Mini-lesson: Gerrymandering (HS)
Lesson Plan
In this Media Moment Mini-lesson, students have the opportunity to try their hand at a simplified districting exercise and learn about the common…
Overview
In this Media Moment Mini-lesson, students have the opportunity to try their hand at a simplified districting exercise and learn about the common gerrymandering practices of packing and cracking districts. Students then explore the media’s traditional roles as gatekeepers, agenda setters, and watchdogs. By summarizing topline stories from a newspaper, news website, or television news broadcast, students evaluate if a news organization appears to be keeping watch or setting an agenda.
Grade Levels
- 9-12
Learning Objectives
- Define gerrymandering
- Explain how gerrymandering is used to create a political advantage
- Explain the impact of the media on the government and the public sphere
- Recognize the media acting in its roles as gatekeepers, agenda setters, and watchdogs