Writing The News

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Writing the News

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© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr ev i ew pur pos sonl y• (F or Ages 10 -e 12) (For

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Written by Sally Murphy. Illustrated by Melinda Brezmen. © Ready-Ed Publications - 2004.

Published by Ready-Ed Publications (2004) P.O. Box 276 Greenwood W.A. 6024 COPYRIGHT NOTICE Permission is granted for the purchaser to photocopy sufficient copies for non-commercial educational purposes. However, this permission is not transferable and applies only to the purchasing individual or institution.

ISBN 1 86397 560 8

Introduction Writing the News is a media and writing programme aimed at 10 - 12 year old students.

The book’s aims are twofold: • For Teachers: To provide a range of newspaper-based writing activities which can be used in literacy and media lessons.

• For Students: To build greater awareness of the techniques used in constructing the various parts of a newspaper; and to develop writing skills.

Rationale

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The media plays a big role in not only keeping the public informed of what is going on in their own town, across the country and around the world, but in also shaping their opinions on these events. One of the most studied forms of media is the newspaper, partly because of its ease of use in the classroom setting.

Each unit of work in Writing the News examines how a different feature of the newspaper is written. Beginning with news articles, and moving on to editorial, sporting articles, advertisements, letters, entertainment and more, activities include studying examples of each, as well as hands-on writing exercises.

Writing the News focuses on meeting the needs of the Reading strand of the English Learning Outcomes, namely: • Students read a wide range of texts with purpose, understanding and critical awareness.

It also focuses on meeting the needs of the writing strand of these outcomes, namely: • Students write for a range of purposes and in a range of forms, using conventions appropriate to purpose, audience and context.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Using the Activities •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Writing the News is all about reading newspapers and writing for newspapers. What better way to understand how a newspaper is written than to actually have fun writing part or all of it in class?

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The pages which follow include a variety of activities. Some involve comprehension, others involve writing, whilst others ask students to consider their own attitudes.

This book can be used sequentially, working through the different parts of the newspaper, from news articles to competitions, and finishing with a whole class newspaper project. Alternatively, each activity stands alone – allowing you to focus on the specific parts of the newspaper appropriate for your teaching programme.

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Many activities refer to ‘your daily newspaper’. In some areas there is only one daily, in others you may choose to focus on one, or may use this as an opportunity to compare and discuss the differences between various daily papers. Local weekly papers and weekend papers are also appropriate for most activities. In addition, most newspapers have websites which may be of use in lesson planning.

As well as being ideal for media studies, the class newspaper task could be used to focus on a specific theme studied in other subject areas, with all sections of the class paper focusing on this theme in some way.

A whole-class newspaper could also be the local paper for the town in a class novel, with all news reports and other content relating to the events of the novel in some way.

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Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Introduction Using the Activities Links to Student Outcome Statements The Newspaper The Six Questions (1) The Six Questions (2) – Creative Writing Activity The Inverted Triangle Write a News Report Editing a News Report Looking at Headlines Writing Headlines Human Interest Stories The Front Page Laying Out the Front Page Creating a Front Page International News Letters to the Editor Write Your Own Letter to the Editor The Editorial Write an Editorial Sports Articles Write a Sports Report Newspaper Advertisements Create a Newspaper Advertisement Examining the Classifieds Writing Classifieds The Kids’ Pages Writing an Article for Kids The Comics Draw Your Own Comic Strip Puzzles Puzzling It Out Film and Music Reviews Book Reviews Write a Review The Social Pages Features Writing a Feature The TV Magazine Horoscopes Competitions Making a Class Newspaper Answers

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Teachers’ Notes

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Links to Student Outcome Statements The activities contained in Writing the News address the following strands and outcomes:

VICTORIA ENGLISH

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NEW SOUTH WALES ENGLISH

Strand: Learning to Read - RS 3.5, RS 3.6 Strand: Learning About Reading - RS 3.7, RS 3.8 Strand: Learning to Write - WS 3.9, WS 3.12 Strand: Learning About Writing - WS 3.13, WS 3.14

SOUTH AUSTRALIA ENGLISH

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Strand: Reading Texts 3.5 (a) and (b) Aspects of Language 3.6 (a) and (b) Linguistic Structures and Features 3.7 (a) and 3.7 (b) Strand: Writing Texts 3.9 Aspects of Language 3.10 Strategies 3.12

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Strand: Texts and Contexts – 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 Strand: Language – 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8 Strand: Strategies – 3.10, 3.11, 3.12

QUEENSLAND

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Sub-strand: Speaking and Listening - Cultural 3.1, Sub-strand: Reading and Viewing - Cultural 3.2, Critical 3.2 Sub-strand: Writing and Shaping - Cultural 3.3, Operational 3.3, Critical 3.3

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA

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ENGLISH

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Strand: Viewing Level 3 - Use of Texts V 3.1; Contextual Understanding V 3.2; Conventions V 3.3 Strand: Reading Level 3 - Use of Texts R 3.1; Contextual Understanding R 3.2; Conventions R 3.3 Strand: Writing Level 3 - Use of Texts W 3.1; Contextual Understanding W 3.2; Conventions W 3.3

ENGLISH

Strand: Reading and Viewing - Level 3 Texts 3.5; Contextual Understanding 3.6; Linguistic Structures and Features 3.7; Strategies 3.8a.

