Culminating Activity #1 – Short Story News Article
Building on our “Stop, Drop and Read” you will further your
“A news article, also called a news story, or just a story,
a real-life event, usually one that happened recently or is
News articles present a lot of information very quickly.”
Writing for Success
understanding.
tells you about
still going on.
Reading and
The Elements of a News Article (p. 71):
1. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
5. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
6. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
7. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
8. __________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
A news story aims to answer the W5 + H questions (p.75):






The inverted pyramid is used so that the essential facts are presented near the beginning of the
report. Paragraphs are independent of one another, and relatively complete in themselves.
Who?
What?
When? Why?
Where? How?
Details?
Other tips for writing a news story:
 use a “hook” in the lead paragraph or sub-heading to grab your reader’s attention
 decide upon your “slant”; do you want a strong bias to come through or are you trying to be
objective? is your slant positive or negative?
 include a picture relating to your story; provide a caption for it too
Your Task – Write a news story (minimum 3 paragraphs) based upon an event in one of the short stories
we have studied in class. Your news article must follow the writing process. You will have your article
peer edited by your classmates and you will reciprocate the favour. Your good copy (along with all of
your rough work) is due Friday October 4th.
For Example:
Wonderful Homecoming
Friday August 19th 2005, 12:03 am
45 children rescued from uninhabited Caribbean island
London (AP) - After many days of fear and loneliness 45 boys have been rescued from one of the uninhabited
Caribbean islands. One of the cruisers of the British navy saw smoke at the horizon and, only by chance,
discovered survivors from an airplane crash that happened one week ago. One naval officer reported that there
were no other people alive except for the 45 boys.
It’s more than one week ago that flight number 7741 (British Airways) disappeared from the flight control’s
radars. British Airways said that there had been no survivors because the plane had crashed in an area where
nothing, just water, existed. But a group of 45 small boys and teenagers could find a hiding place on a near
small island which wasn’t registered with the radar system.
On that island they built shelters and could find something to eat. The boys also lit a fire to be seen and rescued.
One naval officer reported that the boys were in a poor condition when he found them on the island, and that the
whole island was burning. But as the boys accounted, the situation was peaceful all the time, but that it got more
and more difficult to find food, which caused their bad condition.
Jack Merridew, the oldest of the boys, said that “all boys did a great job in finding ways to survive” and that “all
boys worked together and no one ever focused on other things than being rescued”.
Although the situation on the island seemed to be very calm, the boys, especially the smaller ones, are glad that
they can return to civilization and that now their parents can take care and responsibility for them again.
(Alexander)
For example:
AIRPLANE WITH PUPILS LOST! - On Saturday, 3rd July, a plane with 37 pupils started at
London Heathrow, with destination Australia. But up to date, three days later, the plane has still
not arrived in Melbourne. The parents of the missing children are worried and desperate. They
assume that the reason might probably be an accident. The plane, a sixty feet long Firebird A30,
is usually very reliable for long distance flights. Control Center states that they have not
received any signal or message from the pilot. Yesterday the British government sent out five
military jets to search the airplane and the pupils. Also, the Australian Air force participates in
searching but till now, without success. (THE SUN)
Editing Writing
Student Name:
Editor's Name:
Self
Yes No
1. I have used complete sentences.
2. I have avoided run-on sentences.
3. I avoided using contractions (E.g. didn't  did not).
4. I made sure that verbs agree with subjects and that I
have used tense consistently (e.g. "we are" not "we is").
5. I have included a headline, byline and place line.
6. I have used vivid language, facts and direct quotes.
7. My lead paragraph gives the most important info. and
my body paragraphs answer the 5W’s + H.
8. I used the correct Canadian spelling (E.g. "colour" not
"color").
9. I used the correct homophones (E.g. "their", "there",
and "they're").
10. I used proper punctuation throughout.
11. I capitalized the beginning of every sentence and
proper nouns.
Comments:
Peer
Yes No
Rubric CA #1
Overall: WRV.02D– identify the literary and informational forms suited to various purposes and audiences
and use the forms appropriately in their own writing, with an emphasis on adopting a suitable voice;
Specific: LI1.04D– use relevant, significant, and explicit information and ideas from texts to support
interpretations
WR2.01D– demonstrate an understanding of a range of literary and informational forms, … by using forms of
writing appropriate to different purposes and audiences;
WR2.02D– produce written work for a variety of purposes, with a focus on interpreting and analyzing
information, ideas, themes, and issues and supporting opinions with convincing evidence;
WR2.03D– considers the characteristics of the intended audience in selecting an appropriate form and
developing the content of written work;
WR2.04D– selects a voice and an appropriate level of language to suit the form, purpose, and audience of their
writing.
