Reporting on an Ideal World

9, 10, 11, 12
Learners envision an ideal world characterized by principles of justice, kindness, peace, and tolerance. They demonstrate understanding of these concepts by creating a fictitious newspaper called USA Tomorrow that reports on the ideal world. They will reflect in writing about one step they can take to make an ideal world a reality.


Lesson Rating 
PrintOne 55 minute class period

The learner will:

  • envision an “ideal world” characterized by justice, peace, kindness and tolerance.
  • apply these principles by writing a newspaper of this “ideal world.”
  • Several USA Today newspapers
  • Collection of magazines and newspapers for pictures
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Writing materials or word processing capability

 Draw a picture of an ideal world as it relates to one issue, such as fair pay for all or no war. 


  1. Anticipatory Set:

    Create a context for the lesson by telling the class they will transforming the class into the newsroom of a fictitious newspaper called USA Tomorrow. Tell the students that you are the Managing Editor and the students are the staff. Explain that USA Tomorrow is a visionary newspaper that imagines what tomorrow’s news will be. The world that USA Tomorrow is reporting on is an ideal civil society characterized by the civic virtues of justice, kindness, peace, and tolerance – it is an ideal world.

  2. Organize the class into seven groups of four/five learners per group. Each group has the responsibility to prepare their section of the paper: nation, world, letters, op-ed, money. sports, and life. Each section will be two-plus pages.

  3. Give each group their respective section of USA Today. Have the students read that section to become familiar with the format and news topics included in that section.

  4. Have each student pick a different news topic and write a story for USA Tomorrow that reports that same topic in a world where justice, kindness, peace and tolerance are the norm.

  5. The students “cut and paste” their stories onto one of the two pages assigned to their newspaper section, they should add a picture from the old magazines to accompany their news story if appropriate. Fill in the open spaces left on the two pages with scores, cartoons, classified adds, personals, advertisements, etc. appropriate to an ideal world.

  6. Have each group present their section of the newspaper to the other members of the news team for editorial review.

  7. Students write a paragraph about one step they can take to foster this vision of an ideal world come true.

Cross Curriculum 

Students share a short piece of writing on social media to promote their ideas for peace, justice, and fairness. They share with the class the response they get from their network.

Philanthropy Framework

  1. Strand PHIL.I Definitions of Philanthropy
    1. Standard DP 01. Define Philanthropy
  2. Strand PHIL.II Philanthropy and Civil Society
    1. Standard PCS 01. Self, citizenship, and society
    2. Standard PCS 05. Philanthropy and Government
    3. Standard PCS 07. Skills of Civic Engagement
      2. Benchmark HS.3 Participate in acts of democratic citizenship in the community, state or nation, such as petitioning authority, advocating, voting, group problem solving, mock trials or classroom governance and elections.
  3. Strand PHIL.III Philanthropy and the Individual
    1. Standard PI 01. Reasons for Individual Philanthropy
  4. Strand PHIL.IV Volunteering and Service
    1. Standard VS 01. Needs Assessment