Topic outline

  • Current Issues Q1

    Current Issues Q1

    Current Issues is a Social Studies elective. The class takes a close look at the media surrounding us. We analyze the unique place in history occupied by the United States that allowed media to develop and flourish. From there we investigate the origins of Newspaper, Television, Internet, and Advertising. After looking at the past history of various mediums of mass communication, students then take a look at current efforts and future endeavors of each communication tool. Finally students end the course in a disruptive innovation on the research paper–with collaborative research done in a Wiki Space. Students stay connected with current events as they are happening and learn perspective about the media that we interact with on a day to day basis.


    Creative Commons License
    Current Issues course materials created by the Open High School of Utah are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. This course contains open educational resources produced by other organizations which may use a different open license. Please confirm the license status of these third-party resources before reusing them. See OpenCourseWare for additional information about licensing.

    • Current Issues Q1 Moodle Course File

  • Topic 1

    • Unit 1: History of Free Speech and the Role of Media in a Democratic Society

    • Week 1: Free Speech

    • VIEW: Week in Rap #1 Page
    • READ: Freedom of Speech Defined Page
    • WATCH: The Right of Free Speech Page
    • READ: History of Free Speech Page
    • READ: What took place in an Inquisition? Page
    • READ: Revolutions that Changed the World (Part 1) Page
    • READ: Revolutions that Changed the World (Part 2) Page

  • Topic 2

    • Week 2: Democracy and Freedom

    • VIEW: Week in Rap #2 Page
    • WATCH: Democracy is . . . Page
    • READ: When Tocqueville Came to Visit Page
    • READ: Role of the Press in a Democratic Society Page
    • READ: Worldwide Press Freedom Index Page
    • WATCH: When a Government does not Uphold Freedom of Speech Page

  • Topic 3

    • Week 3: Media and Rules the Media Should Follow

    • VIEW: Week in Rap #3 Page
    • READ: What is the Media? Page
    • Newspapers Page
    • Magazines Page
    • Television Page
    • Film Page
    • The Internet Page
    • Radio Page
    • READ: The Role of the Journalist in Media Page
    • WATCH: Rich Media, Poor Democracy Page
    • READ: The Nine Elements of Journalism Page
    • WATCH: Rules of Journalism Explained Page

  • Topic 4

    • Week 4: Media Literacy

    • VIEW: Week in Rap #4 Page
    • READ: Media Literacy Page
    • READ: Become a Skeptic Page
    • SELF CHECK: How much do you know about Media Literacy? Page

  • Topic 5

  • Topic 6

    • Week 6: The Components of a Newspaper

    • READ: Parts of a Newspaper Book
    • VIEW: Examples of Iconic Photos Book

  • Topic 7

    • Week 7: The Future of Newspapers and Journalism

    • VIEW: The Future of Newspapers Page
    • READ: Citizen Journalism Page
    • PREPARE: Study Guide Unit 2 Exam Page

  • Topic 8

    • Unit 3: The Role of Television

    • VIEW: Week in Rap #8 Page
    • READ: Idaho Farm Boy Makes Good Page
    • WATCH: Television is History Page
    • READ: As American as Mom, Apple Pie, and Television Page
    • READ: The Golden Age of Television Page
    • READ: Television Programming Page
    • READ: Situational Comedy Page
    • READ: Dramatic Series Page
    • READ: Soap Operas Page
    • READ: Game Shows Page
    • READ: Talk Shows Page
    • READ: The Television Commercial Page
    • READ: How much is that Commercial? Page

  • Topic 9

    • VIEW: Week in Rap #9 Page
    • READ: Broadcast Journalism Page
    • READ: Bias in the News Page
    • READ: The Local News Page
    • READ: History of National News Page
    • VIEW: The News Anchors Page
    • READ: The News on Public Television Page
    • READ: The Advent of Cable News Page