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Project | 4-6 weeks

America's hidden histories


OVERVIEW

Americas Hidden Histories

The story of America is always evolving. How we talk about the country’s past plays a powerful role in shaping its present and future.

As student journalists, you have the opportunity to uncover and elevate stories that are often left out of traditional history books. These may include the contributions of marginalized communities, the lives of lesser-known local heroes, the history and current realities of the five U.S. colonial territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico), or pivotal events that have shaped the nation in unexpected ways.

Equally important is placing America’s story in a global context. From its founding, the United States has played a major role on the world stage, shaping global affairs through economic policy, military intervention, and political strategy, often rooted in colonial and imperial ambitions. These actions have lasting impacts on international relationships and communities around the world.

By exploring these local, national, and global narratives together, you can help tell a fuller, more inclusive story of American history—one that acknowledges complexity, elevates diverse voices, and draws connections across generations and borders.

Start close to home. Who or what in your community has been left out of the dominant historical narrative? What stories might help others better understand the richness and contradictions of American identity?

Interview elders. Visit local libraries, archives, and museums. Reach out to community leaders, family members, or activists. Dig into old records. Ask questions that lead to new perspectives and new stories.

History is not just about what happened. It's about who tells the story, and why it matters today.

CHOOSE YOUR FORMAT

  • Profile (2-4 min. long): A profile is the story of one person. It has voiceover (VO), b-roll, pictures, nats (natural sound), it may also include interviews of family members or peers of that one person. Watch this example of a profile about an immigrant studying to become an attorney. Here’s an example of a profile of a musician who works to spread hope, inspiration, and empowerment.
  • Explainer (2-4 min. long): A video explaining a concept. Often it includes a host/narrator speaking directly to the camera. The tone could be serious, funny, or informative. Watch this student-produced example of an explainer about how music affects your mood. Here’s another example of an explainer about AI and college admissions.
  • News package (3-5 min. long): Video stories about newsworthy issues and topics. A news package has factual information, balanced reporting, research, voice overs, multiple interviews with people sharing different perspectives, soundbites, b-roll footage. It may also include things like infographics, a reporter standup, nats (natural sound from filming b-roll). Watch this example of a news package about a new law in Hawaii requiring schools to provide free menstrual products. Here’s another example of a news package about a program to help provide incarcerated people with access to higher education.
  • NAT package (2-4 min. long): A video story guided by the natural sound from interviews and the environment where you’re filming. Natural sound, commonly known as “NAT sound,” puts the viewer in the place the story was told by enhancing the scene(s) with video containing rich audio such as a musician singing at a train station, a storm approaching, or the sound of a tractor plowing the field. This kind of story would often not have a voiceover narration. Here’s an example of a nat package about two Italian immigrants who own a pizza shop.
  • Social Media (60 - 90 sec. long): Short video that tells a cohesive story with interview bites, b-roll footage, graphics and/or voice-over, cut vertically for social media. Watch this example of a social media video about two teens in Maryland who started a composting organization. Here’s another social media video about a teen from Ohio who eats bugs.

How to Sibmi

This prompt does not have an active deadline to submit to PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs. However, students are encouraged to publish their stories on their school/club/program website or through video/social platforms such as YouTube, Instagram or Twitter and tag Student Reporting Labs.

FACEBOOK: /STUDENTREPORTINGLABS

TWITTER: @REPORTINGLABS

INSTAGRAM: @STUDENTREPORTINGLABS

TIKTOK: @REPORTINGLABS

Journalism

Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information.

Source: American Press institute

Issue

​​A subject or problem that people are thinking and talking about

Source: Cambridge Dictionary

Community

A group of people who live in the same area (such as a city, town, or neighborhood). It can also be a group of people who have the same interests, religion, race, etc.

Source: Merriam Webster

The Framing Effect

In news media, when storytelling presents a “frame” or window into important events or topics.

Stereotype

A simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group; a set form or convention

Source: Dictionary.com

Diversity

The condition of having or being composed of differing elements. Especially in the context of the inclusion of people of different races, cultures, etc. in a group or organization

Source: Merriam Webster

Inclusion

The act or practice of including and accommodating people who have historically been excluded (as because of their race, gender, sexuality, or ability)

Source: Merriam Webster

Perception

Awareness of the elements of environment through physical sensation or intuitive cognition. A capacity for comprehension and understanding.

