Journalism · Empathy · Community

From Headlines
to Humanity

A journalism and media investigation program that helps young people make sense of what they see online — and use storytelling as a tool for connection, not division.

REACH
6Lessons
5Pillars
1Passion Project per Student
∞Stories to Tell
New — One Session Option

Not ready for the full program?
Try a single session first.

The REACH One-Session Class Overview gives teachers a self-contained introduction to media literacy — perfect for a single class period, no prep required.

What's Covered in One Session

A stand-alone experience introducing the core ideas of REACH.

  • Introduction to media bias and ownership
  • Hands-on article analysis activity
  • Guided reflection on empathy in storytelling
  • Journal prompt and takeaway discussion
  • Pathway into the full REACH program

What REACH Stands For

Five Pillars, One Purpose

R
Report

Core journalism tools and ethics — stories sourced and told with integrity.

E
Empathize

Storytelling with care and responsibility for the person behind the headline.

A
Analyze

Media bias, social media, and global perspectives — the full picture.

C
Connect

Building bridges between communities and experiences across divides.

H
Humanize

Reframing headlines to reveal the real people and stories within them.

Why It Matters

Media shapes how young people see the world.

Today's landscape bombards students with misinformation, bias, and divisive narratives. REACH gives them the tools to push back — not with cynicism, but with curiosity and care.

"Online content is framed as verified facts, not hypothetical possibilities children can think about and reject. Online sources of information are often hidden or even fabricated, and children do not have access to the past records of accuracy and reliability for those sources."

Research on children & online misinformation

90%

of TikTok users are shown misinformation within their first 35 minutes on the platform. — NewsGuard Study

"When you share your opinion, you have a chance to get more people to connect."

— REACH Student

Why We Exist

Our Mission

REACH exists to give every young person the tools to question, understand, and shape the stories that define their world.

REACH equips students with the skills to critically analyze what they see, understand the human stories behind the headlines, and foster empathy across divides.

— REACH Program Mission Statement

The Problem We Address

A media landscape built to divide.

Today's media environment bombards young people with misinformation, bias, and divisive narratives. REACH teaches students how to ask thoughtful questions, recognize bias, center human voices, and share narratives with empathy.

"Repetitive exposure to incorrect information can create an effect where even if one knows better, they might start believing or acting on something they don't fully believe to be true due to its familiarity" — known as the illusory truth effect.

Rakoen Maertens, PhD — University of Oxford

"Through hands-on storytelling, students finish the program with the skills and mindset to think critically and contribute meaningfully to conversations around the world."

What We Believe

Core Values

Every voice deserves to be heard.

REACH centers stories of people often left out of mainstream narratives, teaching students to seek out those voices with intention.

Empathy is a skill you can learn.

Understanding someone else's experience doesn't happen by accident. REACH gives students concrete practices to build that capacity.

Critical thinking is an act of care.

Questioning what you read isn't cynicism — it's responsibility. REACH teaches students to interrogate information out of respect for truth.

Storytelling can change the world.

Stories shift how people see each other. REACH trains the next generation of storytellers to use that power wisely.

"My responsibility as a journalist is to write the truth and be unbiased. To tell all sides of the people and the story."

— Lesson 3 Student Reflection

Hear From the Students

Student Voices

"My responsibility as a journalist is to write the truth and be unbiased. To tell all sides of the people and the story."

— Lesson 3 Student Reflection

"My responsibility as a listener is to be empathetic and understanding. To listen to all sides of people."

— REACH Student Reflection

"Headlines give us a first bias in our heads before we start reading."

— 5th Grade REACH Student

"Thoughtful questions can help us to learn other perspectives we didn't know about before."

— Lesson 5 Student Reflection

"If you don't know what to say or how to say it breathe, think, and have confidence."

— Lesson 6 Student Reflection

"If you don't say what you think, then someone else might say it in a way you don't like."

— Lesson 1 Student Reflection

"Someone might post false information to get attention and spread rumors."

— Class Participant

"Someone may post something misleading online to hook someone to watch more."

— Lesson 4 Student Reflection

"Headlines are the main thing people see and talk about."

— Lesson 2 Student Reflection

"Bad news hooks you in because negatives are like oh no let me read that."

