"Storm Lake" discussion guide on the importance of local journalism
This discussion guide serves as a companion for adult learners and community members viewing the PBS documentary Storm Lake.
PitchIt! Student essay contest
PitchIt! Student essay contests happening in Colorado, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas
Grades: 6-8, 9-12
About
Student voices are catalysts for positive change in schools and communities. You can empower them to be well-informed and civically engaged when you participate in the News Literacy Project’s PitchIt! contest.
This is an authentic way to get middle and high school students to learn about and express their thoughts about current events from a news literacy perspective. In addition to exploring an issue important to them, they can help combat misinformation or work to protect freedom of the press.
To have your students participate in PitchIt! and get the most out of it, use NLP’s free resources and curriculum guides. You choose the top essays from your class to submit for judging and prizes.
Click here for a printable, one-page guide to participating in PitchIt!
It is the ideal time to start using Checkology® and other free resources to prep your students. You can also email your questions to [email protected] for more information.
- Pennsylvania deadline, March 1, 2024: Click here for details.
- Colorado deadline, April 15, 2024: Click here for details.
- Florida deadline, May 24, 2024. Click here for details.
- New York deadline, April 19, 2024: Click here for details.
- Texas deadline, April 26, 2024: Click here for details.
Not in one of these regions? NLP encourages you to contact your local news literacy ambassador or our staff ([email protected]) and adapt our contest rules to create a contest for your learning community.
Curious to what participating teachers had to say?
“PitchIt! utilizes news literacy curriculum to broaden the understanding of how media influences all of us every day. Students then analyze and learn for themselves the power of using information with and without bias. I highly recommend facilitating part or all of the curriculum in classrooms across the board in Social Studies, English, Science, and more. It shows students that language, facts, and biases impact us comprehensively.”
— Renee A. Cantave, iWrite magnet educator, Arthur and Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts, Miami, Florida
“PitchIt! was a great experience for my students. Not only did it raise awareness among them regarding the importance of good writing and of an important current issue in our community, the culminating event gave contest winners a chance to verbally express their positions, while receiving important feedback.”
— Rolando Alvarez, Coral Way K-8 Center, Miami, Florida
Tired of feeling like you’re working in a vacuum? Sign up for NewsLitNation and our private NewsLitNation Facebook Group to connect and share with other educators across the country passionate about news and media literacy. As a member of NewsLitNation® you’ll receive special perks and the NewsLitNation Insider, our monthly newsletter that keeps you up to date about all things news literacy!
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