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Stories and Perspectives

549 Activities

Stories and Perspectives

Words carry power, so let’s use them to make an impact! Learners build voice and communication skills through reading, writing, poetry, journalism, and public speaking. They also explore self-expression and the stories of others.

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Activities

Acrostic Poem Campaign Poster

We The People, Stories and Perspectives

Acrostic Poem Campaign Poster

Mizzen Education, Inc.

3 - 5

45 Minutes

Youth create a poster to use during a simulated classroom election. They create an acrostic poem using their name to explain what makes them a good leader. Students share their posters and vote in a classroom election.

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Half the Conversation

Belonging and Community, Stories and Perspectives

Half the Conversation

Mizzen Education, Inc.

9 - 12

45 Minutes

Students write and act out skits to build self-awareness and conflict-resolution skills. First, students work in pairs to write and practice skits about a conflict they might have with a person in their everyday lives, and then they perform the skits for the group. However, the student who is the “star” of the skit delivers only their half of the conversation, with the other half of the conversation not being performed. The whole group then discusses what they learned about themselves and how they resolve conflicts.

Discover Activity

Celebrating Culture, Resisting Erasure

We The People, Stories and Perspectives

Celebrating Culture, Resisting Erasure

Pulitzer Center

K - 8

1 Hour 30 Minutes

What is culture, why does it matter, and what is the impact of cultural erasure? This activity explores these questions through text and multimedia exploration, discussion, and art. Students will read excerpts from the picture book Born on the Water that introduce the culture of the people of Ndongo prior to the trans-Atlantic slave trade. As a culminating activity, they will create art expressing aspects of their own cultures.

Discover Activity

Helping People Learn

We The People, Stories and Perspectives

Helping People Learn

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 2

45 Minutes

Children learn that not everyone has the opportunity to go to school and gain an education. They explore the concept that gaining a quality education is a right that everyone should have.

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Pre-interviewing (Student Reporting Labs)

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

Pre-interviewing (Student Reporting Labs)

PBS

6 - 12

50 Minutes

Pre-interviews help you find the right voices (characters) for your story. In the Find Your Story Lesson, you identified potential people to interview and feature in your story.

Now you will talk to them to get a sense of whether they are indeed the right people and if they will move your story forward. The pre-interview will also help you create a list of interview questions so that you can make the best use of your time, and theirs.

This is activity 11 of 16 in the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs Module. Visit the Module to learn more before getting started.

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The First Cellphone Call

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

The First Cellphone Call

PBS

3 - 5

45 Minutes

Welcome to “Building a News Hour” Module from PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Lab, an opportunity for students to apply and extend their learning from Module 1, “From Concept to Screen: Building Your News Show.” By the end of the module, students, working in groups or independently, will have created their own News Hour. The process begins in this first lesson, where students learn the focus of their stories, the first cellphone call.

This is lesson 1 in “Building a News Hour,” the second module from PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs’ module series.

Discover Activity

Traveling from Brazil

Arts in Action, Stories and Perspectives

Traveling from Brazil

Jazz at Lincoln Center

3 - 8

1 Hour

Students learn the story behind Bossa Nova through a comic story. They then work with a partner to combine their two favorite songs into a new sound.

Discover Activity

What is This Advertisement Saying? (Grades 9-12)

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

What is This Advertisement Saying? (Grades 9-12)

Mizzen Education, Inc.

9 - 12

45 Minutes

When viewing advertisements online, students should be able to determine the claims that are stated in the ads, and then construct their opinions of the claims. In this activity, students view examples of typical social media advertisements. They choose 2 or 3 ads from the provided web page and restate the claim, if any, made in each ad. Students then state whether they find the ads believable and effective, and explain why.

Discover Activity

Be an Assignment Editor: Assigning Reporters and Camera Persons

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

Be an Assignment Editor: Assigning Reporters and Camera Persons

PBS

3 - 5

30 Minutes

Calling all future Assignment Editors! In this activity, students step into the shoes of an Assignment Editor and make crucial decisions about who covers which news story. Join the discussion, share your reasoning, and learn why pairing the right team with a news story is vital to journalism.

This lesson is part of SRL's Be An Assignment Series. This series is also the third section of SRL’s First Module From Concept to Screen: Building Your News Hour. The module is broken into three sections. The first two contain lessons that can be completed as standalone activities or as part of a series. All three sections converge to provide a powerful and fun introduction to producing and hosting news shows. The module is followed by a second that deepens student knowledge and skills.

Discover Activity

Find Your Story (Student Reporting Labs)

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

Find Your Story (Student Reporting Labs)

PBS

6 - 12

50 Minutes

Students explore new topics and people to develop a compelling news story.

This is activity 7 of 16 in the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs Module. Visit the Module to learn more before getting started.

Discover Activity

Why Some Democracies Fail

We The People, Stories and Perspectives

Why Some Democracies Fail

Mizzen Education, Inc.

9 - 12

45 Minutes

Nations and their systems of governments sometimes remain intact for hundreds of years. Yet as history shows, even the nations that appear especially strong and permanent to their citizens, such as Ancient Rome, may fail and be replaced. Democracies are no exception. In this activity, students will study and evaluate examples of democracies that failed to live up to their promise, and they will consider the future of democracy worldwide and in the United States.

Discover Activity

Slideshow: A Day at the Zoo

Stories and Perspectives, Digital Voices

Slideshow: A Day at the Zoo

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 2

45 Minutes

Making slide presentations can introduce children to the power of computers and their many uses. In this activity, children collaborate with the leader to make a presentation about zoo animals.

