America Newspaper-Reporting

MEREDITH CURTIS
Copyright © 2018 Meredith L. Curtis & Laura N. Nolette

All rights reserved.
All Photos and clipart © Meredith Curtis, Laura Nolette, and licensees/Used by
Permission/All Rights Reserved.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means—digital, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without prior permission from the author.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Table of Contents
..................................................................................................................................... 1
How to Use This Book ..................................................................................................... 9
September ................................................................................................................. 13
Newspaper Staff ............................................................................................................ 14
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Your Newspaper Staff .............................................. 16
Newspapers ................................................................................................................... 18
Newspapers & American History .................................................................................. 20
Sections of a Newspaper ............................................................................................... 27
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Your Sections............................................................ 29
Our Newspaper: Who Will Do What? ............................................................................ 35
Ben Franklin: Writer & Publisher .................................................................................. 37
Mechanical Typesetting ................................................................................................. 39
Under Drake’s Flag Book Review................................................................................... 41
Our Newspaper: Choose Sections ................................................................................ 42
Writing Leads: What, Who, When, Where..................................................................... 43
The Rest of the Story: Details ........................................................................................ 47
Proofing ......................................................................................................................... 48
Proofreading Practice .................................................................................................... 49
The Secret Mission Book Review .................................................................................. 50
October ...................................................................................................................... 51
Our Newspaper: Make a List of Article Ideas ............................................................... 52
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find News Articles ............................................................ 53
Meet Ned, the News Reporter ...................................................................................... 55
How to Write a News Story ........................................................................................... 56
Write a News Story ........................................................................................................ 59
Using A Newspaper Index ............................................................................................. 66
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Your Newspaper Index ............................................ 66
Re-Write a News Story ................................................................................................... 67
Carry On Mr. Bowditch Book Review ............................................................................ 68
News Article Grading Rubric ......................................................................................... 69
Our Newspaper: Plan the First Issue ............................................................................ 70
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Headlines ....................................................................................................................... 71
Match Headlines to Stories ........................................................................................... 73
Create a Headline for Your News Story ........................................................................ 76
The White Seneca Book Review .................................................................................... 78
November .................................................................................................................. 79
Our Newspaper: Assign Articles to Reporters .............................................................. 80
Editors Edit ..................................................................................................................... 81
Edit a Newspaper Article ............................................................................................... 85
Discuss Edited Article .................................................................................................... 87
Interview One Another .................................................................................................. 87
Interviews ...................................................................................................................... 90
Asking Questions to Get the Story ................................................................................ 93
Direct Quotes Proofreading .......................................................................................... 95
John Treegate’s Musket Book Review ........................................................................... 96
Press Conference........................................................................................................... 97
Interview Guidelines ................................................................................................... 101
Conduct an Interview .................................................................................................. 103
How to Write Up an Interview .................................................................................... 103
Write Up the Interview ................................................................................................ 104
Rebel’s Keep Book Review ........................................................................................... 105
December ................................................................................................................ 107
Our Newspaper: Plan First Edition ............................................................................. 108
Re-Write the Interview Article ..................................................................................... 109
Editorial Section ........................................................................................................... 110
Proofreading Practice .................................................................................................. 111
Interview Article Grading Rubric................................................................................. 112
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find the Editorial Section ............................................... 113
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find a Letter to the Editor .............................................. 114
How to Write a Letter to the Editor............................................................................. 115
Write a Letter to the Editor ......................................................................................... 116
The Journeyman Book Review .................................................................................... 118
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Editorial Cartoons .................................................. 119
Critique Letters to the Editor ...................................................................................... 120
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Letter to the Editor Grading Rubric ............................................................................ 121

Create an Editorial Cartoon ........................................................................................ 122
The House of Seven Gables Book Review................................................................... 124
January .................................................................................................................... 125
Our Newspaper: Layout First Issue ............................................................................ 126
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Editorials................................................................. 127
How to Write an Editorial ............................................................................................ 128
Write an Editorial ......................................................................................................... 130
Our Newspaper: Print & Distribute Newspaper......................................................... 133
Our Newspaper: Plan Second Newspaper ................................................................. 134
Re-Write Editorial ........................................................................................................ 135
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Book Review ............................................................ 136
Editorial Grading Rubric .............................................................................................. 137
Press Conference......................................................................................................... 138
Write an Article for Our Newspaper ........................................................................... 142
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Book Review .................................................... 149
February .................................................................................................................. 151
Our Newspaper: Collect Cartoons, Games, & Articles for Second Issue .................. 152
Classified Ads ............................................................................................................... 153
Be A Newspaper Detective: Find Classified Ads ......................................................... 154
Create Classified Ads ................................................................................................... 156
Re-Write Article ............................................................................................................ 158
News Article Grading Rubric ....................................................................................... 159
Our Newspaper: Layout Second Issue ....................................................................... 160
Feature Section ............................................................................................................ 161
Find a Feature Section Article ..................................................................................... 161
How to Write a Feature Article .................................................................................... 163
Write a Feature Article................................................................................................. 167
The Red Badge of Courage Book Review .................................................................... 168
Our Newspaper: Print & Distribute Second Issue ...................................................... 169
Rewrite Feature Article ................................................................................................ 170
Feature Article Grading Rubric.................................................................................... 173
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The Red Badge of Courage Book Review .................................................................... 174

March ....................................................................................................................... 175
Review Our Newspapers ............................................................................................. 176
Our Newspaper: Plan Third Newspaper ..................................................................... 177
Business & Circulation Department ........................................................................... 178
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Ads .......................................................................... 180
Advertisements ............................................................................................................ 185
Create Ads .................................................................................................................... 187
Little Women Book Review.......................................................................................... 188
Discuss Third Newspaper ............................................................................................ 189
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Newspaper Art ....................................................... 190
Newspaper Art ............................................................................................................. 192
Create Newspaper Art ................................................................................................. 193
Choose One Art Assignment ....................................................................................... 194
Ragged Dick Book Review ........................................................................................... 196
April ......................................................................................................................... 197
Our Newspaper: Collect Cartoons, Games, & Articles for Second Issue .................. 198
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find a Sports Article ....................................................... 199
Sports Section .............................................................................................................. 200
Write a Sports Section Article ..................................................................................... 201
Our Newspaper: Layout Third Issue ........................................................................... 202
Rewrite a Sports Article ............................................................................................... 203
Freckles Book Review .................................................................................................. 205
Sports Article Grading Rubric...................................................................................... 206
Our Newspaper: Print & Distribute Third Issue ......................................................... 207
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find a Food Article ......................................................... 207
How to Write a Food Article ........................................................................................ 209
Write Food Article ........................................................................................................ 210
Julie Book Review......................................................................................................... 212
May .......................................................................................................................... 213
Review Our Three Newspapers................................................................................... 214
Entertainment Section................................................................................................. 214
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Entertainment Articles & Games ........................... 215
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Rewrite a Food Article ................................................................................................. 218

Comic Strips ................................................................................................................. 220
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find three Comic Strips ................................................. 221
How to Create a Comic Strip ....................................................................................... 222
Create a Comic Strip .................................................................................................... 223
Food Article Grading Rubric ........................................................................................ 224
Discuss Movie Reviews ................................................................................................ 225
How to Write a Movie Review ..................................................................................... 226
Write a Movie Review .................................................................................................. 228
The Incredible Journey Book Review .......................................................................... 229
Discuss Movie Reviews ................................................................................................ 230
Rewrite a Movie or Book Review ................................................................................ 231
Movie Review Grading Rubric ..................................................................................... 232
Resources ................................................................................................................ 233
Substitution Book List ................................................................................................. 234
Powerline Productions ................................................................................................ 241
Teach History the Fun Way ......................................................................................... 242
Real Men Bible Studies & Courses .............................................................................. 243
Ladies Bible Studies..................................................................................................... 243
Maggie King Mysteries ................................................................................................ 244
...................................................................................................................................... 245
God’s Girls Bible Studies & Courses............................................................................ 245
High School Classes ..................................................................................................... 246
More Books by Powerline Productions ...................................................................... 247
ABOUT THE AUTHOR ................................................................................................... 248
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
How to Use This Book

This is a middle school English course.
Americana Newspaper Reporting is appropriate for 5th through 8th graders. Children will
learn all about newspapers and how to write all kinds of articles. They will also read two
works of historical fiction, biographies, or diaries each month, working through history
in a chronological way.
I created this course for my own children to be used when we studied American History.
It’s nice when everything goes together. However, this is a stand-alone course. The
literature is excellent and will be enjoyed by most students. The writing assignments will
develop writing skills, especially the ability to be clear, concise, and focused.
We will do some editing throughout the year, but this will not substitute for grammar.
If your children still need grammar study, and mine did at this age, then I suggest
purchasing a grammar workbook. The same applies to spelling.
Students can also get together with family members or other homeschoolers to create
their own newspaper. This should be fun and not stressful.
Independent or Group Learning

