Episode 35 Activity 27th November 2012 Year in Review
Key Learning Students will explore various news stories presented by Behind the News throughout 2012, and then research and write their own news story presentation.
The Australian Curriculum > English / Literacy / Interpreting, analysing, evaluating Content description & elaboration General capabilities Use comprehension strategies to interpret and analyse information and ideas, Literacy comparing content from a variety of textual sources including media and digital Information and communication texts. Code ACELY1713 technology capability making connections between the text and students’ own experience Critical and creative thinking or other texts making connections between information in print and images Modes finding specific literal information Writing using prior knowledge and textual information to make inferences and Listening predictions Speaking asking and answering questions Reading finding the main idea of a text
Content description & elaboration
Understand that the coherence of more complex texts relies on devices that signal text structure and guide readers, for example overviews, initial and concluding paragraphs and topic sentences, indexes or site maps or breadcrumb trails for online texts. Code ACELA1763 analysing the structure of media texts such as television news items and broadcasts and various types of newspaper and magazine articles
Focus Questions 1. Describe a significant event that happened in 2012. 2. What was your favourite BtN story for 2012? Explain your answer. 3. What was big political news in Australia and overseas this year? 4. Choose a BtN story about an issue facing young people and briefly describe it. 5. What were some important moments in science? 6. Which BtN story had the biggest impact on you this year? Why? 7. What topics or issues would you like to see reported on BtN next year? 8. What do you think was the funniest moment on BtN this year? 9. Choose your top 5 stories from BtN this year. Briefly explain why you chose the stories. 10. What changes would you make to BtN?
©ABC 2012 Activity
Write your best memory of 2012 in the Behind the News guestbook http://www.abc.net.au/btn/. You can also tell the team what you thought about the show this year.
Choose your five favourite stories from BtN this year. To ensure there are a variety of stories, ask students to choose one from each of the following topics (for further topics visit BtN’s Teacher Inquiry Topics page http://www.abc.net.au/btn/topics.htm): Science Environment Health Animals
Once students have chosen their favourite stories from 2012, answer the following questions and then share with the class: Why did you choose these stories? Why do you think kids would be interested in these stories? Write a quiz question for two of the stories you chose. Write an online poll question.
Be a news reporter! What topics or issues would you like to have seen reported on BtN this year? Provide students with the opportunity to think and behave like a reporter. Discuss as a class what the following key words mean in relation to news writing. Ask students to check the meanings. Investigate Journalism Reporter Bias Opinion Fact Source
Organise an excursion to your local news broadcasting corporation or conduct online research to find out how a news story is produced. Alternatively take a look at BtN’s Behind BtN video http://www.abc.net.au/btn/ to get a behind the scenes look at news reporting.
Ask students to start a journal to record their findings, ideas and questions as they learn. Here are some areas of research that students may want to investigate. Where do you find your daily news? What other types of mediums can you find the news? What makes a story newsworthy? The Five W’s of Journalism are Who? What? When? Where? Why? – What do you think is meant by this phrase? How do these question starters help with the process of information gathering?
The media provide us with news stories from around the world. They keep us informed about the many aspects of life on our planet. In pairs or small groups ask students to work on researching, writing and preparing a news story. Students will prepare an outline for presenting the details of a current news story for a younger audience. Ask student to complete the following plan with details of their presentation.
Story Headline:
Type of Story (sports, politics etc):
Location (local, national or overseas):
©ABC 2012 People involved (includes their role in the story):
Story outline (notes) or script if for TV/radio (Who? What? When? Where? Why?):
Additional information:
Resources required for the presentation:
Students will need to consider how they communicate their story to enhance audience engagement and understanding. Students will need to consider how they adapt their news story for the medium they will be using. If you would like to create your own BtN style news visit the BtN website for some basic media assets to help you! http://www.abc.net.au/btn/teachers.htm
Further Investigations
Be a reporter! Learn to research and report on endangered species. http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/endangered_species/activities/reporter/index.asp
Write a number of general knowledge questions, with answers, relating to recent current affairs. Use them to organise a class general knowledge quiz.
8 Related Research Links Behind the News – Stories http://www.abc.net.au/btn/stories.htm
BBC News School Report – Quiz: Keeping news safe and legal http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/school_report/6447675.stm
BBC News School Report – Keeping your news safe and legal Teachers notes http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/school_report/resources_for_teachers/4779911.stm
©ABC 2012