Strand: Writing - Level 3 Texts 3.9; Contextual Understanding 3.10; Linguistic Structures and Features 3.11; Strategies 3.12a

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The Newspaper Take some time to familiarise yourself with a daily newspaper. Look at how it is laid out and what it contains. The following questions will help.

1.

What is on the front page? _________________________________________________

2.

How many pages are devoted to each of the following?

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International News _____________________________

National News __________________________________

Sport ____________________________________________

Whole Page Advertisements ___________________ Classified Advertisements _____________________ Comics and Puzzles ____________________________ Letters to the Editor ____________________________

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Local News _____________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• ________________________________________________________________________

3.

What other things are included in your newspaper?

How many pages do they take up?

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________________________________________________________________________ Choose an article from the front page, and another news article from several pages into the paper. Compare them using the following table.

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Title Size of Headline

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Article 2

Number of Paragraphs Photo Size

DISCUSS

Why are the articles different in some or all of these areas? How do you think the editor would choose which article to put on the front page? Why?

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The Six Questions (1) The opening paragraph of a news article should answer six questions:

D D D D D D

WHAT happened?

WHO did it happen to?

WHERE did it happen?

WHEN did it happen?

HOW did it happen?

WHY did it happen?

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S In Gooseville yesterday, a big bad

wolf was reported as having a badly scalded tail after he tried to enter a house via the chimney. The injury happened when he landed in a pot of boiling water in the © ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons fireplace beneath.

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Read the excerpt above and find the answers to each of the six questions.

WHO? ________________________________________________________________

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WHAT? ________________________________________________________________ WHERE? ______________________________________________________________

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WHEN? _______________________________________________________________

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HOW? ________________________________________________________________ WHY? ________________________________________________________________ Compare your answers with those of your partner.

Now, have a go at writing the first paragraph of a news article reporting one of the following: • Goldilocks breaking into the Three Bears’ house.

• The woodcutter rescuing Red Hiding Hood from the wolf.

• Snow White waking after the Prince’s kiss.

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The Six Questions (2) Choose an article from your daily newspaper. Find the answers to the six questions in the opening paragraph.

Article Title: __________________________________________________________

What: _____________________________________

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Who: _____________________________________ Where: _______________________________ How: ______________________________ Why: _________________________________

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When: _________________________________

Now for some fun!

Take a what, who and where from the lists below and use them to write the introduction of an article for The Gooseville Times. Make up answers to the remaining questions for yourself.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Who Where Lost a mitten Mary Shepherd Cheery Lane Late• for school Tomp Piper Gooseville f orr evi ew ur poseso nl y• Chased by a wolf Sent to bed early Arrested for theft

Three Kittens Peter Pig Little Boy Blue

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Use the space below to write the beginning of your article.

Gooseville School Gooseville Mall Happyville

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THE GOOSEVILLE TIMES

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____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ Share your introduction with the class.

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The Inverted Triangle

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When a reporter writes a newspaper article, s/he uses MOST what is called the inverted triangle. The most important Important details are included in the opening paragraph. The rest Information 1234567890123456789012 of the article should give further details of decreasing 1234567890123456789012 1234567890123456789012 MODERATELY importance, so that the final paragraph (the tail) provides 1234567890123456789012 1234567890123456789012 Important 1234567890123456789012 the least important details.

1234567890123456789012 Information 1234567890123456789012 The six questions – WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? LEAST WHY? and HOW? – provide the main information and so Important Information should be answered in the opening paragraph, with further details

Placing the most important details at the beginning of the article and the least important at the end allows the editor to shorten the article easily if space is tight, and also allows readers to access the most important information quickly and easily.

The paragraphs in the following article have been jumbled. Number them in their correct order?

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B. The fiddle playing cat, however, was quoted as saying that the moon jump was a spectacular sight. “Although,” he said, “the dish and the spoon weren’t too happy.

They haven’t been seen since.”

E. The cow is believed to be a spotted fresian. It is not known whether she plans another jump.

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C. Reports of a frenzied cow jumping over the moon amazed residents of downtown Gooseville on Tuesday night. Witnesses have reported seeing the cow jump from a springboard, after taking too many vitamin tablets.

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D. Mother Hubbard, the owner of the farm, declined to comment on the incident. It is believed she was away from the farm at the time of the alleged jump, arriving home after the police visit.

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A. After asking the partying animals to turn down the music, officers left the farm.

