Full plan of the project step by step

Newspaper Story!

Get Your Students Hooked on Writing

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Imagine your students working cooperatively, motivated and staying focused on the task at hand. They’re hooked on writing!

They are writing real-world newspaper stories.

During this lesson students will:

*Work cooperatively

*Research and write stories

*Learn valuable writing tips

*Write a newspaper story

*Edit articles

*Add graphics and captions

*Write a headline

*Lay out and produce a newspaper.

SKILLS

Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to:

*Create a piece of writing that enhances the reader’s understanding of key ideas and information, using effective introductory and concluding sentences, logical sequencing of ideas and transitional words.

*Create a clear organizing structure that includes descriptions placed in a logical or chronological sequence in ways that help the reader follow the line of thought.

*Understand and use available resources to locate relevant information to accomplish the writing task.

*Connect relevant descriptions, including sensory details, personal experiences, observations, and/or research-based information — linking paragraphs and ideas in ways that make a topic or message clear to the reader.

*Improve the organization and consistency in ideas among paragraphs by revising writing based on given or self-generated criteria and on others’ responses.

*Self-edit writing using knowledge of Standard English conventions of language (e.g., punctuation, sentence structure, language usage, spelling) and appropriate print and nonprint resources (e.g., dictionary, thesaurus, spelling check software).

*Prepare writing for publication by using electronic or other resources and use photos or graphics to enhance the final product.

Essential Objectives

Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to incorporate elements of effective writing

*Development: information, arguments or ideas are fully developed and expanded upon.

*Organization: information, arguments or ideas are logically and purposefully organized and consistently maintained throughout the piece according to an established plan.

*Attention to Audience: effectively addresses the needs and characteristics of the identified audience.

*Language: consistently uses good language choices to enhance the text.

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Students will also be able to demonstrate the ability to:

*Write a lead sentence that introduces the information in an interesting way.

*Include purposeful and accurate information, supported by appropriate resources, to fully explain the topic.

*Write a conclusion that ties the information together.

*Include appropriate vocabulary related to the topic.

*Vary sentence structure, using linking or transitional words as appropriate.

Plan

Write a Newspaper Story!

Goal:

Students will be transformed into reporters who write newspaper stories that can be pasted up into a class newspaper.

Objectives:

Students will:

*Identify the purposes of a newspaper

*Apply the Who –What –When –Where –Why –How writing
technique

*Write an effective lead

*Use basic editing principles

*Apply basic layout principles

*Produce a class newspaper (optional)

Students will demonstrate the ability to write a newspaper story following guidance given by this course, the Maryland State Department of Education Performance Standards, and Howard County Essential Objectives. (See the MSDE Standards and Howard County Essential Objectives pages for details.)

Overview:

After learning about writers and what they do, each student will write a newspaper story. Students will select one of four stories found on this site, using information on the story page to write the story — or they may choose their own story topic (see story suggestions on “Pick Your Own Story” page). Students will edit their own stories, write a headline, lay out the newspaper (including photos or graphics, as appropriate), and may produce a class newspaper.

WEEK ONE

Motivation and Prior Knowledge:

Think, Pair, Share Exercise: Ask the class, “Who wants to be a writer? Why?” Have the class think quietly about this question for a minute. Ask students to pair up with a partner or in groups and share their thoughts. Then have the students share with you. Record their answers on a blackboard, making sure to write the child's name after each shared idea.

Ask the class, “What are some of the different types of professional writing in the world?” Record the responses of the groups, which may include:

Types of Writing

*Novels

*Short stories

*Non-fiction

*Plays

*Movies

*Poetry

*Newspapers

*Magazines

*Television

*Radio

*Advertising

*Public relations

On the board write the title - What is it like to be a writer? Underneath the title have two columns:

1. Good and

2. 2) Not so good.

Ask the class, “What are some good and not so good things about being a writer?” Record their answers, which may include:

Good

*Travel

*Meet interesting people

*Learn new things

*Get to create

*Many readers

*Can influence people

Not so good

*Deadlines

*Editors change things

*People may not like what you write

Think, Pair, Share Exercise – Ask the class, “What does it take to be a writer?” Have the class think silently about the question for a minute. Have students pair with a partner or in groups and share their thoughts. Then have them share their thoughts with you and record them on the board.

Being a Writer

*Good knowledge of English. Think of CUPS: Capitalization, Use of words, Punctuation,

Spelling.