This worktext can be used independently or in a homeschool co-op setting. The weeks
are divided up between “Home” and “Time with Mom/Class.” This means that if the
student is working through this with alone at home, Mom will need to meet with the
student once a week, three times a month. You will be doing activities together. This is
really fun in a group setting so consider having a few of your children take it together or
go through the course with another family. We have used it in a co-op setting with great
success.
Layout for Study

This worktext is consumable so each child will need their own copy. You can purchase
print copies at Amazon at a very reasonable price. If you own an E-book, you can make
as many copies as you want to for your family only.
The “Home” section is for independent learning time. This is where the student reads
literature, reads instructions, writes papers, works on editing worksheets, and
completes other simple assignments.
Time with Mom, or Class Time, is where papers are read aloud and constructive, positive
help is given to the writers, books are discussed, newspaper activities are completed
together. You will do a lot of hands-on work with newspapers this year and check
assignments together, making corrections where needed. During this time, you will also
work on creating your own newspaper.
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Reading
Books have been chosen based on their timeless value, enjoyment factor, and reading
level. You will need to purchase these books or borrow them from a friend.
I know that students in middle school run the gamut at this age, so I have included
additional suggestions in the back of this book in the Resources section. You can find
easier books to read for the struggling reader, alternatives when you can’t find the book
I have suggested, or harder books for more advanced students. Simply have students
change the name of the book and author on the report sheets to their new book and fill
the book review out. You might need to change some questions, so help them with the
changes.
I hope that your student will read more literature than just two books a month. Check
out my Free Reading Lists at JoyfulandSuccessfulHomeschooling.com. Look under Books
for the Free Reading Lists page. You will find all kinds of books lists for readers at all
levels from toddlers to adults.
Here is the list of books you will need. Of course, you are the teacher, so you can make
any substitutions you need to make.
Under Drake’s Flag by G.A. Henty
The Secret Mission: A Huguenot’s Dangerous Adventure in the Land of Persecution by
A. Van Der Jagt
Carry On Mr. Bowditch by Jean Latham
The White Seneca by William W. Canfield
John Treegate’s Musket by Leonard Wibberly
Rebel’s Keep by Douglas Bond
The Journeyman by Elizabeth Yates
The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
With Lee in Virginia by G.A. Henty
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Ragged Dick by Horatio Algiers, Jr.
Freckles by Gene Stratten Porter
Julie by Catherine Marshall
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
The Incredible Journey by Shella Burnford
Writing Assignments
We are working as newspaper reporters this year, so, you guessed it, we are writing all
kinds of articles. We will start with the learning to write a good lead that gives us the
Who, What, When, Where, followed by the How and Why. Students will be reminded
with each assignment that every newspaper article must start with a good lead.
Step-by-Step, we will learn to write news articles, feature articles, sports articles, food
articles, comic strips, editorials, editorial cartoons, reviews, classified ads, and
interviews.
Discovering Your Newspaper

We will explore the newspaper, section by section, cutting out articles and pasting our
clippings in our book.
If you don’t get the local paper, then start buying it on Sunday and one other day a week.
Save all those copies until you have a big pile. Keep adding to the pile all year.
Newspapers have played a large part in American history that will add to our American
history knowledge. In addition, the writing style used by reporters is a great method to
develop budding writers.
Have a wonderful year!
Email me if you have any questions Meredith@powerlinecc.com
Warmly,
Meredith Curtis
PowerlineProd.com
JSHomeschooling.com
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
September
Newspapers & American History
Newspaper Staff
Be A Newspaper Detective: Find Your Newspaper Staff
Mechanical Typesetting
Ben Franklin, Apprentice to Publisher
Printing
Writing Leads: What, Who, When, Where
The Rest of the Story: How & Why
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Week One Meet with Mom or Co-op Class
Pass Out Books
Go Over Course Material
Newspaper Staff
It takes a team of people to run a newspaper.
Publisher
Editor-in-
Chief
Business News Editor Circulation
The Publisher is the owner and head of the newspaper. He is responsible for the overall
direction, as well as the day-to-day operations. He makes the major decisions about how
to run a paper. Sometimes he is hands-on with his newspaper, acting as editor-in-chief,
but most of the time, the editor-in-chief runs the paper.
The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for the day-to-day running of the paper, but
sometimes he delegates most of his role to a Managing Editor.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Here is the difference between the Editor-in-Chief and the Managing Editor. The editor-
in-chief is like the CEO of a company and the managing editor is like the chief operations
officer.
The Editor-in-Chief sets the tone for the company, editorial policies, and ultimate
direction of the paper. He is responsible for the final product. He represents the
newspaper at public functions.
The Managing Editor is responsible for the day-to-day operations and reports to the
Editor-in-Chief. She determines which articles will make the front page.
In a small newspaper, the editor-in-chief does the work of a managing editor, as well as
her own job.
Each newspaper has a business team, a mechanical team, and a news team.
Business Department
The Business Department takes care of Advertising and Circulation.
Circulation is the readership. In other words, how many families and businesses
subscribe to the newspaper. The person in charge of circulation manages the
subscribers. They answer customer’s emails and phone calls. More importantly, they are
in charge of getting the paper from the office to homes and businesses. Newspapers
are delivered street by street. Jobs in the circulation department include newspaper
carriers, distribution center workers, route drivers, and customer service
representatives.
Circulation often provides 25% of the newspaper’s revenue, or income.
Mechanical Department
The Mechanical Department takes care of Layout and Printing. This technical team
gets the paper laid out, printed, and ready for distribution.
When all work has been completed and the newspaper has gone to press, the
newspaper has been “put to bed.”
News Department
The news department finds the news, writes articles, edits articles, and lays articles out
so that the newspaper can be printed.
Reporters go to their beat to find breaking news and cover events. Their articles are
crafted by editors. The editorial staff works together to layout their pages of the
newspaper.
Reporters cover a beat, research, and talk to sources. They make article proposals and
write the actual articles.
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A Columnist contributes a regular article, or column to the newspaper on a daily or

weekly schedule that is about a specific topic or range of topics. Some of my favorite
columnists over the years have included George Will, Cal Thomas, William F. Buckley,
Dave Barry (humor), Erma Brombeck (humor), Thomas Sowell, Sean Hannity, and Dennis
Prager.
A Bureau Chief or Editor is responsible for a certain geographical area (Chicago,
Istanbul, Washington, D.C.) or a topic area (Health, Money, Entertainment). He edits
reporters’ articles and negotiates with the managing editor for article placement in the
newspaper.
A Section Editor oversees a feature page like Food, Business, or Sports. He gets what
he needs from Bureau Chiefs.
The Copy Editor edits articles for clarity and details.
The Online Staff produce web content, flash animations, and blogs.
The Market Data Group collects information from the stock exchanges to produce
stock tables and answer research questions.
The Graphics Team works with the reporter and editors to produce art: photos, charts,
and graphs.
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Your

Newspaper Staff
You will find out who’s who in your local newspaper.
Publisher
Editor-in-Chief
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Managing Editor
A Columnist
A Syndicated Columnist
A Reporter
Food Editor
Sports Editor
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Week One Home

Read “Newspapers” & “Newspapers & American History”
Read “Newspaper Staff”
Read & Do “Be a Newspaper Detective” Find Your Newspaper Staff”
Read Under Drake’s Flag by G.A. Henty
Newspapers
Have you ever picked up a newspaper and read it?
Newspapers are a daily or weekly printed collection of news articles, editorials, and
feature articles.
N.E.W.S.
NEWS is an acronym for News, Economics, Weather, and Sports. If you watch a NEWS
show on TV, you will notice they have those same ingredients: news, economics,
weather, and sports. Although, today NEWS might stand for News, Entertainment,
Weather, and Sports.
News Agencies
Many papers get some of their articles from the Associated Press or Reuters
international news agencies.
The Associated Press was founded in 1946 with its headquarters in New York City. It
releases over 2,000 stories a day and 1 million photos. Newspapers buy stories from the
Associated Press to put into their daily or weekly newspapers.
See if you can find any articles from the Associated Press in your city newspaper.
Reuters is another news agency that sells articles and photos to local and national
newspapers. With offices in London, United Kingdom, Reuters was founded in 1851.
Each day breaking news stories are released in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German,
Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Urdu, and Korean.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Can you find any news stories from Reuters in your local newspaper?
Both the Associated Press and Reuters release videos and stories online that can be
tweeted and posted anywhere. They also tweet news headlines. As times change, these
huge industries are changing, too.
Newspapers & Coffee

I grew up with a newspaper delivered daily to my home. Like most families in the 1960s
and 1970s, Dad read the newspaper while he drank a cup of coffee and ate breakfast.
The children grabbed the comics to read and Mom settled down with the paper after
the breakfast rush was over.
I read the paper each morning from high school on while I ate my breakfast. This trend
continued for many years until I got tired of our local newspaper’s bias against
Christianity and conservative values, a common trend in America that started in the 20th
Century.
Newspapers are currently on the decline around the world because news is available to
watch and read 24 hours a day on the internet. Few families have the newspaper
delivered daily anymore.
Even so, newspapers are an important part of our history and heritage in the United
States of America. For years, it was the way Americans kept in touch with the rest of
America and the world. It was how families got news and shared their own feelings
about issues through letters to the editors.
Newspapers played a huge role in the ratification of the Constitution and the formation
of the Bill of Rights. (More on that later!)
So, let’s learn more about newspapers and their impact and reporting of American
History.
Newspaper Evening Standard April 15 1912
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Newspapers & American History
Newspaper Vendor (c) Wikipedia Commons Public Domain
Newspapers have played a large part in our nation’s history. However, before we talk
about that, let’s go back to Europe to see how the first newspapers started.
Early European Newspapers

