Hello everyone,
The newspaper-based learning activities for election week (below) will be posted on the Newspapers in Education website on Monday (www.statesman.com/NIE)
Thank you and have a great weekend.
Debra Joiner
Recording election history, piece by piece, day by day
Newspapers, a famous editor once said, are the first rough draft of history.
What he meant was that every day’s newspapers report the latest history of the nation, its states and its communities.
Then, as new events take place, the next day’s newspapers update history with the latest information, making it clearer and more complete.
A presidential election puts a spotlight on this special role for newspapers, especially a fiercely fought election such as the one this year.
Newspapers, and TV news, have spent months informing the public about what the candidates were saying, and how voters were responding.
They have attempted to gauge the nation’s mood week by week through elaborate opinion polls that sometimes showed conflicting results.
And this week, they are working around the clock to make sense of what has happened in the election, sort out its meaning and inform readers of what it will mean for the future.
Key issues to be examined include the effectiveness of the Electoral College system (and whether it should be changed), the role of legal challenges and lawsuits in counting votes, and how any leader can unite a nation that has been deeply divided between parties and beliefs.
The importance of these issues reminds everyone why the nation’s founders valued a free press so much they guaranteed it in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Map the results
The key to winning the presidency is winning enough states to get the 270 electoral votes needed for victory in the Electoral College. This college is not an education institution. It is a group of leaders from each state who vote to determine the outcome of the election, based on each state’s results.
The Electoral College was created by the leaders who drew up the U.S. Constitution. When voters go to the polls in a presidential election, they’re actually voting for a slate of electors. The party with the most votes in a state gets to elect its electors. It’s a winner-take-all system in most states, which makes it possible for a candidate to win the popular vote nationally but lose the election by losing the Electoral College vote.
Each state has a number of electors equal to the number of U.S. Senators and Representatives it has in Congress.
After the nation votes on Election Day this week, use the newspaper and online resources to review where each candidate got his electoral votes.
In what states did Democrat Barack Obama do best? In what states did Republican John McCain do best?
Finding information
Information about election results comes in many forms in a newspaper. To explore this, break into teams and search the newspaper for election news in the following forms: a news story; a chart or graph; a photograph; a table of statistics or data; a map; an editorial cartoon. For each example you find, write a complete sentence describing what is good or helpful about getting information in that form.
Activities
1. Even with 24-hour news on cable TV and the Internet, newspapers and their Web sites remain the most complete, easy-to-use, written account of the elections and results. Starting with Wednesday’s paper, follow the coverage of election results and issues through the week. For each day, write out the top news in the presidential election, a statewide or district election and a local election. Compare findings as a class and discuss.
2. In this year’s presidential race, opinion polls got a lot of attention from newspapers and TV news. Use the newspaper or Internet to find the results of the last opinion polls before Election Day. How accurate were the polls? Why do you think that was the case?
3. Election results can help you learn some important things about numbers that appear in a series. MEAN is the average of all numbers in a series, MODE is the number that appears most often in a series and MEDIAN is the number that appears in the middle in a series. With the newspaper and other resources, study the state-by-state election results. What was the mean percentage achieved by Barack Obama in states he won? What was the mean percentage achieved by John McCain in states he won? What was the mode for each candidate?
4. When there are big stories like a presidential election, newspaper reporters interview local leaders to get their views. Search the coverage in today’s newspaper to find comments by local leaders on the election. Write a summary of the points made by three local leaders.
Debra Waugh Joiner
Newspapers in Education Manager
Austin American-Statesman
(512) 445-3590
dwaugh@statesman.com
www.statesman.com/NIE
Friday, October 31, 2008
Austin High finds error that leads to interesting discussion.
My students had a hard time choosing a story that they found most interesting today. One story had an error and it was a very interesting discussion about that. It was the story about the Bowie game and the story said one thing, and the story under the picture said another thing. The kids were able to talk about the importance of double checking the facts. This is something we encourage our students to pay attention to, and it is nice that they were able to come to the same conclusion by themselves.
Our Editorial was The spooky side of free speech. It was perfect timing, I just finished a unit on the freedoms that kids have on our campus, especially the freedom of speech. The article brought up a very important question, we have the right to our freedom of speech, but sometimes it is used in manners that are not OK. It was also an interesting discussion in the midst of all of the political news, to look at it from another focus. Have a wonderful weekend.
BEAT WESTLAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank You.
Aimee Finney
Austin High School English Department
Varsity Cheer Coach
Our Editorial was The spooky side of free speech. It was perfect timing, I just finished a unit on the freedoms that kids have on our campus, especially the freedom of speech. The article brought up a very important question, we have the right to our freedom of speech, but sometimes it is used in manners that are not OK. It was also an interesting discussion in the midst of all of the political news, to look at it from another focus. Have a wonderful weekend.
BEAT WESTLAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank You.
Aimee Finney
Austin High School English Department
Varsity Cheer Coach
October 31st ARS Selection
Feature Story: Town moves past real-life terror to take back Halloween night
Byline: Ramit Plushnick-Masti
Date: Thursday, October 30, 2008
Section: World News, Page A10.
They felt it was important because of Halloween being today, and because it helped raise awareness. They also felt that stories about people are more interesting.
Byline: Ramit Plushnick-Masti
Date: Thursday, October 30, 2008
Section: World News, Page A10.
They felt it was important because of Halloween being today, and because it helped raise awareness. They also felt that stories about people are more interesting.
Update from Paula Poindexter
Dear Teachers:
When Jessica Mitchell at Austin High posted on the mynews@school blog that it was easier for her students to select an engaging story than a lead story, I wondered if that was because an engaging story is in the eyes of the beholder while a lead story is in the eyes of an editor? Or was it because as my journalism colleague Bill Minutaglio, who answered my questions about news story types, said the “front page of your paper is often home to the Hard News/Inverted Pyramid format”? (Please see the full Q and A with Bill Minutaglio below.) Unfortunately, the inverted pyramid format is not the most engaging way to write a story. Even so, it’s fascinating to read the blog posts at http://mynewsatschool.blogspot.com/ to see what stories students found engaging. It’s also heart warming to read about the discussion taking place across mynews@school classrooms.
Next week will be one of the biggest days in journalism—covering the results of the presidential election. Regardless of which candidate wins, history will be made. That makes the 2008 Presidential Election an even bigger news story. How well has the press covered this big news story? Next week students will become media critics and answer that question. On Monday morning, I’ll send some ideas to get the group discussion going. You might find additional ideas to encourage discussion in the Presidential Election Guide posted on the Statesman’s NIE Web site at http://www.nieonline.com/austin/downloads/2008electing_the_president.pdf.