*Good knowledge of your field, general knowledge of everything.

*Good observational skills: What did the team do after they won? What did the woman say when she got her lost dog back? Remember colors, sounds, sequence of events, and words of people — what you need to create the event.

*Persistence. Write and rewrite until you think it's perfect – go after the story, dig for facts, get quotes to make it interesting, do your best for the readers.

*Thick skin. Not every teacher or editor or reader will like everything you write. Get used to it.

*Hard work. Writers are made, very seldom born. Tiger Woods has a great natural swing but he works out a lot and hits at least 1,000 practice shots a day.

Additional Exercises: How to Read a Newspaper – Bring newspapers to class and ask students why reading a newspaper is important. When that has been discussed, hand out the newspapers. Go through the “Before-During-After” reading strategies below for understanding and getting the most out of a newspaper story.

Before:

*Preview the text

*Read captions

*Look at subtitles

*Predict what the story might be about

During:

*Look at the bold print words

*Look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary

*Clarify information by rereading text

After:

*Summarize the text

*Create a visual image

*Think of prior knowledge

*Connect new information with prior knowledge

*Share new information with someone

Have students practice these strategies with their newspapers, then share what they’ve learned with you and the class. The test of whether you understand a newspaper story is: “Can you explain it to somebody else?”

Importance of Newspapers – Ask the class, “Why are newspapers important to our community — what kind of information do they provide to link us to our political and social structure?” Have the class think silently about the question for a minute, then ask them to pair with a partner or in groups and share their thoughts. Have them share their thoughts with you and the class and record them on the board.

Scavenger Hunt – Prepare a list of items students will have to locate in the newspaper (headline, a sale price, comic strip, sport scores, movies review, etc.). Give a time limit for the scavenger hunt.

WEEK TWO

Writing:

Review previous lesson as a lead-in to today’s activities, which is writing a newspaper story. Hand out the “Task: Let’s Write a Newspaper Story” sheet and discuss it.

Talk about the five different story scenarios. Show students the information sheet for each story. Ask them to pick which story they want to write and, using the Task sheet, write three reasons why they chose that topic.

Discuss any criteria the class thinks should be included in their stories and tell them to record this information on their Task sheets. Tell them that there will be more criteria as the lesson advances.

Distribute the "Tips From the Pros" sheet to all students. Read and discuss the items. Ask if any more criteria should be included on their Task sheet. Guide them.

Distribute and discuss the “Writing to Inform” sheet, which explains the DOAL (Development, Organization, Attention to Audience, Language) guidelines for effective writing. This sheet also contains a list of Linking Words and Phrases that students can use to introduce and organize ideas, work details into their story, and begin the conclusion.

Distribute and discuss the “Visual Organizer” sheet, which helps students include vital information in their stories and write a good lead sentence that grabs the reader.

Give students a word count limit (e.g., 200) and a deadline for their stories. Have the students begin writing, using their different resources:

• Task Sheet

• Tips From the Pros

• Writing to Inform

• Story Information Page

• Visual Organizer

NOTE: This writing assignment can be started in class and continued at home, with perhaps a one-week deadline.

WEEK THREE

Editing:

Distribute the "Edit Your Story" page. Review the basic principles of editing and have the students complete the short editing exercise at the bottom of the sheet. Go over the exercise with the class.

Ask students to edit their own stories, applying the principles they have just learned. Allow enough time for the process and stand by to answer any questions the students may have.

Option: – Ask students to edit each other’s stories.

At the end of the editing process, all stories should be in a printed, one-column format.

WEEK THREE/ 2 FRIDAY

NOTE: At this point, you may decide to use the students’ stories to produce a newspaper — in fact, several newspapers. Divide the class into several groups, each working on their own separate newspaper. For example, with a class of 30, there could be two groups of 15. Producing the Newspaper:

With edited stories in hand, distribute the "Newspaper Layout" sheet and discuss layout principles with the class.

Within each group, assign students the following different job responsibilities:

1) Have each group decide on a name for their newspaper. Record all ideas and have the group vote.

1) Design the newspaper banner (using the voted-on newspaper name).

2) Draw pictures for the stories (as needed).

3) Locate photographs or cut out pictures from magazine to illustrate stories.

5) Lay out the paper, placing stories according to their importance.

The end product for each group will be a pasted-up, two-page (or more) newspaper. The paper can then be reproduced and distributed.

NOTE: For sample layouts, see the three student newspapers at the end of this lesson.

