Creating A Classroom Newspaper Page 10
ADVERTISEMENT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35Lesson #2
Writing News Stories
Teacher background:
This lesson develops two concepts related to news
writing:
(1) Stores are written in the inverted pyramid style
LEAD
– four of the essential “5 W” elements usually
ESSENTIAL FACTS
are contained in the lead paragraph(s) of the
who, what, where, when
story. Supporting information follows.
(2) Certain characteristics of an event determine its
ADDITIONAL
newsworthiness. These are listed in the lesson
DETAILS
below.
why, how
Purpose:
Students will
1. Identify the essential elements of a news
story: who, what, when, where, why and
how
2. understand the inverted pyramid
structure of a news story
3. learn the criteria for newsworthiness – what makes a story news?
4. choose news topics for their own newspaper
5. write a news story for the classroom newspaper
Before you start:
Encourage students to think about what information they would want to know about a news event.
Give them a hypothetical situation about something that would have special interest for them.
1. Pretend they hear a loud crash outside the classroom. Through the window they see a
yellow school bus, a crumpled passenger car and two people arguing.
2. Ask them what they want to know – list questions on the board as students state them.
3. Mark those questions that ask the 5 Ws in newspapers: who, what, where, when,
why/how.
4. Finally, ask students why they would want information about the accident. (Possible
responses would include: Because it’s near the school, it might involve someone they
know, someone could be hurt.)
Learning Activities:
Level 1
1. Develop the meanings of four of the “w” words – who, what, when, and where, using
examples in oral language and in text.
2. Read the first sentence of a news story to students. Give students cards with the “w” words
on them. Ask them to hold up the right card when they hear their word used in the story.
3. Ask students to use the newspaper to find words and pictures that describe each “w” word.
Place them under the correct heading on a chart.
Level II & III
1. Develop an awareness of the text structure of a news story. Demonstrate the inverted
pyramid on a news story.
2. Ask students to draw an inverted pyramid over several news stories. Discover the answers to
who, what, where, when within the triangles.
3. Have students suggest the why or how of the story.
9
ADVERTISEMENT
0 votes
Related Articles
Related forms
Related Categories
Parent category: Business