— REACH Student

"I am Muslim. People think Muslims are dangerous and strange."

— 5th Grade REACH Student

"Before I share something online, I should ask: is this safe? Is it true? Does it harm anyone?"

— Social Media Student Reflection

Curriculum & Resources

The Curriculum

Each lesson builds on the last. Click any lesson to expand details.

01
Media Landscape

Who's Telling the Stories?

"What controls how stories get told?"

News evolutionOwnershipGlobal perspectives
→
Teacher Guide Lesson 1 · Media Landscape · ~75 min

Objectives

  • Understand news media evolution and ownership
  • Recognize media ownership and cultural influence on news
  • Analyze how global perspectives shape reporting

Big Questions

  • How has news changed over the years?
  • What controls how stories get told?
  • How does cultural ownership affect news?

"If we don't tell our own stories, someone else will — and they may not tell them right."

— Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

5–10 min
Welcome & Introduction to REACH
Introduce the five pillars of REACH. Discuss the hands-on learning approach. Walk through the student notebook — especially the observations and ideas section. Emphasize that all perspectives are supported.
5–10 min
Pre-Class Survey
Use the survey to get a sense of where students are starting from. Link: bit.ly/4jvK8T9
15 min
Icebreaker: 3 Lies and a Truth
Have 4 students step out. The class agrees on a story that happened to one student. All 4 return and answer questions as if the story happened to them. The class guesses whose story it really is. Debrief: how details change from a single fact — just like news.
20 min
Who Owns the Media?
Ask: "What was the last piece of news you read or heard, and where was it from?" Explore which sources they know. Reveal: just 6 people own $430 billion of media. Touch on government-owned media and freedom of the press. Discuss different types of news sources.
20 min
Activity: Spot the Source or Telephone
Spot the Source: Examine articles that look reputable but come from biased organizations. Discuss how to verify source credibility.
Telephone: Show how information changes as it passes through people — just like news gets distorted.
10 min
Journal Reflection
Prompt: "What stories about your community or culture do you think others misunderstand? How would you tell them differently?"

Activities Summary

  • 3 Lies & a Truth icebreaker
  • Pre-class survey (bit.ly/4jvK8T9)
  • Who Owns the Media discussion
  • Spot the Source activity
  • Telephone game (alternate)
  • Journal prompt

Key Concepts

  • 6 companies own most major US media
  • Government-owned vs. independent media
  • Freedom of the press
  • Cultural bias in reporting
  • Source credibility and verification
02
Bias & Framing

Behind the Headlines

"How does loaded language affect marginalized communities?"

Types of biasLoaded languagePerspective-shifting
→
Teacher Guide Lesson 2 · Bias & Framing · ~65 min

Objectives

  • Learn what bias is in media
  • Understand the different types of bias
  • Analyze how bias affects reader perception
  • See how bias changes people's perspectives

Big Questions

  • Where do you normally read news, if at all?
  • Have you ever seen 2 versions of a story sound different?
  • How does loaded language affect marginalized communities?

"Headlines, in a way, are what mislead you because bad news is a headline, and gradual improvement is not."

— Bill Gates

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

15 min
You're in Big Trouble!
Tell students they broke a famous mug at a museum. Have them write in their notebook how they would tell the story to: their best friend, a parent, a news reporter, and the museum. Go through each answer and contrast how the same event is framed differently for different audiences.
15 min
Headline Lesson
Ask: "What is a headline?" Explain its purpose in a news story. Give students three headlines about the same park crash and ask what emotions each one triggers. Discuss how word choice shapes perception before they've even read the story.
25 min
Article Activity: Write the Headline
Split into groups of 2–3. Give each group one of two articles — with the headline removed. Ask them to read and create their own headline. Groups present their headlines to the class. Discuss what each headline implies about the article. Then reveal the original headline and compare.
10 min
Journal Reflection
Prompt: "How do you think headlines influence how we think about news stories?"

Activities Summary

  • "You're in Big Trouble!" framing exercise
  • 3-headline comparison activity
  • Write-the-headline group activity
  • Optional: refugee guest speaker
  • Journal prompt

Key Concepts

  • Types of media bias
  • Loaded language and framing
  • Audience-based storytelling
  • Headlines as editorial choice
  • How bias affects marginalized groups
03
Journalism Skills

Journalism 101 — Parts of a Story

"How can you tell someone's story without speaking over them?"