Have a Happy Halloween!
Paula Poindexter
mynews@school
School of Journalism
University of Texas at Austin
P.S. Please e-mail me if you’re still having trouble posting on the blog.
mynews@school Q and A with Bill Minutaglio and the Many Faces of a News Story
Bill Minutaglio is a UT School of Journalism Professor, the author of
First Son: George W. Bush and the Bush Family Dynasty, a former reporter for the Dallas Morning News, and a former bureau chief of People magazine. Minutaglio’s book, First Son influenced the director and screenwriter of the new film, W. In one interview, W’s screenwriter said: "In looking at George Bush Jr.'s earlier life, we were very influenced by Bill Minutaglio's First Son.” Oliver Stone directed W and the President is played by Josh Brolin. Check out what ABC News said about Bill Minutaglio and W at http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Movies/Story?id=5879559&page=2.
mynews@school: Newspapers publish stories that vary in format and style. What are the different story formats that can be found in a newspaper and what are their key elements?
Minutgalio: Broadly speaking, many editors break down their stories into two large categories: Hard News & Soft News.
Hard News is often the news that is breaking, fresh, timely and needs to be relayed right away to the reader in a clear, straight, way – often emphasizing the most important news in the very first sentences of the story. New news about war, crime, elections, the economy, often fall into the Hard News format.
Soft News is often the news that is not pegged to rapidly breaking events, that sometimes does not have to run immediately, that can “entertain” rather than “inform,” that can lend itself to different writing styles, including introducing the “essential news value” of the story later in the story – not in the first sentences of the story.
More specifically, when editors talk about formats they begin to think of these types:
== Inverted Pyramid format: Where you have your most “newsy,” most important, information in the first sentence and paragraph. The story diminishes in “news value” in each subsequent paragraph. Often used with Hard News stories.
---- Features format: Where you abandon the Inverted Pyramid, you “delay” the specific introduction of the “hard news” in the story.
----Column/Essay format: Where you sometimes espouse an opinion
---Sidebar format: A companion piece that runs alongside another story, that serves to “add” information to that other story
----A Q&A format: Where you simply print questions and answers (perhaps introduced by a short paragraph that explains what the Q&A is generally about)
----Analysis format: Where you take a Big Picture look at an issue, theme, person and use some history, context, sweep, even statistics.
mynews@school: In general, how do you decide what format to use when writing a news story?
Minutgalio: First decide whether it is Hard News or Soft News: With your editor, you need to decide what the “news value” of your story is and when and where your story needs to run. If you and your editors say “hey, this is a story that everyone needs to know about Right Now,” then you probably will use the Hard News/Inverted Pyramid formats and the piece will go on Page One.
On the other hand, editors may see the story as an “evergreen” – a story that can run any day of the week. Then it is probably in the Soft News category – and you will choose from a feature, column, essay, analysis or sidebar format.
mynews@school: Are certain story formats more likely to be found in certain sections of the newspaper? If yes, which sections generally have what types of formats?
Minutgalio: The front page of your paper is often home to the Hard News/Inverted Pyramid format –the breaking news, the latest news, the most “newsy” material that readers need/want to know about as soon as possible. Those stories, of course, can also run on the Sports, Metro and Business sections. There could be a “big game” that is covered on the front page of Sports. A big corporate story on the front of the Business section. A big to-do at City Hall that needs to be mentioned on the Metro front page. Many times, stories referenced on the front page of the newspaper will be explored in other stories on the front pages of the inside sections.
Most newspapers also have “feature sections” – they are sections of the paper that often run Soft News, “evergreen” stories, stories that can run almost any day of the week, that are not exclusively tied to an immediate news event. You can find Arts sections, Food sections, Travel sections, etc. They will have feature formats, columns, essays, etc.
mynews@school: How is style of writing different from story format?
Minutgalio: Writing style refers to how you compose the story, how you write each piece. It has to do with tone, presentation, composition.
There are many writing styles: Some writers often use a “straight” or “hard news style.” It is usually not invested with “colorful writing” – it is often hard facts presented in a clear order (Who, What, When, Where & Why). You put the most important information in the first paragraph, the second most important information in the second paragraph, and so on, as the story diminishes in “news value.”
There are also several “feature writing” styles you can choose from: You “delay”” the introduction of the most important news (in order to draw the reader in, in order to make them “want” to “find out” what happens in the story). You do a first-person story, where you, the writer, is in the story. You can do a “narrative” – where you begin a story in a moment in time and watch events unfold over time (like a plot in a book or movie).
mynews@school: Once you’ve finished writing a story, who else is involved in the writing and what role do they play in the story that you’ve written?
Minutgalio: At good publications, you should have a copy editor looking at your work – someone who will go over each word, sentence, paragraph in your story and make sure grammar, language, punctuation are all in good order. You will have other editors who will take a Big Picture look at your story – suggesting ways to change the beginning, middle and end of your story. Suggesting additional reporting. Suggesting structural changes, changes in tone. If you are lucky to work with a photographer, they will have input on your story.
mynews@school: What are the major differences in writing for newspapers vs. magazines vs. online vs. blogs vs. books?
Minutgalio: Every publication is different. As a broad, broad rule, deadlines for newspapers and online publications are often a bit more intense. Newspapers don’t usually run stories that are as long as the ones you will find in magazines. Magazine editors sometimes have more time to work with you on stories. Online publications sometimes move briskly, quickly and ask for you to turn your material in sooner than later. Online publications sometimes lean a lot on multimedia components – that you provide links, audio, video. Again, every publication is unique. Some magazines will allow you to write 10,000 word stories. Some newspapers have their own magazines. Books & blogs are probably more varied. Obviously blogs lend themselves to essays, opinions, personal pieces. Books can be the “ultimate long story” – what I tell people is that books are very long feature stories. They have to have great reporting and an attempt at great writing. They require outlines, some sense of structure.
mynews@school: What role, if any, does your audience play when you’re writing a news story?
Minutgalio: It’s key. You have to understand your audience. You have to understand the readership for your particular publication. If you are writing for a sports publication, or a sports section in a newspaper, you should think about your audience. Ditto music magazines, etc. Most book publishers will ask you to really think hard about who will buy your book, who will read it, who you are writing for. These days, most editors want to know this: WHAT VALUE WILL YOUR WORK BRING TO MY PUBLICATION? In other words, how will your story reach my readers – and get me more readers.
mynews@school: When did you first discover that you were good at writing and how did you know?