If we go back in time to Venice in the 1500s, we will find a wealthy city/nation that was
heavily involved in international trade. Venice businessmen circulated handwritten
news sheets, called Avisi or Gazette, that were filled with information from all over
Europe. The news sheets were filled with information on wars, politics, and trade. Here’s
what’s interesting: each news item was brief, written under the name of the city it was
about and the date it was sent. Later newspapers would use this style of reporting.
The oldest surviving copy of a newspaper, that we can actually hold and touch, is from
Germany, printed by Johann Carolus from Strasbourg in 1609. He published it weekly.
Newspapers spread rapidly through Europe to cities like Basel, Frankfort, Vienna,
Austria Amsterdam, London, and Paris in the early 1600s.
At first, newspapers just printed news from other places. However, in the mid-1600s,
one English newspaper published information about the English Civil War. Other English
newspapers jumped in and soon they were reporting local, national, and international
news.
Businesses jumped into the action, putting advertisements into the pages for a fee. It is
so fun to look at these old advertisements.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Okay, let’s cross the Atlantic to North America. Remember that Colonial America was
British.
American Newspapers
John Campbell, postmaster of Boston, started a handwritten newsletter that eventually
became The Boston News-Letter. It was published for 72 years after it was first
published in 1719.
Another newspaper appeared on the scene in 1719: The American Weekly Mercury in
Philadelphia.
Ben Franklin’s Philadelphia Gazette

The New England Courant, published by James Franklin in Boston started out on a
political crusade about smallpox inoculations. You see, Cotton Mather, a popular pastor,
was promoting smallpox inoculations and James Franklin was against them. The next
year, James Franklin (1697-1738) took on the Colonial government, complaining about
their lack of protection against pirates. His younger brother and apprentice was
Benjamin Franklin.
Ben Franklin ran away to Philadelphia where he started The Pennsylvania Gazette in
1729. It became one the most popular newspapers in Colonial America under Benjamin
Franklin’s leadership. He published information about his kite/electricity experiment.
During the French and Indian War, Ben Franklin published his still-famous “Join or Die”
cartoon to encourage colonial unity.
Join or Die Political Cartoon, Pennsylvania Gazette 1754 public domain
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Colonial Newspapers
Just as they were popular in England, soon you could find newspapers all over Colonial
America.
If you want to see Freedom of Speech in action, read Colonial American newspapers.
They discussed leadership, religion, finances, businesses, trade, taxes, corruption, and
ideas. Every side had their say.
Newspapers & The American Revolution

The Stamp Act and other taxes imposed on American Colonists by the British were
discussed and argued about in newspapers.
Here are some of the most important newspapers before and during the American
Revolution.
The Boston Gazette, founded in 1755, played an important role in reporting the early
events that stirred up colonial anger including the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea
Party. Samuel Adams had a large impact on the content of this paper, though he did not
own it. The paper became increasingly supportive of American rights and frustrated with
King George III and Parliament. Boston was right in the middle of much of the early
conflict with England. The closing of Boston Harbor infuriated all of Colonial America
and led to resistance across all 13 colonies.
The Pennsylvania Journal in Philadelphia reported on all the activities and decisions of
the First and Second Continental Congress. The aligned themselves strongly with those
who were upset about the British trampling on American’s rights.
The Pennsylvania Evening Post, another Philadelphia newspaper, founded in 1775,
was the first newspaper to publish the entire Declaration of Independence on July 6,
1776. Other newspapers followed their example.
The Connecticut Courant, first published in 1769 in Hartford and still published today
as the Hartford Courant, still published news of the American Revolution, even after
surrounding cities like Boston, New York, and Newport fell to the British.
The New York Journal, founded in 1776 in New York City, moved around the colony to
avoid British troops so that they paper could still be printed. The staff was able to inform
Americans about the battles going on in New York and Massachusetts, as well as other
important information Americans needed.
The Providence Gazette, founded in Providence, Rhode Island in 1762, stood strong
for the American cause before and during the American Revolution.
The South Carolina Gazette, published in Charleston from 1734 until 1800, was the
primary source of information on the American Revolution for the southern colonies.
They were able to report on the British army’s activities until the fall of Charleston.
Of course, there were many Loyalist newspapers, too, who sided with Great Britain.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Newspapers & The Constitution

Back then, people were very open about their political bias. Those with strong Federalist
leanings honestly admitted their political leanings, while Jeffersonian Republicans
admitted their political ideals of freedom from government meddling.
The National Gazette was founded in 1790 by Philip Freneau who agreed with the
political learnings of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, while The Gazette was a
Federalist newspaper, writing from the perspective of Alexander Hamilton, George
Washington, and the Federalist Party.
Spread of Newspapers
For about 100 years, roughly from 1850 to 1950, each city had several daily newspapers,
honestly admitting their political leanings.
Here’s an example. In Chicago, there were three daily newspapers competing with one
another: Chicago Times (Democratic), Chicago Tribune (Republican), and the Daily News
(Independent). The Daily News was founded in 1875 by Melville Stone and started a new
trend for newspapers. He focused on community life in Chicago, and the problems faced
by the rapid growth of cities.
In 1884, the leading national newspaper, New York Tribune, was edited by Horace
Greeley. The paper openly supported the values of the Republican Party.
Newsboy 1905 (c) Wikipedia Commons Public Domain
Yellow Journalism
Yellow Journalism began in the late 1800s and continues until today. What is Yellow
Journalism? Well, it is sensationalizing media coverage in order to bring about a desired
political result. Legitimate news is downplayed for scandals, weird events, or
unprofessional practices.
Yellow journalism uses eye-catching headlines with color photographs to make news
something exciting. That’s fun! But on the negative side, there is a heavy use of
misleading headlines, “experts” who don’t know what they are talking about, putting
minor news stories in bold headlines while ignoring true news, using unreliable sources,
refusing to fact-check, and promoting political agendas while claiming to be unbiased.
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The biggest names associated with Yellow Journalism are Joseph Pulitzer and William
Randolph Hearst. Hearst is said to have taken full credit for the Spanish-American War
by how he covered events unfolding in Cuba.
Here are samples of how Pulitzer and Hearst cover events happening in Cuba.
The biggest problem with Yellow Journalism is that though they had a strong political
agenda, they pretended to be “unbiased” and “Just reporting the facts.”
Every newspaper all around the world is biased. Some might be conservative politically
and others liberal. Some might be publishing articles from a Christian perspective, while
others have an atheistic perspective.
In the early days of our history, newspapers were honest about their political leanings.
They didn’t pretend to be neutral. Nowadays many newspapers pretend to be neutral,
but they are not. Newspapers often push a political agenda with the slant the article is
written from or be choosing what information is shared and what is not. Sometimes
they go so far as to have misleading headlines that are not backed up by the story that
follows. This is very sad.
All newspapers have a bias. The newspaper in your city has a bias. Are they honest about
that bias? Can you tell what it is?
Newspapers Inform Readers as History Unfolds

Throughout the 20th Century, readers learned about historic events soon after they
happened when they opened their daily newspapers each morning. Headlines
screamed the news day after day. Reporters worked hard to get the stories, editors
crafted, printers get the paper “put to bed” and printed so newsboys could deliver the
paper each morning.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Newspaper Men at Work (c) LIbrary of Congress Public Domain
Comic Strips
Comics are a big hit with children and adults. Comics make people laugh, taking the
edge off the more difficult to read articles throughout the newspaper. Unfortunately, so
much horrible news of war, earthquakes, famine, and destruction outweighed the good
news of missionaries, inventions, famous flights, and new beginnings. People loved the
comics. It was great to laugh!
Little Nemo 09-29-1907 (c) Wikipedia Commons Public Domain
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Newspapers Today
Today, the Washington Post and the New York Times are extremely liberal, while the
Wall Street Journal is slightly conservative.
The Wall Street Journal is the most popular newspaper in the United States, with almost
twice as many subscriptions than the next popular newspaper, The New York Times.
Other popular newspapers include Chicago Tribune, New York Post, Los Angeles Times,
and The Washington Post.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week Two Meet with Mom or Co-op Class

