Process

The Process

First, examine the different types of articles you are being asked to include within your newspaper edition. Study the resources listed under Web Sites for Newspaper Development. Then search a daily Chicago newspaper (Tribune, Sun Times, Southtown Economist, News Herald) for each type of news story (news, feature, editorial, letter, political cartoon) and receive extra credit for bringing in an article for our Examples File.

Follow the steps below to develop an

edition of The Chicago Tribune.

Establish individual roles within your team of 4 students. Determine who will write each piece: reporter for the news story, feature writer, editorial writer, letter writer. Each student must write one of these sections. The news story must be on one of the following topics. See your teacher for your group's news story assignment.

The origin and early development of the program
Training of recruits and support personnel
Combat assignments and war record
Freeman Field incident
Desegregation of the Armed Forces

Determine who might play the role of political cartoonist, photographer, layout artist, and copy editor. You may establish these roles for individuals, pairs, or for the entire team -- this is your decision.
Conduct your research as a group. Go back in time to the 1940's, traveling from Chicago to Tuskegee. Keep in mind the issues of segregation that were still prevalent at that time, particularly in the South. Research the Internet and other sources for information that will answer the 5 W's and H (who, what, where, when, why, and how) of the Tuskegee Airmen. A list of sites are recommended under RESOURCES at the bottom of this section.
Take good notes. Share what you are learning as a group.
Hold a planning meeting. Discuss possible topics for the feature article, editorial, letter, and cartoon. Finalize topics, each person's assignment, and set deadlines.
Meet to share and edit the articles.
Design you paper format/layout and choose photos.
Publish the newspaper using Microsoft Word.

Now, follow the same steps listed above to develop a

newspaper edition for The Chicago Daily Defender.

Each person should play the same role and write the same news piece, but from the perspective of an African American reporter.

Last, be ready to participate in the Newspaper Fair.

Both editions of your newspapers should be ready for viewing by other class members.
Teams should be ready to briefly present your products to the class and to read aloud the news story.

LEARNING ADVICE

Be sure to meet regularly to use the talents of your team. Divide the tasks but share the ideas.
Take good notes as you research.
Keep in mind that while the World Wide Web is an extensive source of information, it is not always accurate, current, or unbiased. Verify your information using several sources.
Feel free to read a book about the Tuskegee Airmen from the school or local library or ,with parental consent, view the movie.
Photos and graphics will enliven your newspaper.
Keep your audience in mind. Think about who reads The Tribune and who reads the The Defender. Coverage of news stories should be accurate, objective and balanced. Feature and human interest stories, and editorials allow for the expression of more personal points of view.
When writing your articles, be sure to reflect the conditions of the time.
Remember that news articles are most like expository writing - telling the facts, a feature story is more like a narrative in which you are telling a story, and the opinion editorial is persuasive.
At the Newspaper Fair, copies of each news story will be available. Be sure to read all four news stories so that you come away from this project with a complete historical perspective of the Tuskegee Airmen.

RESOURCES

Web sites for Newspaper Article Development:
Newspaper Article Directions – Article tells you how to write the three different newspaper articles: news, feature story, and opinion editorial.
These sites give you an idea of the focus of the Defender:
Background on the Chicago Defender
Abbot: Founder and Editor of the Chicago Defender.
Chicago Defender article on Desegregation of the Armed Forces

Web sites of Historical Information on the Tuskegee Airmen:

Military.Com Black History Month Feature on The Tuskegee Airmen – Extremely well done five-page historical report on the Airmen interweaved with personal stories. Includes excellent links and resources.

Tuskegee Airmen - Lest We Forget - Offers a collection of articles and biographical profiles pertaining to the famous all-black fighter squadron.

The Tuskegee Airmen Story - Lt. Col. James C. Warren presents an overview of his book about the Airmen, and contributes background on the group.

The Tuskegee Airmen - Learn about the political and legal pressures that resulted in the formation of the all-black fighter squadron.

An Unofficial Tuskegee Airmen Homepage - Check out a squadron combat record and details on planes used by the squadron. Includes a history timeline.

The Tuskegee Airmen - 332nd Fighter Group - Features a list of combat statistics, and includes an amusing story of Eleanor Roosevelt's ride with one of the pilots.

Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. - National organization provides info on its events, as well as an historical examination of the Tuskegee pilots.

Lonely Eagles - Air Force article takes a close look at the Tuskegee Program, as seen through the eyes of its participants.

"Nobody Wanted Us": Black Aviators at Freeman Field - Indiana Historical Society feature recounts the famous Freeman Field Incident.

477th Bombardment Group - Indiana military history chronicles the development of Tuskegee Air Force and the Freeman Field incident.

Benjamin Davis, American - Examines the life of one Tuskegee commander who battled against institutional racism and went on to an illustrious military career.

