Lesson plan 2 (2 hours):

News versus views

Previous features of news reports; language of argument and propaganda; distinguishing

knowledge opinions from facts; rhetorical writing
Linked to Secondary 1 curriculum objectives Stage 9: Reading non-fiction;
Writing non-fiction; Phonics, spelling and vocabulary; Grammar and punctuation;
Speaking and listening
Objectives
• to distinguish between facts and views in informative and discursive writing
• to practise rephrasing and restructuring material
• to practise reader positioning
• to adapt the same material into a news report, an argument, and a piece of
Success criteria
propaganda
• to make selective notes
Skills • to develop structuring and sequencing skills
• to write in relevant styles for different types of non-fiction
• suitable recent front-page stories from national newspapers (differentiated
according to students’ ability)
• local election campaign leaflets or texts of political speeches; there are
many online sites for these, e.g. www.politicalspeeches.net (audio or
printed); Telegraph top 25 political speeches: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/
Resources worldnews/barackobama/2448979/Top-25-political-speeches-of-all-
time-12-1.html; TIME Top 10 greatest speeches: http://content.time.
com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1841228,00.html
• Teacher’s Resource CD: Unit 2 Worksheet 2: Writing an argument;
Unit 4 Worksheet 4: Satirical speech; Unit 1 Handout: Rhetorical and
persuasive devices; Unit 2 Handout: Structuring an argument
Coursebook: Units 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12
Checkpoint links
Workbook: Unit 4 exercise 5
Differentiation can be achieved by:
• choice of material
• pairing of students
Differentiation
• amount of support material provided
• length of written outcome required
• selection of readers

Activities
1 [10 mins] Students are put into pairs of similar ability by the teacher and given a copy
each of the same leading news report on a suitable subject and of a suitable length
from a national newspaper. Different ability pairs should be given a different report,
i.e. three or four different reports for the class as a whole. Pairs read the report once
for gist and then again to identify and record, as brief notes, the facts of the report.

2 [15 mins] The teacher collects in the reports so that pairs now have only their
notes to work from. Pairs are asked to rewrite the news report from their notes, in
the appropriate style. They can be reminded of this. (Less able pairs can be given a
handout listing news report features.) They can be given a word limit. (Differentiated
word limits can be set, shorter for the more able.)

© Cambridge University Press 2014 Cambridge Checkpoint English 9: A World View 1

 Lesson plan 2 (2 hours): News versus views

3 [20 mins] Pairs discuss which stance they wish to take on the news report and make
notes on opinions to be added to the facts. They turn their news report into a piece
of argumentative writing. (Differentiated lengths can be set, longer for the more
able.) They can be reminded of the structure and style of argumentative writing.
They should write on alternate lines to leave room for editing. (Less able pairs can
be given a writing structure.)

4 [15 mins] Pairs discuss and edit the argument piece to turn it into propaganda, i.e.
they put brackets round any inconvenient facts and suggestions of the other viewpoint,
exaggerate sizes and quantities, and add extreme and emotive vocabulary and rhetorical
devices to emphasise their own viewpoint. The class can be reminded of rhetorical
devices. (Less able pairs can be given the Unit 1 handout to use as a checklist.)

5 [10 mins] Pairs use different coloured highlighters to distinguish facts and opinions
in their news report and in their propaganda piece, and comment on the different
proportions.

6 [15 mins] One of each pair (determined by the teacher as differentiation) reads out
their piece of propaganda to the class, which comments/votes on how persuasive they
found it to listen to.

7 Students/pairs attempt the process in reverse:

a [5 mins] reading a piece of propaganda writing (differentiated choice by teacher)
b [15 mins] toning it down into an argument which includes reference to another
viewpoint
c [15 mins] ending with a news report on the event which triggered the propaganda

Suggested stimulus or exemplar material could be a local election campaign leaflet or

the text of a political speech.

Homework and extension activities

a Students repeat the process individually with a newspaper report of their choice at
home. They could use one from a newspaper or go to the PaperBoy website at www.
thepaperboy.com (choose ‘Front pages’ from the menu bar or select a country).
b An example of fictional propaganda can be found in chapter 8 of Animal Farm by
George Orwell. Chapter 4 describes the Battle of the Cowshed from the animals’
point of view. It could be rewritten, or turned into a news report, from the opposite
point of view of the farmers.

© Cambridge University Press 2014 Cambridge Checkpoint English 9: A World View 2