Options:

1) Xerox the newspapers.

2) If PageMaker or other design/layout software is available, the class can produce a "slicker" version of the newspaper, which can then be printed (perhaps in color) for distribution.

3) Take the finished product to a printing store and have them print it in color for a nominal fee.

Closure:

Think, Pair, Write Exercise – Distribute the "What I Have Learned" worksheet. Have students preview and think about the different questions:

1) What have you learned about writing a newspaper story? List five specific examples.

2) What did you like about being a reporter? Give two specific examples to support your answer.

3) Would you ever want to become a reporter? Give two reasons why or why not?

Have students pair up with a partner to discuss the questions and record their ideas on their worksheets.

When the students have completed the worksheets, lead a class discussion of the three questions and the various student answers.

Assessment:

Observe student participation.

Read newspaper stories and compare to criteria.

Read and evaluate "What I Have Learned."

Mission to an Asteroid

Who: Scientists at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), Laurel, Md. What: APL designed and built a spacecraft called Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Shoemaker. The spacecraft was sent into orbit around an asteroid called 433 Eros. When: The spacecraft was launched Feb. 17, 1996, from Cape Canaveral, Fla. It went into orbit around Eros on Feb. 14, 2000. At the end of the mission, it landed on Eros on Feb. 12, 2001. Why:The mission was to study what asteroid Eros is made of and to learn more about the many asteroids, comets and meteors that come close to Earth. Scientists also hope to learn more about how the planets were formed. Additional facts: NEAR Shoemaker is the first spacecraft ever to orbit an asteroid and the first to land on one. NEAR was the first mission in NASA's Discovery Program to study the planets and other objects in the solar system. Asteroids are small bodies without atmospheres that orbit the sun but are too small to be called planets. Asteroid 433 Eros is the shape of a potato and measures 8 by 8 by 21 miles. Its gravity is so weak that a 100-pound person would weigh only 1 ounce. If you threw a baseball faster than 22 miles per hour from its surface, the ball would escape into space and never come down. During its 5-year mission, the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft traveled 2 billion miles and took 160,000 pictures of Eros.

NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft orbits asteroid 433 Eros. Statements: Statement by Bob Farquhar, NEAR Mission Director: "This mission could not have worked out better." Statement by Andy Cheng, NEAR Project Scientist: "Eros is probably older than Earth." Research Web Sites: APL's NEAR home page: http://near.jhuapl.edu/ NASA Discovery Program: http://discovery.nasa.gov/ Asteroid facts: http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/asteroids.html

Natural Gas Cars

Who: Engineers Where: The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md. What: Designed and built three cars that run on natural gas instead of gasoline. Why: Cars that don't use gasoline have very low exhaust emissions and so are better for the environment and people. Additional facts: Emissions from gasoline cars pollute the air and make it unhealthy. Cars that run on natural gas produce about one-fifth the exhaust emissions of gasoline cars. They pollute the atmosphere much less and are healthier for people. Natural gas cars don't depend on oil from foreign countries. It is estimated that America has a 200-year supply of natural gas. Until now, America hasn't made many natural gas cars. The gas tanks took up so much room there was very little trunk space. But the APL natural gas cars have a new type of storage tank that takes up less room so the cars have the same trunk space as a gasoline car. Up to now, most natural gas cars could only go about 150 miles before refueling, and there were very few natural gas filling stations. But APL's cars can go 300 miles on a full tank, and every day there are more natural gas filling stations. Natural gas costs less. If a fill-up with gasoline costs $20, natural gas would be about $12.50. At APL, the three natural gas cars are used for company business. Drivers say they look the same and drive the same as gasoline cars.

Driver fills up car at APL's natural gas filling station. Statements: Statement by John Wozniak, Natural Gas Car Project Leader: "Natural gas cars will make America a healthier, safer place to live." Statement by Helen Worth, an APL worker: "When I drive one of our natural gas cars, I feel like I'm helping the environment." Research Web Sites: APL's natural gas project http://www.jhuapl.edu/programs/trans/fuels.htm Natural gas vehicle information http://www.ngv.org/ Facts on natural gas vehicles http://www.iangv.org/sources/qa.html

Space Science Camp

Who: Middle school students from all over Maryland. What: Participate in a Space Science Camp, sponsored by the Maryland Summer Center for Space Science. Where: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), Laurel, Md. When: Two weeks during the summer. Why: Help students learn about space technology and science. Science Camper Activities: Launched a plastic soda bottle rocket. Planned and designed a space mission, including building a scale model of the spacecraft, complete with instruments. Created mission logos, posters explaining the mission, and budgets for the mission. Gave talks explaining their missions to other students. Created a space travel brochure. Studied the dangers of asteroid impacts by creating and studying small impact craters. Made a Star Finder. Took a field trip to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Kept a journal of their experiences at camp.