Captain Humpty, of Gooseville police said: “Really, if a cow wants to jump the moon, there is little we can do. There is no law against him doing it, even if common sense says it’s a little unwise.”

F. Police were called to the vicinity of the Diddle Diddle Farm after neighbours complained of loud mooing and fiddle playing. Officers say they were unable to find any trace of the cow, although there were a cat and several other animals dancing and singing loudly.

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Write a News Report Now that you have explored how a news report is structured, it is time to plan and write your own. Choose one of the following events, and plan your article in the space below.

1. Humpty Dumpty falling off the wall.

2. Little Bo Peep losing her sheep.

3. Jack and Jill falling down the hill.

4. Three blind mice having their tails chopped off.

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Who: _________________________________ What: __________________________ Where: ________________________ When: ________________________ Why: _________________________________

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Opening Paragraph

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons How: _________________________________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Middle Paragraphs

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Were there any witnesses? ____________________________________________________ What was the effect of the event? ________________________________________________ Quote a witness or one of the characters involved. ___________________________________

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_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Final Paragraph

Any other small details ________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Now, use your plan to write your article. Share it with the class.

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Editing a News Report After a news report has been written, it is the editor’s job to edit it. This is more than just proofreading for errors in spelling and grammar — the editor must also make changes to the article to make it fit the space involved.

When an article is shortened, the editor must make sure that it still makes sense and provides the most important details, especially the answers to the six questions.

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Take an article from your daily newspaper – choose one that is several paragraphs long.

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First, read the article right through. Then reread it, noting the details reported in the article and which paragraph they appear in. ________________________________________Paragraph ____________

WHERE ______________________________________Paragraph ____________ WHEN

_______________________________________Paragraph ____________

WHAT_____________________________ Paragraph © ReadyEdPubl i c at i o____________ ns

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Other details given (note paragraph numbers):

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Paragraph ____________

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2. ____________________________________________________ 3. ____________________________________________________ 4. ____________________________________________________

Now, using another piece of paper, rewrite the article in just two paragraphs. Remember, the shorter article will have less information and is unlikely to contain quotes, but should still give the vital details.

Compare your final article with that of your partner.

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Looking at Headlines Look at the following headlines:

Wolf Wins War

OR MAJ dal Scan

Mother Goose to Sue Chickens

Lamb Nuisance: Mayor to Act Protestss Over PigB Power or e t

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Think about these three points by answering these questions.

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You will notice that: Headlines do not use full sentences or correct grammar.

Headlines can be different lengths and print sizes.

Headlines aim to get readers’ interest, so that they will read the article.

1.

2.

3.

1.

BOM SHEL B L

a) What techniques can headlines use to get people interested? ___________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons b) Why aren’t headlines all the same size? ____________________________________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ Why don’t headlines use correct sentence structure? _____________________________

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o c . che e r o t r s super Discuss your answers with the rest of the class.

Challenge: Write an article to go with one of the headlines above. _______________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

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Writing Headlines Now that you have studied some headlines, it is time to practise writing some of your own. Remember, a headline should attract readers’ interest and give some idea of what the article is about.

Your teacher will give you a news article with no headline. First, read the article for yourself.

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Now, write three different headlines for the article, as follows:

A headline with no more than three words: _____________________________________

2.

A headline with at least six words: ___________________________________________

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1.

_____________________________________________________________________

3.

A headline where as many words as possible begin with the same letter: _____________

_____________________________________________________________________

Now, share your headlines with your partner. Discuss which headline is the most effective. Why?

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons f or r e vi e w pur posesonl y• a) Little • Bo Beep’s sheep coming home:

Can you write clever headlines for articles about the following?

__________________________________

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b) The Prince rescuing Rapunzel: __________________________________

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__________________________________ c) Miss Muffet being scared by the spider:

__________________________________ __________________________________ d) Mother Hubbard running out of bones: __________________________________ __________________________________ Share your headlines with the class.

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Human Interest Stories News stories deal with matters of news – incidents or events that effect the local community, the country or the whole world. Sometimes, newspapers include articles which are not really news, but are about things that might entertain or interest some or all of their readers: a story about a man who has a big collection of model trains, or a dog that had thirteen puppies, for example.

These stories are known as human interest stories.

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Sort the following article topics into human interest and news stories. b. d. f. h. j.

A duck builds a nest near a swimming pool.

A war breaks out in Africa.

A school is closed down.

A lost child is found.

Twins celebrate their hundredth birthday.

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a. A man is murdered. c. A volcano erupts overseas. e. A lady gives birth to quintuplets. g. A girl is hit by a car. i. A bank is robbed.

Human Interest

News

________________________

________________________

________________________

________________________

________________________

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© ReadyEdPub l i cat i ons ________________________ •f orr evi ew pur p________________________ osesonl y• ________________________ ________________________

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Now, find a human interest article in your daily newspaper, and use it to answer the following questions.