Address to Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. 29th National Convention - Read this speech made by Deputy Secretary of Defense Rudy de Leon in San Antonio on August 11, 2000.

The Tuskegee Airmen Chicago Dodo Chapter - Website for the Chicago Chapter.

Aeronautics Learning Laboratory – Overview of the Tuskegee Airmen with links to a Blacks in Aviation section.

Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum - Biographies of famous black aviators and contained in this pdf file of a teaching guide titled African American Pioneers in Aviation.

Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Project – The story of Eleanor Roosevelt's visit to Tuskegee.

Black Soldiers in WWII: Fighting Enemies at Home and Abroad - National Geographic article about the Tuskegee Airmen.

FDR Library Overview - FDR Library overview of the Tuskegee Airmen with copies of original documents. pdf file. (This is a pdf file and will take a while to come up on your screen.)

The Tuskegee Airmen and Eleanor Roosevelt – FDR library discusses Eleanor Roosevelt's role with the airmen and includes her correspondence with Cecil Peterson.

Chronology of Desegregation of the Armed Forces – Truman Library lengthy chronicle of desegregation of the armed forces. Interesting insight into resistance of this.

Truman’s Order 9981 – Truman Library provides copy of Order 9981 for desegregation of the armed forces.

Black Airman's WWII Conviction Overturned: 1995 US News newsbrief report of felony conviction overturned 50 years after the Freeman Field incident.

LORs Removed From Tuskegee Airmen's Records - Air Force Link news article on letters of reprimand removed from airmen's files from the Freeman Field incident.

Black Pilots Shatter Myths.

Tuskegee Airmen articles with great pictures.

Early History of the Tuskegee Air Base and the program for black pilots.

Tuskegee Historic site with various reports.

The 99th joins the 332nd.

Basic information on the Tuskegee Airmen.

Other Resources on the Tuskegee Airmen:

Books and Articles
To search for resources within the Chicago Public Library clink on the link. Choose Catalog and do a Keyword search on the term Tuskegee Airmen. You can also find books at specific Chicago Library locations in your neighborhood.
Davis, Benjamin O., Jr. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.: An autobiography. (1991). Smithsonian Institute Press.
Francis, Charles. (1955). The Tuskegee airmen: The story of the negro in the U.S. Air Force. Boston: Bruce Humphries, Inc.
Francis, Charles. (1997). The Tuskegee airmen: The men who changed a nation. Boston: Branden Pub.
George, Linda. (2001). The Tuskegee airmen. New York: Children's Press.
Harris, Jacqueline. (1995). The Tuskegee airmen: Black heroes of World War II. Parsippany, N.J.: Dillon Press.
Hasday, Judy. (2003). The Tuskegee airmen. Philadelphia: Chelsea House.
Holway, John B. (1997). Red tail, black wings: The men of America's black Air Force. Yucca Tree Press.
Homan, Lynn. (2001). Black knights: The story of the Tuskegee airmen. Gretna, La.: Pelican Pub. Co.
Homan, Lynn (2002). The Tuskegee airmen story. Gretna, La.: Pelican Pub. Co.
Homan, Lynn. (2002). Tuskegee airmen: American heroes. Gretna, La.: Pelican Pub. Co.
McKissack, P., & McKissack, F. (1995). Red-tail angels: The story of the Tuskegee airmen of World War II. New York: Walker and Company.
Rose, Robert A. (1976). Lonely eagles: The story of America's black Air Force in World War II. Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
Sandler, Stanley. (1992). Segregated skies: All-black combat squadrons of WWII. Smithsonian Institution Press.
Scott, Lawrence. (1994). Double V: The civil rights struggle of the Tuskegee airmen. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press.
Warren, James C. (1995). The Freeman Field mutiny. Vacaville, CA: Conyers Pub.
Westbrook, Shelby (ed.). (1992). Tuskegee airmen: 1941 – 1945. Chicago: Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., Chicago (DoDo’s) Chapter.
Whetstone, Muriel. (1994, November). Tuskegee airmen: Still flying high. Ebony.
Willard, Tom. (2000). Wings of honor. New York: Forge.

Videos
African-American heroes of WWII [Videotape]. (1995). Los Angeles: OnDeck Home Entertainment.
Bugler, Jeremy. (Producer). (1994). Nightfighters [Videotape]. Falls Church, VA: Landmark Films.
Markowitz, Robert. (Producer). (1995). The Tuskegee airmen [Videotape]. New York: HBO Pictures.
Tuskegee Airmen [Videotape]. (1998). Thousand Oaks, CA: Goldhil Video.
Varas, Larry. (Producer). (1992). Tuskegee airmen [Videotape]. New York: Carousel Film & Video.