Minutgalio: Not sure I’m good at it. (I’ve had plenty of critics tell me I’m not!). I like it and I always wanted to write for newspaper, magazines and books. One of my favorite writers when I was young was a newspaper columnist named Jimmy Breslin. I liked the way he would visit “ordinary people” – not famous people – and just hang out with them and write their stories. Those are called slice-of-life pieces – little windows into the worlds of real people. It was what I wanted to do. I was very, very lucky to have some editors who indulged me and who worked hard with me. A friend of mine once said that if you are insecure about your writing, it means you are doing it the right way – you care enough to worry about it. You can decide if you are good at writing in two ways: You tell yourself you are good . . . or other people tell you that your work is good.
mynews@school: What are the elements of good writing?
Minutgalio: There are a lot of them – and each story is different. But, generally, I would say that you need to have vivid writing (no clichés, no over-heated writing), colorful writing, dialog, a sense of events unfolding – you need some action in your stories. You need details, specifics, what I call “intimate details” – about the people you write about, about the places you write about. You have to “show the reader, don’t tell the reader” – show action unfolding, don’t tell readers that action is unfolding. Think of your stories as movies – with plot, color, mood, dialog, action. I love writing that has very specific details – and then can weave in Big Picture issues, thoughts, beliefs. I call it the marriage of the Micro & the Macro in your writing. You have details – and you have a sweep.
mynews@school: What are your recommendations for becoming a great writer?
Minutgalio: Writing is like riding a bike – you get better by doing it over and over again. Your writing improves by reading. Study the publications where you want your work to appear and study how the writers did their stories. Think, hard, about creating an outline of how you would structure your story. One simple thing is to gather as many “intimate details” as you can when you are doing your reporting: Look for specifics, look for dialog, make sure you really bring people to life – and that you really draw a picture of where events take place. And, as always, ask a friend to read your work --- see what they recommend. Finally, think outside the box – say to yourself, how do I make this story as fresh as possible, how do I do it in a new way, an interesting way, a way that will keep people reading? Stephen King says the scariest part of writing is just before you begin. Gay Talese says the pursuit of good writing is like driving with the lights turned off. Norman Mailer and others have said the secret to being a writer is . . . to go to your desk and begin writing. H.L. Mencken says it is a very, very lonely profession.
When Jessica Mitchell at Austin High posted on the mynews@school blog that it was easier for her students to select an engaging story than a lead story, I wondered if that was because an engaging story is in the eyes of the beholder while a lead story is in the eyes of an editor? Or was it because as my journalism colleague Bill Minutaglio, who answered my questions about news story types, said the “front page of your paper is often home to the Hard News/Inverted Pyramid format”? (Please see the full Q and A with Bill Minutaglio below.) Unfortunately, the inverted pyramid format is not the most engaging way to write a story. Even so, it’s fascinating to read the blog posts at http://mynewsatschool.blogspot.com/ to see what stories students found engaging. It’s also heart warming to read about the discussion taking place across mynews@school classrooms.
Next week will be one of the biggest days in journalism—covering the results of the presidential election. Regardless of which candidate wins, history will be made. That makes the 2008 Presidential Election an even bigger news story. How well has the press covered this big news story? Next week students will become media critics and answer that question. On Monday morning, I’ll send some ideas to get the group discussion going. You might find additional ideas to encourage discussion in the Presidential Election Guide posted on the Statesman’s NIE Web site at http://www.nieonline.com/austin/downloads/2008electing_the_president.pdf.
Have a Happy Halloween!
Paula Poindexter
mynews@school
School of Journalism
University of Texas at Austin
P.S. Please e-mail me if you’re still having trouble posting on the blog.
mynews@school Q and A with Bill Minutaglio and the Many Faces of a News Story
Bill Minutaglio is a UT School of Journalism Professor, the author of
First Son: George W. Bush and the Bush Family Dynasty, a former reporter for the Dallas Morning News, and a former bureau chief of People magazine. Minutaglio’s book, First Son influenced the director and screenwriter of the new film, W. In one interview, W’s screenwriter said: "In looking at George Bush Jr.'s earlier life, we were very influenced by Bill Minutaglio's First Son.” Oliver Stone directed W and the President is played by Josh Brolin. Check out what ABC News said about Bill Minutaglio and W at http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Movies/Story?id=5879559&page=2.
mynews@school: Newspapers publish stories that vary in format and style. What are the different story formats that can be found in a newspaper and what are their key elements?
Minutgalio: Broadly speaking, many editors break down their stories into two large categories: Hard News & Soft News.
Hard News is often the news that is breaking, fresh, timely and needs to be relayed right away to the reader in a clear, straight, way – often emphasizing the most important news in the very first sentences of the story. New news about war, crime, elections, the economy, often fall into the Hard News format.
Soft News is often the news that is not pegged to rapidly breaking events, that sometimes does not have to run immediately, that can “entertain” rather than “inform,” that can lend itself to different writing styles, including introducing the “essential news value” of the story later in the story – not in the first sentences of the story.
More specifically, when editors talk about formats they begin to think of these types:
== Inverted Pyramid format: Where you have your most “newsy,” most important, information in the first sentence and paragraph. The story diminishes in “news value” in each subsequent paragraph. Often used with Hard News stories.
---- Features format: Where you abandon the Inverted Pyramid, you “delay” the specific introduction of the “hard news” in the story.
----Column/Essay format: Where you sometimes espouse an opinion
---Sidebar format: A companion piece that runs alongside another story, that serves to “add” information to that other story
----A Q&A format: Where you simply print questions and answers (perhaps introduced by a short paragraph that explains what the Q&A is generally about)
----Analysis format: Where you take a Big Picture look at an issue, theme, person and use some history, context, sweep, even statistics.
mynews@school: In general, how do you decide what format to use when writing a news story?
Minutgalio: First decide whether it is Hard News or Soft News: With your editor, you need to decide what the “news value” of your story is and when and where your story needs to run. If you and your editors say “hey, this is a story that everyone needs to know about Right Now,” then you probably will use the Hard News/Inverted Pyramid formats and the piece will go on Page One.
