Lesson Plan - “The Best Reporter in America”

About the Article

Learning Objective

Students will learn about investigative journalist Nellie Bly and analyze a primary source from a book she wrote.

Curriculum Connections

• Journalism

• Nellie Bly

• Women and Girls

• Mental Health Facilities

Key Skills

Social Studies:

• Understand human stories across time

• Study individual development and identity

• Learn how institutions can be maintained or changed

English Language Arts:

• Integrate information presented in multiple formats

• Learn and use domain-specific vocabulary

• Analyze how texts address similar topics

Key CCSS Standards

RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.9, WHST.6-8.4, WHST.6-8.9, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.9, W.6-8.4, W.6-8.9, SL.6-8.1

Essential Questions

  • How can journalists expose injustices and change the world?
  • How have women been treated over time? How have they fought for their rights?
  • What can we learn from primary sources?

1. Preparing to Read

Build Knowledge and Vocabulary

Use the online slideshow Investigative Journalism to build knowledge. Ask: How can investigative journalism lead to change? Discuss responses. Then use Words to Know to preteach domain-specific terms.

2. Reading and Discussing

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently or in pairs.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• How did Nellie Bly’s career as a journalist begin? (Key Details)
Bly’s career as a journalist began in Pennsylvania in 1885 after she wrote an angry letter to the editor of a local paper in response to an op-ed that said women shouldn’t work outside the home. The editor was so impressed with her writing that he offered her a job.

• What did Bly discover at the psychiatric hospital? What changes did her reporting inspire? (Central Ideas)
Bly discovered that patients were physically and mentally abused. She also discovered that some of the patients weren’t actually suffering from mental illness. Her reporting led to a city investigation and more funding to care for people with mental illnesses.

3. Skill Building

Analyze a Primary Source

Guide students to complete the Skill Spotlight activity at the end of the article. Help them cite specific details from the book excerpt and the article in their responses.

Assess Comprehension

Assign the 10-question Know the News quiz, available in PDF and interactive forms. You can also use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.

Differentiate and Customize

For Multilingual Learners: Explain the multiple-meaning words committed, covering, and conduct. Briefly define other words that may be unfamiliar, such as psychiatric, inhumane, injustices, rife, ailments, intervals, and equivalent.

For Social and Emotional Learning: Ask students to write a list of 5 to 10 adjectives that best describe Nellie Bly. Then have students share one word and provide evidence from the article to support their choices.

Printable Lesson Plan

Interactive Slide Deck

Text-to-Speech