One of the elements I love most about the new English Language Arts Oklahoma Academic Standards is the emphasis it places on independent reading and writing. I have long believed that the ability to read and comprehend independently is the foundation upon which one builds a successful life as a contributing world citizen.
Not only should students be spending at least 20 minutes per day reading books and magazines of their choice, they should also spend at least that much time reading the news so they can begin to gain an understanding and perspective of what is happening in our increasingly global community.
Because I teach in a rural high school where many students work after school or care for younger siblings, I build some of this time into the school day. My students can read any book or magazine of their choice after completing their daily assignments. When we are in the computer lab, or have access to a Chromebook cart, I instruct my students to read online news websites. So far, I have given them two main choices, but because it’s important to receive ones news from multiple sources, I am building a list of them to choose from here. I hope you enjoy this list, as well.
Global News Websites
Reuters – Reuters.com brings you the latest news from around the world, covering breaking news in business, politics, entertainment, technology, and more.
BBC – Breaking news, sport, TV, radio and a whole lot more. The BBC informs, educates and entertains – wherever you are, whatever your age.
The Guardian International Edition – Latest international news, sport and comment from the Guardian.
The Globe and Mail (Canada) – The Globe and Mail offers the most authoritative news in Canada, featuring national and international news.
People’s Daily (China) – People’s Daily Online focuses on China news, China society, China military, Chinese culture, China travel guide, China politics, foreign affairs, business and a lot more.
Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) – Breaking news from Sydney, Australia and the world.
American News Websites
Associated Press – The AP delivers in-depth coverage on the international, politics, lifestyle, business, and entertainment news.
CNN – View the latest news and breaking news today for U.S., world, weather, entertainment, politics and health at CNN.com.
Yahoo News – The latest news and headlines from Yahoo! News. Get breaking news stories and in-depth coverage with videos and photos.
Google News – Comprehensive up-to-date news coverage, aggregated from sources all over the world by Google News.
New York Times – The New York Times: Find breaking news, multimedia, reviews & opinion on Washington, business, sports, movies, travel, books, jobs, education, real estate, cars & more at nytimes.com.
Fox News – Breaking News, Latest News and Current News from FOXNews.com. Breaking news and video. Latest Current News: U.S., World, Entertainment, Health, Business, Technology, Politics, Sports.
NBC News – Go to NBCNews.com for breaking news, videos, and the latest top stories in world news, business, politics, health and pop culture.
Washington Post – Breaking news and analysis on politics, business, world national news, entertainment more. In-depth DC, Virginia, Maryland news coverage including traffic, weather, crime, education, restaurant reviews and more.
The Wall Street Journal – WSJ online coverage of breaking news and current headlines from the US and around the world. Top stories, photos, videos, detailed analysis and in-depth reporting.
ABC News – Get breaking national and world news, broadcast video coverage, and exclusive interviews. Find the top news online at ABC News.
LA Times – The LA Times is a leading source of breaking news, entertainment, sports, politics, and more for Southern California and the world.
USA Today – USA TODAY delivers current local and national news, sports, entertainment, finance, technology, and more through award-winning journalism, photos, videos and VR.
The Nation – Weekly journal of opinion, featuring analysis on politics and culture. Founded in 1865.
Chicago Tribune – Your source for Chicago breaking news, sports, business, entertainment, weather and traffic.
The Dallas Morning News – Dallasnews.com is the official website for The Dallas Morning News newspaper. This page contains Dallas-Fort Worth breaking news, sports news, business news, entertainment news and listings, Texas news, photos and videos, commentary and opinion, and more.
Oklahoma News Websites
NewsOK – NewsOK is Oklahoma’s most trusted source for breaking news, sports, weather, obituaries, politics, business, art, entertainment, blogs, video, photos and Oklahoma City headlines.
Tulsa World – Tulsa World is the most trusted source for breaking news, weather and in-depth reports on issues in Tulsa and northeastern Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Observer – To comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.
The Journal Record – Oklahoma’s leading resource for Oklahoma business news and legal information.
Red Dirt Report – All the dirt, news, culture and commentary for Oklahoma’s second century.
Norman Transcript – Local and national news, sports, feature articles, columns, statistics and classifieds.
Purcell Register – Covering The Heart of Oklahoma since 1887
Shawnee News-Star – News from Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Enid News & Eagle – News, sports, features, entertainment, editorials, obituaries, weather and television listings.
Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise – Regional newspaper for Bartlesville Oklahoma featuring local and national news, sports and information. News, sports, classifieds, business and services.
Lawton Constitution – News from Lawton, Oklahoma.
McAlester News-Capital – Daily updates of local news from Southeast Oklahoma’s news leader.
Education Resources
NewsELA – Unlimited access to hundreds of leveled news articles.
New York Times Learning Center – Teaching and Learning with The New York Times.
Need some ideas on how to use newspapers in your classroom? Check out the Newseum website.