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1. Where abouts in the newspaper did you find the human interest story? How much space did it take up? ________________________________________________________

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2. Did the article answer the six questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How? ___________________________________________________________________ 3. In what way is the human interest article different from a news article?

___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

DISCUSS

Discuss your answers with the class.

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The Front Page Working with a partner, take a close look at the front page of your daily newspaper.

Answer the following questions.

First, look at the banner across the top of the paper. What information does this give?

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________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

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Now, look at the main article. How much of the page does it take up? ___________________

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________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

Does it have an accompanying photo? __________________________________________

Are there any other articles? How much room is given to each? ________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• ________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Do they have photographs? ___________________________________________________

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Does the front page give any other information? If so, what? __________________________

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________________________________________________________________________ What parts of the front page do you think are intended to attract buyers’ attention?

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________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ How do you think the editor decides what to put on the front page? List all the factors that they might take into account. ______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

DISCUSS 14

Discuss these last two questions with the rest of the class.

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Laying Out the Front Page You are the new editor of the Gooseville Times. You need to choose from the following items to lay out a great front page for your first edition. Cut and paste onto a new sheet of paper, adding appropriate headlines. Where necessary, add in room for photographs, and sketch these for yourself.

Use a large sheet of paper to “improve” the front page below.

April 1, 2005

$1.00

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u THE SGOOSEVILLE TIMES ARTICLE 1

ARTICLE 2

Police were last night investigating the apparent murder of Humpty Dumpty, whose broken body was found lying at the base of the Gooseville Wall of Remembrance. Evidence indicates that the victim was pushed.

Celebrating a birthday is always special, but for Mother Hubbard, one of Gooseville’s longest residents, today’s birthday is particularly special, because it is her hundreth birthday.

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Although there was a possibility that Dumpty had fallen, Police could see no reason for an egg to want to sit on a wall. Sergeant Down said that the incident was being treated as a suspicious death.

Ms Hubbard, who still lives in her own home with only a dog for company, isn’t fazed by the event.

“I’m not sure what all the fuss is about actually,” she said yesterday. “People have birthdays all the time. Just because I’ve had a hundred of them doesn’t seem to need a fuss.”

The birthday girl has no special plans for celebrating the day. “No – I’ll probably go the cupboard to get my poor dog a bone, but other than that I hadn’t really thought about it really.”

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Sergeant Bob Down, officer in charge of the major crimes division, said that the body was found by Bo Peep on her evening walk. A distraught Miss Peep could not be contacted for comment.

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Officers spent several hours scouring the area around the wall, looking for possible clues, and collecting pieces of shell believed to have come from the shattered victim.

Inside: National Nursery Rhyme Week – Schools celebrate.

Lifestyle: Make Delicious Omelettes – Recipe Insert

Today’s Weather: Fine and Humid.

Expected max. 29°C.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Gooseville Police Station.

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Creating a Front Page Now that you have had some practice writing and arranging front page content, your next task is to create a whole front page for a newspaper of your own. It could be based on real events – a family or school newspaper for example – or it could be fictional, based on events in your favourite book, or in an imaginary place like Gooseville.

First, take some time to plan what you will put on your front page.

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Newspaper Title (Banner): ______________________________________________

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Other Banner Information (Date/Price, etc.): _________________________________ Main Story Idea: _______________________________________________________

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Second Story Idea: ____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

Photograph/Picture Ideas: ______________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Other • Information Include (e.g.

Inside? section): ____________________ f ortor e vi e wWhat’s pu r po ses onl y• _____________________________________________________________________

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Now use your plan to firstly write a draft of your content, and then to create a layout and make a final edition of your front page. Make some notes below then create your front page on a separate sheet.

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_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

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International News International news is news from overseas, reporting events from other countries. This news tends to focus on events of major importance, which will affect a large proportion of the country’s population or, possibly, people in other countries. Common topics in international news are politics, wars, natural disasters and major crimes.

In general, the first section of a daily newspaper focuses on national or state news, with international news following. If there is a major international event – such as a devastating earthquake – this will often be moved forward to the front page.

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From your daily newspaper, find one international news article. Answer the following questions.

Article headline: _______________________________________________________ Found on page number: ________________________________________________ What is the article about? ________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons What country is the story from? __________________________________________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Is the international news story reported any differently than a local news story?

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From each of the headlines below, decide whether the article is likely to be state, national or international news.

. teMan from River o Dog Saves ________________ c . che e r o t Beirut Violence Continues ________________ r s super Prime Minister: Election Soon

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School Chaos: Teachers Strike

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Hurricane Sam Wreaks Havoc

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Letters to the Editor Have a good look at the letters page of your daily newspaper. Discuss: a) Why might a person decide to write a letter to the editor?

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Choose one letter and answer the following:

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b) Why do newspapers have letters pages?

1.

What is the topic of the letter? _____________________________________________

2.

