Lesson Plans
A native of South Dakota, Roth first became interested in print journalism when he was on the Sturgis (S.D.) High School newspaper staff. In college he served as sports editor of college newspapers at Wesleyan University and the University of Northern Colorado. He graduated from UNC with a journalism major and minors in English and secondary education.
Soon after he served as publications adviser at Heritage High School in Littleton, Colo., and spent another year working as an editorial assistant for the Rodeo Cowboys Association’s News Bureau.
When Roth first started teaching at Laramie (Wyo.) High School in 1974, he served as newspaper and yearbook adviser and taught journalism and English classes.
In 1976, Roth established the LHS News Bureau. Operating to this day, it is ade up of journalism students, the bureau is responsible for writing and submitting articles, including a weekly news column, to the local newspaper, the Laramie (Wyo.) Daily Boomerang.
He has not served as newspaper adviser since Ronald Reagan was president, but has continued to teach journalism and sponsor the news bureau.
In 2002, Roth and his journalism students established an online newspaper, the CyberPlainsman (http://my.highschooljournalism.org/wy/laramie/lhs). In the fall of 2003, Roth and a small group of students will continue to revive the dormant school newspaper.
In the fall of 2003, Roth started teaching the newly reinstated newspaper class with the goal of improving and expanding CyberPlainsman.
He and his wife, Bonnie, have two sons and three grandsons.