Lesson Plans 9.24.14

Yellow Journalism, continued

Discussion

1. Do you know what happened to the Maine?
2. What evidence do you have for your answer?  Give an example where the reporter uses solid evidence to support a claim made in the article.
3. Do you think these articles would have been received differently by their readers in 1898?  How so?
4. What effect might the Journal article have had on its readers?
5. What effect might the Times article have on its readers?
6. How significant do you think the Maine explosion was to the American people a this time?  Why?

Assessment - Writing

1. Compare the evidence used by both papers to support their claims that the Maine was blown up by attack or by unknown causes.  Which uses stronger evidence?  Use at least three specific examples/phrases/words from the articles to support your position.
2. Which account is more believable?  Why?
3. Does this difference in accounts matter?  Why or why not?

Lesson Plans 9.23.14

Yellow Journalism
Headlines

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

• How do these headline differ?
• Consider the wording and how a reader might respond to each article

Discuss

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

PowerPoint - Maine Explosion (link is to the right under Pages)

Discuss

1. According to this song, who sunk the Maine?
2. Does this prove the Spanish blew it up?

Reading

1. Document A: New York Journal 
2. Document B: New York Times (available to the right under Pages; titled Maine Explosion - Original Documents
3. Complete Guiding Questions with reading
1. New York Journal
   Sourcing
   1. How long after the explosion of the Maine was this article written?
   2. What does the headline of the article suggest about the newspaper’s point of view?
   Close Reading
   1. Upon what type of evidence does the New York Journal base its claims?
   
   
   New York Times
   Sourcing
   1. How does the date of this article compare with the date on the New York Journal and Advertiser article?
   Close Reading
   1. According to these headlines, what happened to the Maine?
   2. What kinds of evidence does the New York Times include to support its account of the incident?