On the other hand, editors may see the story as an “evergreen” – a story that can run any day of the week. Then it is probably in the Soft News category – and you will choose from a feature, column, essay, analysis or sidebar format.
mynews@school: Are certain story formats more likely to be found in certain sections of the newspaper? If yes, which sections generally have what types of formats?
Minutgalio: The front page of your paper is often home to the Hard News/Inverted Pyramid format –the breaking news, the latest news, the most “newsy” material that readers need/want to know about as soon as possible. Those stories, of course, can also run on the Sports, Metro and Business sections. There could be a “big game” that is covered on the front page of Sports. A big corporate story on the front of the Business section. A big to-do at City Hall that needs to be mentioned on the Metro front page. Many times, stories referenced on the front page of the newspaper will be explored in other stories on the front pages of the inside sections.
Most newspapers also have “feature sections” – they are sections of the paper that often run Soft News, “evergreen” stories, stories that can run almost any day of the week, that are not exclusively tied to an immediate news event. You can find Arts sections, Food sections, Travel sections, etc. They will have feature formats, columns, essays, etc.
mynews@school: How is style of writing different from story format?
Minutgalio: Writing style refers to how you compose the story, how you write each piece. It has to do with tone, presentation, composition.
There are many writing styles: Some writers often use a “straight” or “hard news style.” It is usually not invested with “colorful writing” – it is often hard facts presented in a clear order (Who, What, When, Where & Why). You put the most important information in the first paragraph, the second most important information in the second paragraph, and so on, as the story diminishes in “news value.”
There are also several “feature writing” styles you can choose from: You “delay”” the introduction of the most important news (in order to draw the reader in, in order to make them “want” to “find out” what happens in the story). You do a first-person story, where you, the writer, is in the story. You can do a “narrative” – where you begin a story in a moment in time and watch events unfold over time (like a plot in a book or movie).
mynews@school: Once you’ve finished writing a story, who else is involved in the writing and what role do they play in the story that you’ve written?
Minutgalio: At good publications, you should have a copy editor looking at your work – someone who will go over each word, sentence, paragraph in your story and make sure grammar, language, punctuation are all in good order. You will have other editors who will take a Big Picture look at your story – suggesting ways to change the beginning, middle and end of your story. Suggesting additional reporting. Suggesting structural changes, changes in tone. If you are lucky to work with a photographer, they will have input on your story.
mynews@school: What are the major differences in writing for newspapers vs. magazines vs. online vs. blogs vs. books?
Minutgalio: Every publication is different. As a broad, broad rule, deadlines for newspapers and online publications are often a bit more intense. Newspapers don’t usually run stories that are as long as the ones you will find in magazines. Magazine editors sometimes have more time to work with you on stories. Online publications sometimes move briskly, quickly and ask for you to turn your material in sooner than later. Online publications sometimes lean a lot on multimedia components – that you provide links, audio, video. Again, every publication is unique. Some magazines will allow you to write 10,000 word stories. Some newspapers have their own magazines. Books & blogs are probably more varied. Obviously blogs lend themselves to essays, opinions, personal pieces. Books can be the “ultimate long story” – what I tell people is that books are very long feature stories. They have to have great reporting and an attempt at great writing. They require outlines, some sense of structure.
mynews@school: What role, if any, does your audience play when you’re writing a news story?
Minutgalio: It’s key. You have to understand your audience. You have to understand the readership for your particular publication. If you are writing for a sports publication, or a sports section in a newspaper, you should think about your audience. Ditto music magazines, etc. Most book publishers will ask you to really think hard about who will buy your book, who will read it, who you are writing for. These days, most editors want to know this: WHAT VALUE WILL YOUR WORK BRING TO MY PUBLICATION? In other words, how will your story reach my readers – and get me more readers.
mynews@school: When did you first discover that you were good at writing and how did you know?
Minutgalio: Not sure I’m good at it. (I’ve had plenty of critics tell me I’m not!). I like it and I always wanted to write for newspaper, magazines and books. One of my favorite writers when I was young was a newspaper columnist named Jimmy Breslin. I liked the way he would visit “ordinary people” – not famous people – and just hang out with them and write their stories. Those are called slice-of-life pieces – little windows into the worlds of real people. It was what I wanted to do. I was very, very lucky to have some editors who indulged me and who worked hard with me. A friend of mine once said that if you are insecure about your writing, it means you are doing it the right way – you care enough to worry about it. You can decide if you are good at writing in two ways: You tell yourself you are good . . . or other people tell you that your work is good.
mynews@school: What are the elements of good writing?
Minutgalio: There are a lot of them – and each story is different. But, generally, I would say that you need to have vivid writing (no clichés, no over-heated writing), colorful writing, dialog, a sense of events unfolding – you need some action in your stories. You need details, specifics, what I call “intimate details” – about the people you write about, about the places you write about. You have to “show the reader, don’t tell the reader” – show action unfolding, don’t tell readers that action is unfolding. Think of your stories as movies – with plot, color, mood, dialog, action. I love writing that has very specific details – and then can weave in Big Picture issues, thoughts, beliefs. I call it the marriage of the Micro & the Macro in your writing. You have details – and you have a sweep.
mynews@school: What are your recommendations for becoming a great writer?
Minutgalio: Writing is like riding a bike – you get better by doing it over and over again. Your writing improves by reading. Study the publications where you want your work to appear and study how the writers did their stories. Think, hard, about creating an outline of how you would structure your story. One simple thing is to gather as many “intimate details” as you can when you are doing your reporting: Look for specifics, look for dialog, make sure you really bring people to life – and that you really draw a picture of where events take place. And, as always, ask a friend to read your work --- see what they recommend. Finally, think outside the box – say to yourself, how do I make this story as fresh as possible, how do I do it in a new way, an interesting way, a way that will keep people reading? Stephen King says the scariest part of writing is just before you begin. Gay Talese says the pursuit of good writing is like driving with the lights turned off. Norman Mailer and others have said the secret to being a writer is . . . to go to your desk and begin writing. H.L. Mencken says it is a very, very lonely profession.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
HCMS -- Week of October 27th
School/Grade: Hill Country Middle School (8th Grade Drama)
Headline: “KXAN Returns to Cable”By line/Author: Diane Holloway
Date Story Published: Thursday October 30th
Section of Newspaper: Front PagePage
Number Story Begins On: A1
Criteria for Selection: They are all excited about getting to watch “The Office” and “SNL” again.
The students were immediately interested in the front page news that announced their favorite T.V. shows would be back on air. They also wanted to talk about the World Series, and the Phillies triumph.
