The news media has the responsibility to provide citizens with information. In what ways does providing news through print, broadcast and the Internet help citizens to be self-governing, better informed and engaged in the issues and events of their communities? In what ways is radio an important means of conveying information to individuals in countries around the world? The news peg for this guide is the establishment of WTWP radio station by The Washington Post Company and Bonneville International. We include a wide array of other stations and media that are engaged in utilizing First Amendment guarantees of a free press. Activities in this guide, take students into the pages of The Washington Post where readers learn of the latest developments in technology, media personalities and the significance of radio in transmitting information and serving different audiences at home and abroad.

Photography can be a cross-disciplinary tool for verbal literacy development, aesthetic and technical visual literacy instruction, and a study of the human condition.

As explorers discovered new plants, they brought back drawings, specimens and seeds. Today, these once-exotic edibles are part of our daily lives as we stop at the grocery store, the coffee shop and nursery. Activities in this guide encourage interdisciplinary lessons in botany, nutrition, art, mathematics and community engagement.

The 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in Japan impacted thousands and challenges accepted theories and practices. These include plate tectonics activity, construction methods, energy and fuel provisions, effective communication, economic and human resilience, and disaster preparedness. Suggested activities in this guide include studies of the stock market, nuclear reactors and tectonic plates. Informational graphics of maps, pie charts and illustrations are incorporated into lessons. In the midst of physical destruction, the human story cannot be lost: thousands have perished and relief workers seek survivors, residents without homes live in shelters and seek necessities, and many near and far from nuclear reactors face contamination of water and food.

The business side of producing a newspaper is discussed in "INSIDE Journalism: Keep the 'Ad'itude." Students are asked to classify advertisements as display or classified and to critique their effectiveness as consumer communication and as works of art. Randy Mays answers questions in "Meet the Ad Designer." Ad design artist Donna McCullough reveals the steps involved in creating a display ad in "The Making of a (Fake) Ad." Students are given guidelines to produce their own ads in "How to Design a Display Ad." "A Changing Community, A Changing Role" takes a look at Janet Cooke and one of the darkest chapters in Post history. Music censorship is the lesson focus of "You and Your Rights." Vocabulary and resources are included.

The massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that began on April 20 has been described as the “greatest environmental disaster” in American history. The on-going news story has economic, environmental, marine biology, health, lifestyle, technology, policy and political ramifications. Activities, vocabulary, resources and reprinted Post articles cover all of these disciplines and encourage students to continue reading.

Reading the Sunday Washington Post expands horizons, informs and provides educators with material to use in every classroom. Highlights and activities in this guide cover each section of the Sunday Post. They include the ethics of decisions made in selecting photographs for publication, using Dr. Gridlock’s tips, exploring the business side of the Olympics and writing for different audiences.

This online guide is composed of previous and new activities for incorporating the Washington Post e-Replica Edition into the classroom. An exact digital copy of the newspaper accessed online with a password, the e-Replica may be read at school, at home, wherever there is an Internet connection. The activities in this collection apply to many disciplines. In addition to the reading, writing, mathematics and critical thinking skills that are exercised using The Washington Post, the e-Replica Edition utilizes technology and electronic information gathering skills.

The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. was not its first nor its last, but it was the one that preserved the Greek-influence on the arts and culture of the Roman Empire. This guide provides close reading activities using The Post review of the National Gallery of Art Pompeii exhibit and a travel article, a Road Trip of mosaics in the D.C. area, and an art project to make mosaics using patterns found in the excavations of Pompeii. An e-Replica worksheet is provided.

The 2008 presidential election is a time of historic decisions and new approaches. History will be made as either an African American is president or a female is vice president of the U.S. It is also a turning point in new uses of technology by candidates to attract donors, to communicate their message and to organize campaign workers and by media and citizens to examine financial contributions and to fact check the candidates.

Informational graphics communicate information quickly and accurately, explain complex ideas, and draw the reader into text. The Washington Post News Art department produces thousands of artworks each year — the maps, charts and informational graphics that help readers comprehend stories. Examples, activities and an interview with a graphics editor are provided to inspire projects, stimulate visual acuity and introduce career opportunities.

