[LIT] New member looking for help

[khonyx at aol.com]

We haven't done news articles, but just got done with feature articles.? 

I collected 40 or so articles and had the kids read as many of them as possible. In their groups I had them looking for common characteristics.? I also tossed in several articles, like some obituaries and some news articles, so they could also see what didn't fit the pattern. 

We also had 6 articles that I had selected to use as models (we attached these into their notebooks)?that we could refer back to again and again.? The kids knew these articles well enough through references that they would know which paragraph or characteristic we were discussing.

We developed a list of "All news articles have...." and a second list of "Some feature articles may have...".? We then ID'd these in the model articles and marked them up.

Next, we talked about writing their own articles and the steps we would need to go through, always referencing the model articles.

I would think you would have to talk about timeliness, clarity, leads, the inverted pyramid- who/what/when/where/why/how...,my daughter says spelling...headlines, sublines, naming people- first time full name, last name everytime after...general to specific details..., interviewing techniques, notes, collaborating sources...

there's probably a good deal more, but that's a start.


Karen Onyx
Carusi Middle School


-----Original Message-----
From: Bill IVEY <bivey at sbschool.org>
To: A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades. <lit at literacyworkshop.org>
Sent: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 9:03 am
Subject: Re: [LIT] New member looking for help



"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


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