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LEARN NC has published a number of lesson plans and learner’s guides designed to help teachers and students interact with historical newspapers in the classroom. Created by historian Kathryn Walbert, these resources model the process of historical inquiry, demonstrating that newspapers can yield fascinating information — far richer than the mere words on the page.

The following lesson plans help students to analyze newspaper articles, editorials, and advertisements, situating them in their historical contexts:

“For What Is a Mother Responsible?” — Idealized motherhood vs. the realities of motherhood in antebellum North Carolina

Teaching About Slavery Through Newspaper Advertisements

“A female raid” in 1863: Using newspaper coverage to learn about North Carolina’s Civil War homefront

A series of learner’s guides introduces students to the use of historical newspapers as primary sources and provides key questions for reading them:

Reading Newspapers: Factual Reporting

Reading Newspapers: Editorial and Opinion Pieces

Reading Newspapers: Reader Contributions

Reading Newspapers: Advertisements

And the following interactive guides step through layers of questions, guiding readers through the process of historical inquiry:

Reading Primary Sources: Newspaper Editorials

Reading Primary Sources: Newspaper Advertisements