NEWSPAPERSNEWSPAPERS ININ EDUCATIONEDUCATION Introductory Guide

www.montrealgazette.com/digital IN EDUCATION INTRODUCTORY GUIDE

Table of Contents

FOREWORD 1 THE 5 WS OF NIE - AND HOW

3 GETTING STARTED

6 ABOUT THE The purpose of the newspaper 6 Newspaper content 7 Newspaper writing styles 7 Hard News 7 Features 9 Opinion 11 Advertising 13 Discussion topics 17 Other introductory activities 20 22 SAMPLE ACTIVITIES BY SUBJECT Language Arts / Drama / History and Social Studies Geography / Moral Education / Math / Science Life Skills / Economics/Business / Art / Music

32 NEWSPAPER TERMINOLOGY

Adapted from the 1994 Gazette-in-Education guide of the same name, written and designed by Gary George, with sample activities by Ellen Laughlin and Lorena Morante Edited and revised by Ellen Laughlin Re-design by Laleah Tanguay Special thanks to the Canadian Newspaper Association for permission to adapt Great Beginnings, and to the Herald for permission to incorporate some of its online NIE material. FOREWORD

As the thousands of teachers who use newspapers in the classroom will tell you, the newspaper is an excellent addition to any curriculum and a valuable teaching tool for all grade levels.

This guide is designed to give you an overview of how to use newspapers in the classroom effectively. It includes background information about the newspaper, discussion topics and sample activities for a variety of subject areas.

For additional information and support services, contact the Gazette-in-Education department at (514) 987-2400, or online at: www.thegazetteineducation.com The 5 Ws of NIE – and How

WHAT is NIE? NIE is an acronym for Newspapers in Education. Newspapers throughout the world have The concept of using newspapers in the class- responded to the need for newspapers in the room is not new, of course. Teachers have been classroom by establishing an NIE department. creating newspaper-based activities and projects This department processes school subscriptions for years, often with very few resources other to both the printed newspaper and the than their own imagination, initiative and increasingly popular digital version, and determination to give their students the best oversees the creation and distribution of education possible. What is new is the fact that resource materials. The Gazette provides teachers now have a wealth of resources to draw services to hundreds of schools – and we’re just upon – through the newspaper industry itself. one of many newspapers involved with NIE.

WHO can use newspapers in the classroom? Virtually any teacher can use newspapers in class. small groups or large classes. There is something for The newspaper has a lot to offer, whether you teachers of virtually every subject – from language teach elementary, secondary or adult education and math to moral education and science. See courses. It can be used with individual students, page 22 for sample activities by subject.

WHEN can you use newspapers with your students? The newspaper can fit into your curriculum at virtually any time. You might, for instance: • introduce a separate two- or three-week • ask your students to collect subject-specific newspaper study unit clippings over a period of time • encourage free-time reading of the newspaper • designate one day a week as newspaper day, throughout the year and use the paper to teach everything from • lead a daily current-events discussion with your language arts and math to social studies and art students

1 The 5 Ws of NIE – and How

WHY use newspapers in the classroom? • Newspapers are one of the most motivational, • In addition to learning about specific subjects, cost-efficient and readily available teaching students who use newspapers in the classroom tools to be found. tend to improve in other areas such as language skills, critical thinking and general knowledge. • Newspapers provide students with information that is relevant, interesting and up to date. • Studies show that regular use of newspapers in class has a positive effect on students’ attitudes • Teaching with the newspaper provides some toward specific subjects, general school work dramatic results right from the start – students and the community at large. are always interested in doing something new. Once you have their attention, the sky is the limit!

WHERE in the newspaper can you find teaching material? The newspaper offers a wealth of useful material. Lessons can be based on any element of the newspaper, such as:

• headlines • lifestyles • local news • entertainment • national news • travel • world news • horoscopes • editorials • puzzles • letters to the editor • classified ads • opinion columns • display ads • editorial cartoons • photographs • business • lists and charts • weather • maps • comics • puzzles • sports • etc.

2 Getting Started

1. Order newspapers or online access for your class

Contact The Gazette to order newspapers and more. Online subscribers also have or arrange for online access to the digital access to other newspapers across version. Printed copies of The Gazette, the country. available for school delivery in the When using the print version, one newspaper area, may be more practical when computer for every two students is often enough in the access is limited and hands-on activities are early grades. Older students should each have preferred. The online edition is ideal when their own copy. For the digital edition, each a computer lab or in-class computers are student should ideally have computer access. available, and is invaluable in out-of-town Where this is not possible, students may work areas. The digital version of The Gazette in pairs or small groups, taking turns at class- contains everything in the printed edition, as room computers, or view newspaper pages well as extra features, summaries, archives, projected onto a screen. search capability, oral reading of each article

2. Start Small

Be careful not to overwhelm yourself or your students by tackling too much, too soon. It is best to start by getting students familiar with the newspaper itself. Provide enough time for you and your students to explore the newspaper thoroughly before moving on to the subject matter at hand. Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind during the introductory phase:

• Keep the first few activities short, simple and • If your students are using the online version teacher-directed. Initial activities should be for the first time, give them time to explore done by the whole class to ensure that every the many special features that make reading student is comfortable with the newspaper. and learning both easy and interesting. Make sure they know how to move from page to • Concentrate initially on the contents and page and section to section, use the table of writing styles of the newspaper. Talk with contents to preview articles, enlarge articles your students about the different sections and for easy reading, search the archives, listen to features, the variety of information to be found, news stories read aloud, print items of interest, the difference between fact and opinion, etc. and so on. (See Newspaper Writing Styles on page 7.) • Introduce appropriate topics for discussion • A scavenger hunt for specific items (weather about newspapers in general. (See Discussion map, index, classified ads, sports, comics, etc.) Topics on page 17.) is a great way to familiarize students with the newspaper. (See sample scavenger hunt on page 20.) 3 Getting Started

3. Use the newspaper to meet a variety of objectives Once your students have learned about the newspaper – i.e. once they are familiar with newspaper content and writing styles – they can begin to learn with the news- paper. In other words, they can use newspaper content to develop knowledge and skills in a wide variety of subject areas. (See Sample Activities by Subject beginning on page 22.)

