Make the most of your Newseum visit with itineraries and activity guides.
Free learning tools on media literacy and our First Amendment freedoms.
Getting Started
Activities require little to no preparation and are useful for introducing new ideas. Lessons take a full class period and may include homework. Units are made of several lessons and provide a comprehensive study of a topic.
EDTools
Our flexible lesson plans, downloadable primary source documents and unique videos support instruction in history, media literacy and civics.
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ActivityIs This Story Share-Worthy? Flowchart
Students use an infographic to gauge the value of a news story and weigh what they should do with it.
CloseactivityIs This Story Share-Worthy? Flowchart
Students use an infographic to gauge the value of a news story and weigh what they should do with it.
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ActivityE.S.C.A.P.E. Junk News
Using a downloadable poster, students learn a handy acronym to help them remember six key concepts for evaluating information, then test the concepts in teams.
CloseactivityE.S.C.A.P.E. Junk News
Using a downloadable poster, students learn a handy acronym to help them remember six key concepts for evaluating information, then test the concepts in teams.
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ActivityEvidence: Do the Facts Hold Up?
Students dig into an article to determine whether they can trust the information by verifying the evidence it presents.
CloseactivityEvidence: Do the Facts Hold Up?
Students dig into an article to determine whether they can trust the information by verifying the evidence it presents.
How to enroll
If you’re ready to request a program, click Book a Visit to complete the reservation form. Our team will respond within two business days.
EDClasses & Training
Our EDClasses & Training workshops use the First Amendment to illuminate the challenges and ideals of our democracy.
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Newseum Learning Center Teaching Controversy: Turning Third-Rail Topics into Productive Debates
Learn how NewseumED turns controversial subjects into the fodder for engaging student experiences. Gain practical tools and techniques for overcoming the obstacles to teaching hot-button issues.
This class is for:
- Educators
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Newseum Learning Center Fighting Fake News — Educators Workshop
Arm your students with the skills they need to strike a balance between cynic and sucker as they navigate a media landscape where real and fake sometimes look all too similar.
This class is for:
- Educators
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Newseum Learning Center Who's Afraid of Fake News? Responding to Misleading Media
Even if your students can spot fake news, what should they do about it? Explore the real consequences of this phenomenon and how you can help your students shape the reach and impact of fake news. (In beta testing for 2017-2018 school year.)
This class is for:
- Educators
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Newseum Learning Center and/or Virtually Fighting Fake News: How to Outsmart Trolls and Troublemakers
Can you navigate the flurry of fake news and strike a balance between being a cynic and a sucker? Get the tools you need to stay ahead of online tricksters and trolls.
This class is for:
- Students
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Newseum Learning Center, Documentary Theater and/or Virtually First Amendment and Tinker
Students learn about the ground-breaking Supreme Court case that protected student speech in public schools.
This class is for:
- Students
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Newseum Learning Center Battle for the Bill of Rights
Through role-play and debate, students learn about Federalists, Antifederalists and the creation of the Bill of Rights.
This class is for:
- Students
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Newseum Learning Center Teaching Controversy: Turning Third-Rail Topics into Productive Debates
Learn how NewseumED turns controversial subjects into the fodder for engaging student experiences. Gain practical tools and techniques for overcoming the obstacles to teaching hot-button issues.
This class is for:
- Educators
-
Newseum Learning Center Fighting Fake News — Educators Workshop
Arm your students with the skills they need to strike a balance between cynic and sucker as they navigate a media landscape where real and fake sometimes look all too similar.
This class is for:
- Educators
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Newseum Learning Center Who's Afraid of Fake News? Responding to Misleading Media
Even if your students can spot fake news, what should they do about it? Explore the real consequences of this phenomenon and how you can help your students shape the reach and impact of fake news. (In beta testing for 2017-2018 school year.)
This class is for:
- Educators
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Newseum Learning Center and/or Documentary Theater Ace Reporter Challenge Scavenger Hunt
In teams, race to solve five puzzles in the Newseum's galleries that culminate in an epic final challenge.
This class is for:
- Professionals
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Newseum Learning Center and/or Documentary Theater Free Press in America
Through a case-study format, participants learn about the five freedoms of the First Amendment, limits to the freedom of the press and discuss modern day challenges driven by new technologies.
This class is for:
- Professionals
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Newseum Learning Center Media Ethics Team Building
This one-hour enrichment program introduces principles of ethical journalism to your team and gets them debating how media cover today’s stories.
This class is for:
- Professionals
What are EDCollections?
EDCollections are curated sets of primary sources, lesson plans and interactives that illustrate the role of the First Amendment in U.S. history.
EDCollections
Our EDCollections provide in-depth explorations of key topics built on primary sources from the Newseum collection and interactive learning tools.
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EDCollectionEDCollectionElection 2016: Stumped!?
Stumped by the media mayhem and roaring rhetoric of this presidential race? Get historical context and tools to demystify election procedures, decode campaign messages and make your voice matter.
ClosecollectionElection 2016: Stumped!?
Stumped by the media mayhem and roaring rhetoric of this presidential race? Get historical context and tools to demystify election procedures, decode campaign messages and make your voice matter.
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EDCollectionEDCollectionFreedom in the Balance
The terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, forced us to reconsider the balance between protecting public safety and protecting First Amendment freedoms – our cornerstone rights of religious liberty, free expression and political action. Twenty-two case studies explore how this debate has evolved from friction among Founding Fathers to cybersecurity standoffs.
ClosecollectionFreedom in the Balance
The terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, forced us to reconsider the balance between protecting public safety and protecting First Amendment freedoms – our cornerstone rights of religious liberty, free expression and political action. Twenty-two case studies explore how this debate has evolved from friction among Founding Fathers to cybersecurity standoffs.
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EDCollectionEDCollectionWomen, Their Rights and Nothing Less: The First Amendment and the Women’s Suffrage Movement
Explore how the suffragists embraced the First Amendment as a tool to help achieve passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920.
ClosecollectionWomen, Their Rights and Nothing Less: The First Amendment and the Women’s Suffrage Movement
Explore how the suffragists embraced the First Amendment as a tool to help achieve passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920.
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EDCollectionEDCollectionMaking a Change: The First Amendment and the Civil Rights Movement
See how advocates for - and against - change in the civil rights movement leveraged the five freedoms of the First Amendment to make their voices heard and achieve their goals.
ClosecollectionMaking a Change: The First Amendment and the Civil Rights Movement
See how advocates for - and against - change in the civil rights movement leveraged the five freedoms of the First Amendment to make their voices heard and achieve their goals.
What are EDIdeas
EDIdeas
Find tips, collection highlights and breaking news connections from the NewseumED staff.
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Case Study The Campus Speaker: A Case Study in Free Speech
October 12, 2017Use this classroom-ready lesson to examine free-expression issues surrounding a controversial speaker invited to appear at UC Berkeley. We provide questions to help guide your students on if and when offensive speech should be banned, and what are the competing groups and interests.
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Breaking News 2017 Teacher Open House Recap & Resources
October 12, 2017Here are links to presentations and resources from our teacher-to-teacher sessions on Oct. 7, as well as winners of our door prizes and photographs from this exciting day.
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Case Study The Ambassador’s Journal: A Case Study in Media Ethics
August 14, 2017The five-year anniversary of the Benghazi attack is the basis of a case study on the ethical dilemmas journalists face in balancing privacy and the public's right to know.
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