What is the writer’s opinion of the topic? _____________________________________

3.

© R e a d y E d P u b l i c a t i o n s What arguments does the letter writer use to support his/her opinion? _______________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

Do you agree with the letter writer? Why/Why Not? Explain your opinion. ____________

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____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

5.

Are there other letters on the same subject in the newspaper? Do they agree or disagree? ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

DISCUSS 18

Discuss: What might writing a letter to the editor achieve?

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Write Your Own Letter to the Editor Newspapers receive many letters from readers each day. Editors need to choose which letters to print and which to leave out. A letter is more likely to be included if it: • • • • • •

Is short and to the point.

Is about a current event.

Refers to a recent article in that paper.

Gets to the main point quickly.

Is polite and reasonable – not nasty or abusive.

Is signed with a real name.

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Choose an issue or event recently covered in your daily newspaper. Use the headings below to plan a letter on the topic.

Issue: ________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

Article headline and date: _______________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Your opinion: _________________________________________________________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

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Arguments to support your opinion: ______________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________

Use your notes to write your letter to the editor. Share your letter with the class.

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The Editorial The editorial of a newspaper is a column written by the editor. Find the editorial in your daily newspaper (use the index to help).

1. What is the title of the editorial, and what page does it appear on? _______________

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__________________________________________________________________ 2. What is the editorial about? _____________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________ 3. What points does the editor make about this subject? _________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons different from the article? _______________________________________________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• __________________________________________________________________

4. Find an article which deals with the same subject or event. How is the editorial

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Share and compare your answers with the rest of the class.

Write an editorial headline to match each of these articles headlines. The first one has been done as an example.

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News Title

Lamb at School

Humpty Pushed

Editorial Title

o c . che e r o t r s super Mary Must be Punished

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Cow Jumps Over Moon

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Pigs Defeat Wolf

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Wicked Witch Sighted

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Share your headlines with the class.

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Writing an Editorial The editorial often appears on the same page as letters to the editor. Like the letters, the editorial presents one person’s opinion about a current event. The editorial, however, is generally longer than a letter and, because the editor is a professional writer, should present a reasoned argument – that is, the writer must support his or her opinion with facts.

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You are going to take on the role of editor of The Gooseville Times and write an editorial of your own. Choose one of the editorial titles you created in the last lesson and write your editorial in the space below.

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______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons ______________________________________________________________________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• ______________________________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

21 Ready-Ed Publications

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Sports Articles Look at the sports pages in your daily newspaper. Complete the table below showing which sports are covered and how many articles are included about each sport.

SPORT

NUMBER OF ARTICLES

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basketball

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cricket

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How do you think each of the following might affect the attention given to each sport?

The season __________________________________________________________

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The day of the week ___________________________________________________ Where the sport is played _______________________________________________ Number of people who play or follow the sport _____________________________ How do the sports articles you have looked at differ from regular news articles? _ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

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Write a Sports Report Yesterday you attended the Gooseville Tennis Championships. The final, between Little Bo Peep and Mary Mary Quite Contrary was a hotly contested affair, with Mary Mary winning 2 sets to 1. Now, you need to write a report of the match for the sports pages of the Gooseville Times. You can use the space below.

r o e t s Mary A ces BoB P eep Aces Peep r e o

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ok

__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ ________________________________________ ______________________________________

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__________________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________

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______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Share your finished article with the class.

23 Ready-Ed Publications

Name:

Date:

Newspaper Advertisements Advertisements in the newspaper range in size from just a few lines to a whole page. They use words, pictures and, sometimes, colour to sell a product, advertise an event, or get a message across.

Working in pairs, choose one advertisement from your daily newspaper and answer these questions. Be ready to share your results with the class.

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1. How much page space does the advertisement take up?

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2. What page did you find it on? ________________________________________

4. How does it use the following to get the reader’s attention?

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3. What is it advertising? _____________________________________________

Pictures: ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •______________________________________________________________ f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Font (Print) Size: _______________________________________________

Text (what it actually says):

______________________________________

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______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________

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Colour/shading: ________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________________

Any other techniques: ___________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________

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Create a Newspaper Advertisement Higgledy Piggledy My black hen She lays eggs for gentlemen.

Gentlemen come every day To buy the eggs that she can lay.

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Higgledy Piggledy has laid so many eggs that Farmer Jones is having trouble selling them all. He is going to place a full page advertisement in The Gooseville Times advertising his wonderful, cheap eggs. Your job is to design the advertisement for him.

Use the space below.

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25 Ready-Ed Publications

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Examining the Classifieds Find the classified advertisement pages in your daily newspaper. What categories are the advertisements divided into? _______________________________

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_______________________________

______________________________

_______________________________

To save space, classified advertisements make use of abbreviations.

What do the following abbreviations mean?