The following are just a few of the skills that can be acquired through regular newspaper use:

• skimming/scanning • researching/fact finding • summarizing • critical reading and thinking • awareness of social issues • oral / silent reading • sequencing • comparing and contrasting • role playing / dramatization • creative writing • predicting outcomes • discussing issues and events • expressing understanding creatively

Remember that newspapers are a reflection of the adult world around us. Common sense and flexibility are essential when using newspapers in the classroom. Content that might be considered too controversial or adult in nature should be handled with discretion. Similarly, use your judgment to benefit from a teaching opportunity when it presents itself. For example, a relevant news story should be used because of its immediacy – the scheduled lesson can usually be rescheduled for another day.

4 Getting Started

4. Storage and handling of printed newspapers If you are using printed newspapers and want them to be used more than once, it is wise to store them in an orderly fashion. Stacking newspapers invariably leads to a messy pile. Here are a few methods to consider:

• Use boxes or crates with partitions and roll each newspaper into an individual slot. Milk crates or divided liquor store boxes are ideal. • String a clothesline under the blackboard and hang the newspapers over the line. • Hang the newspapers from a clothes rack. (Make sure it’s sturdy.) • Have each student sign his or her name to the newspaper used. Students are usually hesitant to return a messy copy with their name on it. • Allow sufficient time at the end of the class for students to reassemble their newspapers and store them properly.

Small children will need help in manipulating the newspaper. Here are a few ways to make it easier for them: • Staple the centerfold to avoid having the sections fall out. • Give students individual sections rather than the whole newspaper at once. • Teach them to “close cut” around material being taken from the newspaper; most of the page will stay intact if the clipping is done carefully. • To extend the life of a newspaper, save any cut-and-paste activities until you are just about finished with the newspaper – or until just prior to your next newspaper delivery.

5. Keeping Track You may wish to have your students compile a scrapbook or record book of assignments as they are completed. When the NIE teaching session is over, the scrapbooks become an excellent source of evaluation for you. Your students will end up with detailed, well-organized material for review – and a great memento of a fun-filled educational project. 5 About the Newspaper

The daily newspaper brings a world of possibilities into the classroom. To use the newspaper to its full potential, it is important that you and your students are familiar with its content and writing styles. This section is intended to provide you with a few newspaper “basics” and discussion topics to share with your class. Introductory activities are also included throughout the section.

1. The purpose of the newspaper

The newspaper serves a variety of purposes for its readers, most notably: • to inform • to entertain • to provide a forum for views and opinions • provide a marketplace for goods and services

ACTIVITY:

Divide a large sheet of paper into four sec- tions, labelled “Inform”, “Entertain”, “Express Opinion” and “Provide Marketplace”. In each section, list items from today’s newspaper that fulfill the purpose indicated. Be ready to explain your choices.

In addition, the newspaper serves the following newspapers investigate. Because reporters are functions: always asking questions and digging up facts, • The newspaper is a business. It is owned by it helps keep people honest. Newspapers also stockholders who expect to make a profit. It is print the “little guy’s” story, giving him a also a major employer in the community. chance to be heard. • The newspaper is a member of the community • Some people call newspapers the “unofficial in which it is published. What the community opposition” to governments. Newspapers thinks is important, right or wrong, good or report what government officials do and say, bad is reflected in the pages of the newspaper. and investigate policies and programs, and The newspaper also promotes and participates any wrong-doings or cover-ups. in many community projects and events. • Newspapers are “living textbooks.” They are a • The newspaper is a watch-dog for its readers source of information and learning. Newspapers and its community. When something is wrong, write about history – as it happens! 6 About the Newspaper

2. Newspaper content

In simple terms, newspaper content includes:

3. Newspaper writing styles

It is important for students to be aware of the different writing styles used in different parts of the newspaper. There’s more to the newspaper than hard facts – opinion plays a vital role as well. A worthwhile introductory activity for students at all levels is to look through the newspaper for good examples of each of the following writing styles. Other suggested activities are presented at the bottom of each category.

Hard news stories: facts Hard news stories provide the reader with the style of hard news writing ensures that if facts (Who, What, When, Where, Why and any facts are deleted they will be the least How) about an issue, event, person or topic. important ones. They may be local, regional, national or Also, not everyone has the time or the international in scope. interest to read every word in every story. The vast majority of hard news stories are So, if the main facts are in the headline and written in the inverted pyramid style (see the first part of the story, people can be quite diagram), with the most important facts well informed without reading right to the presented first. The main idea of the story end of the news item. appears in the headline, and most of the 5 Ws can be found at the beginning of the story (the lead). The remaining details appear in descending order of importance HEADLINE through to the end of the story. There are two reasons for this. Sometimes stories have to be cut, often just before LEAD deadline, to fit the available space, and this REST OF STORY

7 About the Newspaper

Writing tips: Here are some of the • A news story is designed to inform the reader of something in a things you have to know in crisp, concise, easily-read manner. order to successfully write • Each paragraph should develop a single thought and one-sen- a hard news story: tence paragraphs should often be used. • Generally, keep sentences short, but vary their lengths. • Check and re-check your facts. • Always use both a person’s first and second names in the first ref- erence and be absolutely sure of the spelling. • Where possible, try to use quotes and be sure they are near the top of the story. • Never use “I” or “we” in a hard news story. Those words belong in columns. • Be fair and accurate and don’t let your own views creep into the story. Only columnists and editorial writers are supposed to give opinions. • Avoid the trap of starting almost every sentence with “The”. • Avoid clichés like the plague. (Think about that for a moment!) • Don’t start writing until you’re sure you understand the situation and if you’re in doubt, go back to the source and check. • Don’t use big words when shorter words will do just as well. NOTE: Facts are also presented in the newspaper through photo- graphs, illustrations, lists, charts and maps.