Read “Sections of a Newspaper”
Read & Do “Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Your Sections”
Find Newspaper Staff together in various newspapers
Discuss Starting a Newspaper
Sections of a Newspaper
Jimmy picks up the newspaper every morning to read the sports section. Julianna likes
the Sudoku. Everyone usually glances at the front page first before they open it up for
their favorite section.
Here are the sections in a typical newspaper:
General News is local, national and international news contained in the front section.
The most important news is highlighted to readers with a banner headline printed in
big, bold letters.
Local News in our newspaper is found in the second section, entitled “Local News” and
informs readers about news in our city, county, and state.
World News might be in the front section or a second section and contains news from
other nations.
The Dateline of each article is found at the beginning. It informs the reader when and
where the article was written.
The Table of Contents helps the reader find the pages numbers of important sections
in the paper.
The Index informs the reader where regularly featured pages can be found.
Masthead is the formal statement of a newspapers’ names, officers, management, and
place of publication, usually found on editorial page.
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MEREDITH CURTIS
The Editorial Page includes editorials and letters to the editor. These columns appear
on the editorial page.
The Weather pages gives you the forecast for your area, as well as weather information
from around the country.
Entertainment includes articles about movies, books, television shows, and events, as
well as comics, crossword puzzles, sudoku, and games.
Feature Stories are included for entertainment, not because they are news.
The Sports section keeps readers informed of games scores and stats, updates of teams
and players, and human interest stories about the players.
The Business or Finances section gives the reader access to stock prices, foreign
exchange rates, banking, imports, exports, and commodities prices.
The Travel section is in our Sunday paper. I love this section! What fun to read about
places to travel and ways to get there!
The Food section includes recipes, menus, and articles related to food and the kitchen.
The Gossip, or Society Pages are the place to go to learn more about famous people
and their adventures.
The Classified Ads section contains “Help Wanted,” “For Sale,” “For Lease or Sale,” and
personal and legal notices.
Announcements & Obituary Pages give the reader information on who has died and
when the funeral is scheduled. They also provide religious and community information.
Cutline, or Caption is written underneath photographs to explain what is going on in
the photograph and may include a photo credit.
A Column is the vertical division of the paper. Articles and photographs are laid out in
columns.
Jumpline is the line that tells the reader on which page a story is continued.
Gutter is the margin between facing pages in the vertical field.
28
NEWSPAPER REPORTING

Sections
Find the headlines or other newspaper items that are asked for on the next few pages,
cut them out, and paste them in the correct location.
General News Headline
Dateline from any article
Local News Headline
29
MEREDITH CURTIS
World News Headline
My Newspaper’s Table of Contents
Editorial Headline
30
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
A Marriage Announcement
Something Interesting from the Weather Page
31
MEREDITH CURTIS
Something Interesting from the Entertainment Section
Something Interesting from the Sports Section
Something Interesting from the Business Section
32
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Something Interesting from the Travel Section
Something Interesting from the Food Section
A Classified Ad
33
MEREDITH CURTIS
An Announcement
An Obituary
34
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Our Newspaper: Who Will Do What?
This year, you will begin preparations for writing and publishing your own newspaper.
You will need a group of people to help you in this project. Your family would be great!
Or your homeschool co-op class. You could also start a newspaper club or enrichment
class where everyone is working on this curriculum at home and meeting together to
create your own newspaper for your church, neighborhood, or homeschool co-op.
Today, you will start putting together the newspaper staff. Mom and Dad, or co-op
teacher will serve as publisher and editor-in-chief.
Fill in the chart by putting the names in each blank strip.
35
MEREDITH CURTIS
Publisher
Editor-in-
Chief
Business News Editor Circulation
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
Final say on what goes into the paper.
Business
Provides funds for printing the paper through subscription and advertising.
News Editor
Edits news and feature articles. Decides what articles go into the newspaper.
Circulation
Getting newspapers into readers’ hands through subscriptions and sales.
36
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week Two Home

Read Ben Franklin: Writer & Publisher” & “Mechanical Typesetting”
Finish Reading Under Drake’s Flag
Complete Book Review
Ben Franklin: Writer & Publisher

We think of Benjamin Franklin as a Founding Father,
but he was also a writer, printer, and publisher.
Born to devoted Christian parents, Ben Franklin was
raised going to church and living a moral life. His
parents also modeled and trained him to work hard.
In fact, it was their dream that Benjamin be a pastor,
but he did not give his heart to Jesus.
Though hardworking, his parents did not have
enough money for Ben to pursue college, so he
worked with his father making candles. He began to
dream of going to sea. Instead, his older brother
James came home from England with a printing press
and offered Ben a job. Ben apprenticed as a printer
for James, who founded the second newspaper in
Ben Franklin by Joseph Wright of Derby
Colonial American, The New England Courant.
public domain.
Wanting to be a writer, Ben sent anonymous letters
to The New England Courant. The newspaper
published it to the delight of their readers.
When he was 17, Ben left home, traveling to New York and then Philadelphia. He found
work in Philadelphia working for a printer, Samuel Keimer. He fell in love and married
Deborah Reed, after courting her for several years.
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MEREDITH CURTIS
Encouraged to start a business in Philadelphia, Ben went to Boston to ask his father for
financial help. His Dad encouraged him to wait until he was 21 to start his own printing
company. Taking his advice, Ben returned to Philadelphia to work for Samuel Keimer.
Ben decided to go to England
for 18 months of training in the
printing business. He learned
things about printing in England
that were yet unknown in
America. However, he was
unable to purchase any printing
equipment.
When he returned home to
Philadelphia, he partnered with
Hugh Meredith. They opened
up their own print shop with a
loan from Hugh’s father.
Eventually, Ben bought Hugh
out and became the sole owner
of the print shop. In 1728, he
bought the Philadelphia Gazette
Ben Franklin Printing Press Reproductions Philadelphia NPS public
from his former boss, Samuel domain
Keimer.
Two things really helped his printing business and the newspaper grow. He became clerk
of the Pennsylvania Assembly, so he was able to throw a lot of business to his company.
When he was appointed Postmaster General, the was able to use the mail system to
deliver his papers.
In 1730, Ben married Deborah Reed. They had two children: Sarah and Francis. I am
sorry to tell you that Francis died of smallpox at the age of four.
In 1732, Ben Franklin published his first Poor Richard’s Almanack containing a calendar,
weather information, poems, and demographics. It also contained a lot of wise sayings
and tips on living well that were based on Cotton Mather’s writings, especially
Bonifacious An Essay to Do Good. Cotton Mather was a prolific writer who called
Colonial America back to Jesus and prayed for revival.
His printing business was going so well, that Ben franchised his company. Folks in other
cities could get printing equipment from him. For six years they would give him half the
profits and after that time, could purchase the equipment from him and be on their
own.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Mechanical Typesetting
Let’s talk about how newspapers are put together.
The Process of Phototypesetting

Newspapers are put together with phototypesetting. Fasten your seatbelts. This is a
complicated process.
Articles are sent to the composing room with typeset
codes. The article is copied onto a rough draft, along
with other articles, headlines, and ads. The operator
adjusts each page several times until he gets what he
wants, an easy-to-read attractive printed newspaper.
Each final page has to be approved by an editor.
From here, the paper is transferred from computer
format to film via laser beams. These photographs are
scanned into another computer, printed together,
taped down to a “stripper”, and the editor checks them
one more time. The strippers are put into frames of
light-sensitive film and the image of each page is
burned onto film and inserted into a facsimile, or laser
reader, scanning the page and transferring it to the
printing center of the newspapers.
The page images arrive at the printing center where a
negative image is made of each page (the text is white
and blank spaces are black).
Each page is now further edited, tweaked, and adjusted
to make it as pleasing to the readers’ eyes as possible.
Printing plates are made from the negative, fitted into
plate cylinders, and placed into the printing press.
A printing press is HUGE! Sometimes, it is two stories
tall. The printing press is LOUD! Everyone has to wear
ear plugs when it is running.
A newspaper is printed on very thin paper called
newsprint that comes in big rolls. These rolls are
inserted into the printing press.
After the newspaper is printed, it moves on to a folding
machine that folds the newspapers.
39
MEREDITH CURTIS
A Quick History
Until the 1800s, newspapermen had to hand set type using letter presses, a slow and
tedious process. In the nineteenth century (1800s), hot metal typesetting was used with
a keyboard and a typesetter who cast one line at time. Phototypesetting came onboard
on in the 1960s using glass or thick plastic discs that were turned into film. The machine
had to be opened to switch fonts. Desktop publishing was introduced in the 1980s and
typesetting became even easier with the entrance of Adobe Creative Suite into the
publishing scene.
You can visit the Printing Museum in Carson, California to see antique printing presses
and learn more about the history of printing. At this their website is printmuseum.org/.
If this changes, just Google “Printing Museum” to find their website.
What’s What in Typesetting Newspapers

Newspapers are laid out in a particular way. Here are some terms you will need to
become familiar with.
Alley, or Gutter: space between columns in a newspaper
Banner: provides readers with the name of the newspaper, the city where it’s published
and the sale price
Headline: title of the article, written in large capital letters
Byline: gives the name of the author of the article, located below the headline in each
article
Dateline: informs the reader when and where (city, state, country) the article was
written, found at the beginning.
Caption: words below a photograph to explain the photograph to the reader.
40
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Under Drake’s Flag Book Review

By G.A. Henty
Did you like this book? Why or why not?
Who was your favorite character?
What do you like best about your favorite character?
Summarize the plot in two sentences.
What did you learn about Frances Drake and the Age of Exploration from this book?
41
MEREDITH CURTIS
Week Three Meet with Mom or Co-op Class

