BICENTENNIAL MAN
NEWS REPORT ASSIGNMENT
DEADLINE:
INSTRUCTIONS:
ANDREW the android robot has just been declared a human
being by the United Nations. You are a reporter for a major
newspaper and must capture this breaking story. Using two
of the Seven Traits of Human Beings and two of Vanier’s
Five Principles of Humanity, you will write a news report
on Andrew’s declaration of humanity. To do this you will
need to include all the necessary parts of a news report.
YOUR FINAL ASSIGNMENT MUST INCLUDE:
•
•
•
•
•
A headline for your news report
A picture that is connected to your news report
A small explanation of the picture below the picture
The news report written in proper news report format
Two other forms of writing that you would find in a
newspaper on a second page (i.e. Classifieds, Deaths,
Comics, Weather, Horoscope, Editorials, Dear Abby –
Question Answer, Sports or anything else you think may
have had in a paper in the future.
HOW TO WRITE A NEWS REPORT
A
What happened? Who is involved?
I
Description of what happened,
what, when, where, why, how, and
the people involved.
F
More details, and the
reactions of
those invovled
O
?
The headline, caption
The important details
Less important details or elaboration or
important details through interviews
Other information can also be expressed
through implicit messages such as word and
selective information and quotes from people
THE A.I.F.O. FORMULA FOR DECONSTRUCTING ARTICLES
ATTENTION
An article must first get the reader’s attention. It does this primarily through the
Headline, which summarizes succinctly, and in an interesting way, the focus of the
article.
INTEREST
Getting the reader’s attention is only the first step. The “Five W’s” must be
addressed in the first few sentences of the article. When a person reads the headline
or sees a picture, he or she thinks, “What does this mean?”
FACTS AND EVIDENCE
The next thing the reader is looking for in the article are the main facts about the
issue being covered. The evidence regarding the event may also take the form of
statistics, quotations from eyewitnesses or opinions or expects.
OTHER INFORMATION
In some cases, the journalist may include an implicit (biases or slanted) judgement on
the event or person covered in the article
HOW TO CREATE COLUMNS ON MICROSOFT WORD
1.
2.
3.
4.
Type your article out
Highlight the text of the article
Go to Format Æ Columns
Choose how many columns you would like
Writing a News Report Rough Copy
Task: Write a news report based on the headline and picture on the next page.
•
You will have to make up the facts and information, answering some or all of the
following questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
•
You must relate your news report to both the headline and the picture.
Purpose and Audience: To report on an event for the readers of a newspaper
Length: The lined space provided for your written work indicates the approximate
length of the writing expected.
Rough Notes
Use the space below for rough notes.
Nothing you write in this space will be scored.
ANDREW THE ANDROID HAS
JUST BEEN DECLARED
A HUMAN BEING!
BICENTENNIAL MAN
NEWS REPORT ASSIGNMENT
EVALUATION RUBRIC
Criteria
Level 1
(50-59%)
Level 2
(60-69%)
Level 3
(70-79%)
Level 4
(80-100%)
FOCUS
Report not
focused:
Report does not
focus on one
main event
Report focused:
Considerable
focus in the
identification
and development
of the event
Sufficient:
Focus is
sufficiently
developed
through
supporting
details
Simple:
Ideas are
connected in a
simple or
mechanical way
Report highly
focused: Report
effectively
focuses on one
event
Supporting
Details
None:
No supporting
details or
unrelated details
are used to
develop focus
Report partly
focused: Some
focus in the
identification
and development
of the event
Insufficient:
Focus is not
sufficiently
developed by the
supporting
details
Organization
Random:
No apparent
connection
between ideas
Inconsistent:
Some but not all
ideas are
connected
Limited
knowledge of
format:
(Ex. Missing
headline, lead)
Some
knowledge of
format:
(Ex. Includes
headline, lead)
Considerable
knowledge of
format:
(Ex. interesting
headline, lead
and body)
Errors confuse:
Many errors
prevent clear
understanding
Errors distract:
Many errors
distract reader,
but information
can be
understood
Errors do not
distract:
May be several
errors, but they
do not impede
the reader
Limited
creativity and
development of
entries
Somewhat
creative and
some
development of
entry
Creative and
sufficient
development of
entry
Very creative
and highly
developed
No apparent
connection to
news report
Some
connection to
news report
Connects to and
compliments
news report
Very creative
and highly
compliments
news report
(can include
several aspects
of the event)
Conventions
(Spelling,
Grammar and
Punctuation)
Additional
Entries
Picture
Total
Substantial:
Focus is
substantially
developed by the
supporting
details
Rational:
Ideas are clearly
and smoothly
connected
Evaluation
Category
K/U
/10
T/I
/10
COM
/10
Excellent
knowledge of
format:
(Ex. Engaging and
interesting
headline, lead
and body)
Very few errors
APP/MC
/5
/10
/5
/50