Newspapers in the Classroom The Ultimate Textbook Kristi Piper Danbury High School

Why make the newspaper your textbook? To make inferences and draw conclusions To use primary, non-fiction sources To encourage elaboration in thought and writing To increase depth of observation and curiosity To analyze, evaluate and synthesize To connect with real world experiences and current events.

The Chronicle in Education  Lesson Ideas  Teachers’ Guides  Student Guides  Free Programs  Contests

What do you know?  Entertainment  Current Events  Sports  Local Happenings  Politics  History  Controversial Debates

Front Page Poetry Kaye Moon Winters  Choose an article to read from the front page.  Pull words and/or phrases that you like.  Create a “Found Poem” using the found words, your words, or a salt and pepper mix.

So many uses…  Editorial Cartoons / Editorials  Dear Abby  Research Topics  Media Comparisons  Current Events Journal

My mom cried the day Ronald Reagan died. She went in her bedroom, sat on her bed, and cried real hard. She hadn’t known him, but his death made her sad. Real sad. It made me think about our leaders today. If Bill Clinton or George Bush died would I be sad? I mean, it’s always sad when someone dies, but would it make me so sad that I would need to be alone to have a good cry? I don’t think so. In fact, I can’t think of one public figure whose death would bring out that kind of response in me. Maybe my mom is just an emotional person, but maybe Ronald Reagan was just a great leader. Maybe he was the kind of leader whose death would have made me mourn him had I been around to experience him. Maybe. I don’t know exactly what that says about our leaders and role models today, but I do know that it makes this article a good addition to our journal. Future students should remember the death of Ronald Reagan because apparently he was the kind of leader that will really be missed. ~Anthony~8 th Grade Reluctant Reader and Writer

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. ~Marcel Proust Yes, you can READ photography.

Don’t forget the funny stuff!

What makes it such a great reading resource?  Students connect with what they read in newspapers.  It is a non-threatening reading activity.  You will never have a shortage of reading material, writing and discussion topics, or thought provoking photographs.  It changes every day.  It holds their attention and they look forward to reading it. How many textbooks can you say that about?