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9th grade · Social Studies · Unit 3 of 7

Media & Democracy

A free press and a careful public

What your child practices

Why a free and responsible press matters, broadcast, print and online media, how officials use media to shape opinion, and how to spot misinformation, bias and spin.

Maine Learning Results learning standard: Civics & Government 2 · the media's role in a democracy and judging sources of news

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. The First Amendment protects freedom of the press, which helps citizens hold leaders accountable.
  2. Investigative journalism digs to uncover wrongdoing. Officials and political ads use media to persuade.
  3. Check reliability: look for named sources and see whether other trusted outlets report the same thing.

Example: Which amendment protects freedom of the press? It protects speech, religion, assembly and petition too. That is the First. Answer: the First

Media & Democracy in Maine

In the Maine Learning Results, this is unit 3 of 7 in 9th grade Social Studies, after Taking Part and before Governing Maine.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Maine Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Media bias means…

    • perfect balance
    • only weather news
    • a slant that favors one side
    • a legal ruling

  2. Question 2

    Which amendment protects freedom of the press?

    • the First
    • the Fifth
    • the Tenth
    • the Second

  3. Question 3

    Prior restraint means the government…

    • pays for newspapers
    • stops something from being published
    • reviews books after printing
    • owns all TV

  4. Question 4

    Social media changed politics by…

    • letting anyone share information instantly, true or false
    • making TV illegal
    • banning campaigns
    • ending all news

  5. Question 5

    A responsible press checks facts and…

    • only prints rumors
    • never names sources
    • hides its sources' errors
    • corrects its mistakes

  6. Question 6

    Why might a story with no named source be less reliable?

    • it is always true
    • readers can't check who said it or why
    • sources are illegal
    • it is always false

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