Article anatomyStrong questionsEthics
→
Teacher Guide Lesson 3 · Journalism Skills · ~65 min

Objectives

  • Explain the parts of a news article
  • Practice asking open-ended, strong questions
  • Learn the ethics of being a journalist

Big Questions

  • What makes a story feel trustworthy and complete?
  • How do journalists gather and organize information?
  • How can you tell someone's story without speaking over them?

"Journalism is the first rough draft of history."

— Philip Graham

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

20 min
Parts of a Story Lesson
Ask: "What makes a story feel real?" Introduce journalism as the first draft of history. Walk through a TikTok social media article together — read each section aloud and ask what role that section plays in the overall piece. Students should recognize the headline; guide them through the rest (lede, nut graf, body, kicker).
25 min
Write the Article Activity
Distribute the MLB Robot Umps fact sheet. Ask students to write a brief article using the story structure just taught: Headline → Lede → Nut Graf → Body → Kicker. Have students read their articles aloud. Then compare to the real published article and discuss what they included or left out.
10 min
Journal Reflection
Prompt: "How do the lede, nut graf, body, quotes, and kicker help the reader understand both the facts and the significance of the story? Reflect on why each part matters and how you might use these techniques in your own reporting."

Activities Summary

  • TikTok article dissection
  • MLB Robot Umps write-the-story
  • Article structure comparison
  • Journal prompt

Story Structure

  • Headline — grabs attention
  • Lede — answers who, what, when, where
  • Nut Graf — explains why it matters
  • Body — quotes, evidence, context
  • Kicker — memorable closing
04
Digital Literacy

Social Media

"Can social media be used to make the world better?"

AlgorithmsMisinformationFact-checking
→
Teacher Guide Lesson 4 · Digital Literacy · ~65 min

Objectives

  • Examine how algorithms and trends shape what we see
  • Identify misinformation, disinformation, and emotional manipulation
  • Evaluate how social media reinforces bias or builds bridges
  • Discuss how to critically approach social media content

Big Questions

  • What's the difference between misinformation and disinformation?
  • How do platforms decide what we see?
  • Can social media be used to make the world better?
  • How can social media deliver news responsibly?

"We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us."

— Marshall McLuhan

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

20 min
Cupcake Posts Activity
Ask: "Does everyone see the same thing on social media?" Introduce the concept of algorithms. Split students into groups and give each group a different post about the same topic — but don't let groups share with each other. Have groups present their posts and discuss their reactions. Reveal that all posts were about the same thing.
10 min
Algorithms & Misinformation Lesson
Explain how AI and algorithms curate what users see. Define and contrast: Misinformation (false info spread without intent to deceive) vs. Disinformation (deliberately false info spread to mislead). Discuss real-world examples.
25 min
Design Your Post
Students create their own posts to advertise cupcakes — posts must be truthful and honest. Twist: Tell one group they can use misinformation, and another they can use disinformation. Debrief how each group's approach felt different and what impact it might have on real audiences.
10 min
Journal Reflection
Prompt: "Before I share something online, I should ask myself…"

Activities Summary

  • Cupcake Posts group reveal
  • Algorithm discussion
  • Mis vs. disinformation lesson
  • Design Your Post challenge
  • Journal prompt

Key Concepts

  • Social media algorithms and filter bubbles
  • Misinformation vs. disinformation
  • Emotional manipulation in content
  • Responsible sharing practices
  • Social media as a tool for good
05
Storytelling & Empathy

The Missing Mic

"Who gets to be heard — and who is left out?"

Missing voicesStrong questionsJournalist ethics
→
Teacher Guide Lesson 5 · Storytelling & Empathy · ~75 min

Objectives

  • Understand how including or excluding voices changes a story
  • Practice asking thoughtful, open-ended questions
  • Accurately represent someone else's perspective using quotes
  • Recognize the responsibility of telling someone else's story with fairness

Big Questions

  • Who gets to be heard in a story and who is often left out?
  • How can we ask questions that help us truly understand someone else?
  • What makes a story feel fair and respectful to the person being represented?