Statements: Statement by Lou Ann Robbins, 13: "Our team planned a mission to Mars. We figured it would take seven months and $50 billion to get there." Statement by Connie Finney, APL Space Camp Coordinator: "The kids learned by doing instead of just reading about it. We hope some of the students will think about a career in space." Research Web Sites: APL Video "Careers in Space": http://sd-www.jhuapl.edu/CareersInSpace/

Start Recycling!

P urpose of your article: Convince students to begin recycling programs in their schools. Who: Elementary school students. What: Begin recycling projects in your school. How: Form teams in your class to come up with recycling projects. Why recycling is important: Saves natural resources: By making products from recycled materials instead of new materials, we save trees and reduce the need to dig for minerals. Saves energy: It takes less energy to make products from recycled materials than from new materials. Saves clean air and water: Making containers and products from recycled materials reduces acid rain, air pollution and global warming. Saves landfill space: When recycled materials go into new products, they don't go into landfills, so landfill space is saved. Also, it reduces fees that companies have to pay to dump trash in the landfill. Saves money and creates jobs: Recycling is often the cheapest way for cities to get rid of their waste. And the recycling process creates far more jobs than operating landfills or incinerators.

Suggested school recycling projects: 1. Make and decorate recycling bins for your school. Have a contest for the coolest bin! 2. Create posters, newsletters and skits to teach others about recycling. 3. Start buying more reusable items e classroom — and for yourself! 4. Have a waste-free lunch day. Bring your food in reusable containers instead of throw-away bags, paper and plastic. Statements: Statement by recycling expert Buckley "Buck" Knox: "When you recycle, you make the air cleaner and the water fresher for everyone on the planet."

Research Web Sites: America Recycles Day: http://www.americarecyclesday.org/ Recycling guides: http://www.obviously.com/recycle School recycling programs in King County, Washington: http://dnr.metroke.gov/swd/schoolpr/schoolpr.htm

Pick Your Own Story

There are hundreds of stories all around you. Every person, every school, every community has a story to tell. Just keep Who, What, Where, When and Why in mind as you start off with a great lead, tell the story – maybe throwing in a quote or two – and finish off with an eye-catching headline. To make a REALLY great story, use a photo or a graphic.

To start you thinking, here are some of the stories recently turned in by 4th grade students for their newspaper:

All About Jupiter.	Be Smart! Don't Start Smoking
Is Pluto Really a Planet?	The Rings Around Planets
Will the Yankees Win the World Series?	Construction in Our Community
My Dog Mia	Help Save Asthma Sufferers
Cherry Tree Farms Construction	Motocross Action
The Best Grandmother	Scooter Safety
People Like Ice-skating	Horseback Riding Dangers
The Funniest Teacher in School	The Blizzard in Buffalo
What is a Twin?	The Secrets of Soccer
What It's Like to Be in Middle School	Don't Do Drugs
Sounds of Wind Instruments	A New Teacher
Dangerous Reptiles	Kids' Right to Vote
Harry Potter	From a Kid to a Redskin
Do Kids Have Too Much Homework?	A Hero in Our Midst
Nintendo's Next Game	My Soccer Team
The Best Book Fair	Halloween Safety Rules
The Vice Principal Talks about School	Elementary School Beginner's Band
My New Baby Sister	A Motorized Tricycle
Online Safety	Homemade Costumes
Kids for President	Taking a Look at Space
No Fingerboards in School	Homeless (A True Story)
What It's Like to Be a High Schooler	Being the Oldest
What's Your Favorite Sport?	Why is P.E. a Popular Subject?
The Annual Turkey Trot	Mia Hamm: A Great Soccer Player
Where is Celion Dion Now?	What Boys and Girls Like to Wear
Chorus Concert	Going for the Gold
Alyssa's Favorite P.E. Game	Fourth Grade Writers
Engineer Club Builds Rides Based on Books	Chorus: On the Road Again
Are Feeder School Systems a Good Idea?	The Bulls' Upcoming Season

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