Their favorite picks were…
-- Feature: “Field Trip of Tormented Young Writers” (Pg 18 in the XL)
The students were really excited about the cool makeup featured in the story.
Some of them expressed wishes to start their own haunted house.
-- Column: “Design writers keep the tips practical” by Melanie Spencer
(Life and Arts Pg 1) They applied the ideas in the article to their lives.
-- Editorial: “How did attack story pass bloggers sniff test” by Leonard Pitts Jr.
(Pg. A13)
They thought it was interesting that someone who was “so out of control could get so much publicity”. They were curious why and how someone could do that sort of thing. It was interesting to hear the students discuss things that one might do to get attention at home vs. at school or even in their public lives and how much trouble they could get in for doing these things.
Headline: “KXAN Returns to Cable”By line/Author: Diane Holloway
Date Story Published: Thursday October 30th
Section of Newspaper: Front PagePage
Number Story Begins On: A1
Criteria for Selection: They are all excited about getting to watch “The Office” and “SNL” again.
The students were immediately interested in the front page news that announced their favorite T.V. shows would be back on air. They also wanted to talk about the World Series, and the Phillies triumph.
Their favorite picks were…
-- Feature: “Field Trip of Tormented Young Writers” (Pg 18 in the XL)
The students were really excited about the cool makeup featured in the story.
Some of them expressed wishes to start their own haunted house.
-- Column: “Design writers keep the tips practical” by Melanie Spencer
(Life and Arts Pg 1) They applied the ideas in the article to their lives.
-- Editorial: “How did attack story pass bloggers sniff test” by Leonard Pitts Jr.
(Pg. A13)
They thought it was interesting that someone who was “so out of control could get so much publicity”. They were curious why and how someone could do that sort of thing. It was interesting to hear the students discuss things that one might do to get attention at home vs. at school or even in their public lives and how much trouble they could get in for doing these things.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Engaging Stories Choices
My students found it easier to respond to the question about stories they found engaging than they did about stories that should be leads. Some students still did not read at all, unfortunately; but I'm not giving up hope yet! Hopefully, the lively conversations we had as a class regarding some of the stories students found in the paper will encourage the non-readers to try harder to read the paper when asked to do so.
Engaging Stories:
"Give it a whirl"
Section E page 1
Life and Arts
by Pam LeBlanc--Fit City Column
This article caught and held students' attention because of the pictures of the crazy bikes. They had a big debate about whether or not the shoe-tire bike could actually work and whether or not you could flip all the way over on the scorpion bike while pedaling.
"Slave descendant's milestone: at 109 a vote for Obama"
Section B page 1
by Joshua Sanders
Each student that found this story said that what initially intrigued them was the picture of Amanda Jones on the front page ("because she looked so old" as my students put it).
Then, they were drawn to the article because of the headline about a 109-year-old woman. Some of them also thought it was fascinating that her father had been born into slavery, while she was able to cast a ballot for Obama. Interestingly, one student could not see why this was news at all. I would love to explore his reaction in more depth, but he was absent today.
"UT-Tech tilt looms large in Lubbock: Gameday heads to Plains for first time as UT hype builds"
section C page 1
by Suzanne Halliburton
Most of my male students immediately went to the sports section and found whatever they could read about the Longhorns. They said they were drawn to the BCS standings box and the picture of the UT players huddled together in an action shot.
"Man charged in death at club: Shooting bouncer is 2nd fatal incident as La Rumba Disco this year"
Section B page 1
by Laura Heinauer
Students were struck by the detail in the article that this was the 20th murder in Austin in 2008. Many of them live near this club and so the headline caught their attention.
As you can tell, many of my students seem hesitant to look past the first page of each section. I think next week I'm going to change my strategy somewhat.
Jessica Mitchell
Special Education English and Reading
Austin High School
Engaging Stories:
"Give it a whirl"
Section E page 1
Life and Arts
by Pam LeBlanc--Fit City Column
This article caught and held students' attention because of the pictures of the crazy bikes. They had a big debate about whether or not the shoe-tire bike could actually work and whether or not you could flip all the way over on the scorpion bike while pedaling.
"Slave descendant's milestone: at 109 a vote for Obama"
Section B page 1
by Joshua Sanders
Each student that found this story said that what initially intrigued them was the picture of Amanda Jones on the front page ("because she looked so old" as my students put it).
Then, they were drawn to the article because of the headline about a 109-year-old woman. Some of them also thought it was fascinating that her father had been born into slavery, while she was able to cast a ballot for Obama. Interestingly, one student could not see why this was news at all. I would love to explore his reaction in more depth, but he was absent today.
"UT-Tech tilt looms large in Lubbock: Gameday heads to Plains for first time as UT hype builds"
section C page 1
by Suzanne Halliburton
Most of my male students immediately went to the sports section and found whatever they could read about the Longhorns. They said they were drawn to the BCS standings box and the picture of the UT players huddled together in an action shot.
"Man charged in death at club: Shooting bouncer is 2nd fatal incident as La Rumba Disco this year"
Section B page 1
by Laura Heinauer
Students were struck by the detail in the article that this was the 20th murder in Austin in 2008. Many of them live near this club and so the headline caught their attention.
As you can tell, many of my students seem hesitant to look past the first page of each section. I think next week I'm going to change my strategy somewhat.
Jessica Mitchell
Special Education English and Reading
Austin High School
Monday, October 27, 2008
Lead Story Choices from 10/20/08
S.F. Austin High School, 9th grade (Resource) Basic English I.
Lead Story Selections for 10/20/2008:
(Sorry, I failed to record exact headlines and authors last week but have done so for this week's selections.)
1. Students were particularly interested in UT's #1 ranking and their resounding win over Missouri. They did not pick a particular article to be the lead story for this topic but thought that a front-page headline about the #1 ranking would be appropriate. Section C1, 10/24/08
2. My students are absolutely fascinated by all things electronic. They quickly decided the article about the cell phone's 25th birthday should be a lead story and should go into more detail comparing the difference in price, weight, and technological abilities of cell phones in 1984 versus today. Section D, page 1, Monday 10/24
3. Finally, students enjoyed reading about the Maker Faire from section E page 1 on 10/24 (the picture initially caught their attention--people riding what looked like bicycles suspended from poles with bungee cords). Though they did not think the article talking about the event after it had occurred should be the lead story, they did express disappointment that they did not know the fair was going to happen. This disappointment led to their decision that a lead story advertising the fair before it happened would have been nice.