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______________________________

ph. _______________________

It’s in vgc cond. ono _______________________ © Rea dy Ed u b_______________________ l i cat i ons a/h I want $200 onoP misc. _____________________ ph a/h 555 632

•f orr evi ew pur p osesonl y• yrs _______________________ exp. ______________________

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wc ___________________ ess. ______________________ pt ____________________ temp. _____________________ ft ____________________ perm _____________________

opp.__________________ refs _______________________

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ea ___________________ gd cond ___________________

Can you find any other abbreviations? List them and their meaning.

_____________________________________________________________________ How can people place classified advertisements in the paper you are studying? _____________________________________________________________________ How much do they cost? (Hint: there should be details of this in the paper itself.) _____________________________________________________________________

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Name:

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Writing Classifieds You are preparing the classified advertisement section of The Gooseville Times. Help each of the following Gooseville residents write their advertisements. Remember you need to get the information across in as few words as possible, and can use abbreviations. Decide which category you will place each advertisement in.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok Category u S Advertisement

1. Little Bo Beep has lost her sheep and wants to know if anyone has seen them. She is prepared to pay a reward for their safe return. She can be contacted by telephone at (04) 23128.

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: _________________________________________________________ : ____________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

2. The seven dwarfs have a glass coffin for sale. It has been used only once, and now that Snow White has come back to life they have no further use for it. The price is negotiable. They can be telephoned at (04) 23189.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons • f orr e vi ew pur posesonl y• Advertisement : ____________________________________________________ Category: _________________________________________________________

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3. The Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Observatory is looking for a new astronomer. The person they want must be qualified and have several years experience. They would like people to apply to the manager by letter before April 1 this year. The mailing address is PO Box 17, Gooseville 9856.

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Category c e her r o t s super Advertisement

: _________________________________________________________ : ____________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Share and compare your advertisements with your group.

27 Ready-Ed Publications

Name:

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The Kids’ Pages Most daily newspapers have a childrens’ page, at least once or twice a week. Find this section in your newspaper and have a good look.

1. What kind of articles and other items does it include? ________

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_________________________________________

2. Are the photos/illustrations, headlines and layout different

_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________

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on the kids’ pages than in the rest of the paper? In what way?

3. How are articles for kids different than those for older readers? __________________ __________________________________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons As a young reader, what do you like best about the kids’ pages? ________________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

4.

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5. What do you like least? ________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

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6. Why might a newspaper want to include a childrens’ page? _____________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 7. If you were an editor, what would you include to attract children to this section? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

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Writing for Kids You have been given the job of putting together the kids’ page for The Gooseville Times.

The page is nearly finished but you have room for one more item, which you’ll need to write yourself. The editor has suggested the following topics.

• • • • •

A review of Bo Peep’s new CD, It’s Rhyme Time.

Some suggestions for holiday activities in and around Gooseville.

A recipe that’s easy for kids to make.

An article about Johnny Stout, local hero for rescuing a cat from the well.

An article about the latest sport for kids — jumping over candlesticks.

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Teac he r

Choose one of the topics and use the space below to draft your article. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons _____________________________________________________________________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

Draw an_____________________________________________________________________ image to illustrate your story.

29 Ready-Ed Publications

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The Comics Tough assignment: Find and read the comics page in your daily newspaper.

Name your favourite newspaper comic strip: _______________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

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Why do you like it? _____________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________ Is there a comic strip you don’t like? Why? ________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

A comic strip must tell a story or joke in a few pictures and words. What techniques can comic creators use to get their point across?

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons _____________________________________________________________________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

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What else is on the comics page of your newspaper? ________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

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Some flowers for you, Grumpy!

DISCUSS 30

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Flowers make me Sneezy!

Look at my new lantern, Grumpy.

Candles make me Sleepy!

Hmm, I’m just not feeling myself.

In fact, I’m feeling Happy!

Discuss: Why do newspapers have comic pages?

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Name:

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Draw Your Own Comic Strip

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Teac he r

Congratulations! The Gooseville Times has just offered you a regular spot drawing a strip for their comics page. Use the space below to draw the first four days’ strips. Don’t forget – each day should be able to be understood by itself, although the story may continue over several days.

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31 Ready-Ed Publications

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Puzzles Find the puzzles in your daily newspaper. As well as a regular crossword, there may be a cryptic crossword and also other word games or challenges.

Discuss the following with your partner.

1. How much space is given up to puzzles in the paper you looked at?

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_________________________________________________________________ 2. Where are the answers to the puzzles? ___________________________________

Teac he r

_________________________________________________________________

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3. Why do newspapers include puzzles? ____________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

4. Who do you think does the puzzles? _____________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Do you think some people might buy the newspaper just for the puzzles?

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Why/Why not? ______________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

5.

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Puzzler

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Can you unscramble the letters in this circle to make an eight letter word that has something to do with newspapers? When you have done that, see how many words you can make using any combination of these letters. Note: You can use each letter only once in each word.