ACTIVITY:

Choose an interesting photograph. Without looking at the description below it (the cutline), try to answer the 5 Ws (Who is in the picture? What is happening? etc.) Now read the cutline and compare it to your answers.

8 About the Newspaper

ACTIVITY: ACTIVITY:

Choose a front-page news Write your own news story. story and identify the answers Choose a topic, such as something to the 5 Ws. Where did you find that happened at your school in most of this information? the last week. List the 5 Ws of your Why do you think the story was story. Then, using the inverted written in this way? What is the pyramid style of writing (most purpose of a hard news story? important details first), write your own news report.

Features: general interest Feature articles, often referred to as “soft news” stories, are different from hard news stories in several ways:

• They generally are not late-breaking news, wellness, fashion, food, “slice of life” views of but cover subjects that are timely. situations, travel, consciousness-raising, • They often present another way of looking personality profiles and “behind the headline” at a current event. stories. • Feature stories do not follow the inverted • They are more descriptive than news stories, pyramid style of writing. They may be written but they are not opinion pieces (such as in different styles – and at times use a first- or columns and editorials). They provide observa- second-person approach. tions – generally from many sources – about a topic, rather than the writer’s own opinion. • Feature stories are people-oriented. They cover topics such as social trends, health and

9 About the Newspaper

Comparing News Writing and Feature Writing

CONTENT BEGINNING MIDDLE ENDING

NEWS 5 Ws Who, What, Why & Why & STORY Newsworthy When, Where How How

FEATURE Narrative or Catchy, Sequences Reaches STORY expository exciting information conclusion

ACTIVITY: Choose a hard news story. Make a list of possible “soft news” stories or background stories that could be written based on elements of the hard news story. (For example, a hard news story about a large donation to a children’s hospital could be followed by a soft news profile of the person who made the donation.) Which soft news story from your list do you think would make the most interesting feature story?

ACTIVITY: Write your own feature story. Choose your own topic, or select from the ones listed below. Remember, this is not an opinion piece. Base your feature story on facts, and quote or paraphrase the opinions of others.

Teenagers’ lives today Censorship Leading a fit lifestyle Dating today The reality of owning a car How the internet has changed our world , the best place to live What it means to be Canadian Schools: A view from within Teens and today’s music Teenagers’ heroes Travels to ______The sport of shopping

10 About the Newspaper

Editorials, letters to the editor, editorial cartoons, columns: opinion

While news stories should only report the facts, the writer’s opinion is encouraged in other parts of the newspaper. To become a critical reader, it is important to be able to distinguish between fact and opinion, and to use the information and views provided to reach your own conclusions. In opinion pieces, the writer tells what he/she thinks about something important to him/her, and hopefully important to the readers. And while an opinion piece is based on facts, it is still how the writer feels about the issue once the facts have been considered. The most likely place to find opinions is on the editorial pages. Here you’ll find, first, the editorials. These are written by the editorial board, a group of senior writers chosen by the management of the newspaper. They give their collective opinion about an important issue or event in today’s news. Editorial cartoons express the opinion of the cartoonist. The cartoonist relies on drawings, sometimes with a few select words, to express his or her opinion on major issues or events in the news. An editorial cartoon is different from a comic strip because it looks at a serious and very current issue. Its first goal is to make you think; its second goal is to make you smile. Being able to understand the humour, irony or pathos in an editorial cartoon is one of the pleasures of being informed about current issues. Opposite the editorial, you will find the op-ed page, with opinion pieces written by Gazette columnists, guest writers or other editorial writers from across the country. In addition, letters to the editor appear in this section. Here, readers have an opportunity to express their views and voice their concerns about recent news stories and newsmakers, or about the newspaper itself. It is one of the most important parts of the news-paper, because it reflects the opinions of readers. It is one way newspapers are able to keep in touch with their readers and their responses to the job it is doing. Both letters to the editor and editorials are short essays in which an opinion is stated, then supported by facts and background information. They end with a concluding sentence or paragraph.

11 About the Newspaper

The rest of the newspaper is filled with opinion pieces, too. Columns are found in every part of the newspaper and vary greatly in content and subject matter, but all are based on the personal opinions of their authors. Columns can be humorous; offer political views; provide advice; review films, music, books or food; or simply talk about city happenings. Columnists have the freedom to develop their own style of presentation.

Columns written by local editors and syndicated writers allow readers to consider informed opinions on important issues. Readers may not agree with those opinions, but can gain understanding by reading them.

ACTIVITY:

Find an example of each of the following: an editorial, a letter to the editor, and a column. In ACTIVITY: each, identify the writer’s opinion. What words are used to express the opinion? What facts support Read today’s editorial the opinion? pages in The Gazette. Choose an item that you either strongly agree or disagree with. Write your own opinion piece in the form of a letter to the ACTIVITY: editor. You may have to do some research. It’s Look at an editorial cartoon and identify the issue important to give your upon which the cartoon is based. What was the opinion, but always base cartoonist’s opinion? Do you agree? Now draw your it on facts. own editorial cartoon that expresses your opinion about something that has happened at school or in your community recently.

