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

Objectives:
Students will:

Identiy the purpose of a newspaper

Apply the Who-What-When-Where-Why-How writing techniques

Use an effective lead

Use basic editing principels

Apply basic layout principles

Produce a class newspaper

Students will demonstrate the ability to write a newspaper story following guidance given by the teacher

Lesson 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, or a topic approved by the teacher. using information on the story page to write the story. 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.

Producing the Newspaper:
With edited stories in hand, .

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.

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

3.       choose pictures from the world wide web  for the stories (as needed).

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

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

6.       cut and pace the articles from the disk onto the lay out format desired by the group

The end product for each group will a newspaper article and the final project will include all the newspaper articles combined to build a complete school newspaper. The paper can then be reproduced and distributed.

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?