Newspaper Printables

Newspapers have been around since Roman politician and general Julius Caeser printed the ​Acta Diurna on papyrus in 59 B.C. to trumpet his military successes. And, papers have been widely read in the U.S. since this country's earliest days, when the Founding Fathers and others used them to advance their political agendas - and smear their opponents. Use these printable newspaper worksheets, to introduce students to terms that describe the publishing process for the fourth estate, a somewhat outdated term used to describe the press.

Print the pdf: Newspaper Vocabulary Worksheet

Introduce your students to the terminology associated with newspapers using this vocabulary worksheet. Students should use a dictionary or the Internet to define each word.

Freedom of speech is one of the most important concepts you can teach with this worksheet. For example, use this compilation of articles about freedom of speech and expression compiled by one of the country's top newspapers: "The New York Times."

Print the pdf: Newspaper Word Search

One of the words in this word search puzzle is "funnies," which refers to the comic strips found in newspapers. These comic strips are often known as the funny pages. The Sunday comics are full-color comic strips which first appeared in the Sunday edition of newspapers in the late-19th century shortly after the invention of the color printing press.

Print the pdf: Newspaper Crossword Puzzle

This crossword puzzle  can help students learn important journalism terms such as "editorial," which Google describes as a newspaper article written by or on behalf of an editor or editorial board that gives the newspaper's opinion on a topical issue. Many students may not realize that an editorial is an opinion piece - it is not a news story. This is a good time to discuss the difference with students.

Print the pdf: Newspaper Challenge

This worksheet will help students understand that a caption in newspapers is generally a brief description of an accompanying photo, image or illustration.. After they have completed the printable, distribute pictures to students - either those you have cut out of newspapers beforehand, photos, or even postcards - and have them write captions for the images. It's a tricky process: Some larger newspapers even have dedicated caption writers.

Print the pdf: Newspaper Alphabet Activity

Have students fill out this alphabet activity sheet, where they place the newspaper-themed words in correct alphabetical order. But don't stop there: Go over each of the terms, write them on the board and have students write the definition of each word - without the use of a dictionary. This will show how well they know the concepts.

Print the pdf: 5 W's Worksheet

Use this printable as a springboard to help you conduct a lesson on one of the most important concepts in journalism - the who, what, when, where and why in of a story. The worksheet also covers one more concept - how, an often overlooked issue in articles.

Print the pdf: Newspaper Theme Paper

This  newspaper-themed paper gives students a chance to write what they've learned about newspapers. Extra credit: Print a second blank copy of this page for each student and have them write a brief newspaper article using the 5 W's. If needed, present a few sample topics students can write about.

Print the pdf: Newspaper Stand Coloring Page

Involve younger students by having them complete this coloring page. If you and your students live in a smaller community, explain that in many cities - even today - newspapers and magazines are sold at stands often located near city sidewalks. Prepare ahead of time by finding and printing pictures of newspaper stands or have students look up "newspaper stand" on the internet.

Print the pdf: Extra! Extra! Coloring Page

Use this coloring page to explain how newspapers were once sold in this country. For older students, explain how Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst once waged fierce circulation wars at the end of the 19th century, employing thousands of youngsters to hawk newspapers on New York City's streets. The term "extra" refers to a special edition of a newspaper printed to announce some extraordinary news that occurs after the paper's regular press time.

Updated by Kris Bales