12 About the Newspaper

Advertising

Advertisements are an essential part of any daily newspaper. They provide another source of information in the newspaper – information on the products and services available to the customer. If read critically, this information is very helpful to the consumer. Advertisements make the daily newspaper a marketplace – bringing buyers and sellers together. It allows buyers to research from the comfort of their homes before they buy, and allows sellers to market their products or services to potential customers. Also, if it wasn’t for advertisements, most newspapers would be too expensive for the average reader to purchase. The majority of the costs of putting out a new edition each day is paid for by the revenue gained from selling ad space. There are two kinds of advertising: display ads and classified ads.

Display advertising Display ads are found throughout the newspaper. They can be almost any size, often use different styles of lettering (fonts), and usually contain photos or illustrations. There is an art to creating good advertising. A good ad gives the buyer enough information to persuade him/her to act upon it – to search out and buy the product. A good ad must use copy, art and design and follow the AIDA principal, as outlined below.

ATTRACT the reader’s attention

Develop INTEREST in the product or service

Create a DESIRE for the product or service

Urge ACTION from the consumer

13 About the Newspaper

Advertising design

Many display ads are created by advertising agencies and submitted prior to publication. Others are written and designed by the newspaper’s own creative department, according to the needs and objectives of the advertiser. Whoever creates the ad, it takes skilled personnel to put the words and illustrations together in a way that is clear, informative and persuasive. Here are some of the things to consider when designing an ad: Copy: Good ads start with good copy – the words used to describe the product or service and to persuade the potential customer to act. Good copy is clear and uncluttered. It says what it has to say in simple terms, but the words are used to paint a picture in the customer’s mind. Layout: A good advertisement should be eye-catching, but unclutered. The ad’s elements should be arranged in a logical order, so that the reader naturally flows through the ad. It should go from headline to illustration (artwork) to explanatory copy to a call for action, to price, to the store’s name and logo. White space: A good ad should not be overfilled with elements. In fact, less is more. A lot of white space – the part of the ad with no copy or art – should be used. It makes the ad more appealing at first glance, and it makes it easier for the reader to move through the ad. Branding: A good advertiser who advertises regularly should create a consistent look to his ads. Before you look at the ad closely, the reader should be able to identify the store or business. This is done through the use of consistent style, layout, font and art. And, of course, the most important element of branding is the company’s logo. This should be clearly seen and near the end of the ad (bottom right), because then it will be the last thing people see and therefore remember. Headline: A prominent headline should jump off the page and capture the reader’s interest. It should also give some hint about what the advertisement is selling. Dominant element: The ad should have a dominant element, usually a piece of art, that again grabs the reader’s attention and provides some clue about what the advertisement is for. Call to action: Every ad should have a call to action. What is the reader supposed to do once he has read this ad? Should he call the store? Should he go down to the store as soon as possible because it is a limited sale? 14 About the Newspaper

Advertising techniques

Advertisements use a variety of techniques to encourage the consumer to act. All of them are very effective, depending on the target audience, the product/service and the ad campaign. Some of the most common ones are below. Most ads use one of the techniques; some use more than one.

Card-stacking: This technique provides a selection of good facts about the product. Of course, negatives are left out – so while the copy is factional, it may be incomplete. Bandwagoning: You are persuaded to purchase by the ad focusing on the popularity of a product. (e.g. “500,000 Quebecers can’t be wrong.”) Testimonial: This is perhaps the most effective with younger people. The ad provides an endorsement by a well-known celebrity. Often the celebrity doesn’t even verbally endorse the product in the advertisement, but by his/her presence in the ad, it creates a need in some people to have that product. Common folks: This type of ad focuses on the product as being the choice of the common people. Just as with the testimonial ad, it is effective with people who want to belong. This is often used to sell economical or “sensible” products. Snobbery: This technique is aimed at people for whom status and wealth are important (even though they may not be famous or rich). The ads appeal to their sense of good taste, class and elegance – or their desire to have these attributes. Transference: These ads play on our emotions. They often use lovely illustrations of cuddly animals, parents with their newborn, patriotic symbols, fields of flowers, etc. They are trying to creat a posi- tive association between these special things or moments and their product. This appeals more to women than men. Glittering Generalities: Statements are given that leave a good impression, but don’t give very many pertinent details. For instance, an ad may say that a soft drink tastes great. It backs up this impression only with an illustration of a group of friends enjoying life and drink- ing that brand of soft drink.

15 About the Newspaper

ACTIVITY:

Pretend you have developed a new product or service. Using the design tips and ACTIVITY: one or more of the advertis- ing techniques listed above, create a display ad to Go through today’s edition of The Gazette and find introduce your product an example of each of the techniques described on or service to consumers. the previous page. Then compare all the ads. • Which ads attract attention, develop interest, create a desire and urge action? • Which ad was the most compelling to you? Why? • Which ad’s layout was most appealing? Why? • Which ad was the easiest to follow? • Which ad provided the most useful information in order for you as a consumer to make a decision about whether or not to purchase that product or service?

Classified advertising ACTIVITY: Classified ads are grouped according You have just moved into town. Use the classified to various classifications (cars for ads to find an apartment, furniture, a car and a job sale, help wanted, etc.) in one or you would like. more sections of the newspaper. An index on the front page of the classified section lists the various classifications. The ads are written ACTIVITY: by newspaper readers who pay for each word printed, and therefore Find the Sporting Goods classification. Look at the ads tend to be very brief. how the ads are written. Pretend you want to sell a bike. What would your ad say?

16 About the Newspaper

4. Discussion topics

The following discussion topics will help you introduce the newspaper to your students, and will provide a basis for examining related issues, such as freedom of speech and the role of the free press in society. a. What is newsworthy? Have your students scan today’s newspaper and look at the kinds of stories included. Then ask them what they think makes an event or issue newsworthy. List the criteria they come up with, and compare them to those listed below. Readers often question why some stories make the daily newspaper and others do not. And they want to know what determines where stories are placed. There is, in fact, a logical process for determining what stories are run and where they’re positioned. In simple terms, each story is judged on the following five factors, or a combination of two or more.