Source: Merriam Webster

Human Interest

People are interested in other people. Everyone has something to celebrate and something to complain about. We like unusual stories of people who accomplish amazing feats or handle a life crisis because we can identify with them.

Story Angle

In news, it’s a story’s point or theme. It's the lens through which the producer or writer filters the information they have gathered and focuses it to make it meaningful to viewers or readers.

Source: ThoughCo.

Audience

The people who read, watch and consume news. Often, journalists think about audience and newsworthiness in similar ways. How will the news story serve their local or national audience? Who am I writing the story for and why?

Character

A person or other physical being in a narrative. Stories are made up of different characters who provide information and help shape the narrative with their knowledge, experience and perspective.

Pitch

A description of what your story might be and WHY it’s important. An outline of your story idea and the steps to achieve your goal. A summary of what you hope to accomplish in your story

News package

Video stories about newsworthy issues and topics, factual information, balanced reporting, research, voice overs, soundbites, b-roll footage, infographics, reporter standup, nats (natural sound bites).

Video profile

The story of one person, has voiceover (VO), b-roll, pictures, nats (natural sound), interviews of family members or peers of that one person.

Explainer video

Narration and/or voiceover (VO) with a host, commentary, research, personal experiences, explanations, infographics, nats (natural sound), music, entertainment.

Research

An investigation into and study of sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.

Story Arc

An example of using a little person to tell a big story. For example, you want to tell a story about pollution in your community’s water system. That is a big issue. Your video will use the story of a person (character) to illustrate the effects of bad water quality.

Hook

An attempt to grab the reader or viewer’s attention with interesting information that will keep them reading or watching.

Accuracy

Free from mistake or error. Coverage of topics and facts in appropriate detail.

Historical Sources and Evidence

Historical inquiry is based on materials left from the past that can be studied and analyzed. (NCSS D2.His.9.9-12 - D2.His.13.9-12)

Determining Helpful Sources

Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions, taking into consideration multiple points of view represented in the sources, the types of sources available, and the potential uses of the sources. (NCSS D1.5.9-12)

Empowered Learner

Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences. (ISTE)

Gathering and Evaluating Sources

Whether students are constructing opinions, explanation, or arguments, they will gather information from a variety of sources and evaluate the relevance of that information. (NCSS D3.1.9-12 - D3.2.9-12)

Demonstrate writing processes used in journalism and broadcasting media.

  • CCTC AR-JB 2.1: Demonstrate how to cultivate sources for stories.
  • CCTC AR-JB 2.2: Demonstrate how to obtain information to use in writing a story.
  • CCTC AR-JB 2.3: Develop written stories for print and broadcast.
  • CCTC AR-JB 2.4: Demonstrate how photographs support the development of stories.
  • CCTC AR-JB 2.5: Employ knowledge of the similarities and differences among editorial, feature, and news writing styles.
  • CCTC AR-JB 2.6: Define the terminology associated with journalism and broadcasting.
  • CCTC AR-JB 2.7: Develop a complete radio project.
  • CCTC AR-JB 2.8: Develop a complete television project.

Perspectives

Historical understanding requires recognizing this multiplicity of points of view in the past, which makes it important to seek out a range of sources on any historical question rather than simply use those that are easiest to find. It also requires recognizing that perspectives change over time, so that historical understanding requires developing a sense of empathy with people in the past whose perspectives might be very different from those of today. (NCSS D2.His.4.9-12 - D2.His.8.9-12)

Plan and deliver a media production (e.g., broadcast, video, web, mobile).

  • CCTC AR-JB 3.1: Analyze the elements of a newscast production.
  • CCTC AR-JB 3.2: Analyze individual announcing competence.
  • CCTC AR-JB 3.3: Identify wardrobe suitable for on-camera appearances.
  • CCTC AR-JB 3.4: Analyze production functions..
  • CCTC AR-JB 3.5: Demonstrate promoting productions.
  • CCTC AR-JB 3.6: Analyze how image capturing and graphics design support the development of electronic presentations.
  • CCTC AR-JB 3.7: Distinguish amongst various musical radio formats.

Writing - Research to Build and Present Knowledge

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Writing - Text Types and Purposes

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

Reading - Key Ideas and Details

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Topics

Journalism

Representation

Stereotypes and Misconceptions

Civics

History

Active Prompts

Levels

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Materials

Computers

Internet

Estimated Time

4-6 weeks