Climate Change, Biodiversity and Magazine Cover Priorities
Provided by: Project Look Sharp|Published on: May 8, 2024|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 11, 12, AP
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Social Studies, English Language Arts
Authors: Project Look Sharp
Location: Earth, North America, North America > United States
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This quick activity prompts students to analyze media choices for a magazine cover in different countries and think critically about why they might be different.
- Reviewing a blogpost about the magazine covers, learners notice that in many countries, the cover story was about global warming, but in the United States, the cover was about a political scandal.
- The teacher guide provides additional context about the Newsweek articles and includes question prompts to encourage students to provide evidence for their claims.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This would serve as an effective hook or introductory activity for a lesson on media literacy, bias, or social media literacy.
- This activity will likely prompt a rich discussion with students and could encourage them to consider who decides what news they receive.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with various new outlets and the motivations for decisions in profit-based businesses.
Differentiation
- Before completing this activity, it may be effective to ask students where they get their news and what they like reading about.
- Address the fact that this example is older and ask students if they think editorial choices change in an environment where many individuals get their news from social media.
- As an extension activity, try to find additional examples where the same news piece is presented in different ways to different audiences.
The reality of our media system is that what is put out as news is put out to make a profit, which may cause biases in what is considered news. While there isn't specific climate science to verify in this resource, it develops important skills for students.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