Timeliness Closeness Significance Most news stories are Proximity can refer to physical Usually, the more people about what just happened, or psychological nearness. are affected by an event, is happening or is just about Things that happen locally the more newsworthy the to happen. A story that broke or to people close to us are story. Because thousands of out last night will have more generally more interesting or people attend an Alouettes chance of making the news- important to all of us. That’s football game and only a paper than a story that hap- why a story about our Premier couple dozen watch a pened last week, even if the would rate higher than a story children’s soccer game, the circumstances are almost about the leader of a South football game is usually the same. American nation. deemed more newsworthy. Prominence Human Interest The fame of a person, place, Stories that are unusual, have emotional appeal, or show thing or situation makes it more conflict capture our interest. That’s why a photo of a snake interesting to more people. found in someone’s toilet would likely make the newspaper That’s why there are more over a photo of a man patting a dog. stories in the paper about a As John Bogart, City Editor of the New York Sun once said, federal politician or a popular “When a dog bites a man that is not news, but when a man movie star, than your next-door bites a dog, that is news.” neighbour.

Most news stories that make the daily paper have a combination of these five elements. And it is these five factors which also determine where in the newspaper a story or photograph will run. For instance, a photo of a crop circle and its accompanying story might have human interest, but it may or may not make the paper, depending on the volume of news that day. But if that crop circle was found close to Montreal, then it meets two of these factors, and will likely run. Where it runs would be dependent on how it ranked on these five factors compared to other news stories of the day. 17 About the Newspaper

b. Where does news come from?

Give students a few minutes to scan the newspaper and locate the “dateline” or “placeline” of each story, which indicates where the story originated. Ask the students how they think the newspaper gets the story from each of these places. Local and some provincial news comes from staff reporters who work for the newspaper. Provincial, national and international news usually comes from wire services such as CanWest News Service or Reuters. These services can supply news from any point on the globe to their subscribers in as little as seconds, via satellite.

c. Why are there so many advertisements in the newspaper?

Have students estimate how much of the paper, but ads also account for 75-80% of newspaper’s content consists of advertising. the newspaper’s revenue. Without ads, the Why do they think there is so much advertis- newspaper would be unaffordable to the ing in the newspaper? average reader. The newspaper has two sources of income: Note also that retail ads help stores attract the people who buy printed copies or sub- customers and help consumers decide where scribe to the online newspaper, and people to shop. In addition, classified ads provide a who buy space for advertising. Ads typically marketplace for readers, with information take up about 60% of the space of the news- about jobs, houses, services, etc.

d. Why is there so much bad news in the newspaper? Is it true, as some people say, that newspapers contain mostly bad news? To help answer this question, ask students to examine today’s newspaper and list “good news stories” and “bad news stories”. Is it possible that a single article could belong in both categories? Why? Why do they think the “bad news” stories were included in the newspaper? What “good news” stories would they like to have seen included? In the news-gathering process, news is not judged as being good or bad, but by the criteria listed on page 17. A bad news story tends to be more unusual than a good news story. This is a good thing, but it may also mean that the bad news story is more newsworthy. 18 About the Newspaper

e. Why is it important to include opinion in the newspaper?

Many students think all non-advertising newspaper content is factual; they don’t realize that opinion also plays an important role. Ask your students to look for opinion pieces in the newspaper. Help them identify editorials, letters to the editor, editorial cartoons and columns. Ask them why they think it is important to include opinion in the newspaper. Why is it important to know the difference between fact and opinion? Opinion pieces help readers benefit from the thoughtful views of informed writers and concerned readers. While the reader may not agree with the opinions expressed, they may be exposed to points of view that broaden their thinking and – along with the factual information in the newspaper - help them to make their own informed decisions.

f. Why is freedom of the press important?

Ask students to imagine what our society would be like if freedom of the press did not exist.What would be different? How might the front page of today’s newspaper look? The ability to report on events as they happen – truthfully and without pressure or censorship from people in positions of power – is one of the corner- stones of freedom and democracy. Having a free press is essential to having a free country. Consider that one of the first steps taken by a dictator or an invading army is censoring the newspaper of the conquered people. As U.S. Senator William E. Borah stated, “If the press is not free, if speech is not independent and untrammelled, if the mind is shackled or made impotent through fear, it makes no difference under what form of government you live, you are a subject and not a citizen.”

19 About the Newspaper

5. Other introductory activities Scavenger Hunt Ask your students to look through the newspaper to find the items listed below. For each, they should write down what they found and the page on which they found it. The students can work individually, in pairs, or in small groups. You may want to set a time limit. Find the following:

• the name, date and price of the newspaper • the name of a TV program on at 7:00 p.m., and the channel on which it is shown • a news story about another country • a picture of someone wearing glasses • a headline from the sports section • the weather in Hong Kong • the name of the cartoonist who draws Hagar the Horrible • the most expensive item advertised in the first section • the topic of today’s first editorial • what’s for sale under classified index number 685

Scavenger hunts can be adapted in many ways to meet your students’ needs. For example:

• For young children, give instructions orally. of pollution, something that could be Ask them to find simple items such as the recycled, an environmentally friendly word “car”, the number 5, something product, etc.) round, etc. • Give a page number and a clue. For • Limit the hunt to one part of the example: On page 3, it says that someone newspaper, such as the sports section, the was arrested yesterday. Who was it? TV listings or the weather report. • Encourage students to make up scavenger • Design scavenger hunts by themes, hunts for each other. such as the environment (find examples

20 About the Newspaper 16

30-Minute Reader

The 30-minute reading plan is an effective means of introducing students to the format and content of the newspaper. Have your students do the following for the time period indicated:

3 minutes: Scan the entire newspaper, looking at headlines and pictures. Note stories of interest.

