This Project-Based Learning (PBL) resource provides a comprehensive framework for launching a student-run classroom news program, guiding students through the entire process of creating a professional-style broadcast. The curriculum is structured into 25 detailed lesson plans that cover critical 21st-century skills, including media literacy, advanced research techniques, and various forms of non-fiction writing such as informative, persuasive, and opinion pieces. Students begin by learning how to distinguish between real news and hoaxes and how to narrow web searches before moving into the creative phases of naming their news station and designing original logos and slogans. The resource also provides a rigorous writing curriculum that takes students from brainstorming research questions to drafting headlines, hooks, and final reports.
To ensure a collaborative and immersive experience, the project includes 23 distinct student jobs categorized into specialized news segments: Math, Weather, Sports, Histories Mysteries, and Debate. For instance, students can take on roles such as “Global Math Detective,” “Severe Weather Reporter,” “National Sports Reporter,” or “Historian”. Each role is designed with specific responsibilities, such as conducting interviews with students and adults, performing hands-on science experiments on air, or analyzing how current events connect to historical patterns. The resource is highly adaptable and can be implemented as a short-term intensive project or spread across a full semester. It concludes with students producing a final product—whether digital, print, or video—to share their investigative findings with their school or the wider community.