage Earner, Mar 3, 1898 or other article.
• Newspaper analysis worksheet
• Time in a computer lab
  

Possible Procedures

1. Have students take notes for a few minutes as the teacher gives a background lecture about yellow journalism: 1890's journalism that sensationalized and even created dramatic events and helped propel the US into the Spanish-American War.
2. Show "The Doubt Removed", Durango Wage Earner, Mar 3, 1898 or other article that gives an example of yellow journalism.
3. Discuss how this article is an example of yellow journalism.
4. Explain how to use Colorado's Historic Newspaper Collection and how to search.
5. Allow kids 15 minutes to explore the database with a partner and find news articles of their choice.
6. As a class discuss interesting findings. Have each group share what they found.
7. Hand out newspaper analysis worksheet and explain how to fill it out. You may want to model this by using the article, above.
8. Describe the assignment to the class: students must find an article about the Maine or the war and analyze it using the newspaper analysis sheet. Students must turn in the article and the worksheet.
   

- Dave Perfors