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."

— Maya Angelou

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

5 min
Introduction Question
Ask: "Your school is thinking about banning technology for students on campus. If someone were writing an article, who would they interview?" Introduce what a source is and why protecting sources matters. Guide toward less visible voices — younger students, specific groups, etc.
20 min
Source Article Discussion
Split into groups. Give them the NEA tech-fatigue article and ask: who is quoted and who is missing? Each group identifies at least one missing voice and explains why they think that voice was left out.
10 min
Asking Better Questions
Compare "Did you like the article?" vs. "What part stood out and why?" — which gave more information? Walk through the T-chart: weak questions get yes/no; strong questions get stories. Good questions don't gain answers — they gain understanding.
15 min
Interview Activity
Assign each student a role (administrator, student, parent, school board). Pair students representing different roles — one is the person, one is the journalist. The journalist asks open-ended questions and records quotes, then adds those quotes to the original article and presents their choices to the class.
10 min
Journal Reflection
Prompt: "When you were adding your quotes to the article, did you feel a 'weight' of responsibility to get their words right? How does knowing a person's 'why' change the way you write about them?"

Activities Summary

  • Introduction: who would you interview?
  • NEA article — who is quoted vs. missing
  • Strong vs. weak questions T-chart
  • Interview activity with role assignments
  • Journal prompt (Maya Angelou)

Key Concepts

  • Sources and source protection
  • Missing voices in journalism
  • Open-ended vs. closed questions
  • Empathy and accuracy in storytelling
  • Responsibility of representation
06
Public Speaking

Your Voice, Your Impact

"How does the way you speak change what people understand?"

Tone & expressionPersuasive speakingFinal reflection
→
Teacher Guide Lesson 6 · Public Speaking · ~75 min

Objectives

  • Understand how voice, tone, and expression change how a message is received
  • Practice speaking clearly and confidently in front of others
  • Reflect on how their voice can be used to share ideas and perspectives
  • Evaluate their own growth through the final program survey

Big Questions

  • How does the way we speak change what people understand?
  • What makes someone's voice powerful or engaging?
  • How can we use our voice to build a bridge instead of a wall?

"We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us."

— Marshall McLuhan

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

15 min
Pick Your Emotion
Students pick a secret emotion and read aloud: "I didn't expect today to turn out like this. At first, everything seemed normal. But then something happened that changed everything. Now I don't know what to think." The class guesses the emotion. Debrief: tone changes meaning; small shifts in voice create big differences.
30 min
Convince Me
Each student writes and delivers a 45-second speech: a school rule they agree or disagree with, something they care about, or something they think should change. Requirements: clear opinion, one reason or example, and use voice to emphasize meaning. After each speech, the class discusses: What was convincing? What did they hear in the speaker's voice?
15 min
REACH Reflection
Share the post-REACH survey (bit.ly/4lU7W4i) — anonymous and honest. Then lead a final audible group discussion: "If we combined everything we learned in REACH, what is one message we would tell someone about stories and communication?"

Activities Summary

  • Pick Your Emotion reading activity
  • Convince Me persuasive speech
  • Post-REACH Survey (bit.ly/4lU7W4i)
  • Final group reflection discussion

Key Concepts

  • Tone, expression, and vocal emphasis
  • Persuasive speaking structure
  • Voice as a tool for change
  • Confidence in public communication
  • Program synthesis and reflection
Featured — Start Here

One-Session Class Overview

Not ready for the full program? The One-Session Overview is completely free and self-contained — a complete media literacy experience in a single class period, no prep required.

Single class period No prep required Grades 6–12 Free download

What's Included

A compact stand-alone experience introducing the core ideas of REACH.

  • Introduction to media bias and ownership
  • Hands-on article analysis activity
  • Guided reflection on empathy in storytelling
  • Journal prompt and takeaway discussion
  • Pathway into the full REACH program

Full Program — All 6 Lessons

100% Free

Student Notebook & Lesson Packages

Each download is completely free — student notebook pages, activity sheets, journal prompts, and a facilitator guide for that lesson.

📰
Available Now

Lesson 1 — Who's Telling the Stories?

