Student-Teacher:

Kathryn Eveleigh

Lesson Plan Title:

Writing Workshop #9: Producing a News Article

November 13, 2014

Time Period: 80 minutes

School: Chambly Academy

Cycle 2, Year 2 (Secondary 4)

Learning Targets/ Student Learning Objectives:

Students will:
a) Reflect on the function of the news in society.
b) Identify the structure and content of newspapers and news articles.
o evaluate the newsworthiness of an event; select a newsworthy event to write about.
c) Produce a news article for which they
o give their news topic a focus by writing article from a specific angle.
o answer the five Ws & H, and make sure information is reliable and accurate.
o distinguish between subjective and objective writing, and practice writing news articles in an
objective, unbiased manner.
Key/Essential/Guiding Questions
o What is the purpose/function of the news and newspapers in todays society?
o What characteristics do we observe about news article?
o How do news writers research and collect information critically?
o What does it mean to write objectively, and when is this useful?
Curriculum Expectations:
Subject Area Competencies
Competency 1: Uses language/talk to communicate and learn. Students will engage in whole class
and group discussion to expand their knowledge on the news article genre. Students will give ideas
and respond, orally and in writing, to the complete the News Article Template. Should they choose
to produce their own article, they will be graded on Criterion D: Use of Language.
Competency 2: Reads and listens to spoken and media texts. Students will listen to the studentteachers brief lecture, and they will read news articles within their groups. During collaborative
group work, students must exercise active listening skills in order to communicate effectively with
their peers and derive meaning from a news article.
Competency 3: Produces texts for personal and social purposes. Students will individually produce
an outline for a news article that they may choose to use for their multi-genre project.

Professional Competencies:
PC1: I will act as a professional inheritor, critic, and interpreter of knowledge or culture when teaching
students.
I understand the subject-specific and program specific knowledge to be taught.
PC2: I will communicate clearly in the language of instruction, both orally and in writing, using correct
grammar, in various contexts related to teaching (i.e. explaining genre). I will encourage oral
communication among students during group discussion, free of swearing and inappropriate language.
PC3: I developed teaching/learning situation that is appropriate to the students concerned and the subject
content with a view to developing the competencies targeted in the program of study: specially exercising
critical judgment, use of information, and producing a text.
PC6: I will plan, organize and supervise a class in such a way as to promote students learning and social
development. A focus on students social development extends beyond interpersonal relationships and
collaborative work, as I will expose students to current world issues/topics as derived from newspaper
articles.
PC10: I will create and implement a lesson plan with the approval of my cooperating-teacher.
PC12: I will demonstrate ethical and responsible professional behaviour in the performance of my duties,
especially when dealing with world issues and certain news topics.

Cross-Curricular Competencies
Intellectual Competencies: Students will use the information from the discussions link the writing genre to
their project topic. They will determine the importance of information in news articles. Students will exercise
critical judgement when discussing and identifying elements from a real newspaper article, and also when
creating an outline for their own article. They will also judge at the end of the class whether or not they plan to
use this writing piece as a genre in their project. Students will consider how to best formulate their thoughts as
they justify their opinions on the assigned newspaper articles. They will express their creativity by creating a
topic/issue/event that specifically pertains to their multi-genre project. Students will start to demonstrate an
openness to different ways of perceiving situations and a more global awareness.

Personal and Social Competencies: Students will achieve their potential when learning new genre and
drawing conclusions and making links.

Communication-Related Competency: They will participate in collaborative work, and interact all the
while showing an open mind. Students will participate respectfully, and communicate appropriately-- showing a
degree of mastery of vocabulary and syntax, respect for language, appropriateness of language choice, and
coherence of message.

Assessment:
- Diagnostic-- observation of student engagement and participation, allowing students to volunteer in whole
class setting
- Formative-- collect completed News Article Template to mark (on 15 points).
!
- If students choose to use the article genre for their multi-genre project, they will be graded on Criterion C
(Producing a Text) and Criterion D (Use of Language).

Activities:
Journal Writing/ Silent Reading: 10-15 minutes
Writing Prompts:
How often do you read the news, and what news topics interest you when you do read?
What purpose(s) do you think news (online or print)serves in society?

Housekeeping: 2 minutes
Remind students that they must have Four Genres completed for their Multi-Genre Project by 20
November 2014.

Classwork: 8-10 minutes

Distribute Writing Workshop #9: News Article Handout
- Go over as a class
- Answer questions regarding news articles

Group Work: 25 minutes

In groups of 3-4, students will analyze newspaper articles
- Read assigned article
- Fill out News Article Template
- Submit for marks-- News Article will be graded individually

Individual Work: remainder of class

Students produce individual outlines for an article which they could potentially use toward their own
multi-genre projects.


- Identify an issue/topic/event relating to their multi-genre projects that is newsworthy


- Complete Writing Your Own News Article Template


- Work quietly on their article, or other individual work relating to their multi-genre project.

Closure: 2-5 minutes

Ask for any volunteers to share his/her article.

Materials/Resources:
Journals
Pencils/pens
Chalkboard
Writing Workshop #9: News Article Handout
Newspaper Articles
News Article Template
Writing Your Own News Article Template

Differentiation/Accommodations/Modifications:
o Learning Environment (i.e. change space, seating, quiet area, grouping)
If needed, students who talk too much will be moved. Some students may ask to work in the hall.
o Content (i.e. include visuals, models, organizers; increase/decrease amount)
Use of visuals (web news articles/videos are available, handouts and chalkboard) as well as oral. Instead
of discussions, questions handouts or even response handouts could be given, or PowerPoint/ Prezi
Presentation.
o Process (i.e. increase/decrease time; scribe/peer tutor/partner; use manipulatives; provide instruction
throughout)
Option of individual work instead of group work. Teacher, and peers, are available for assistance.

o Product/Assessment (i.e. give extension; option to demonstrate knowledge incorporating visual,

kinesthetic, or oral manner)
Class discussion to assess general understanding.

Teacher Reflection

References
QEP (Quebec Education Program). (n.d.). Secondary English Language Arts. Retrieved September 4, 2014, from Web.