Newspapers in Education :: Serving Virginia's Schools

Curriculum Guides offered by NIE
Contact your local NIE Representative for these guides specifically catered to Virginia's SOL curriculum.

It's Your History. Live It! Learn It!
This 14-page student workbook can be used with grades 4-12 and was developed by The Roanoke Times. It covers both Virginia and U.S. History.

Using The Newspaper to Teach Virginia's Standards of Learning K-5
Developed with The Virginia Press Association's Newspaper in Education Committee, this teacher guide covers most of the objectives in the Virginia SOL's in mathematics, science, English, history and social science.

Using The Newspaper to Teach Virginia's Standards of Learning for Middle School English
Developed with The Virginia Press Association's Newspaper in Education Committee, this teacher guide covers most of the objectives of the Virginia SOL's in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade English.

Ancient Mali: An Empire Remembered
Developed by The Virginian Pilot, this 14-page student workbook contains activities which cover many of the third grade social science, mathematics, and science SOL's

Press Ahead! A Teacher's Guide to Creating Student Newspapers
A more comprehensive guide than the one available on the NAA Foundation website. Best suited for middle and high school teachers, but easily adaptable to all grade levels.

In My Opinion: The Newspaper and Persuasive Writing
A teacher guide designed to be used with students in grades 4 through 12. Ideally, it is meant to be a 10- to 20-week progressive unit of study, but it can be adapted, used a few at a time, and out of sequence if you want.

Online Curriculum Guides
These curriculum guides are available online through the Newspaper Association of America Foundation (NAA) (website).

Newspapers Maintain the Brain
A Teacher's Guide for Using the Newspaper to Enhance Basic Skills
For teachers the newspaper offers a special attraction. It has been called the living textbook and it lives up to that name. The newspaper can be used to enhance skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, math, social studies and science. Critical thinking is the natural outgrowth of using a newspaper to learn. Unlike textbooks, which are several years outdated by the time they get into students’ hands, the newspaper comes alive with information. The newspaper expands the curriculum with an unlimited amount of information to use as background for learning activities.
Download the Guide (PDF)

Creating a Classroom Newspaper
This guide is designed for five days of instruction. It allows your class to practice, prepare and create its own newspaper. Each day’s work has been organized with a teacher’s lesson plan, student worksheets labeled Reporter’s Notebook and ideas for additional activities called “On Assignment.”
Download the Guide (PDF)

Reading First NIE!
A Newspaper in Education Teaching Supplement for Reading First No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
Research shows that it is never too early to start building language skills by talking with and reading to children. No Child Left Behind targets resources for early childhood education so that all youngsters get the right start. The goal is to have children - ALL children - reading on or above grade level by the end of the third grade.
Download the Guide (PDF)

First Things First:
Using the Newspaper to Teach the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment
The First Amendment is the cornerstone of our democracy. This 41-page teacher’s guide introduces the five freedoms of the First Amendment to students at all grade levels. Each freedom has one elementary level activity, one middle school activity and one high school activity. Created by the 2001 Newspaper Innovators in Education award winners.
Download the Guide (PDF)