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o c . che e r o t r s super 8 letter word: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Other words: ___________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________

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Puzzling It Out How much do you know about newspapers? Try this crossword puzzle.

2

1

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6

5

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8

9

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© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• 10

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Across 1.

3.

5.

7.

9.

10.

11.

Expresses the editor’s opinion.

Readers can write these to the editor.

Fun part of the newspaper.

Title of an article.

Daily publication filled with news.

Number of questions an article introduction should answer Appears at the top of the front page.

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Down 2.

4.

6.

8.

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Lets readers know about things that are for sale.

Predicts what might happen to you.

Person who controls what is included in the paper.

Words appearing under photo.

Now, have a go at designing a puzzle of your own, either for the main newspaper or for the kids’ pages.

33 Ready-Ed Publications

Name:

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Film and Music Reviews Film and music reviews are regularly included in the daily newspaper. Readers like to find out what the reviewer thinks of a new movie or a new CD, before they go out and buy it for themselves.

A film review will include the following information:

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The name of the film.

The main actors.

The director.

A brief summary of the plot (without giving away the ending).

Any particularly good things about the film.

Any particularly bad things about the film (if any).

A general overall comment or rating.

A CD review will include: • • • • • • •

The name of the band or performer.

The name of the CD. The name of the record company.

The type of music - pop, rock, hip-hop, classical and so on.

Particularly good or bad songs.

An overall comment or rating.

The price.

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• • • • • • •

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons Find a music or film review in your newspaper. (Note they may only appear on particular •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• days.) Answer the following:

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What is the title of the film/CD being reviewed? _________________________________

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What is it about? ________________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ From the information contained in the review, would you like to buy this CD/watch this movie? Why/Why Not? ___________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Book Reviews Book reviews provide details about newly published books, to attract potential readers. For the publisher and author, a book review provides feedback on the book as well as possibly helping book sales. For the reader, a review is a chance to hear someone else’s opinion of the book before spending money on it.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

A book review should provide the following information:

Teac he r

The book’s title.

The author’s name.

The illustrator’s name (if there is one).

The publisher.

Recommended retail price (RRP).

A brief outline of the plot, without giving away the ending.

Comments on good or disappointing elements of the book.

An overall comment or rating.

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• • • • • • • •

Cut out a book review from your newspaper or the WWW and paste it in the space below. Does it include all the items in the list above?

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Having read the review, is this a book you would like to read? Why/Why not? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

35 Ready-Ed Publications

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Write a Review You have been hired by The Gooseville Times to run the review pages. Use the space below to write a review of one of the following: • The new film, Wolfman, starring Joseph B. Wolf and Mary Lamb.

• A new children’s picture book, Piggy, Come Home, by Raymond Hogg, illustrated by Patricia Farmer.

• A new mystery novel, Who Stole the Pie?, by Queenie Hart.

• The latest CD from noted horn player, Little Boy Blue, Hooked on Horns.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Teac he r

Illustrate your review in the space provided.

_________________________________________________________________________

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_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons _________________________________________________________________________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• _________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

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_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

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_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

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The Social Pages The social pages of the newspaper report on social events — fundraising events, formal dinners and dances, openings and so on. Usually, there is a short article detailing the event or events which have taken place, accompanied by photographs of some of the people who attended.

Find the social pages of your daily newspaper, remembering that they might not be included every day. Answer the following.

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1. What events are reported? ______________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

2. In what ways are the social pages different from a general news page? ____________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

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© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons The following photos were taken at Mother Goose’s recent cocktail party to raise funds for the • Gooseville Orphanage.

Write appropriate fors each, be used• in The f or r evi e wan p ur pcaption ose oton l y Gooseville Times social pages.

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______________________

______________________

_______________________

______________________

______________________

_______________________

______________________

______________________

_______________________

______________________

______________________

_______________________

______________________

______________________

_______________________

37 Ready-Ed Publications

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Features Many of the articles in the newspaper are not really news. They are there to inform or entertain readers. If you look deep inside the newspaper you will find sections devoted to features. Some of these are regular departments — fashion, cooking, motoring, travel and so on. Others are less regular — a special lift out on Christmas shopping or back-to-school ideas, for example.

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Some features will be topical — relating to something that is in the news at present, and giving a deeper or more personal insight.

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A Bushfire in the Hills

.............................

The Job of a Firefighter .........................

Ideas for Fighting Cold and Flu .......

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Next to each of the following topics, write F if you think it would be a Feature article, and N if you think it would be a News article.

A Flu Epidemic ......................................... © ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons New Fashions for Summer .................

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• A Fashion Week Function ...................

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Book Wins a Prize

DISCUSS

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Great Books for Holiday Reading ....

Often the weekend papers have more features than the daily newspapers.

Discuss why.

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Look through the Saturday or Sunday edition of your newspaper and make a list of the different non-news departments. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Share your list with the class.