Discover Activity

Acrostic Poem Campaign Poster

We The People, Stories and Perspectives

Acrostic Poem Campaign Poster

Mizzen Education, Inc.

3 - 5

45 Minutes

Youth create a poster to use during a simulated classroom election. They create an acrostic poem using their name to explain what makes them a good leader. Students share their posters and vote in a classroom election.

Discover Activity

Half the Conversation

Belonging and Community, Stories and Perspectives

Half the Conversation

Mizzen Education, Inc.

9 - 12

45 Minutes

Students write and act out skits to build self-awareness and conflict-resolution skills. First, students work in pairs to write and practice skits about a conflict they might have with a person in their everyday lives, and then they perform the skits for the group. However, the student who is the “star” of the skit delivers only their half of the conversation, with the other half of the conversation not being performed. The whole group then discusses what they learned about themselves and how they resolve conflicts.

Discover Activity

Celebrating Culture, Resisting Erasure

We The People, Stories and Perspectives

Celebrating Culture, Resisting Erasure

Pulitzer Center

K - 8

1 Hour 30 Minutes

What is culture, why does it matter, and what is the impact of cultural erasure? This activity explores these questions through text and multimedia exploration, discussion, and art. Students will read excerpts from the picture book Born on the Water that introduce the culture of the people of Ndongo prior to the trans-Atlantic slave trade. As a culminating activity, they will create art expressing aspects of their own cultures.

Discover Activity

Helping People Learn

We The People, Stories and Perspectives

Helping People Learn

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 2

45 Minutes

Children learn that not everyone has the opportunity to go to school and gain an education. They explore the concept that gaining a quality education is a right that everyone should have.

Discover Activity

Pre-interviewing (Student Reporting Labs)

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

Pre-interviewing (Student Reporting Labs)

PBS

6 - 12

50 Minutes

Pre-interviews help you find the right voices (characters) for your story. In the Find Your Story Lesson, you identified potential people to interview and feature in your story.

Now you will talk to them to get a sense of whether they are indeed the right people and if they will move your story forward. The pre-interview will also help you create a list of interview questions so that you can make the best use of your time, and theirs.

This is activity 11 of 16 in the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs Module. Visit the Module to learn more before getting started.

Discover Activity

The First Cellphone Call

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

The First Cellphone Call

PBS

3 - 5

45 Minutes

Welcome to “Building a News Hour” Module from PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Lab, an opportunity for students to apply and extend their learning from Module 1, “From Concept to Screen: Building Your News Show.” By the end of the module, students, working in groups or independently, will have created their own News Hour. The process begins in this first lesson, where students learn the focus of their stories, the first cellphone call.

This is lesson 1 in “Building a News Hour,” the second module from PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs’ module series.

Discover Activity

Traveling from Brazil

Arts in Action, Stories and Perspectives

Traveling from Brazil

Jazz at Lincoln Center

3 - 8

1 Hour

Students learn the story behind Bossa Nova through a comic story. They then work with a partner to combine their two favorite songs into a new sound.

Discover Activity

What is This Advertisement Saying? (Grades 9-12)

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

What is This Advertisement Saying? (Grades 9-12)

Mizzen Education, Inc.

9 - 12

45 Minutes

When viewing advertisements online, students should be able to determine the claims that are stated in the ads, and then construct their opinions of the claims. In this activity, students view examples of typical social media advertisements. They choose 2 or 3 ads from the provided web page and restate the claim, if any, made in each ad. Students then state whether they find the ads believable and effective, and explain why.

Discover Activity

Be an Assignment Editor: Assigning Reporters and Camera Persons

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

Be an Assignment Editor: Assigning Reporters and Camera Persons

PBS

3 - 5

30 Minutes

Calling all future Assignment Editors! In this activity, students step into the shoes of an Assignment Editor and make crucial decisions about who covers which news story. Join the discussion, share your reasoning, and learn why pairing the right team with a news story is vital to journalism.

This lesson is part of SRL's Be An Assignment Series. This series is also the third section of SRL’s First Module From Concept to Screen: Building Your News Hour. The module is broken into three sections. The first two contain lessons that can be completed as standalone activities or as part of a series. All three sections converge to provide a powerful and fun introduction to producing and hosting news shows. The module is followed by a second that deepens student knowledge and skills.

Discover Activity

Find Your Story (Student Reporting Labs)

Digital Voices, Stories and Perspectives

Find Your Story (Student Reporting Labs)

PBS

6 - 12

50 Minutes

Students explore new topics and people to develop a compelling news story.

This is activity 7 of 16 in the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs Module. Visit the Module to learn more before getting started.

Discover Activity

Why Some Democracies Fail

We The People, Stories and Perspectives

Why Some Democracies Fail

Mizzen Education, Inc.

9 - 12

45 Minutes

Nations and their systems of governments sometimes remain intact for hundreds of years. Yet as history shows, even the nations that appear especially strong and permanent to their citizens, such as Ancient Rome, may fail and be replaced. Democracies are no exception. In this activity, students will study and evaluate examples of democracies that failed to live up to their promise, and they will consider the future of democracy worldwide and in the United States.

Discover Activity

Slideshow: A Day at the Zoo

Stories and Perspectives, Digital Voices

Slideshow: A Day at the Zoo

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 2

45 Minutes

Making slide presentations can introduce children to the power of computers and their many uses. In this activity, children collaborate with the leader to make a presentation about zoo animals.

Discover Activity

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Copyright © 2026, Mizzen Education, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to empower, uplift and support out-of-school time educators.

Copyright © 2026, Mizzen Education, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to empower, uplift and support out-of-school time educators.