Talk about Mechanical Typesetting
Discuss Ben Franklin
Discuss Under Drake’s Flag
Choose Sections Our Newspaper Will Have
Our Newspaper: Choose Sections

This year, you will begin preparations for writing and publishing your own newspaper.
What sections do you want your newspaper to have?
Here are the sections we will have in our newspaper:
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week Three Home

Read & Do “Writing Leads: What, Who, When, Where”
Read & Do “The Rest of the Story: Details”
Read “Proofing” & Complete “Proofwriting Practice”
Read The Secret Mission: A Huguenot’s Dangerous Adventure in the Land of

Persecution and complete Book Review
Writing Leads: What, Who, When,

Where
A good news stories starts with a strong lead that is so interesting it makes the reader
keep reading. A lead will contain the who, what, when, and where of the story. The how
and why follow in the next sentences.
You can write a lead!
A lead usually starts with the who or what depending on whether the person (who) or
event (what) is more important.
What Who When Where
A location has been chosen for the church’s next mission trip, Shine Curtis announced
yesterday at Teen Night.
Who What When Where
Brooklynn Miles was chosen to star in Captivated, the homeschool co-op’s next musical
drama, last night at the Lighthouse Family Co-op award banquet at Lake Mary Events
Center.
What When Where Who
Six new cases of the flu were reported this week in the Smith home by Stan Smith.
43
MEREDITH CURTIS
In the following lead paragraphs, underline the who in red, the what in blue, the where
in green, the when in yellow, the why in purple, and the how in orange.
Homeschool Student Rescues Brother From Drowning

On Saturday, May 19, homeschool student Brent Howard rescued his younger brother Ted from
drowning at Blue Springs State Park. While looking at the Manatees, Ted slipped over the railing
into the water. The panicked boy began to sink, but Brent jumped in to save the little boy, ignoring
the alligator swimming nearby.
Runaway Cat Stops Traffic

Early this morning, a house cat escaped from his family’s open window, jumped into a the bed of
a truck delivering milk, knocking 100 milk bottles out of the truck, causing cars on both sides of
the road to stop for 30 minutes until the glass was cleared away. The cat, busy lapping up the milk,
was returned to his owners and settled down to a peaceful nap.
Off-Duty Fireman Saves the Day

Matt, a firefighter with Seminole County, rescued a young woman from an attempted kidnapping
in the food court at Seminole Town Center yesterday afternoon, by overpowering three armed
youths. The young men had evidently been on a kidnapping spree because police found four young
women in their van, bound and gagged.
Matt was eating pizza with his family when three armed teenagers tried to forcibly remove a young
woman from the table next to the family. After telling his children to run and take cover, Matt
tackled the young men and removed their weapons. The chosen victim then produced rope from
her large purse to tie them each to a chair. Police are investigating possible gang initiation as a
motive for the kidnapping.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Choose Your Article Topic

Think of some things that have happened recently in your home, church, homeschool
co-op, or neighborhood.
Here are some ideas: a new pet arrives in the family, your family goes canoeing and the
boat tips over, you babysit your younger siblings, a new neighbor moves in, you buy a
birthday present for your siblings, someone gets baptized at church, a fun field trip, a
close football game, or you learn a new skill or craft.
List some ideas here:
Planning the Lead

Before you start your article, brainstorm the Who, What, When, Where, Why, How?
Who was involved?
What happened?
When did it happen?
Where did it happen?
45
MEREDITH CURTIS
How and Why

Why did it happen?
How did it happen?
Now it’s time to write your lead sentence with Who, What, Where, and When?
This sentence will be followed up with a sentence explaining How and Why. Write your
next sentence here.
Congratulations! You have written your first paragraph!
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
The Rest of the Story: Details

Once you write a lead, you want to tell the rest of the story.
Let’s start with a lead paragraph and add the details to create a news article. You will
have to use your imagination.
Fill in the blanks to create the first paragraph of an exciting news story.
Homeschool Student Rescues Brother From Drowning

On Saturday, May 19, homeschool student Brent Howard rescued his younger brother Ted from
drowning at Blue Springs State Park. While looking at the Manatees, Ted slipped over the railing
into the water. The panicked boy began to sink, but Brent jumped in to save the little boy, ignoring
the alligator swimming nearby.
What are some things you could add in the next two paragraphs to complete the news
story?
Type up your lead paragraph and these two paragraphs and turn them in to Mom or co-
op teacher. Congratulations! You have written your first article!
47
MEREDITH CURTIS
Proofing
One of the jobs of the news editor is to edit and proof a news story. You will learn to
proofread this year and you will have to read the correct symbols.
Here is a list of proofreading symbols you will need to proofread your own and others’
news stories.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Proofreading Practice
Use the proofreading symbols to proof the following sentences.
For hurricane lasted for two two days.
Traffic was back upfor over two howurs.
Six puppies need newt homes
Henry Jack and Sam went to play in the old treshouse in mrs smith’s backyard.
Who is she what is she doing
Was Mr. Smith flying the plane
He traveled to new orleans, Louisiana.
49
MEREDITH CURTIS
The Secret Mission Book Review

By A. Van Der Jagt
What did you learn about the Huguenots from this book?
50
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
October
The News Reporter
The News Department
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Your News Articles
How to Write a News Story
Write a News Story
Using A Newspaper Index
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Your Newspaper Index
Headlines
Match Headlines to Stories
51
MEREDITH CURTIS

Talk about Writing Leads: Who, What, Where, When and Add the How & Why
Write Some Leads Together
Read Articles Aloud
Go Over Proofreading Symbols
Go Over Proofreading Sentences—Make Sure Everyone Got Them Right
Make a List of Article Ideas for Our Newspaper
Read & Complete “Be a Newspaper Detective: Find News Articles”
Our Newspaper: Make a List of Article

Ideas
What articles does your newspaper club want to write, print, and publish?
Brainstorm together and come up with a list of article ideas for upcoming issues of your
newspaper.
52
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find News

Articles
People read newspapers to find out what is going on in their community, state, nation,
and world. News articles are written by reporters.
Find news articles, cut them out, and paste them here.
53
MEREDITH CURTIS
54
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week One Home

Read “Meet Ned, the News Reporter”
Read “How to Write a News Article”
Complete “Write Your News Article” & Type Up Your Article
Read Carry On Mr. Bowditch by Jean Latham
Meet Ned, the News Reporter

Ned is a news reporter for his local
newspaper. He reports to his editor
and has his own beat. He works the
business beat, reporting on all the
latest news from local businesses in
the area, as well as national business
news. He enjoys it. All his brothers are
in the business world and his father is
a C.E.O. of a local company. He feels
like he has his hand on the pulse of the
business world and loves writing news
stories.
Ned works with Anita, a reporter on
Creative Commons Public Domain dreamstime_xxl_101542101
the Food beat, Stan, who works the
Sports beat, Tom, the Health reporter,
and Susan on the Religion beat. There are also reporters who don’t have a regular beat.
They are assigned to stories as they come up.
55
MEREDITH CURTIS
How to Write a News Story

Would you like to learn a news story?
Newspapers are filled with news stories written by reporters.
A newspaper reporter covers activities or events that will interest, inform, or entertain
the public.
Where you write a news story….
• Try to be Objective, avoid expressing your own opinions in the stories
• Use accurate, up-to-date information gathered by research and investigation
• Use direct interview or visits to the sites of news stories.
• Use files of pictures, graphics, and background information to complete your
stories.
• Ask photographers and artists for pictures to go along with stories.
Ingredients of an Article
A news story contains a headline, byline, dateline, lead paragraph, second paragraph
with core information, and a third paragraph with extra information that can be cut out
of the article if necessary.
A headline should grab your readers’ attention and make them want to read your article.
The byline is a line beneath the headline with the author’s name. The dateline tells where
(city, country) and when (date) the article was written.
Like your previous article, you will start with a lead. The first sentence must contain who,
when, where, and what. The next sentence should give why and how.
The next paragraph should contain vital details that are related to the news story.
The third paragraph should contain extra information related to the news story that can
be cut if necessary.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Samples
Here are some sample news stories from US History:
Caesar Rodney Makes It Just In Time

Philadelphia, July 4, 1776
Caesar Rodney rose from his sick bed to ride 80 miles on horseback to Philadelphia, so he could
break the deadlock between the other two delegates from Delaware, voting for Independence.
Rodney, who was bedridden with sickness, missed several weeks of service at the Continental
Convention, but when he heard about the Delaware delegates’ disagreement, he made the trip.
Though he was on sick leave, concerned patriots traveled to his plantation near Dover, Delaware
to update him on the deadlock between the other two Delaware delegates. Against his wife’s
strong disapproval, he immediately got up, got dressed, and made the ride through treacherous
weather that including torrential rain and thunder.
Sources say that Caesar Rodney has been battling cancer since 1773 which leaves him exhausted
and bedridden several days each month. Even so, Rodney continues to serve his country in the
military and politics.
Robert E. Lee Turns Down Lincoln’s Request to Lead

