Informational Text: Newspaper Project
Description of the task:
Read the newspaper. Choose a headline in the newspaper to analyze.
Cut out three related newspaper articles. Attach onto paper (glue).
Summarize each article in writing. Finally, compare and contrast the three
related articles. The subject must be the same for all three articles (Three articles on
the Space Shuttle. Sports are too general. It would have to be on one particular team and the articles must be on the same subject; a
Bind the articles and writings together (staple, etc.) This project
may be typed or neatly hand-written.
sports coach retiring.)
Goals of the task:
 To understand the format of a newspaper.
 To read, summarize, compare and contrast informational text.
 To become aware of current events.
Grading Rubric
Key Elements
Layout Format
Editing
Article Analysis
30
20
Completely followed
Almost no editing
mistakes
To some degree
A few mistakes
The writing is fully
developed and fulfills
all the requirements of
the task. It is complete
and accurate and
indicates a very good
understanding of the
article. It includes
relevant, supportive
details and information
from the text. Any
personal responses are
relevant to the task.
The writing is
adequately
developed and
fulfills most of
the requirements
of the task. It
provides some
relevant,
supportive
information from
the text.
10
Barely
Some mistakes,
but they don’t
affect meaning
much
The writing
includes a few
correct details,
but ideas may be
too general or
overly specific.
0
Directions not followed
Several errors; meaning is
affected
The writing has many
inaccuracies and
irrelevancies. Equal to a
blank paper.
Introduction:
1. Tell what you already knew about the topic before
reading the articles.
2. Explain why you picked this topic.
3. Explain the organizational structure of a newspaper
article. How is the information organized? What is
the sentence structure? How is the information
presented?
4. Is this topic international, national, or local?
5. How many people are affected by this topic?
6. Determine the significance of the topic. Why do you
think it made the news?
Article Analysis:
1. Name the newspaper that you found each article in.
2. Who wrote the articles?
3. What are the dates of the articles?
4. Each article must have a summary.
5. Compare and contrast all of the articles.
6. Explain the use of quotes in the articles.
7. Describe your reaction to each article. How did it
make you feel?