"Only a Matter of Opinion?" has been designed for high school teachers and students. Many of the activities would be appropriate for middle school teachers and students. The entry will work in a traditional high school schedule or a block schedule. It works in International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement programs as well as the regular class.

Use of classic and contemporary models of journalistic persuasion can enrich all your classes.

Journalism Teacher | AP English Lang/Comp Teacher | IB Teacher | History Teacher | English Teacher | Art Teacher

WHAT DOES "Only a Matter of Opinion?" OFFER THE JOURNALISM TEACHER?

The journalism teacher will find activities which are suitable for instruction in editorial writing which all introductory journalism courses offer. For the mixed-level journalism class and the after-school program, this entry provides clear instruction for students who need to learn on their own.

Seldom does column writing receive formal attention. Independent studies or tutorials could be assigned using portions of the site. It is a very enjoyable addition for students and teachers. We have found that students love sharing their columns.

The movie review column can be even more fun if the entire class can go together to a preview or an opening night. They must come to class the next day (teacher also) with a review. Students share with one another and then compare their reviews to those of the critics whose reviews appear that day in the local paper or online.

WHAT DOES "Only a Matter of Opinion?" OFFER THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION TEACHER?

Over 150 teachers from 30 states have attended an Intensive Journalistic Writing Institute to be trained in using a journalistic approach to Advanced Placement English Language and Composition instruction. AP exam results demonstrate that the approach works. For more information on this study contact Dr. Jack Dvorak at Indiana University (dvorakj@indiana.edu) or Carol Lange (LangeJour@aol.com). IJWI 2000 will be held June 24 to July 3 at the Newseum in Arlington, Virginia.

The editorial material could easily be a week- to two-week unit of study. Column writing can be interspersed or be the culminating activity after the AP exams.

WHAT DOES "Only a Matter of Opinion?" OFFER THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE TEACHER?

International Baccalaureate teachers can begin to see the potential for use of opinion pieces as part of a block lesson in the IB classes or an extensive research project in the pre-IB level classes to increase the awareness and understanding of other cultures. The lesson plans can stimulate discussion and lead to further study of comparative cultures or themes that are common among cultures.

Students might read editorials in on-line publications from other countries or in other languages. Learn what editors are saying about their society and ours. Students might explore the presence of columnists in newspapers of other countries. Are they so open for dialogue and disagreement as our country? The same could be done with editorial cartoons. What role has the editorial cartoon played in the media of other countries? How have other countries portrayed Americans in their editorial cartoons?

The movie review column can be connected to the viewing of one of the foreign films. Students can write original reviews and then compare theirs to reviews written online in another country or reviews of the foreign films by the American media. Students could also explore the portrayal of other cultures in American film.

Columns written from the point of view of one of the characters in the world literature could be a possibility for the shorter paper in Higher Level Language A. The students can think of other possibilities. Finally, the editorial material could easily be a week- to two-week unit of study. Column writing can be interspersed or be the culminating activity after the IB exams in the spring.

WHAT DOES "Only a Matter of Opinion?" OFFER THE HISTORY TEACHER?

History teachers can begin to see the potential for use of opinion pieces as part of a block lesson or an extensive research project. We have provided some lesson plans which can stimulate discussion and lead to further study of a time period or theme.

There is potential for much further study of editorial cartooning as demonstrated in John Dower's study of racial hate demonstrated in Japanese and American cartoons. Students and teachers could begin an Internet search for cartoons from other countries.

Students with knowledge of other languages might read editorials in on-line publications. Learn what editors are saying about their society and ours.

Students might explore the presence of columnists in newspapers of other countries. Are they so open for dialogue and disagreement as our country?

WHAT DOES "Only a Matter of Opinion?" OFFER THE ENGLISH TEACHER?

So many American authors began as journalists, it would add to a student's understanding of literature to know the fact upon which the fiction was based.

Persuasive writing is a requirement of many English 11 and English 12 courses, editorials and columns offer an interesting alternative.

We would encourage someone to develop an addition to our site. Wouldn't it be fun to read the editorials of Mark Twain which got him run out of town in Virginia City? Add to that the sections of Roughing It in which he describes his adventures in Nevada.

The British literature teacher might develop a lesson to add to "Only a Matter of Opinion?" in which critics' views of the plays of Shakespeare, Marlowe and George Bernard Shaw are read and examined in light of public response and our contemporary view of them.

WHAT DOES "Only a Matter of Opinion?" OFFER THE ART TEACHER?

With interest in animation in recently piqued and computer design entering the art class, study of editorial cartooning is a natural unit of study. It might be one choice in a mini-unit offering independent study.

Teachers and colleagues, we have tried to give you the material to instruct your students and to begin your imagination to create many more lessons using editorials, editorial cartoons and column and commentary.