Union Army
Washington D.C., April 18, 1861
The entire nation was shocked when news leaked out that war hero Robert Earl Lee turned
down President Lincoln’s request to lead the Union Army. The men met together in the Oval
Office of the White House just days after gunfire after the Battle for Fort Sumter.
What was said between the two men remains a mystery, but sources say that General Winfield
Scott, a personal friend of Lincoln’s, also tried to persuade General Lee to take command of the
Union Army. Rumors abound that Lee will resign his commission in the United States Army.
Lee distinguished himself as a hero in the Mexican-American War, serving honorably throughout
his military career. Though he abhors slavery, he is strong proponent of states’ rights and sees
himself first a Virginian, second an American. Let’s hope Virginia doesn’t secede from the
Union.
57
MEREDITH CURTIS
US Steel Is Formed, Combined 10 Companies into 1

New York City, March 2, 1901
J.P. Morgan and attorney Elbert H. Gary have combined 10 companies into one industrial giant
company named U.S. Steel that will produce steel and other related products. Carnegie, who will
retire after the sale of his highly successful Pittsburgh Carnegie Steel Corporation, looks forward
to giving back to the community and playing golf.
Sources point to J.P. Morgan as the mastermind of the deal. Morgan will serve on the board of
the company, but the first president of the board will be Charles W. Schwab
J.P. Morgan is reported to have paid 492 million dollars, a sum unimaginable to most of us. How
much money was borrowed to complete the deal has not been released by any of the men
involved.
US Returns 13 Cubans Who Fled Island in a Boat

Miami, June 17, 1995
On Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard returned to Cuba 13 people who had fled the country by sea.
Coast Guard spokesman said the nine men, three women, and eight-year-old child were turned
over to U.S. officials in Cuba at Bahia de Cabanas, east of Havana, shortly after noon, in an
operation that proceeded without incident.
They were from a group of 14 Cubans found in a 15-foot sailboat in the straits between Florida
and Cuba Tuesday by a U.S. merchant ship. The group was transferred to the Coast Guard later
that night.
One woman was suffering from exposure and dehydration. She was flown to a hospital in Key
West, Florida Wednesday.
58
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Dehydration Among Elderly

Laura Ost
San Francisco October 4, 1987
Dehydration among elderly patients may be an unrecognized problem in many hospitals, a study
in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests. Dr. Alan Arieff of the San Francisco Veterans
Administration Medical Center and colleagues reviewed records of 15,187 patients aged 60 or
older and found that 162 suffered from high blood sodium, or hypernatremia, a condition that
results when a person becomes dehydrated. These patients, admitted for a variety of illnesses,
were seven times more likely to die than others with the same illness but no high blood sodium.
Write a News Story

It’s time to write your own news story.
First, you will need to choose a news story to tell. Right now, there are several things
going on in the world around me: two brides-to-be living in my house, a Royal Wedding
over in England, the NFL passed a new regulation related to the National Anthem,
candidates are preparing for upcoming elections, construction work on 17-92, a new
restaurant is opening on Lake Mary Blvd., the Y.M.C.A. is offering a new workout class,
we have had unusual amounts of rain this month, my husband is doing some major
landscaping in our yard, we are looking for a special breed of cat to adopt, and the
worship team is learning some new worship songs.
All of those things going on around me would make great news stories.
How about you?
What is going on around you right now in your home?
What is going on around you right now in your church?
59
MEREDITH CURTIS
What is going on around you right now in your homeschool co-op?
What is going on around you right now in your community?
What is going on around you right now in your nation?
What is going on around you right now in the world?
Choose one of these things to write a news story on.
Style of Article
The style of a news article is formal, written in third-person and past-tense. The articles
are written in past-tense because you are reporting on a news story that has already
happened.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Angle of Article
The angle is like a lens that the writer sees the information for his story through.
The reporter can often choose from several angles for one story. If there is a hurricane
in another state a reporter is writing an article on, he might use the local angle and
interview folks who have family hit by the hurricane or visits from his community that
happened to be in the path of the hurricane due to travels. Or he might use a national
angle and show how the nation and the President are responding to help hurricane
victims.
What will your angle be?
Research
First you will need to gather all your information about the news story you have chosen.
Who?
When?
Where?
What
Why?
How?
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MEREDITH CURTIS
Other Pertinent Information
Compile Your Facts

Now that you have gathered all your facts and information, it’s time to collect them and
discern what is important to your article. Divide all the facts into three groups:
• Information that needs to be included in the article (Yes)

• Information that is interesting, but not vital (Maybe)
• Information that is related to the story, but not necessary to include in my article
(No)
NO
YES MAYBE Information that is related
Information that needs to Information that is to the story, but not
be included in the article interesting, but not vital necessary to include in my
article
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Compile Your Article

It’s time to write your article.
Write your lead paragraph below
Write your second paragraph below
Write your third paragraph below
63
MEREDITH CURTIS
A headline should call readers attention and make them want to read your article. Write
your headline below
Your article should include a byline and dateline. The byline is a line beneath the
headline with the author’s name. The dateline tells where (city, country) and when (date)
the article was written. Write your byline and dateline below.
Type up your article.

Way to go! You’ve written another article!
64
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
This summer is the first time I wi fly alone in a plane.
she walked across the gim near the basketball courts
Jane took a bath after after she got muddy playwing outside.
No Henry you cant go ouside, Henry.
Where you picked for the football team?
Lets go to Disney world and epcot next year.
Wen I grow up I want to reporter
Faith can mountains move.
My father playyed football long a go.
65
MEREDITH CURTIS

Talk about Writing News Articles
Read News Articles to One Another
Go Over Proofreading Practice, Correct any Mistakes
Using A Newspaper Index

A newspaper index helps us to locate articles and sections of the paper. You will usually
find the index on the front page. The newspaper index is like a table of contents. It gives
you the page numbers of all the sections of the newspaper.
What things do you see on this newspaper index?

Newspaper Index
Locate a newspaper index in your newspaper.
66
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week Two Home

Rewrite Your News Story
Finish Reading Carry ON Mr. Bowditch & Complete Book Review
Re-Write a News Story

It’s time to read over your news article and make it better. If you are at home, ask family
members for suggestions to make your news article even better. If you are in a co-op
class, ask your fellow students for suggestions on making your news article even better.
Answer the following questions:
• Does it have a eye-catching, exciting headline with a large font?
• Is there a byline?
• Is there a dateline?
• Does the first sentence clear and concise with info about who, what, where, and
when?
• Does the second sentence fill in the why and how?
• Can you read the first paragraph only to get all the important information about
the news story?
• Does the second paragraph contain important information about the story?
• Does the third paragraph contain interesting, relative information relavant to the
story?
• Can you cut the third paragraph and still have a great article?
Once you have rewritten your story, it’s time to proof your
story. You can also have a friend or sibling proof your paper
and you proof his or hers. Don’t forget to use the editor
symbols!
Who proofed your paper?
67
MEREDITH CURTIS
Carry On Mr. Bowditch Book Review

By Jean Latham
What did you learn about Colonial America from this book?
68
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
News Article Grading Rubric

Possible Points for
Quality Description
Points Student
Does the article have an exciting
headline with a large eye-pleasing
Headline font? 10/10
Does it make you want to read the
rest of the article?
Does it have a byline?
Byline &
Does it have a dateline? 10/10
Dateline
Are they accurate?
Is the first sentence clear and
concise with info about who, what,
where, and when?
Lead/First
Does the second sentence fill in 25/25
Paragraph
the how and why?
Does the lead paragraph make
you want to read more?
Does the second paragraph
contain important information
about the story?
Does the next paragraph contain
Supporting
interesting information relevant to 15/15
Paragraphs
the story?
Can you cut the last paragraph
and still know everything you
need about the story?
Is the topic of the article
interesting to the reader?
Content Is the topic relevant to the 25/25
audience?
Does the audience learn anything?
Is grammar proper with complete
Grammar & sentences, proper word usage,
15/15
Spelling and exciting verbs?
Are words spelled accurately?
Total 100/100
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MEREDITH CURTIS

Read Edited News Stories to One Another
Talk about Carry On Mr. Bowditch
Plan the First Newspaper Issue
Our Newspaper: Plan the First Issue

Your first issue will be coming out in January, so it’s time to start brainstorming. What
articles, photographs, games, comics, recipes, classifieds, editorials do you want in your
newspaper. Brainstorm together.
Our First Issue Contents
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week Three Home

Read “Headlines”
Create a Headline for Your News Story
Complete Proofreading Practice
Read The White Seneca and complete Book Review
Headlines
Headlines catch people’s attention. They are catchy phrases, not complete sentences,
filled with action-packed verbs. Headlines pack a punch! They are meant to capture the
reader’s attention and get them interested enough to read the story.
Sometimes headlines can be misleading. As Christians, we need to have integrity in what
we read, including our headlines.
Here are some headlines you might read in a newspaper.
• Dog Saves the Day
• Fast Lane Opens Next Week
• Unexpected Arrival
• Final Call for Volunteers
• Fire Fighters Fight Blazing Inferno
• Long-Lost Soldier Returns Home
• Victory Celebration at Resurrection Church
• Goals for World Peace Clash
• Trump Brings North Korea & South Korea to Bargaining Table
Circle all the headlines on the next page. Notice what stories get bigger headlines.
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MEREDITH CURTIS
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING

