A Long Way Home
In this lesson, students examine the difference between 'hard news' and editorial writing by considering several pieces written about the Elián González custody battle.

A Way With Words
In this lesson, students evaluate how facts and opinions function in relaying the news and consider the media's responsibilities in reporting during wartime.

Strong Convictions
In this lesson, students examine the rhetorical structure of a New York Times editorial, then use it as a model for writing their own editorials based on a current news article.

Distinguishing Fact and Opinion
Students will be able to pick up clues in the wording of a sentence to determine if it is factual and be able to give reasons for their feelings. 

Newspaper Editorial Project
This is a long-term project using newspaper editorials to focus on analyzing persuasive text and writer's point of view

Napster Faces the Music
In this lesson, students debate the ruling on the Napster online music service and consider its implications for intellectual property rights in the future.

Synthesizing Information From Newspaper Editorials
This is a long-term project using newspaper editorials to focus on analyzing persuasive text.

Hidden Persuaders
This lesson examines classic propaganda techniques and analyzes factors that influence learning and thinking processes.

Critical Reading: Two Stories, Two Authors, Same Plot?
Many students often lack critical thinking skills to be able to analyze what they read. This lesson encourages students to read and respond critically to two different pieces of literature with the same title. Students make predictions about the stories and analyze the story elements (i.e., characters, plot, conflict, and resolution). They then compare and contrast the different stories, distinguish between fact and opinion, and draw conclusions supported by evidence from their readings.

The Junk Mail Explosion: Why You Buy and How Ads Persuade
This activity is designed to increase student awareness of persuasion tactics used in "junk mail" advertising  

Propaganda Techniques in Literature and Online Political Ads
Analyzing texts to identify different types of propaganda techniques

An introduction to Propaganda         
Defines and gives examples of different types of propaganda.

Suggestions for English Language Learners:                   

ESL Ideas      (B=Beginning, I=Intermediate, T=Transitional)
(T) Teacher and students generate a list of opinion “clue words”  (always, never, best, most, etc.). Students then read a selection, marking “clue words” and labeling the selection for fact and opinion.
 

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