ClassX Video Lessons PBS NewsHour Classroom: Venerable, Non-partisan News Brand Offers Daily Videos, Discussions
Hello everyone! Today, we’re going to learn about a fantastic tool called PBS NewsHour Classroom. This tool is perfect for students who want to understand the news better. Let’s dive in and see what it’s all about!
PBS NewsHour Classroom is a special part of the PBS NewsHour, a well-known and trusted news program. This tool is designed to help students learn about current events and important topics in the world. The best part? It’s completely free to use!
This resource is great because it offers daily news coverage that you can trust. It includes videos from PBS NewsHour, summaries of the news, and even discussion questions to help you think more deeply about the topics. You can also find transcripts and closed captions for the videos, making it easier to follow along.
There is a special section called the Daily News Lesson. Here, you can watch news broadcasts and then discuss them using the provided questions. This is a great way to start a conversation in class or even at home. Plus, PBS NewsHour Classroom includes videos made by students, which means you get to hear from people just like you!
Whether you’re interested in Civics, English Language Arts (ELA), Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), or media literacy, PBS NewsHour Classroom has something for you. You can search for topics that interest you and find lesson plans and activities to help you learn more.
PBS offers even more resources to help you learn about journalism and media. “Journalism in Action” teaches you about the history of journalism and the ethics journalists follow. “Story Maker” is another cool tool where you can create your own media stories and share your voice with others.
PBS NewsHour Classroom is a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the news and important issues in the world. It’s reliable, educational, and fun to use. So, why not check it out and start exploring the world of news today?
Thanks for reading, and happy learning!
Imagine you’re a news reporter! Choose a current event that interests you and create a short news broadcast. Use the information from PBS NewsHour Classroom to help you. Record your broadcast and share it with your classmates. This will help you practice summarizing news and presenting it clearly.
Watch a Daily News Lesson video from PBS NewsHour Classroom. After watching, use the discussion questions provided to have a conversation with your classmates. This will help you think critically about the news and understand different perspectives.
Explore PBS NewsHour Classroom to find articles or videos on a specific topic, such as STEM or Civics. Create a list of interesting facts or points you learned. Share your findings with the class and see what others discovered. This will help you learn to research and gather information.
Use the “Journalism in Action” section to learn about media literacy. Then, create a poster or presentation about why media literacy is important. Present your work to the class. This will help you understand how to evaluate news sources and information critically.
Use the “Story Maker” tool to create your own media story. Choose a topic you’re passionate about and use images, videos, and text to tell your story. Share your finished project with your classmates. This will help you express your ideas creatively and learn about storytelling.
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hello everyone, I’m Bianca, and this is Tanner. We are here every Tuesday to introduce a new tool that you can use in your classroom. Today, Tanner has an app or website to share with us.
Yes, we’re continuing a theme we’ve been exploring lately, which is news literacy sites. Today, we’re looking at PBS NewsHour Classroom. You probably know PBS NewsHour, and the great thing is they have a classroom-focused tool that is completely free. We recommend it for grades 6 to 12. However, one issue noted is that while it covers a wide grade range, there aren’t any filters for those grades. So, you’ll want to check the content to see what’s appropriate for your students, as they do cover some challenging topics.
Aside from that, it’s a great destination for daily news coverage. The special feature of PBS NewsHour Classroom is that they have the PBS NewsHour broadcasts to lean on. I would direct you to the Daily News Lesson section, which is the heart of the site. It features a broadcast from PBS NewsHour, along with a summary and a Google Doc with discussion questions. They often provide transcripts for the videos, and closed captions are available.
This site is a nice resource if there’s a topic being discussed. You can find trusted videos from reliable journalists, factual information, and questions to engage students, whether as an introductory activity or an exit ticket for the classroom. They have also been incorporating student videos, which is a great aspect of PBS resources. There’s a section dedicated to including real voices, not just journalists, which includes educators and students.
One thing to note is that the Daily News content might cover different subjects than the student or educator content, even when included in the Daily News lesson. However, it’s good to know that this content is available. Unlike some other news sites that aim for a more kid-friendly tone, PBS tends to maintain a more serious tone, but there are also great articles from students that tackle tough topics, like gun violence in schools.
They have a large library of Daily News lessons, and you can search for various topics. For example, if you click on the Joe Biden filter, it pulls up a lot of related content. They also categorize their lesson content, including lesson plans and activities. For instance, they had a lesson plan with a bingo activity for the State of the Union, encouraging students to watch and participate.
You can browse their content by topic, including Civics, ELA, STEM, and media literacy. However, it would be helpful to have filters for grades or content types to improve the search experience. You can still enter a search string to find specific content.
I also wanted to mention a couple of other PBS resources we’ve reviewed. One is “Journalism in Action,” which is great for teaching the foundations of news literacy, including journalistic ethics and the history of journalism. This site features case studies that highlight significant journalists and journalistic efforts.
We’ve also covered “Story Maker,” which is a civic media creation site. A lot of the student voice content comes from Story Maker and Student Reporting Labs. PBS offers a robust selection of resources, and I recommend checking out PBS NewsHour Classroom.
Thank you for watching, and we’ll see you soon!
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This version removes any informal language, filler words, and personal anecdotes while maintaining the core information.
Civics – The study of the rights and duties of citizenship and how government works. – In civics class, we learned about how laws are made and why voting is important.
Media – Ways of communicating information to the public, such as newspapers, television, and the internet. – The media plays a crucial role in keeping people informed about current events.
Literacy – The ability to read and write, or having knowledge about a particular subject. – Media literacy helps students understand how to evaluate the information they see online.
News – Information about recent events or happenings, especially as reported by newspapers, television, or online sources. – Every morning, I watch the news to find out what is happening in the world.
Students – People who are studying at a school or other educational institution. – The students worked together on a project about the importance of voting.
Resource – Something that can be used for support or help, such as information, materials, or tools. – The library is a great resource for finding books and articles about civics.
Topics – Subjects that are discussed, written about, or studied. – In our class, we covered various topics, including how government works and the role of the media.
Journalism – The activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information. – Good journalism helps people understand important issues in their community.
Learning – The process of gaining knowledge or skills through study, experience, or teaching. – Learning about civics helps students become informed citizens.
Videos – Recordings of moving visual images that can be watched on a screen. – Our teacher showed us videos about how laws are made to help us understand the process better.
