1. What Sank the USS Maine?

2. Search for Missing Bride Continues Bride Missing
Search for Missing Bride Continues Bride Missing! Groom’s Family Blame History of Mental Illness

3. Discussion How do these headlines differ?
What does each headline imply?
If these were articles, which would you have wanted to read first?
Which do you think would have been the most reliable story? Why?
Why might different newspapers choose to present the same event so differently?

4. Reading Maine Explosion = Feb. 15, 1898
New York Journal
New York Times
Sourcing
How long after the explosion of the Maine was this article written?
What does the headline of the article suggest about the newspaper’s point of view?
Close reading
Upon what type of evidence does the New York Journal base its claims?
Sourcing
How does the date of this article compare with the date on the New York Journal and Advertiser article?
Close reading
According to these headlines, what happened to the Maine?
What kinds of evidence does the New York Times include to support its account of the incident?

5. Discussion Do you know what happened to the Maine?
What evidence do you have for your answer?
Do you think these articles would have been received differently by their readers in 1898?
How so?
What effect might the Journal article have had on its readers?
What effect might the Times article have had on its readers?
How significant was this event at the time?

6. Timeline This is your LEFT SIDE
Put the following events in order on your timeline.
For each event you must include:
Name
Brief Description of the Event
Draw a Symbol to Represent that Event.
Events
Cuba Libre USS Maine
Manila Bay Incident Battle of San Juan Hill
Phillippine-American War - Treaty of Paris
Rough Riders De Lome Letter
Yellow Press Platt Amendment
Once you have completed the timeline, select two events to write a “yellow journalism” style headline.