Achievement
Categories/
Criteria
Level 1
(50-59%)
Level 2
(60-69%)
Level 3
(70-79%)
Level 4
(80-100%)
- student
demonstrates a high
degree of
understanding of
form
- student
demonstrates a high
ability to use
information from the
original text
- student is able to
communicate with a
high degree of
purpose
- student applies
language conventions
with a high degree of
accuracy
- student applies the
writing process with a
high degree of
accuracy
Knowledge/
Understanding
Knowledge of form
(news article)
- student demonstrates
limited understanding of
form
- student
demonstrates some
understanding of
form
- student demonstrates
considerable
understanding of form
Thinking/
Inquiry
Assimilate information
from the original text
for support
Communication
Communicates for a
particular audience.
- student demonstrates
limited ability to use
information from the
original text
- student
demonstrates some
ability to use
information from the
original text
- student is able to
communicate with
moderate purpose
- student demonstrates
considerable ability to
use information from
the original text
Application
Application of language
conventions.
- student applies
language conventions
with limited accuracy
Application of the
writing process.
- student applies the
writing process with
limited accuracy
- student applies
language conventions
with moderate
accuracy
- student applies the
writing process with
moderate accuracy
- student applies
vocabulary and language
conventions with
considerable accuracy
- student applies the
writing process with
considerable accuracy
- student is able to
communicate with
limited purpose
- student is able to
communicate with
considerable purpose
Airplane with pupils lost!
Friday August 19th 2005, 12:06 am
Filed under: Creative Writing
AIRPLANE WITH PUPILS LOST! - On Saturday, 3rd July, a plane with 37 pupils started at London
Heathrow, with destination Australia. But up to date, three days later, the plane has still not arrived in
Melbourne. The parents of the missing children are worried and desperate. They assume that the reason might
probably be an accident. The plane, a sixty feet long Firebird A30, is usually very reliable for long distance
flights. Control Center states that they have not received any signal or message from the pilot. Yesterday the
British government sent out five military jets to search the airplane and the pupils. Also, the Australian Air
force participates in searching but till now, without success. (THE SUN)
(Fred)
Plane crash, 47 missing
Friday August 19th 2005, 12:05 am
Filed under: Creative Writing
46 children and one adult disappear without a trace - LONDON, MAY 25, 2005. - Airbus A80, flight
number LX1079 London – Sao Paulo disappeared from radar screens at about 3.25 am. Because of the failure of
an air traffic controller the accurate position of the vanishing cannot be determined. Experts estimate an area of
approximately thousands of square miles where the airplane could have smashed down. - The 47 passengers on
board - 46 children and 1 adult – were on their way to Sao Paulo, Brazil to take part in an exchange program of
students for three weeks when suddenly their airplane crashed. - Every attempt to contact the airplane has
failed. Air controller Michael G. had been asleep when the airplane disappeared from his radar screen at
London Heathrow airport. Besides the 46 pupils of St Paul’s School, London, there was only one adult on
board, pilot Samuel J. - He has been an exemplary pilot for over 25 years. This is why experts think technical
problems are a more probable explanation than human failure. - One of the conductive persons of the Rescue
unit said there was almost no hope of survivors and that he expects the airplane to have crashed into the Pacific
Ocean. It is almost impossible to survive such an accident. However, our source said everything was done to
find the children alive and that the search would continue until the airplane was found. - A ship has been sent to
the area for further examination – without any message of success yet.
(Roman)
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43 children rescued by naval officers
Friday August 19th 2005, 12:04 am
Filed under: Creative Writing
Three children dead - LONDON, September 02, 2005. - As reported on May 25th, the crashed Airbus A80
flight number LX1079 London – Sao Paulo disappeared without any trace. Many search-groups were looking
for the 47 vanished people. 43 children of the 46 could be rescued this week. The 47 passengers on board - 46
children and 1 adult – were on their way to Sao Paulo, Brazil when their airplane crashed for unknown reasons.
Experts are examining the wreck of the plane now to find possible answers for the crash. The pilot is still
missing and it is assumed that he is the only victim of the plane crash. All children have survived the crash but
after nominating a chief, quarrels started on the island for various conflicts and hostilities, later causing the
deaths of three children. Johnny, one of the youngest boys aged four, died after the children lost control of a
fire. Simon, who was known as a voice of wisdom, was beaten and stabbed to death by the other children
because they mistook him for a beast they believed in. His floating body was found by the rescue unit some
hours after the boys’ rescue. The third victim is Jason M., a boy the children used to call Piggy, and who is said
to have been the most intelligent boy on the island. His friends said yesterday that he was the only one who
could think step by step in every situation. Jason was hit by a great rock and fell into the ocean. After being
rescued from the formerly unknown and thus uninhabited island by naval officers who saw fire on the island,
the island has been named the Piggylies.
(Roman)