Name _________________________
Mr. Myer
Date __________________
Social Studies 7
American Revolution
NEWSPAPER PROJECT
Task:
Your group will be making a Revolutionary War period newspaper!! Each person in your group is now a
reporter. Each reporter is responsible for researching and writing an article on one of the following topics
from the Revolutionary War:
Biography, Life, Battles, Politics
I will provide you with your topic. Your job is to then research and develop an interesting “first-person”
account/report on your topic. Pretend you are living during the Revolutionary War and it is your job to report
the happenings back home to your fellow colonists!! Use the check list below to help you through the
process:
Step 1: Using library resources, research your topic by filling in the attached graphic organizer. Be sure to be
specific in your research and have a focus.
Step 2: Using the information from your organizer, write a “news worthy” article on your topic. Make sure to
include the: who, what, when, where, why, how. Your article should be interesting and informative!! Have
fun and be creative!!
- Come up with a unique headline for your story. It should be related to your article!
- Articles should be 1 full page in length (2 columns).
- Make sure articles are relevant and focused to the Revolutionary War period.
- Ask your editor (a.k.a. your teacher) to proofread before doing your final copy!
Step 3: Find and include pictures and/or political cartoons related to your topic. Hand drawn pictures are ok
also! If you are reporting on a battle a map would be an acceptable picture!
Step 4: Meet as a group decide (This will happen during class time):
-
Come up with a Title for your newspaper- be creative!! Possible ideas include the ___________ Times,
The ___________ Gazette, The ________________ Review. Try to use language from Colonial Times to
make it authentic!
-
Which story will be the “Front Page” news story (should be the biggest news!)
Decide on your newspaper layout design and put your paper together for presentation (typed or
handwritten is ok!)
Ask your editor for ideas /help!
Step 5: Hand in your project!
Newspaper Categories & Possible Topics:
Biography
Life
Battles
Gov’t /Politics
George Washington
Life as a Patriot
Bunker Hill
Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson
Life as a Loyalist/Torie
Battle of Saratoga
1st Continental Congress
Nathan Hale
African Americans in the war
Valley Forge
2nd Continental Congress
John Adams
Women in the War
Yorktown
Army Life (pay, uniforms, rank)
Betsy Ross
militia/ minutemen
Lexington
French Alliance
Ben Franklin
Spies of the Revolution
Fort Ticonderoga
Thomas Paine “Common Sense”
Benedict Arnold
War at Sea
Treaty of Paris
Phyllis Wheatley
War in the West/Frontier
Gen. Cornwallis
French Alliance
Lydia Darragh
Deborah Samson
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MY GROUP MEMBERS ARE:
_________________________________
MY TOPIC IS: ________________________
_________________________________
DUE DATE: _________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
RUBRIC- How you will be graded:
“GROUP EFFORT”
POINTS
EXPECTATIONS
50
40
30
20
10
Project is above and beyond teacher expectations, impressive work,
worked well with partners.
Satisfactory effort is exemplified in project, did equal amount of work as
partners.
Some effort is evident, project not complete to expectations of teacher,
problems with partner/s.
Little effort, absent 2+ days, little communication with partners.
Very little effort, far below teacher expectation, didn’t follow directions
“INDIVIDUAL ARTICLE/ EFFORT”
POINTS
EXPECTATIONS
50
40
30
20
10
More work shown than expected, Met all expectations, superior effort
apparent
Individual article was satisfactorily completed, is neat and easy to
understand, met all the tasks
Article did not meet all the requirements, historically incorrect
Article lacks detail and neatness, missing tasks
Project does not contain any detail, far below expectations