The Sports section of The Washington Post provides lessons in meeting deadlines, mathematics and statistics, photography and graphics, language arts and journalism, and geography. This guide encourages teachers to use the Sports section to study the work of Post reporters as models for students to write and to compare ledes, sports news and columns, to prepare charts and graphs using the scores and other data, and to read maps. Post photographer Jonathan Newton’s pointers are illustrated with his photos of high school and professional athletes. Two of Fred Bowen’s Friday sports columns in KidsPost introduce younger students to opinion writing and serve as models for assignments. Student handouts include “Take the Lede,” “It’s About You … and Sports,” and “Out the Door Every Day.”

Bullies are a safety and health threat to more than three million school children annually. This lesson addresses ways to confront bullies, stop bullies and communicate the facts about bullying. Past Post articles, including two from KidsPost are included. A survey for administration to students and class discussion will give insight into your students awareness of and experience with bullies. “Bully for You!” covers etymology and changing language. You and Your Rights focuses on two Supreme Court cases that considered student-on-student and adult-on-student bullying.

Should the Electoral College Count? Six weeks after voters have indicated their choice for president and vice president, electors meet to cast their ballots. Through activities in this guide students review why the writers of the U.S. Constitution devised the Electoral College and evaluate if electors are still necessary. In addition to a brief history of the Electoral College, factual information includes “Electoral Votes in Proportion,” a map; “Distribution of Electoral College Votes,” a chart; and “How the Electoral College Works,” a Post graphic. As students evaluate the electoral system and contemplate alternative approaches, they have three opinion pieces to stimulate discussion: “The Non-College Try,” a Washington Post editorial; “Improve on Red vs. Blue,” a commentary by Post columnist William Raspberry; and “Repair the Electoral College,” by guest columnist Peter Shane.

In “What Determines Election Outcomes?” students examine the influence of the 2000 presidential election results, political parties, issues and campaign advertising. Excerpts from David Von Drehle’s Washington Post Magazine article begin a look at the changing face of America’s political parties. Elie Wiesel in “Mean Season” asks readers to question the tone of campaign rhetoric. An editorial cartoon by Tom Toles gives students visual commentary on the battleground states, media coverage and their influence on the election. Data from the 2000 presidential election, current campaign advertising targets and costs and Web resources are provided. Reproducibles to accompany activities include “Analysis of Campaign Advertisements,” “ Where They Stand,” and “Whose Vote Really Counts?” After a study of the battleground states, students are asked to predict the election winners, and, after Nov. 2, to determine the 2008 swing states. A First Ladies quiz puts the focus temporarily on the other running mate in today’s campaigns.

An interview with White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer is the stimulus to discuss career choices. In addition to Fleischer?s Q and A, "Meet the Press" and "The Press Secretary" give perspective on working at the White House. "Official Words" and "White House Terms" provide vocabulary. Students consider their interests as they complete "Classified: Jobs for Me." "Census Counts," a fact sheet provides data from the 2000 census to use with the worksheet "We Are in the Numbers." Other reproducibles and resources provide further study of employment.

The 2002 election provides the faces and facts from which students can examine American citizens' involvement in the democratic process, the law-making process, and the power and influence that comes with control of Congress. "You Read It In the Post," "Strange But True," and activities provide for a study of the 2002 campaign and election results. The KidsPost articles and this guide's activities suggest different approaches to further study of the Congress as a legislative body. Also included are math problems, Web resources, vocabulary and "Word Study, " A Look at Congress."

This comparison-contrast lesson begins as a consumer report on a modification of the pencil, an everyday object that has slowly changed over centuries. The KidsPost articles provide the historic background and process for the creation of a liquid graphite pencil. A chart for recording student evaluations is provided. After discussing and preparing graphs of their results, students create advertisements as persuasive posters and/or write a business letter. The Word Study takes a look at graphite. Vocabulary development, Web resources, and enrichment activity and a Word Find for younger students are included.