12 minutes: Go back and read the articles that attracted your attention when you scanned the newspaper. Identify their most important points. Since most news stories are written in the inverted pyramid style, the most important facts will be found in the first few paragraphs of each story.

5 minutes: Read the editorial page and look at the editorial cartoon. Try to understand the opinions being expressed.

10 minutes: Read whatever else you care to. This is recreational reading time.

21 Sample Activities by Subject

The following activities are designed for use with any day’s newspaper. They are generally ordered from the simplest to the most difficult within each subject area. Remember, these are only samples. The variety of possible newspaper activities is virtually limitless.

Language Arts

• Select an interesting news photograph. What do you think is happening in the picture? What do you think happened before the picture was taken? What do you think will happen next? • Choose an interesting photograph from the newspaper and paste it onto the centre of a sheet of paper. With a friend, discuss what is happening in the picture. How do the people feel? Draw a speech bubble for each person and write what you think he or she is saying or thinking. • Look at the comics page. Listen while your teacher or another student describes what is happening in one of the comic strips. The first student to correctly identify the comic strip is the next to try to stump the class. • Examine newspaper career ads. What kind of information do they contain? Write your own career ad for a Prime Minister, a best friend, Santa’s helpers, a ghost, etc. • Rewrite a sports story with antonyms so the story turns out exactly opposite. • Work on a dictionary of vocabulary stemming from news stories. Use the words in new sentences. • Write a summary of your day using headlines only. • Your teacher will give you a list of questions about a news story. Read the article and write down the answers. Now read another article, and write five questions about it for another student to answer. • Instead of writing a regular book report, create a front page of a newspaper with articles, photos, ads and artwork based on a novel you’ve just read. • Select a prominent story in the news. Use different media to read, listen and watch about it. Compare sources. Are there any conflicting facts? Do some sources give a more complete account of the event? Are there assumptions presented that aren’t based on the facts given?

22 Sample Activities by Subject

Drama

• Read a lost and found ad. With a partner, role play a phone call between the owner of the lost item and the person who has found it. • Select a product or service advertised in the newspaper and write a radio commercial for it. Add a jingle or musical background. Present the commercial to your class. • Find a news story about an interesting series of events. In groups, devel- op three tableaux of “news pictures” that could have been taken during the events. Try to convey the emotions the participants might have felt. • Divide the class into teams. Place headlines clipped from today’s Gazette into a paper bag. Each group must randomly pick a headline out of the bag and play charades. Or, make the headline the premise of a 30-second improvisation. • In a small group, pretend you are the news team of a television station, preparing a one-minute news summary to appear between shows. Use newspaper articles and features to prepare your news presentation. Include local, national and international news, sports, entertainment and weather. Time your performance and present it to your class. • Some of our best performers are our politicians. They must continually give speeches on controversial issues to audiences with many different viewpoints and interests. They must communicate both ideas and emotions, trying to convince many and turn off few. Using key political issues found in The Gazette this week, write, stage and deliver a political speech at an imaginary press conference. The rest of the class can become the press corps, each representing different interests and regions of the country. They’re to prepare for the press conference by researching the issues and their stand, and formulating key questions.

23 Sample Activities by Subject

History • Make a booklet about Montreal and the surrounding area to send to some- one in a foreign country. Use photos, advertisements, headlines and news and Social articles to show what to expect on a visit to Montreal. You might want to Studies include such things as parks and recreational facilities, local businesses, transportation, types of housing, educational institutions and so on. • Imagine that today’s comics page floated into outer space. An alien from another planet who knows nothing about Earth or its people finds it. What would he learn about our world? If this was the only information about us, what would he think we are like? What words would he use to describe us? Pretend you are this alien. Write a report to your superiors, telling them about this mysterious planet and its people. • Follow history in the making. Construct a time line as a year-long class project. Each week, include the most important news story on the time line. Which of the year’s events do you think might be significant enough to be in the history books 100 years from now? • Study a current local news event as a historian would, tracing the event’s origins to its emergence in today’s headlines. • Follow the progress of an issue or event in the newspaper. Write your predictions about the outcome. Follow the issue to its conclusion, and compare what actually happens with your predictions. • Find news articles about current issues that have also been issues in the past – e.g. racial inequality, women’s issues, religious or ethnic conflicts, etc. Compare today’s issues and events with those that took place in the past. What are the similarities and differences?

In small groups, put together a time capsule capsule and, using only the information to be opened 1,000 years from now. The inside it, you are asked to put together a time capsule should contain only newspaper profile of life back then. For example, what clippings. Its contents should describe life in were the people like? What did they value? our community as it is right now. Using How did they dress? What did they do for today’s Gazette, select and clip 10 items fun? What were their families, government, you feel describe life as we know it today. health care and educational system like? And for every item you choose, you must Present your profile of this lost society to give a reason why you chose it. your classmates. As a class, discuss: Which Trade time capsules with another group, group put together the best time capsule? without showing them your list of reasons. Which group was able to make the best Pretend you are anthropologists 1,000 years profile of today’s society? in the future. You have discovered this time

24 Sample Activities by Subject

• Use one week’s newspapers to find evidence of the variety of ethnic, religious and racial backgrounds making up our community. Summarize what the newspaper tells you about each group. Do you think the news accurately reflects the make-up of our community? Why or why not? • Prepare a newspaper as it might have appeared during the historical period you are studying. You might include local, national and international news, editorials, sports, entertainment, births and deaths, advertisements, etc. Use the current newspaper for ideas and writing styles.