Today, you will match stories with their headlines. Read the lead paragraphs on the next
page. Then, cut out the headlines below and glue them on top of the correct lead
paragraph.
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MEREDITH CURTIS
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Jamestown, May 24, 1607

A group of 120 adventurous men landed at the mouth of the James River in hopes of
starting a new colony. An uninhabited site has been chosen and the men will start
building a fort, dwellings, a church, and storage buildings tomorrow.
London, May 17, 1749

Today, trustees of the Georgia colony in North America petitioned King George II to
allow slavery in Georgia. Slavery has been outlawed since Georgia’s founding in 1732 as
a mission to debtors and Native Americans by James Oglethorpe, a devout Christian.
Williamsburg, July 9, 1640

A Virginia judge declared John Punch, an indentured servant from Africa, a slave for life
and add four years to his fellow runaways James Gregory and Victor, indentured
servants from Europe, time of servitude. John, James, and Victor, indentured servants of
Virginia planter Hugh Gwyn, ran away several weeks ago and were caught and returned
to Gwyn. All three men received whippings.
Savannah, December 29, 1778

British troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell invaded
Savannah today, killing 83 colonial Americans and taking 453 prisoners. General Robert
Howe and his units of the Continental Army were forced to flee to South Carolina.
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MEREDITH CURTIS
Create a Headline for Your News Story

You just wrote and edited a news story. Now it’s time to come up with a catchy headline
for your news story. Use the second box if you need more room.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Firefighters are complaining about the amount of ovvertime expected of them.
Who is able to read the headlines aloud
Where edits yo newspaper articles?
Please interviewed Kathi Lee, Jenny Beth, and Susie Joy tomorrow monning.
Jim’s farm has chickens, cats, and horses, butt no cows or doogs.
Can mr. stewart drive us hooome?
We used to live in pinehurst, Norrth Carolina.
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The White Seneca Book Review

By William W. Canfield
What did you learn about the pilgrims from this book?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
November
Editing
Interviews
Interview Guidelines
Asking Questions
Johnny Tremain Book Review
Press Conference Game
Direct Quotes
Conduct an Interview
Write Up Interview
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MEREDITH CURTIS

Talk about Headlines you circled and Size of Headline to Importance of Story
Share Headline for Your Article
Check Matching Headlines to Articles
Assign Articles to Newspaper Staff for First Newspaper in January
Go over Proofreading Sentences—Make Sure Everyone Got Them Right
Our Newspaper: Assign Articles to

Reporters
You have already brainstormed ideas for your first edition of your newspaper. Now it’s
time to figure out who will do what article, comic, crossword puzzle, or advice column.
When I was a little girl, many newspapers had a Bible verse near the top of the
newspaper each day. Will you have a Bible verse in your newspaper?
Will you sell ads or classified ads for your newspaper?
The Articles Assigned to Who
By
By
By
By
By
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week One Home

Read “Editors Edit”
Read “Edit a Newspaper Article”
Review Proofreading Symbols
Edit & Rewrite Newspaper Article
Read John Treegate’s Musket by Leonard Wibberly
Editors Edit
Editors edit their reporters’ articles; hence the name editor. Editors learn to read and
edit stories quickly, so stories are ready for publication.
Let’s go over some basics of editing a news story.
Read the Article

First, read the article all the way through without stopping. I can’t tell you how many
times I have been grading a paper and stop to correct a sentence only to realize a
paragraph later that the sentence worked and was necessary.
When you are finished, you should be able to understand the essence of the story and
what facts the reporter chose to share and what things were left untold.
You can’t share everything, but sometimes reporters purposefully leave out facts to
promote an agenda.
Are the Facts True?

One of the most important things for an editor, who wants to honor the Lord, to do is
to make sure the articles he edits are true and an accurate representation of the story.
Whitewashing bad people is not right, but neither is falsely accusing them. Slander is
actually illegal in our nation, but it is a big offense in the Kingdom of God. The Lord hates
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MEREDITH CURTIS
gossip and slander. Make sure that the article is kind, even if it is sharing some hard
truth.
Are all the facts accurate? You may need to do some fact-checking here by making some
phone calls to double-check on things.
Are the sources accurately quoted or paraphrased? Many people I know, myself
included, have been inaccurately quoted in the newspaper. Don’t let that kind of thing
happen.
When I was in high school, a friend and I were running a food drive and a newspaper
reporter came and interviewed us to write an article for the Local Section of the
newspaper. I shared how my faith was the driving force behind my desire to collect food
for the needy. When the reporter wrote the article, he misquoted me and never
mentioned my faith. It was very discouraging because I wanted the Lord to get the glory.
Examine the Lead

The lead should be in the first paragraph. The first sentence. It should tell the reader
the who, what, where, and when in a nutshell. Immediately following should be another
sentence explaining the how and why.
Stop after you read the first paragraph. Do you know the most important parts of the
story from reading the first paragraph? If not, the paragraph must be tweaked.
Inexperienced reporters might have trouble writing an excellent lead.
Another thing to ask is: “Where is the lead?” Is the lead buried? Is it missing from the
first paragraph but found in a later paragraph. If the lead is buried, you will have to
move it to the first paragraph.
Does Rest of Article Support the Lead?

The rest of the article should further explain the lead. The reporter has told the bare
facts in the lead. The rest of the paragraphs should tell the details of the story. You will
want to examine each paragraph to make sure it’s doing its job to add details to the
lead.
Make any changes you need to the content of the article to make the article clear, truth,
interesting, easy-to understand, and concise.
Is there extra information that is unrelated to the story.
Writing Style
Newspaper articles are written in the AP Style. The AP Style is used to make articles
clear, consistent, and accurate. And SHORT! Articles should not be wordy.
Check through the article to make any changes in the writing style.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
You can read more about the AP Style at the OWL (Online Writing Center) at Purdue
University [google “OWL Purdue University AP Style] if you want to, but I’ll just share a
few things that news reporters do when they are writing to keep the articles clear, easy-
to-understand, and short.
Numbers
One through nine are written out, while all numbers above 10 are numerals.
Jimmy finished five pages of homework before taking 10 guys bowling.
Percentages
When you write a percentage, use a numeral and then the word “percent”.
Saxon’s math scores went up 20 percent.
Ages
Ages are always written as numerals.
Rusty is 3 years old.
Dollar Amounts
To write dollar amounts, use the “$” sign followed by the numeral.
Peter gave $500 as an offering to his church.
Addresses
Numerals are used for street addresses.
Martha lives at 567 West Royal Rangers Road
Dates
Numerals are also used to write dates.
Rose was born April 2.
Job Titles
Job titles are capitalized when accompanied before a person’s name and not capitalized
when the title comes after the name.
President Reagan’s photograph is in Mrs. Robert’s office. Mrs. Roberts is the Mayor of
Lake Lulu.
Movies, Books, & Song
Movies, books, and song titles are place in side quotation marks.
Her favorite song is “Let Me Know Your Ways.”
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MEREDITH CURTIS
Punctuation
Use one space after a period when starting the next sentence.
Alice ran downstairs. She opened the refrigerator.
States
Write out state names, unless they are linked with a city, as in Orlando, FL, then
abbreviate the state.
Sarah came from Texas, but now she lives in Wilmington, NC.
Grammar & Punctuation

The final step is to check grammar and punctuation.
Make sure that you check for run-on sentences, fragments, ambiguous wording, missing
commas, misplaced commas, and misspelled words. These things are the common
culprits.
Typos are one of my biggest problems. I find all kinds of hilarious omissions and
misspelled words in my writing and it makes me laugh and laugh. They happen from
typing a wrong key.
Sometimes auto-correct can create problems. When I was writing a book on leadership,
I kept writing the word “pastoring” and auto-correct changed it to “pasturing”—a big
difference!
You will be editing a newspaper article today.
Before we jump in, I just want to remind you of the marks
an editor uses to make corrections in an article.
Yes, that’s right! You’ve already been practicing every time
you do your proofreading practice.
As you edit the article, don’t forget to use the proofreading
marks.
Are you ready.
Read the article.
Step by step, we will walk through editing the article.
Headlines
Finally, check the headline. Does it entice the reader to read the article?
Isn’t it action-packed?
Are the words bold, interesting, exciting?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Edit a Newspaper Article

Are you ready to proof an article about the sinking of the Titanic?
Did you read the article first?
Unsinkable Ship Sinks!

