Lesson 3

NewsWise values

This lesson focuses on the NewsWise value: truthful.

To recognise that the news keeps us informed.

[10 minutes]

Ask pupils, ‘Why might a news story seem important to somebody?’ Explore responses with follow up questions: What if the news story is happening nearby? What if the news story is about something dangerous like a natural disaster? What if the news story includes something that people were trying to keep secret?
Hand out How important is the news? ranking sheet and example stories. Pupils sort the examples from most to least important in the pyramid. Encourage discussion about each of the stories and how they might/might not be important to someone, and how this might be different for different people. There are no wrong answers, but pupils should be able to explain why some stories seem more or less important than others.

[10 minutes]

Tell pupils that the news can let people know that something unfair is happening or that something needs to change.
Give each group a copy of Report 1. Read the report aloud to the class while they follow. Ask simple retrieval questions to check understanding: What is this news story about? What are the 5Ws of this story? Who is involved in this story? What left them feeling upset? Who else was affected by this story?

[20 minutes]

Pupils take on one of three roles within each group (each role represents a reader of the story so pupils can explore how it may have affected them):
- a sportswear shopkeeper
- a football coach
- a football fan
Each pupil takes a turn in the hot seat while the other two group members ask questions. They should aim to find out: how they feel about the story, how they are affected by the story, what needs to change to make things fair, and why it is important for others to hear the story.

(Hot seating should first be modelled by the teacher. Pupils should also be given enough reflection time to consider how their role would think and feel about the story, and time following the role play to come out of role — for example by ‘shaking off their character’.)

[10 minutes]

Give each group a copy of Report 2. Read the report aloud to the class while they follow. As before, use simple retrieval questions to check understanding. What is this news story about? What important decisions were made? How did people show that they wanted a change?
Pupils return to their hot seating groups and discuss how each of the roles may have felt about the second report.
Lead a class discussion to explore the reactions of each role. Allow groups to share their thoughts and invite others to agree or disagree with each interpretation.

[10 minutes]

Post Reflection questions around the classroom. Pupils move around the room and consider how they would answer each question. (This works especially well as a graffiti wall. Mount the questions to large sheets of paper and invite pupils to record their responses on the paper itself or on sticky notes.)
Lead a class discussion to allow pupils the opportunity to share their ideas with the rest of the class.

What examples of unfairness were demonstrated by these news stories?
Can you think of another news story which reported on something unfair?
Why is it important that stories about unfairness are shared by journalists?
How might people react when they hear about something unfair? What might they think? What might they do?
What might happen if stories about unfairness are not shared by journalists? Would people know that they have happened?

Sometimes journalists write stories that highlight issues of inequality and unfairness.
Journalism that holds people to account in this way can result in issues of inequality and unfairness being solved more quickly because more people become aware of the issue and want it to change.
Although journalism is important for holding people accountable and highlighting issues of inequality and unfairness, the work of activists is also essential in securing change.

English

Reading: retrieve information from texts; drawing inferences
Oracy: asking questions to further understanding; answering questions and justifying ideas; take part in discussions; take part in performances (including reading aloud and improvising)

PSHE education