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

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 most populated country in the world, The People’s Republic of China is a fascinating mix of history, geography, culture and demography. Activities and reprinted Post editorial, commentary, articles and photography focus on modern China — its social, economic, political, scientific and technological dimensions — against the backdrop of its heritage.

The newspaper provides more than today’s news. It is the source of opinion, analysis and suggestions for daily living. Activities in this guide focus on photographic composition, the FED PAGE, guest commentary, incorporating history into news coverage, and finding the local angle in national and world issues. The articles in the guide provide points of discussion and models for student composition.

Advertisements highlight products, services and a corporation’s community involvement. Readers learn about the latest styles, sales and social issues. Suggested activities in this guide introduce the different types and purposes of ads and provide resources to evaluate, write and design ads. Legal and public notices provide a glimpse of economic and social conditions in a society. In Meet the Ad Manager, Carolyn Monroe provides insight into another career option.

The family stories that are passed from one generation to the next, those that are created within a family and those that are shared with a wider readership entertain, inform and educate. Activities in this guide provide approaches for collecting, composing and comprehending personal narratives. Two reprinted First Person Singular narratives capture the voices of their subjects and serve as models for young writers seeking family stories. Post articles relate family survival stories — a Suitland teenager with an injured heart, Haitian families living in a tent city, Afghani sisters seeking an American education, and a child of the “disappeared” redefining love.

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 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.”

The news photograph provides the focus for an examination of the ethics of digital manipulation. Students learn about The Washington Post photography staff and meet award-winning photographer Dayna Smith. Reproducibles include "How to Write a Cutline" and "Should They Manipulate Photographs?" The You and Your Rights lesson gives both artistic and ethical perspective in "The Ethics of Photo Manipulation: Does the Picture Help Tell the Story?" Cartoonist Clifford Berryman and his teddy bear are featured in the history of The Washington Post, 1901-1916. Vocabulary and Web resources are given.