[LIT] New member looking for help

[Bill IVEY]

"A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades."
<lit at literacyworkshop.org> on Friday, February 22, 2008 at 1:47 AM -0500
wrote:
>Hey there! I am looking forward to learning from everyone here on the
>listserv and hopefully be able to post some ideas of my own. I am new to
>teaching grade 6 and am looking for some innovative ways to teach news
>article writing. Any suggestions or ideas that have worked for you in your
>classrooms would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

Hi!

My students haven't actually designed a "news" unit yet... but I have a
couple of ideas (brainstormed quick ones) to share, and I'm sure others
will have ideas to add.

One thought is to read aloud a few extracts from "The Landry News" by
Andrew Clements, or even read the whole book, and use it to generate
discussion about what a newspaper should do, what a good news article is.
I've never taught the book, but my students (currently 7th graders) have
said they've read it and loved it (as have I).

You could have them read real articles based on interviews and analyze how
they put together, where the writing works and where it doesn't and why.
Then have them do interviews, and write them up. Or, have them write up an
imagined interview with a celebrity, a role model, or someone else who
intrigues them.

Sportswriting, arts and entertainment, advice columns, op-ed and other
"not-so-hard news" kinds of writing may also appeal to them. Again,
following up an analysis of models with real writing often works well.

And what about taking a playful tack? Examine a (kid-appropriate!) article
from the Enquirer, and help them analyze that and then come up with their
own original outrageous article.

Just a few quick thoughts. I hope they help! How about the rest of you,
especially those who have taught such a unit?!

Take care,
Bill Ivey
Stoneleigh-Burnham School