Introduction

This lesson was developed as part of Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123's Millennium Technology Mini-Grant.

This lesson was designed as a way of getting students to use current news both in print and online to write clear summaries.
Students will learn the components of a good summary, compare and contrast print and internet news articles, write news summaries, and finally use a specific historical event to create an original news story.

Content Area and Grade Level
This lesson was developed for a seventh grade language arts class and involves social studies and current events as well.  The lesson can easily be extended to eighth grade through high school.

Curriculum Standards
"News in Brief" addresses the following Illinois State Learning Standards for Junior High/Middle School students:

Language Arts
Benchmark 1C.3c - Compare, contrast, and evaluate ideas and information from various sources and genres.
Benchmark 3B.3a - Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
Benchmark 3C.3b - Using available technology, communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
Benchmark 5A.3a - Identify appropriate resources to solve problems or answer questions and genres.

This lesson will also fit into McGugan Junior High's Language Arts curriculum as it emphasizes expository reading and writing.

Implementation Overview

Discuss the innovation of online news. Predict how online news differs from print news. Use a Venn diagram to highlight differences.

Discuss the steps involved in summarizing a news event.
Demonstrate these steps by reading a news summary. "The Week in Review" news summaries from the New York Times are a good source.
Students will work in small groups to analyze news summaries. You may use a news summary worksheet to aid in the discussion.

Students will be paired off and the class will be divided into two groups. One group will use the internet to find an online news article of their choice and write a clear summary of the information.  The other group will use print news and follow the same procedure.  Copies of the news article must be attached to the summary worksheet. Groups will switch back and forth as computers become available. Based on project criteria, the final product should include a suitable headline, a summary in 100 words or less, and an accompanying picture that could be found or drawn.

After both student groups have completed their summaries, one from a print source and one from an online news source, students can add information to their Venn diagrams. Discuss the similarities and differences of news online vs. news in print. What are the advantages of news on-line? What is the future for print news?

Finally, every student will create a news summary based on a specific historical event. Print materials as well as internet resources may be used to research the event.  References must be cited. The final product should include a headline, a summary in 100 words or less, and a picture. (Students may create a final product in print or on the computer using word processing.)

Classroom Resources

paper, pens, pencils
copies of news summaries (one per student)
classroom blackboard
copies of newspapers
computers with Internet access
reference materials: history books, encyclopedias, etc.
construction paper
article summary worksheet
summary criteria
bibliography criteria for print and online references

Internet Resources

The New York Times Learning Network contains wonderful  daily lesson plans, crossword puzzles, teacher resources, etc. Some of the ideas from this lesson came from several lessons at this cite.

Glossary of newspaper terms - Journalism vocabulary that might be helpful when you are discussing newspapers.

Newseum: The Interactive Museum of News - This cite has some interesting information about newspapers in the past, present and future.

American Journalism Review NewsLink - This place will link you to online newspapers all over the world.

Entry Level Skills and Knowledge

Students will need to know how to write clear, well-organized paragraphs.
They also need to be familiar with the contents of a newspaper.

Teachers need to manage cooperative groups working with a limited number of computers.
They will need to be knowledgeable about newspaper formats both online and in print.

Evaluation
Students will be assessed based on their participation in class discussions, thoughtful response on worksheets, and three summaries which meet the criteria established.

Possible Variations
1. Students can write a letter to the editor clearly stating and supporting a position taken after reading an article.
2. Students retell a news story from the point of view of a participant in the story.
3. Students can create a journal with summaries tracing news coverage about an ongoing news story.
4. A local journalist could be invited to visit the classroom and discuss the requirements of a reporter's job.
5. Students can connect with a reporter online, asking specific questions about a reporter's job or an event in the news.
6. Students can combine their summaries into a classroom news magazine.
7. Students can research the history of the newspaper.

Conclusion
Students will have the opportunity to use current news to read and write expository examples of writing.  They will gain experience using a variety of reference materials including online technology.