Geography

• On the bulletin board, put a heading “National News” above a map of Canada. Pin headlines around the outside of the map, and connect a piece of coloured yarn to the location on the map. Watch the newspaper for enlarged maps of the area of interest, and use yarn to connect those, too, to the appropriate locations on the map. • From the weather page, select two cities – one on the coast, and another inland. Record the high and low temperatures for both cities over a two-week period. What conclusions can you draw? Does the fact that one city is on the coast make a difference to the temperature? What else might affect the weather in the two cities? • In 10 minutes, race through the newspaper and find as many references as possible to natural resources (water, timber, metals, natural gas, petroleum, coal, jewels, etc.). List each reference, along with the page number where you found it. The person with the most references wins. • Skim news stories and classified ads for references to jobs in which knowledge of geography would be an asset. Explain your choices. • On a map of the world, locate places in the news. How might the locations of these places (i.e. neighbouring countries, terrain, accessibility to water, natural resources, etc.) affect the problems that have put them in the news? • Using the sports section, follow the travels of your favourite team. Determine the directions in which the team will travel, the mileage, geographical features passed over, changes in time zone and temperature, and latitude and longitude.

25 Sample Activities by Subject

Moral Education

• Look for sports articles that tell about someone who broke a sports rule. From the article, determine the punishment and the governing body that administered the punishment. Compare the rules in sports with the rules in society. • For one or two weeks, collect newspaper articles about groups or organizations helping to solve social problems. Choose one to present with an award for outstanding social service. Give the award a name, and explain your reasons for choosing the winner. You could, if you want, actually mail the award to the winner. • Create a journal of evidence of random acts of kindness from your newspaper. You will find heroes and good deeds in stories, photos, display ads and the classified section. The deeds could be anything from an act of bravery to a local group visiting a nursing home, to another group cleaning up the riverbanks. Share your journal with your classmates, and talk about the importance of reaching out to others. • Look at the comics in today’s newspaper. Do any of them reflect stereotypes of certain individuals? If so, how? Explain why you think the artist used the stereotype. • Imagine if laws in Canada were changed and only white Christians were welcome here. Write a feature story or opinion piece about how life in Canada would be different without the multicultural reality we enjoy. Include some personal stories. • In small groups, list some of the values you think are important (e.g. honesty, kindness, helping others, etc.). From the newspaper, try to find one or more items that show someone exhibiting - or not exhibiting – each of these values. For example, there might be a story about a man returning a wallet with $5,000, and another about a politician who has been dishonest with his constituents.

26 Sample Activities by Subject

Math

2 x 2 • In today’s newspaper, find: a circle; the number 9; a number written out in a word; any type of graph; a Roman numeral; a fraction; today’s high temperature for Montreal. • Find a recipe from the newspaper. How much of each ingredient would you need if you were making half the amount indicated? How much would you need if you were making twice as much? • Using the classified section of the newspaper, find the average cost of each of the following: a five-year-old car, a used motorcycle, a two- bedroom apartment, a used computer. • Each of you is given an imaginary $500. Using today’s newspaper and flyers, how many things can you buy for $500? The person who buys the most things for $500 wins. One rule: You can’t buy multiples of one thing (e.g. ten cans of soup, four of the same pen, etc.). If a product is advertised as a set – e.g. two pens for $1, you must find out how much one would cost. • What percentage of the front section of today’s newspaper is devoted to news, and what percentage is devoted to advertising? Estimate the percentages. Now, measure to determine the accuracy of your estimate. • Prepare a bar graph or line graph to illustrate sports statistics for your favourite athlete – e.g. batting average, yards gained, percentage of completed passes, baskets scored, goals scored, etc. • Do research to find out the cost of running a full-page advertisement in your local newspaper. What is the additional cost for colour? What is the cost to contract advertisers such as grocery chains and major departments stores? If you have $1,000 in your promotion account, what is the maximum size ad in black and white that you could buy? What is the maximum size ad in black and white and red?

27 Sample Activities by Subject

Science

•Start a collection of articles about science topics: environmental issues, scientific discoveries, medical research, etc. Choose the most interesting article, and make a presentation to the class. • Use the newspaper weather page to keep a weather chart for seven days. Record the date, high and low temperatures, precipitation, barometric pressure, humidity, pollen count, etc. At the end of the week, summarize your findings in an oral or written report. • Watch for special-interest columns relating to science – e.g. bird watching, gardening, etc. What other kinds of science-related columns would you like to see in the newspaper? Pretend you are a science columnist and write a sample column on a topic of your choice. • If you are using the print version of the newspaper, what can you do with it after you’ve finished reading it – besides recycling it? Brainstorm 10 practical ideas for re-using the newspaper. Share your ideas with the class. • Fold a large piece of coloured paper into three sections. Label the columns “animal”, “mineral”, and “vegetable”. Cut pictures from your newspaper that fit these categories. Find at least four of each. Paste them into the proper columns. • Imagine a very rich man has left 25 million dollars in his will to help improve the environment. You have been assigned to select the causes most deserving of financial assistance. Find articles, pictures and ads in today’s newspaper that represent problems and solutions you think are important and worthy of support. Create a chart showing which causes you selected, whether they are local or global, how much money you allocated to each, and why you made these choices. • Find science topics from the newspaper that would have been considered science fiction 100 years ago. Now look ahead 100 years and use your imagination and scientific knowledge to write a story about the advances in science that may take place in the future.

