Today our students are dealing with a level of media influence that borders on the unimaginable. Through numerous sources they are witness to horrific events in their own county -- sometimes in their own backyards -- and across the globe on a daily basis. But just because our students can use media and technology does not mean they are effective at critically analyzing the messages they receive. As educators we must remind them to work to see the broader picture however difficult that might sometimes be.

Watching Washington Week provides an opportunity for students to hone their media literacy and critical thinking skills by supplying insight and analysis of relevant issues. The lesson plans on this site were designed to help students understand issues by analyzing real-world material and sources they're likely to come across every day and to recognize the vital role the media plays in a democratic society.

In addition, instructors can easily incorporate the Washington Week teaching suggestions and use the television program as a teaching tool by assigning students to watch and produce reports of analyses related to the week's issues and use the transcripts, videos and resources on the site for research.

To help you get started, we have created a series of teaching suggestions.