Digital Activity


Reporting the Revolution

Objectives

Students will:

  • Analyze the issues that framed the 1979 debate over the future of Iran.
  • Integrate the arguments and beliefs of the options into a persuasive, coherent newspaper article.
  • Review the role of sources in examining historical questions.

Resources

Reporting the Revolution
This is a digital tool that allows students to generate a front page story and print it.

In the Classroom

1. Reporting the Story
Send students to the Reporting the Revolution website. Tell them that they should consult their readings or other sources for additional information. Remind students that their article should include a headline, a lead paragraph, an image, and a quotation. Teachers may wish to remind students of the following points:

  • Headline
    Be sure that the headline grabs the reader’s attention and reflects the content of the article.
  • Image
    Select one image and include a caption that describes the image.
  • Quotation
    Select a quotation that supports our assigned option.
  • Lead Paragraph
    Be sure you include the answers to who, what, where, when, and how in 3-5 short clear sentences. (The digital newsletter tool will allow an article of any length.)

2. Sharing Conclusions
Ask students to share some of their articles.

  • What additional information would students like to have to report the story? Can students think of other sources they could use in their story?
  • Ask students to consider the differences among the various reports. Do any of the reports contradict others? Which contradictions do they find interesting or important? How does perspective influence what they reported about the Iranian Revolution?
  • Do students think that the same differences occur in “real” newspapers reporting the same events? Review with students the role of using sources to answer historical questions. What are the implications of this when using newspaper reports on historical or current events?

3. Considering Sources
Remind students that historians question the reliability of sources when doing research. Here are a few questions that historians and students should ask.

  • Does the source contain facts or opinions?
  • Is the source biased? (Many, if not most, sources have a bias, but can still be useful in understanding events.)
  • Who has written or created the source?
  • Is the source reliable?
Challenge students to keep these questions in mind as they examine the sources for future class work. Tell them that contradictory sources indicate the need to cross-check information with other sources, look for additional evidence, and consider the origin and author of the source for bias.

 

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