In more general terms, I'm still working on having every student read the newspaper and then carry on conversations about what they have read. All of my students have significant reading disabilities and are so used to not being able to understand what they read that they hesitate to try anymore. It's interesting to see the really disenchanted ones immediately turn to pages of electronics advertisements or the comic strips. Others assume they have "read" an article simply by looking at a picture associated with the article.
So far, this experience has reinforced for me the sad fact that my students are incredibly isolated from what's going on in the world due (at least in part) to their low reading skills. Hopefully, over the next few weeks, they'll become more comfortable with the newspaper and will realize that they can gather information from the paper even if they don't necessarily understand all the words. I'm also hoping to see an increase in their curiosity about world events as they continue to participate in (or at least listen to) weekly discussions with their peers. We'll see...
--Jessica Mitchell
Special Education English and Reading
Austin High School
Lead Story Selections for 10/20/2008:
(Sorry, I failed to record exact headlines and authors last week but have done so for this week's selections.)
1. Students were particularly interested in UT's #1 ranking and their resounding win over Missouri. They did not pick a particular article to be the lead story for this topic but thought that a front-page headline about the #1 ranking would be appropriate. Section C1, 10/24/08
2. My students are absolutely fascinated by all things electronic. They quickly decided the article about the cell phone's 25th birthday should be a lead story and should go into more detail comparing the difference in price, weight, and technological abilities of cell phones in 1984 versus today. Section D, page 1, Monday 10/24
3. Finally, students enjoyed reading about the Maker Faire from section E page 1 on 10/24 (the picture initially caught their attention--people riding what looked like bicycles suspended from poles with bungee cords). Though they did not think the article talking about the event after it had occurred should be the lead story, they did express disappointment that they did not know the fair was going to happen. This disappointment led to their decision that a lead story advertising the fair before it happened would have been nice.
In more general terms, I'm still working on having every student read the newspaper and then carry on conversations about what they have read. All of my students have significant reading disabilities and are so used to not being able to understand what they read that they hesitate to try anymore. It's interesting to see the really disenchanted ones immediately turn to pages of electronics advertisements or the comic strips. Others assume they have "read" an article simply by looking at a picture associated with the article.
So far, this experience has reinforced for me the sad fact that my students are incredibly isolated from what's going on in the world due (at least in part) to their low reading skills. Hopefully, over the next few weeks, they'll become more comfortable with the newspaper and will realize that they can gather information from the paper even if they don't necessarily understand all the words. I'm also hoping to see an increase in their curiosity about world events as they continue to participate in (or at least listen to) weekly discussions with their peers. We'll see...
--Jessica Mitchell
Special Education English and Reading
Austin High School
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Forbes Middle School-Georgetown/8th grade Language Arts
Headline- Killer Facing Execution says lawyer botched case
Byline- By Chuck Lindell
Date-Thursday October 23, 2008
Section- Metro (B)
Page #- B and B5
The students felt that this story was very intriguing as it was about a child killer who wasn't executed, because he was noted as being mentally retarded. They noted that the engaging details would have encouraged them to make it the lead story.
We had issues with the number of papers that we received and are still working out some kinks with focused discussion. The students are interested, however I have had trouble keeping their attention. I think that this week should be easier, since they have participated for several weeks now and are buying into the program.
-Dana Schlabach
Headline- Killer Facing Execution says lawyer botched case
Byline- By Chuck Lindell
Date-Thursday October 23, 2008
Section- Metro (B)
Page #- B and B5
The students felt that this story was very intriguing as it was about a child killer who wasn't executed, because he was noted as being mentally retarded. They noted that the engaging details would have encouraged them to make it the lead story.
We had issues with the number of papers that we received and are still working out some kinks with focused discussion. The students are interested, however I have had trouble keeping their attention. I think that this week should be easier, since they have participated for several weeks now and are buying into the program.
-Dana Schlabach
Friday, October 24, 2008
October 24 -- Lead Story / Ammenheuser class
I was surprised by how well my young 3rd graders responded to our discussion today. At first I was worried because they have a hard time understanding all the ideas and concepts in the articles -- vocabulary is WAY above their level. But they are learning to get the big idea of the story from the title and we are kind of going with that.
We decided that a lead story should have the following criteria:
* Important to America
* Needs to have information that we need to be aware of, or that will help us (being safe, our health, etc.)
* Needs to be something that isn't an everyday occurrence
* Needs to catch people's attention and be interesting -- has action
* The title needs to be interesting and BOLD so people will read it
We had 3 stories that came from our small group discussion that we thought should be the lead story:
School/Grade: 3rd grade / Mills Elementary
Headline: McCain turns to other "Joes" to criticize Obama's tax plan
Byline/Author: Elisabeth Bumiller and Jeff Zeleny
Date Story Published: 10/24/08
Section of Newspaper: Front section
Page Number Story Begins On: page 1
Criteria for Selection: This matters to the country and everyone needs to know about it because of the upcoming election. People might not read it because it is at the bottom.
School/Grade: 3rd grade / Mills Elementary
Headline: Frat Must Pay Millions
Byline/Author: Tony Plohetski and Claire Osborn
Date Story Published: 10/24/08
Section of Newspaper: Front section
Page Number Story Begins On: Page 1
Criteria for Selection: This does not happen often so it is big news. It talks about law issues and people need to know about it so they don't get involved with this fraternity and they learn to be safer
School/Grade: 3rd grade / Mills Elementary
Headline: Man Gets Probation in Killing
Byline/Author: Steven Kreytak
Date Story Published: 10/24/08
Section of Newspaper: Metro/State
Page Number Story Begins On: page 1
Criteria for Selection: Everyone needs to be aware of this man and how dangerous he is. It should be the lead story on the front page, not in the Metro/State section
We decided that a lead story should have the following criteria:
* Important to America
* Needs to have information that we need to be aware of, or that will help us (being safe, our health, etc.)
* Needs to be something that isn't an everyday occurrence
* Needs to catch people's attention and be interesting -- has action
* The title needs to be interesting and BOLD so people will read it
We had 3 stories that came from our small group discussion that we thought should be the lead story:
School/Grade: 3rd grade / Mills Elementary
Headline: McCain turns to other "Joes" to criticize Obama's tax plan
Byline/Author: Elisabeth Bumiller and Jeff Zeleny
Date Story Published: 10/24/08
Section of Newspaper: Front section
Page Number Story Begins On: page 1
Criteria for Selection: This matters to the country and everyone needs to know about it because of the upcoming election. People might not read it because it is at the bottom.