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Writing a Feature • Beating the Winter Blues • Hot Soups for Cold Days • Doctor Love: Put Some Sizzle Into Your Romance • Dirty Deeds: The New Four Wheel Drive Hits the Track • Hot Dressing: New Winter Fashions • Face the Cold: Make-Up Tips for Winter • Winter Reading: Books to Warm the Soul

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Once you have chosen your topic, plan what your five main points will be:

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Teac he r

With winter on its way, the editor of The Gooseville Times has decided to run a series of features in different departments. Your task is to choose one of the following topics and prepare a special feature.

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• 3. ___________________________________________________________________ 1. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. ___________________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________________

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Is there an “expert” you can quote. Who? What will you have them say?

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5. ___________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

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_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ What photos or illustrations will you include? _______________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Now that you have planned your feature, have a go at writing it.

39 Ready-Ed Publications

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The TV Magazine Most daily newspapers include a television guide. Weekend editions often include a TV magazine, which includes more than just television programming information.

Have a look at your TV magazine and make a list of what other things it contains. __________________________________________________

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________________________________________________ _______________________________________________

_____________________________________________

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Teac he r

_______________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons • f ofavourite rr e vi e w pur posesonl y• 1. What is your show? _____________________________________________ Now, answer the following, using your TV guide where necessary.

2. When is it on? ________________________________________________________

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3. What channel is it on? __________________________________________________ 4. Name another show that is on at the same time. ______________________________

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5. Name two movies that are on this week. ____________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 6. Are they suitable for children? How do you know this? __________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Share your answers with the class.

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Horoscopes The Horoscope (sometimes called The Stars) is a column that makes predictions about your day or week, depending on your star sign.

Read the horoscopes in your newspaper, then in your group discuss the following.

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1. Why might a newspaper include a horoscope column? _________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

Teac he r

2. Why might people read their horoscopes? __________________________________

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___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

3. Who writes the horoscopes? _____________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons ___________________________________________________________________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

4. Do you believe in what the horoscopes say? Why/Why not? _____________________

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Just for Fun

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Imagine the Big Bad Wolf is a Libran. Write a horoscope for Libra on the morning before he visits the Three Little Pigs.

o c . che e r o t r s super Write a horoscope for Mary on the day the lamb follows her to school. She is a Virgo.

Write Sleeping Beauty’s horoscope for the day she is woken by the prince. She is a Gemini.

41 Ready-Ed Publications

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Competitions Look through your newspaper and see how many competitions or contests you can find for readers to enter.

1. Make a list of the prizes being given away. __________________________________

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___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

Teac he r

2. What do readers have to do to win these prizes? _____________________________

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___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

3. Why do newspapers run competitions like these? _____________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons 4. Why do companies donate prizes for the competitions? ________________________ •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• ___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________________ 5. Have you ever won a competition, or do you know someone who has? _____________

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How did it make you feel? _________

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c Tickets . _____________________________ che e r to the o t r s supCircus _____________________________ er _____________________________

_____________________________ _____________________________

Name: ________________ Address: ______________ _____________________ Telephone: _____________ MAIL TO GOOSEVILLE TIMES

BY THE 10TH DECEMBER.

_____________________________

DISCUSS 42

Discuss your answers with the class.

Ready-Ed Publications

Name:

Date:

Making a Class Newspaper You are going to work together to make a newspaper. Each group will work on a different part of the paper, just as the departments of a ‘real’ newspaper operate.

Groups will work on one of the following: Features

Editorial Letters to the Editor Front Page

Choose two from: Fashion, Travel, Cooking, Health, Motoring.

News

Sport

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Editorial Department

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Sport Reports and results.

Advertising

Entertainment

Classified Advertisements Regular Advertisements

Television guide, reviews, comics, and puzzles.

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News stories (apart from the front page)

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

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Notes for Class Planning Tick the circles as you complete each of the tasks.

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CHIEF

Checklist

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1. As a class, decide what the focus of your newspaper will be — is it a school or class paper, a local paper, or perhaps the paper of a pretend place, like Gooseville?

2. Divide the class into groups and decide which group will work on which task.

3. Decide how many pages each group will create and how long you will have to work on them.

4. When you move into groups you will need to decide who is going to complete which part of your group’s tasks.

5. Write your part of the paper.

6. Put the paper together — you may decide to appoint an editor to do this.

7. Print your paper, read and enjoy!

43 Ready-Ed Publications

Answers Puzzles (page 33)

1

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D

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T

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I

2

A

L

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7

H

E

A

L

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R

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S

4

R T

5

D

C L

O I

M

I

N

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3

6

R

S

S

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S 8

M

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D I

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T

© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons N E W S P A P E R T s E o T p •f orr evi ew ur po es nl y• E

A

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O

9

10

S

I

X

11

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44

B

A

N

N

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O

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