In your own words
Going on with your role as a reporter, in this part of the project, you are going to write down your own news story based on a past fact. Then, with your classmates, you will present orally a news report.
At the end of this section, you will have:
- Learnt about relevant contents in a news story.
- Written a news story
- Researched important facts about a relevant person or event in history.
- Designed a timeline.
- Presented your news report about a fact or person in history.
As you already know, newspapers include stories based on a lot of different topics. What kind of news are you interested in?
The activities presented below will help you plan and develop your news story. We suggest that you start checking some "Tips for a good news story".
Previous activities: planning your news report
- Activity 1: Discussing current topics
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You will start this section by discussing with your classmates on the topics that are the most important to you all.
Click on the headings below and choose one or two topics on which you would like to write your news story. Say why you would like to write on those topics.
Science
Your story may be about experiments that students are doing at your school or about global warming, natural disasters, new cures for diseases, etc.
Sport
You may interview sportspeople or report about a school competition, the last championship you have followed, the Olympic games, etc.
Culture & Entertainment
Here you can write about concerts that have taken place at your school or somewhere else. Also, about art exhibitions or about any other activities that people do in their free time.
Economics & Social Issues
Your inspiration can be found in how teenagers spend their money and the activities they can afford according to the money they have. To a bigger scale, you may refer to the economic crisis in your country or to the richest or poorest countries in the world.
Technology
You can write about inventions and new electronic devices that make people's lives easier. You may also refer to technology-related projects that students are carrying out at your school.
Politics
Your news story can be based on international or local politicians and the important things they are doing to improve society.
Maybe, you are interested in other topics. If so, tell your teacher
- Activity 2: Identifying topics
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Enter the newsinlevels site and choose three news stories. Read and relate each news story with one of the topics mentioned above. Compare the news you have chosen with your partner's. Then comment on how much you have understood each news story.
- Activity 3: Working on headlines
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Let us now work on headlines. They present the news story using clear and concise language. Enter the BBC website and check some headlines for different news. Here, you will be able to differentiate what's new from what it isn't.
Further speaking practice
Read the headlines below. With your classmates, imagine and comment on the content of each news story
Rare African Dinasour Bone Found
Macron Becomes French President
Princess Charlotte Turns Two
It is important that you learn about relevant contents for writing because you are going to plan and create your own news story in the mission below.
- Extra resources
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- Newspaper Games for kids site. Take the quiz and reflect on what a good headline should be like.
- Enter the Kiwi Kids news site and read more world-related news.
A head of a newspaper story or article usually printed in large type and giving the gist of the story or article that follows
- When planning your news story, consider to include the 5 Ws + How. See the News story organizer file to help you plan your writing task.
- Divide your text into paragraphs. Try to finish your news article with a quote or a catchy phrase.
- Check your news story wiith a checklist.
- Apart from relevant information, in your news story, you should include a headline and a byline, which is the reporter's name.
