Module 3 Getting to the Point–Writing a News Article

Goals for this Module:

¡¤        Reporting facts

¡¤        Avoiding ambiguity in writing

¡¤        Describing events in the past

¡¤        Answering ¡°wh/h¡± questions in writing

¡¤        Practice reporting information concisely

¡¤        Write a news article

 

Part I.  Idea Generating – News Sources

 

 

 

Exercise 1 (pair work) – Make a list of news sources and explain how the various sources are different from each other.  Which are easiest to access?  Which are most accurate?  Which are least biased?  Which have the most sensationalism?

                          

Exercise 2 (pair work) – Use the chart below to make a list of news categories. Provide an example of a news story for each category.

Example: Entertainment News  è Hyori Lee releases new album

Category

Example of story

1.

 

 

2.

 

 

3.

 

 

4.

 

 

5.

 

 

6.

 

 

7.

 

 

8.

 

 

9.

 

 

10.

 

 

 

 

Exercise 3 – Compare your list with other students¡¯ lists.

 

 

 

 

 

Part II. Analyzing a News Article

Reading 1—Read the following article and answers the questions.                                                                                                           

Child Responsible for Wildfire Disaster

Riverside CA — Officials blamed last week¡¯s wildfire that consumed more than 25,000 acres and destroyed 17 homes on a young girl playing with a cigarette lighter, and said they would ask a prosecutor to consider the case.

     The girl admitted to sparking the fire on Sept. 27, Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Amy Vanderbilt said Tuesday. Ferocious winds fueled the flames as it quickly spread.

     "She admitted to playing with her father¡¯s cigarette lighter and accidentally starting the fire," Vanderbilt said in a statement.

     Police did not release the girl's name. Riverside County fire Capt. Marcus Ferraro only would say that she was younger than 13.

     The girl was released to her parents, and the case will be presented to the district attorney's office, Vanderbilt said.  It was not clear if she had been arrested or cited by detectives.         

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Exercise 1 – Questions

1)      How do the paragraphs in this news article differ from the paragraph organization in Modules 1 and 2? Why are the paragraphs different in a news article?

 

2)      What is the purpose of the first sentence? What questions does it answer?

 

3)      Which sentences provide the most essential information? Which provide the least essential?

 

4)      In paragraph 4, why does the writer use ¡°would say¡± instead of ¡°said¡±?

 

5)      What do the words in bold mean?

 

 

Exercise 2 – Write one sentence on about one of the stories from Part 1, Exercise 2.

Try to answers Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How? about the story.