Learning Targets

Students will:

  • Read two news articles with different perspectives from different places in the world

  • Compare and contrast the articles and determine the perspective, view, bias, or hypotheses for each

  • Summarize the difference in perspective/hypotheses 

  • Share analysis verbally or in writing

Home-School

Connection:

  • News stories can be heard or viewed in students’ native language, and discussed with family members if the Internet or a device is not available. 

  • Students can improve their reading fluency by reading the news articles to a family member and then discussing its perspective. 

  • By selecting an article from a newspaper originated in the family’s native country, students and families can discuss the country’s history regarding this topic and share in cultural perspectives as well.

How To

Before Activity:

  • Select articles that align with students' linguistic and reading levels.

  • Send students the graphic organizer and two articles on a similar topic from different sources to read independently. 

  • Send instructions and expectations for students to read the articles and jot down notes in their customized graphic organizer.

  • If needed, share an example of a completed graphic organizer from other articles as a model and set expectations.

 

During Activity:

Synchronous setting: 

  • Prepare a time and place to discuss the articles where students can contribute as a group.

  • In an online setting, students may contribute to a common graphic organizer by adding the similarities and differences between the articles.

  • Lead a discussion about each article and have students share their summaries, comparisons, and perspectives.

  • Encourage students to contribute their own views and perspectives on the topic.

  • Extend the conversation by challenging students to think about what they could do to make a positive change regarding the topic being discussed.

Asynchronous Setting:

  • Decide how students will share their learning and their completed graphic organizer: email, online classroom, or with a family member. 

  • Students can share their summaries, comparisons, and their own perspectives.

  • Provide the option for students to think about what they could do to make a positive change regarding the topic being discussed and write a few sentences describing it.

Quick Tips

  • Have students write their summary and analysis after a class discussion.

Evidence of Success

  • Students are able to determine the differences in perspectives about the topic or event and contribute their own perspectives.

Watch Out!

  • Choose news topics that will have clear differences in perspective but not ones where students may feel uncomfortable because of their background or country of origin.
Teaching VideoGraphic Organizer - WordGraphic Organizer - Google DocsSlides - PPTSlides - GoogleStudent Example - Word Student Example - Google Docs

Support Suggestions

High

  • Provide articles at differentiated reading levels if possible.

  • Pre-fill some parts of the graphic organizer.

  • Ensure students have access to a dictionary, either in print or online, to assist in reading comprehension.

Moderate

  • Provide vocabulary of comparison, sentence frames, and sentence stems to help students in speaking or writing as they compare the articles.

Light

  • Challenge students to write a comparison of an additional article on the same topic. 

  • Provide an additional article on the same subject and discuss social issues and possible solutions in the article.