October 2019 E-Newsletter

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Brian Scholl tweeted, "Huge thanks to @NewseumED for a great virtual session called “You Can’t Say That in Schools” on 1st Amendment rights by having students debate important cases in our nations history. Highly recommend checking them out! #newseum #edtech"

We’ll Keep Working for You After the Newseum Closes

Our museum may be closing on Dec. 31 after 11 years on historic Pennsylvania Avenue, but the work of NewseumED will continue in 2020. You’ll still be able to access our extensive online resources, including more than 1,700-plus primary sources, historical front pages, lesson plans, videos and more. In addition, NewseumED teachers are ready to lead live, virtual classes with your students on media literacy and First Amendment topics. All classes are free of charge. Check out our list of classes here and book a session or two for 2020.

Meanwhile, we encourage you to plan a field trip to the Newseum before the end of the year!

Funny or Not, Speech Is Still Free

In a First Five column for the Freedom Forum Institute, NewseumED staff examine the controversy surrounding the hiring and subsequent firing of comedian Shane Gillis by the “Saturday Night Live” show. The brouhaha highlights the commonly held misunderstandings about what is and is not considered protected speech under the First Amendment. The column offers ways to discuss free speech with your students.

Thank you!

Our thanks to the hundreds of educators and librarians and their guests who shared their Saturday with us at our 10th annual Teacher Open House on Oct. 5. Attendees, above, displayed their knowledge of everything from the Constitution to current events to celebrities in our lively trivia game show. Winning teams earned bragging rights and kudos from colleagues.

Resource for Berlin Wall Anniversary

Use the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9 to discuss the importance of freedom of speech and a free press. Set the scene with our 14-minute video that contains footage of life on both sides of the Berlin Wall, including daring escapes and protests calling for freedom in East Germany. In an accompanying lesson plan, discussion questions cover the role of propaganda, self-censorship and what physical and virtual barriers exist today to limit information or ideas.

We join organizations and schools across the USA in celebrating the 5th annual Media Literacy Week, sponsored by the National Association for Media Literacy Education, on Oct. 21–25. The event aims “to raise awareness for the need for media literacy education and its essential role in education today.” We have lots of free resources for giving your students the critical skills needed to access, evaluate and create media. Among our most popular are E.S.C.A.P.E. Junk News and Is This Story Share-Worthy?

Fantastic Opportunity for Student Journalists

Encourage your high school juniors to apply for a free trip to Washington, D.C., to attend the annual Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference on June 19–24, 2020. One rising high school senior from every state and the District of Columbia will be selected to participate in the all-expenses-paid journalism conference and receive a $1,000 college scholarship. The program was established in 1999 to honor Al Neuharth, the founder of USA TODAY, the Newseum and the Freedom Forum. The conference is designed to inspire and encourage students to pursue journalism. The deadline to apply is Feb. 1.