School/Grade: 3rd grade / Mills Elementary
Headline: Frat Must Pay Millions
Byline/Author: Tony Plohetski and Claire Osborn
Date Story Published: 10/24/08
Section of Newspaper: Front section
Page Number Story Begins On: Page 1
Criteria for Selection: This does not happen often so it is big news. It talks about law issues and people need to know about it so they don't get involved with this fraternity and they learn to be safer
School/Grade: 3rd grade / Mills Elementary
Headline: Man Gets Probation in Killing
Byline/Author: Steven Kreytak
Date Story Published: 10/24/08
Section of Newspaper: Metro/State
Page Number Story Begins On: page 1
Criteria for Selection: Everyone needs to be aware of this man and how dangerous he is. It should be the lead story on the front page, not in the Metro/State section
Chattering or Silence? How did your students respond to discussing the news?
When my journalism students are working in groups, I love to listen in. Most of the time, it's music to my ears because they're having lively discussions about the topic at hand. What was your experience in your classes this week? Did your students really get into discussing the news or were they bored? What story did they decide should be the lead story if they were editor? Why? Was everyone in agreement or were there debates about which story deserved to be the lead? What recommendations do you have for next week's discussion? Let us hear from you!
Paula Poindexter
UT School of Journalism
Paula Poindexter
UT School of Journalism
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Mrs. Ammenheuser's 3rd grade class
I have had problems posting to the blog, and was only able to post when I logged on with the main user id and password.
My students (3rd graders) had a great discussion during our first meeting this past Friday. We spent about 15 minutes reading the newspaper and then talked in our small groups about what we felt was important to us and why.
The students really felt like the drug awareness rally was important to them since the awareness campaign was aimed towards young people. In addition, they have enjoyed learning about the presidential election and felt that the debate was important since they are voting in our mock presidential election this week at school.
My students (3rd graders) had a great discussion during our first meeting this past Friday. We spent about 15 minutes reading the newspaper and then talked in our small groups about what we felt was important to us and why.
The students really felt like the drug awareness rally was important to them since the awareness campaign was aimed towards young people. In addition, they have enjoyed learning about the presidential election and felt that the debate was important since they are voting in our mock presidential election this week at school.
Monday, October 20, 2008
mynews@school Week of Oct. 20
To: mynews@school Teachers
From: Paula Poindexter
Good morning!
Today begins the week of October 20 when we turn our attention to the lead story and the front page. The attached Q&A with Fred Zipp, the editor of the Austin American-Statesman, will give you and your students insight into how editors use the front page to signal to readers what is important. This Q&A will also serve as context as your students read and discuss the stories in the newspaper. It will be interesting to see how the criteria they use for picking what they think should be the lead story compares with what the editor said.
Please remember to follow this week's activity, including free reading of the newspaper, group discussion, and student-led class discussion. The story that your students pick as the lead story and their criteria for selection should be e-mailed to me at ppoin@aol.com and posted at http://mynewsatschool.blogspot.com/. Please use the format below for your students' pick for lead story:
School/Grade:
Headline:
Byline/Author:
Date Story Published:
Section of Newspaper:
Page Number Story Begins On:
Criteria for Selection:
Please confirm that you have received this e-mail.
Have a great week!
Paula Poindexter
mynews@school
School of Journalism
University of Texas at Austin
From: Paula Poindexter
Good morning!
Today begins the week of October 20 when we turn our attention to the lead story and the front page. The attached Q&A with Fred Zipp, the editor of the Austin American-Statesman, will give you and your students insight into how editors use the front page to signal to readers what is important. This Q&A will also serve as context as your students read and discuss the stories in the newspaper. It will be interesting to see how the criteria they use for picking what they think should be the lead story compares with what the editor said.
Please remember to follow this week's activity, including free reading of the newspaper, group discussion, and student-led class discussion. The story that your students pick as the lead story and their criteria for selection should be e-mailed to me at ppoin@aol.com and posted at http://mynewsatschool.blogspot.com/. Please use the format below for your students' pick for lead story:
School/Grade:
Headline:
Byline/Author:
Date Story Published:
Section of Newspaper:
Page Number Story Begins On:
Criteria for Selection:
Please confirm that you have received this e-mail.
Have a great week!
Paula Poindexter
mynews@school
School of Journalism
University of Texas at Austin
Friday, October 17, 2008
Our Pick for Lead Story (School Name)
To: mynews@school Teachers
From: Paula Poindexter
When you post your pick for lead story during week of October 20, please follow this format:
School/Grade:
Headline:
Byline/Author:
Date Story Published:
Section of Newspaper:
Page Number Story Begins On:
Criteria for Selection:
From: Paula Poindexter
When you post your pick for lead story during week of October 20, please follow this format:
School/Grade:
Headline:
Byline/Author:
Date Story Published:
Section of Newspaper:
Page Number Story Begins On:
Criteria for Selection:
Q and A with Editor: Front Page
mynews@school Q&A with Fred Zipp,
Editor of the Austin American-Statesman
mynews@school: What is the front page and why is this section of the newspaper treated with such high regard?
Editor: The front page is the first page of the newspaper, and it’s the face that we show the world every morning. As such, it reflects our values and judgments about the most important and most interesting news of the day. It also serves a marketing function; it allows us to promote stories inside the newspaper.
mynews@school: Is the front page unique to newspapers or is there an equivalent in other news media (TV news, online news, cable news, news magazines, radio news)?
Editor: Print and online publications have covers and home pages that serve the same functions.
mynews@school: In general, what are you trying to accomplish with the front page in terms of what’s important and the mix of stories?
Editor: We’re a local news organization in an environment where most non-local news is widely available from many different sources. So we focus on local stories on the front page as a way of making clear to readers the difference we bring to the competitive scene. We define local broadly; it can mean a story about an Austin person doing something important or interesting elsewhere just as well as an Austin city government story. We also try to include a “reader,” or a story that’s notable primarily for its ability to fascinate or charm.
mynews@school: What specific criteria, if any, do you use to determine what stories make it to the front page?
Editor: We do not have a checklist of specific criteria.
mynews@school: Are there certain types of stories or story formats that would never be published on the front page?
Editor: There are not.
mynews@school: How do you use the layout of the front page to tell readers which stories are important?