Student notebook pages, 3 Lies & a Truth activity, Spot the Source worksheet, and journal prompt.

🔍
Available Now

Lesson 2 — Behind the Headlines

Bias-highlighting worksheet, write-the-headline activity, and Bill Gates journal prompt.

✏️
Available Now

Lesson 3 — Journalism 101

MLB Robot Ump facts sheet, Write the Story template (Headline → Lede → Nut Graf → Body → Kicker), and Philip Graham journal prompt.

📱
Available Now

Lesson 4 — Social Media

Cupcake Posts activity sheets, mis vs. disinformation worksheet, and Design Your Post group activity.

🎙️
Available Now

Lesson 5 — The Missing Mic

Source article analysis, strong vs. weak questions T-chart, interview activity, and Maya Angelou reflection prompt.

🌟
Available Now

Lesson 6 — Your Voice, Your Impact

Pick Your Emotion activity, Convince Me speech planner, post-REACH survey, and final reflection journal.

The Foundation

The Five Pillars of REACH

Each letter of REACH represents a core commitment — to the students, to the communities they're part of, and to the stories that deserve to be told.

R
Pillar One
Report

Teaches core journalism tools and ethics — how to gather information responsibly, verify sources, and structure a story that informs without misleading.

E
Pillar Two
Empathize

Centers storytelling with care and responsibility. Every person behind a headline has a full life. This pillar trains students to approach stories with humility and genuine curiosity.

A
Pillar Three
Analyze

Covers media bias, social media influence, and global perspectives. Students learn to examine the information they consume — who made it, why, and what it leaves out.

C
Pillar Four
Connect

Builds bridges between communities and experiences. Storytelling is most powerful when it crosses divides. This pillar pushes students to find common ground.

H
Pillar Five
Humanize

Reframes headlines to show the people behind them. The news can make people feel like statistics or symbols. This pillar teaches students to find the full human being in every story.

The Person Behind REACH

About

Tahlia Shahani

Tahlia Shahani

Creator & Curriculum Designer · REACH

Tahlia Shahani is a junior at Aragon High School with a deep passion for international relations, media literacy, and empowering young people to think critically about the world around them. She created REACH after watching her younger brothers — in 5th and 8th grade — struggle to make sense of what they were seeing online. Recognizing that confusion as something much bigger than her family, she built a curriculum to help students everywhere ask better questions and tell better stories.

Through her work with League of Creative Minds, Tahlia has prepared curriculum and taught weekly classes and summer camps on international relations and public policy to middle school students. She has mentored students outside the classroom and organized and moderated conferences at Stanford University, in Sacramento, and in Vancouver.

As a delegate, Tahlia has attended weekly sessions with policy professionals and college professors, debating international relations and public policy issues and participating in Model UN conferences in New Mexico and Boston. Her commitment to understanding global issues took her to Guatemala in 2023 to study child malnutrition, and to Egypt in 2024 to study the conflict in the Middle East.

REACH is the natural extension of everything she has learned — a belief that the next generation deserves the tools to understand their world, challenge what they read, and tell the stories that need to be told.

Connect

reachperspective@gmail.com

The Program Story

How REACH Came to Be

REACH started at home. Watching her younger brothers — a 5th grader and an 8th grader — scroll through content they couldn't make sense of, Tahlia saw the problem up close: not just misinformation, but a total lack of tools to question it. She knew from her own experience teaching international relations to middle schoolers that young people are capable of sophisticated thinking. They just need someone to meet them where they are.

REACH grew from that question: what would it look like to give every student a real journalism toolkit — not just facts to memorize, but skills to use for life? The program combines Tahlia's curriculum design experience with her belief that storytelling, done with empathy and intention, is one of the most powerful forces for change we have.

Reach Out

Contact

Questions about REACH, the curriculum, collaboration, or bringing the program to your school? Get in touch.

Send a Message

Send via Email

Other Ways to Connect

Whether you want to bring REACH to your classroom, collaborate, or just have questions — we'd love to hear from you.

✉
Emailreachperspective@gmail.com

Want to try REACH first?

Download the One-Session Overview to try REACH in a single class period before committing to the full program.

Get the Materials

Enter your info below to access your free download — no strings attached.

We respect your privacy and will never share your info.