28 Sample Activities by Subject

Life Skills

Find the following in the newspaper: • an item found in the kitchen • something that has wheels • something that will break if dropped • something you think is too heavy to lift • something that has a smell • someone who is doing their job • something that is bigger than you • something a child could play with • something that has moving parts

• Write a classified ad to sell something you own. Then do some research to determine the cost of running the ad in your local newspaper for one week. • Look through your newspaper and find five jobs that interest you. What qualifications do you need for each of these jobs? Do you have the required qualifications? If not, what would have have to do to become qualified? Prepare a letter of application for one of the jobs, and role play an interview with your prospective employer. • For several weeks, collect recipes from the newspaper. Choose the one you think is most nutrition and explain why. Which would be least expensive to prepare? • Look at all the information included on the weather page. Pretend you are a TV weather person. Prepare a report that includes a variety of information from the weather page. • Use the newspaper travel section to plan a vacation. Calculate the complete cost for a family of four, including travel expenses, accommodations, meals and entertainment. Share your results with the class.

29 Sample Activities by Subject

Economics / Business

• Some newspaper ads advertise things we need, while others advertise things we want. Identify five advertised items that might fit into each category. Compare your choices with your classmates. Why might an item be identified as a need by one person, and a want by another? • Advertisements appeal to a person’s reason or emotions. Locate an ad in the newspaper and read each sentence. If the sentence states a fact, put an F beside it. If the sentence states an opinion, put an O beside it. If it is questionable, put a Q beside it. Does the ad rely on facts, emotional appeal or both to sell its products or services? Do you think it is effective? • Choose an advertisement for a job that appeals to you. Research the education and/or training required. What skills and/or experience would you need to acquire to perform this job? Describe the expected salary range, benefits and working conditions. Which factor would be most important to you? • Visit a local small business. Interview administrators and employees. Write a newspaper article profiling the company. What does the company do? What successes and challenges has it experienced in the past year? What effect does this company have on the community? • You are a government financial minister in another country. You have been asked to prepare a report for your government on Canada’s taxation system. Using several issues of the newspaper, familiarize yourself with as many characteristics of the Canadian system as possible. Do you think it is a fair system? Would you recommend that it be applied to your country? • Form an investment club. Work in teams to invest an imaginary $10,000 in stocks listed in the business section. Plot the value of your shares for at least two weeks. For each stock bought, list the name of the company, the number of shares bought, the price per share, the total cost, the price at selling and the total value of the shares at selling. Did you make a profit? What factors affected the profitability of your shares?

30 Sample Activities by Subject

Art • Use newspaper photos, illustrations and words to create a collage entitled “All About Me”. • Read a story about a famous person in the news. Using information from the article, draw a caricature of the individual. • Collect sports photos over a period of time. Study the positioning of the athletes’ bodies in action. Now create pictures of yourself in an active sport, using newspaper photos as examples. Note how newspaper photos fill almost the entire space with the bodies of the players. • Examine the logos of various businesses in the newspaper. Pay particular attention to the fonts and how they capture your attention and/or reflect the nature of the business. Now pretend you are a graphic artist who has been hired to design a logo for a new chain of clothing stores aimed at teens. Select a name and design the logo. • Look briefly at each page of the newspaper, noting the ads on the page. When you have finished, look away from the newspaper and identify the ads that stayed in your mind. What was it about each ad that attracted your attention? Make a list of the techniques used. Now, using the logo you designed in the previous activity, create a display ad for the chain of clothing stores for teens.

Music

• Choose a news story with drama and action. Compose a song in whatever style you want – rock, country, rap, etc. – featuring the main ideas of the story. Perform it for your class. • Read newspaper music reviews for style. Now write your own review of a concert you have seen or a CD you have listened to recently. • Imagine you are a reporter about to meet your favourite musician. Write a series of questions you would ask him or her. Role play the interview with a classmate, and write a newspaper feature story. • Write an obituary for your favourite musician from the past. Use the obituaries from today’s Gazette for style. • Find examples of musicians donating their time and/or profits for charitable causes. Make a list of the musicians, what they did and which organizations their donations benefited. How else could musicians and other artists help? 31 Newspaper Terminology

Like any specialized area, the newspaper industry has its own “jargon”. Here are some of the most frequently used newspaper terms:

ADVERTISEMENT (ad) a message printed in the newspaper in space paid for by an advertiser BANNER a large headline across the top of a newspaper page or part of a page BYLINE the reporter’s name, usually printed above his or her story COLUMNIST a writer whose column appears regularly in the newspaper CREDIT LINE acknowledges the source of a picture CUTLINE descriptive wording beneath or beside a photo or illustration; also known as a caption DATELINE the place from which a story is sent, usually appearing with foreign news; originally included the date the story was written EAR the space at the top left and right of the front page on either side of the newspaper’s nameplate, often containing small advertisements, weather news, index to pages or an announcement of special features EDITION one of several issues of a newspaper for a single day EDITORIAL an article stating the opinion of a newspaper editorial board, usually written in essay style EDITORIAL CARTOON cartoon which expresses opinions; appears on the editorial page FEATURE a story in which more detail is given that in a regular “hard news” story FILLER copy with little news value; used to fill space

32 Newspaper Terminology

HEADLINE display type placed over a story, summarizing the story for the reader INDEX table of contents of each paper, usually place on page one JOURNALISM the process of collecting, writing, editing and publishing the news JUMP the continuation of an article from one page to another LEAD the main story in the newspaper, or the opening paragraph(s) in a story, giving the main facts MASS MEDIA any form of mass communication, such as newspapers, radio, television, magazines or the internet MASTHEAD the information printed in every issue of a newspaper stating the title, ownership, management, rates, etc. NAMEPLATE (flag) a stylized signature of a newspaper which appears at the top of page one PRESS RELEASE information for a story, or a story for publication, submitted to the newspaper by a business or institution SOURCE the person, document or institution providing information needed for the news SYNDICATE an organization that provides stories, comics, editorials, columns and special items for newspapers who subscribe to it TABLOID a newspaper with five-column pages; one half the size of the traditional newspaper TYPO short for “typographical error” WIRE SERVICE news-gathering agency such as CanWest News Service, Reuters, etc.; they gather and distribute news to subscribing newspapers

33