What resources exist for informing large groups of people about issues and events?

How can we take advantage of those resources to get more people to implement sustainable practices in their lives?

Standard

NL-ENG.K-12.4 COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

Concepts

• Media
• Public Relations
• Press Release

Skills

• Students can evaluate, take, and defend positions on issues regarding the personal responsibilities of citizens in America.

Students work to gather and share knowledge that supports the well-being of their community.

Students encourage other community members to engage in practices that contribute to the well-being of their community.

Collect examples of press releases related to environmental and/or sustainability issue and events, so that you have one per student team. (Sources of press releases on the web can be found here.)

Make enough copies of the Earth+ Talking Point Worksheet so that each student team has four worksheets. (Download here)

Make enough copies of the Earth+ Talking Points Worksheet Example for each team to have two sheets. (Download here.)

Make enough copies of the Checklist for an Effective Earth+ Press Release for each student team. (Download here)

Make enough copies of the Earth+ Public Relations Press Release Example for each student team. (Download here)

Make enough copies of the Earth+ Public Relations Press Release Template for each student. (Download here)

Hold a class discussion based on this prompt:

• Why do we want the media or the press to know about what we are doing?

Distribute the environmental press releases, one to each team of students, along with two of the Talking Points worksheets.

Each team determines the talking points of its press release and the supporting points, using the worksheet.

Ask teams to respond in writing to this prompt:

• What are the characteristics of an effective press release?

Distribute the Checklist for an Effective Press Release, and review it with students. Discuss whether or not you would add any items to the checklist based on what you have talked about in class today, and have students write in on their copies any additions that the class as a whole decides to make. Tell students to keep these checklists, since they will be using them.

Review the Earth+ Talking Points Worksheet Example to ensure that students understand the relationship between the main message of a presentation, the talking points, and the support for the talking points.

Distribute the Earth+ Public Relations Press Release Example along with two more Talking Points worksheets. Have teams determine the talking points and supporting points, then fill out the Checklist to evaluate the release.

Hold a class discussion based on this prompt:

• How could the Earth+ Press Release be improved?

Distribute the Earth+ Public Relations Press Release Template to each student. Walk the class through the template (explaining all terms). Then distribute additional copies of the Earth+ Public Relations Press Release Example so that each student has one.

Students fill out the Earth+ Public Relations Press Release Template for the Earth+ Public Relations Press Release Example.

Collect several examples of newspapers and magazines (if students are working on computers, you can use those listed here).

Make enough copies of the Earth+ Public Relations: Making Media Contacts form for each student team. (Download here)

Make enough copies of the Earth+ Public Relations: What to Do At the Event for each student team. (Download here)

Students work in pairs to respond in writing to this prompt:

• Name all of the ways you can think of that people can learn about events in their communities.

Explain to students that publications usually have editors who decide what stories are carried, and that large publications have different editors for different kinds of stories. Give teams a few minutes to look at the newspapers and magazines you've collected and see if they can identify the contact information for the editors. Have each team read and fill out the Earth+ Public Relations: Making Media Contacts form.

Share out responses.

Now have students identify examples of local calendars in the publications, and work in teams to respond to this prompt:

• What kind of information is usually included in a calendar announcement of an event?

Ask students if they can think of other ways to get a message out to a lot of people. Ensure that the resulting discussion includes the use of local radio stations as venues. You may wish to pair students up and have them practice "being interviewed" and referring to the calendar announcements and to the press releases they have written in answers the interviewer's questions.

Distribute the handout Earth+ Public Relations: What to Do At the Event to each team. One person in each team should read it aloud to the others, with the team discussing it as needed to ensure they understand it.

Students should then pair up and practice what they would do when they meet a reporter at the event, until they are confident they can communicate clearly about the event's main message and talking points when talking to the press.