An introduction to the fundamentals of weather, "Weather Wise" includes how to read and record weather data -- using maps, legends, graphs, charts and lists. Activities use the Weather page of The Washington Post to teach about weather; to practice reading legends, maps and data; and to create graphs and stem and leaf plots. "Tools to Measure Atmosphere" and "Word Study: A Look at Weather Words" highlight the vocabulary of weather collection and description. Two word puzzles and a tornado activity are also included. Online resources include lessons on the Web, books for teachers and students, and links to media meteorology information.

After a brief introduction to the history of shoes, students learn why their sneakers cost what they do. Word Study and "The History of the Sneaker" give glimpses of foot coverings through the centuries. Students are asked to design tomorrow's shoe and name it. "Girls Against Boys" gives them insight into market research. Two reproducibles are provided: "Sneaker Economics 101," a graph activity using data from 1995 and 2002 from Nike, and "A Shoe Is a Shoe Is a Shoe," a comparison-contrast writing assignment. For enrichment and civic awareness, students may read "For Some, an Uncomfortable Fit" then discuss and research sweatshops and the use of child labor. Vocabulary, Web and print resources are included.

Students learn about geography, weather and human stamina while reading about a round-the-world endurance sailboat race. Teachers may wish to review students' knowledge of geography and weather or introduce new terms by using the three reproducibles that divide the Volvo Ocean Race into segments: Southampton, England, to Auckland, New Zealand; Auckland to Baltimore, Maryland; and Baltimore/Annapolis to Kiel, Germany. The youngest students are provided a multiple-choice quiz, "Which of These Is True?" The challenges to safety and health during endurance races are examined in "Careful Packing." Vocabulary, Web resources and "Word Study: A Look at Circumnavigation" are also included.

"Ancient Civilizations in Today's World" focuses on the remnants of ancient civilizations found on our dinner plates and in our architecture. After developing a working definition of "civilization," students read the KidsPost article for traces of ancient civilizations alive in today's world. The word find asks students to locate foods that originated in China and Central Asia and "Word Study" looks at fruits eaten by ancient civilizations. The consumer math problem asks students to buy ingredients for a Roman meal. Want to focus on architecture instead of food? Use the reproducible, "The Lincoln Memorial-A Greek Temple?" To discuss historic, social and architectural decisions in aesthetics, use "Lincoln Memorial: A Closer Look."

The economic reality of recession is presented through cause-and-effect relationships. In the KidsPost article, students meet a mother and daughter who represent thousands of people affected by a slowdown in the economy. The guide presents discussion questions, vocabulary, Web resources and a causal chain activity. The Word Study focuses on the Greek origin of "economy." An enrichment activity for mathematics uses unemployment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Through articles, activities and a sleep journal, the importance of sleep is presented to students. Students read "Eyes Wide Shut: Sleeping May Be the Most Important Thing You Do Today," "Sweet Dreams" and "Word Study: a look at sleep." Students are asked to keep a six-day sleep and activity journal. Reproducible forms are provided for this and the analysis of data. Vocabulary, Web resources, a true/false quiz and word games are included.

Students' ubiquitous backpacks provide incentive to apply percentage in daily life. After reading KidsPost articles about the healthy weight to carry in a backpack, students are ready to complete a worksheet, engage in more math activities and participate in a week-long survey. The Word Study focuses on "carry." A crossword puzzle and a close-reading worksheet are included as well as enrichment activities.

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" provides the timely vehicle to introduce the basics of movie review writing. An interview with Washington Post movie reviewer Desson Howe gives a glimpse into the life of a critic. It is clear that Howe has academic training and a love of movies. Movie trivia questions get students thinking about their own knowledge of movies and the economics of the motion picture industry. Teachers are provided guidelines for movie review writers, film vocabulary and a checklist for students to use when writing their first movie reviews. Word Study focuses on movie lingo. In the Money vocabulary and Post articles are used in the enrichment activity that introduces students to the business side of franchises, product placement and endorsements. Just for fun, a Harry Potter matching challenge is provided.