Editor: Typography is our most important cue; we signal hierarchy by the visual weight of the headlines on the page. Generally, we use placement on the page as well; the higher on the page a story appears, the more important we think it is.
mynews@school: How important are photographs on the front page? Why?
Editor: Photos are critical. Studies show that most readers tend to look at photos first as their eyes sweep around the page in a clockwise direction from top right. Photos also help establish a dynamic, energetic quality that we seek. They also give readers a feeling for how we view, literally, the area we cover.
mynews@school: Who decides the lead story and what criteria do you use to make that decision?
Editor: The slot, or person running the production operation, makes the decision in collaboration with the managing editor and other top editors. The lead story is the one we deem most significant. Usually, we’re looking for either the most important event or the most revealing piece of reporting available.
mynews@school: At what time of day is that decision made and why is the decision made then?
Editor: The decision is made about 4 p.m. so that we can proceed with putting the paper together. We can change our plan up to about the middle of the press run, which generally means about 1 a.m.
mynews@school: What does the editor do and what path did you take to become editor of the Austin American-Statesman?
Editor: The editor is responsible for all facets of newsroom operation at the policy-making, goal-setting level and then works with colleagues to translate various plans into action. I started as a reporter, working a variety of assignments, then progressed through assigning editor jobs working with reporters. Along the way, I did a couple of stints as a copy/production editor. Since about 1991, I have worked as a department head, assistant managing editor and managing editor.
mynews@school: What principles guide you as the editor of the Austin American-Statesman?
Editor: We need to be the most trusted news source in Central Texas. That requires speed, accuracy and, most of all, credibility. We build credibility by demonstrating daily that we understand our community and report on it fairly, celebrating its successes and probing failures.
mynews@school: What do you most love about newspapers?
Editor: The variety of experiences the work offers.
# # #
Editor of the Austin American-Statesman
mynews@school: What is the front page and why is this section of the newspaper treated with such high regard?
Editor: The front page is the first page of the newspaper, and it’s the face that we show the world every morning. As such, it reflects our values and judgments about the most important and most interesting news of the day. It also serves a marketing function; it allows us to promote stories inside the newspaper.
mynews@school: Is the front page unique to newspapers or is there an equivalent in other news media (TV news, online news, cable news, news magazines, radio news)?
Editor: Print and online publications have covers and home pages that serve the same functions.
mynews@school: In general, what are you trying to accomplish with the front page in terms of what’s important and the mix of stories?
Editor: We’re a local news organization in an environment where most non-local news is widely available from many different sources. So we focus on local stories on the front page as a way of making clear to readers the difference we bring to the competitive scene. We define local broadly; it can mean a story about an Austin person doing something important or interesting elsewhere just as well as an Austin city government story. We also try to include a “reader,” or a story that’s notable primarily for its ability to fascinate or charm.
mynews@school: What specific criteria, if any, do you use to determine what stories make it to the front page?
Editor: We do not have a checklist of specific criteria.
mynews@school: Are there certain types of stories or story formats that would never be published on the front page?
Editor: There are not.
mynews@school: How do you use the layout of the front page to tell readers which stories are important?
Editor: Typography is our most important cue; we signal hierarchy by the visual weight of the headlines on the page. Generally, we use placement on the page as well; the higher on the page a story appears, the more important we think it is.
mynews@school: How important are photographs on the front page? Why?
Editor: Photos are critical. Studies show that most readers tend to look at photos first as their eyes sweep around the page in a clockwise direction from top right. Photos also help establish a dynamic, energetic quality that we seek. They also give readers a feeling for how we view, literally, the area we cover.
mynews@school: Who decides the lead story and what criteria do you use to make that decision?
Editor: The slot, or person running the production operation, makes the decision in collaboration with the managing editor and other top editors. The lead story is the one we deem most significant. Usually, we’re looking for either the most important event or the most revealing piece of reporting available.
mynews@school: At what time of day is that decision made and why is the decision made then?
Editor: The decision is made about 4 p.m. so that we can proceed with putting the paper together. We can change our plan up to about the middle of the press run, which generally means about 1 a.m.
mynews@school: What does the editor do and what path did you take to become editor of the Austin American-Statesman?
Editor: The editor is responsible for all facets of newsroom operation at the policy-making, goal-setting level and then works with colleagues to translate various plans into action. I started as a reporter, working a variety of assignments, then progressed through assigning editor jobs working with reporters. Along the way, I did a couple of stints as a copy/production editor. Since about 1991, I have worked as a department head, assistant managing editor and managing editor.
mynews@school: What principles guide you as the editor of the Austin American-Statesman?
Editor: We need to be the most trusted news source in Central Texas. That requires speed, accuracy and, most of all, credibility. We build credibility by demonstrating daily that we understand our community and report on it fairly, celebrating its successes and probing failures.
mynews@school: What do you most love about newspapers?
Editor: The variety of experiences the work offers.
# # #
mynews@school Week of Oct. 13 Activities
Week of October 13, 2008: First delivery of classroom set of newspapers.
1. Students complete questionnaire before distribution of newspapers.
2. Organize students into mynews@school groups-4 to 5 students per group.
3. Warm-up/practice-run of how news discussions will proceed. This procedure will be fine-tuned but the free reading, group discussion, and class discussion should always be the foundation.
4. Distribute newspapers with each student receiving a newspaper.
5. Students have 10 minutes of free reading of the newspaper.
6. For 5 minutes, students discuss stories that they found engaging and the reasons why.
7. For 5 minutes, have student-led class discussion on most engaging stories and the reasons why.
1. Students complete questionnaire before distribution of newspapers.
2. Organize students into mynews@school groups-4 to 5 students per group.
3. Warm-up/practice-run of how news discussions will proceed. This procedure will be fine-tuned but the free reading, group discussion, and class discussion should always be the foundation.
4. Distribute newspapers with each student receiving a newspaper.
5. Students have 10 minutes of free reading of the newspaper.
6. For 5 minutes, students discuss stories that they found engaging and the reasons why.
7. For 5 minutes, have student-led class discussion on most engaging stories and the reasons why.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
mynews@school orientation documents
Welcome to mynews@school!
Hi everyone!
Welcome to mynews@school!
Here's a powerpoint file to illustrate how to create a post here on mynews@school.
Please email your email address to the site administrator:
site administrator: mynewsatschool@gmail.com
Welcome to mynews@school!
Here's a powerpoint file to illustrate how to create a post here on mynews@school.
Please email your email address to the site administrator:
site administrator: mynewsatschool@gmail.com
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