The RMS Titanic, proclaimed unsinkable, hit an iceberg and sunk into the icy
waters of the Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912. By the time rescuers arrived,
1,517 people had already drowned. Icebergs occurs when a large pieces of
glacier break off and float into the sea. It is fun to study icebergs.
The most luxurious cruise shipper in world, owned by the United Kingdom’s
White Star Line, was the world’s fastest ship and declared unsinkable with the
latest engineering technology? People were.
Though the call to the lifeboats was followed by chaos, many acts of heroism
were reported. Rev. Mark Martin dove into the icy water to rescue 12 people,
helping them into lifeboats. Eventually Rev. Martin succumbed to anna icy cold
watery grave.
Captain edward smith went down with the ship. A year earlier, Captain Smith
had gone into business with his sons, but the business failed.
Are the facts true?

Is there a lead in the first paragraph?
Is there a buried lead?
Does the rest of the article support the lead?
Is there any extra information?
Take a yellow highlighter and highlight any information that needs to be removed. With
a green highlighter, highlight any information that needs to be reworded or tweaked.
Now go through and check for sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation using the
proper proofreading marks.
How about the Headline? Do you want to change it?
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MEREDITH CURTIS
Now, rewrite the article on the following page.
Place headline here.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING

Talk about Editing the Way Editors Edit
Go Over Editing & New Article
Interview One Another & Share What You Learned with One Another
Discuss Edited Article

This past week, we all worked as editors editing a newspaper article. Let’s talk about it.
• Did anyone change the lead?

• What extra information did you have to get rid of?
• Is your story told in a nutshell in the first paragraph?
• Does the second paragraph give extra details to the story?
• Can the last paragraph be cut from the article without affecting the readers’
understanding of the story?
Interview One Another

Today you will learn about interviewing and practice interviewing one another.
First, pair up and interview your Mom, sibling, or classmate. Ask the following questions.
Try to write down word for word what they say.
What is your favorite movie or book?
What do you like best about watching/reading it?
Have you watched/read it more than once?

How many times have you watched/read it?
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MEREDITH CURTIS
Why did you watch/read it again?
Now interview someone else in your family or co-op class.

What is your favorite movie or book?
What do you like best about watching/reading it?
Have you watched/read it more than once?

How many times have you watched/read it?
Why did you watch/read it again?
Don’t forget! You will need to let your siblings or classmatesinterview you.
Gather as a group. Each person shares what the person they interviewed said, using
their notes only. After each person shares, they should ask the people they interviewed
if they were accurate or not.
Were you accurate in sharing about person #1?

What things were you incorrect about person #1?
Were you accurate in sharing about person #2?

What things were you incorrect about person #2?
Did anyone get things wrong about what you said?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
What were they?
How did that make you feel?
The hardest thing about interviews is accurately writing down and sharing later what
the person you are interviewing actually said.
God wants us to have integrity in our writing and speaking. Keep that in mind as you
interview, take notes, and share with others what was said.
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Week Two Home

Read “Interviews” & “Asking Questions to Get the Story”
Choose Your Famous Historical Person
Ask & Answer Your Questions to Your Famous Historical Person
Complete “Direct Quotes Proofreading”
Finish Reading John Treegate’s Musket & Complete Book Review
Interviews
Many reporters interview folks to get information for articles.
Many times, when a reporter hears of a story, it’s breaking news. There is nothing
written down yet, so the reporter must interview witnesses and get the facts from their
observations and experiences.
A reporter has to learn to interview people. We will learn to ask open-ending questions
and to ask questions to get more details.
Now you probably know why reporters carry small notebooks around. Yep, that’s right!
They write answers to questions in their notebooks.
Asking Questions
A good reporter is polite and kind to the person he is interviewing. Introduce yourself,
shake hands, and say, “Hello. My name is Maggie King (or your name). I’m from the
Orlando Gazette (or other newspaper). Can I ask you a few questions?”
Sometimes a reporter has to ask questions that have a short answer.
Where were you when it happened? (I was at the Boston Harbor standing on a dock.)
What people did you see? (I saw white folks dressed up as Indians with paint on their
faces, but it seemed like I saw Sam Adams, Johnny Hancock, and Thomas Miller.)
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Are you sure you saw Sam, Johnny, and Thomas? (Well, I can’t be sure. They had paint
on their faces.)
When you ask a question, be quiet and listen. Wait for the person to respond.
Asking Who, When, Where, What, Why, and How

Remember our lead questions first. Who is involved? Where is the story happened?
When did it happen or is it happening right now? What is happening?
Then we ask the why and how. Why is this happening? How is everything taking place?
How and why are often related.
Asking Open-Ended Questions

Often you need more open-ended questions to discern the details of the story. You need
to ask open-ended questions. In other words, you needed to ask questions that require
a longer answer than “yes” or “no” or “white boat.””
Here are some examples.
Can you tell me what happened here at the waterfront over the last hour?
We heard the Sons of Liberty are involved. Can you share with me any evidence you saw
to suggest they are involved?
What was the British response to the “Tea Party” in the harbor?
Asking Follow-Up Questions

You can come to an interview prepared with your questions, but a good reporter knows
how to think quickly on his feet so he can ask follow-up questions.
If you focus on the speaker and really listen, you will be interested in what he is saying.
Asking a follow-up question will be natural because you want to learn more.
Recording the Interview

If you want to record the interview, make sure that you ask for permission before you
turn on the recorder.
Writing up the Interview

Once the questions are answered, a reporter has to sift through all the questions and
answers to decide what to share in his news story.
If you recorded the interview, you will have to sit down and transcribe it, or type up what
was said in the interview. This can take a couple of hours.
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MEREDITH CURTIS
You will need to decide what questions and answers you want to include in your article.
Some will be important to the stories and others will not.
When you include the answers, you can use direct quotes in quotation marks or you can
paraphrase or summarize.
Using Direct Quotes

Direct quotes need quotation marks.
“The British better get the message! Or else!” Sam Adams declared, pounding his fist on
desk he was sitting behind.
When quoting someone, make sure they actually said what you are putting inside
quotation marks.
Paraphrasing
If you don’t want to quote word for word, you can paraphrase, or to put all of the
person’s message in your own word.
Sam Adams thinks that something else will happen if the British don’t get the message
from tonight’s events.
Don’t forget: The comma goes before the quotation marks.
Summarizing
If the person you are interviewing says, “My oldest daughter and my oldest son went to
a private university and then on to medical school. My youngest children all went to a
different private university and afterward, law school,” your summary could be, “All her
children went to private universities. Her oldest two went on to medical school and the
younger went on to law school.”
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Asking Questions to Get the Story

A news reporter asks the right questions to discover the “story” so he can report it.
Pretend that you are living back in the times of the American Revolution. You are a
reporter and you are trying to get the scoop through an interview.
Pretend you don’t know what happened at this historical event, but you get to interview
someone that was there.
Choose one of the following historical figures and events for this fun exercise:
• Sam Adams and the Boston Tea Party
• Patrick Henry and his “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech
• Paul Revere and his famous Midnight Ride to warn, “The British are coming!”
• Thomas Jefferson and writing the Declaration of Independence
• John Hancock and signing his name so big on the Declaration of Independence
• George Washington and Crossing the Delaware
Write questions for this person. Then write down what you think he or she would answer
to the question. You will need to use direct quotes, summarizing, or paraphrasing.
Who
?
Answer:
What
?
Answer:
When
?
Answer:
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MEREDITH CURTIS
Where
?
Answer:
Why
?
Answer:
How
?
Answer:
Look over all your questions and answers. Do they give you the whole story?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Direct Quotes Proofreading

Edit the following sentences. The only mistakes are related to quotation marks.
“Who knows where Samuel Adams and John Hancock are hiding he asked.
News of the Boston Tea Party traveled all the way to Philadelphia,” Ben Franklin
admitted to his friend George.
George sighed. “I need everyone to wait here while I see if there are any redcoats
around.
“The Harbor is full of tea,” John Laughed. Let’s see what the British will do now.”
“Find John Hancock and Samuel Adams! Bring them to me dead or alive, the British
officer ordered his soldiers.
“Close down the harbor! the British officer order his men.
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MEREDITH CURTIS
John Treegate’s Musket Book Review

By Leonard Wibberly
What did you learn about the American Revolution from this book?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING

Talk about Interviews
Read Questions and Answers Aloud
Check Direct Quote Proofreading Page
Press Conference
Press Conference
This is a fun way to learn about interviewing as a reporter. Today, you will pretend that
you are a newspaper reporter.
You will receive breaking news in the form of an official statement and some rumors, as
well as invited to a news conference as a news reporter permitted to ask questions.
You will have five minutes to come up with some questions to ask at the press
conference. You will also be permitted 3 follow-up questions.
Set up the room for the press conference with rows of chairs in front of a podium the
official spokesperson will stand behind the podium calling on reporter by name to ask
questions.
Reporters must be quick on their feet.
After the press conference is over, you will write up a lead and read it aloud. Then the
leader will share the true story and you can see whose lead is closer to the truth.
Official Statement
Here is the official statement:
The mayor of Sunset, South Carolina announced 10 a.m. this morning that three
teenagers discovered 100 gold coins on a dive at a coral reef near Sunset Harbor, the
city’s only harbor.
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Rumors
There are several rumors that are floating around. They may or may not be true.
Rumor #1: The coins were deposited on the coral reef by Jackson Industries, who is
opening up Pirate’s Cove, an amusement park near the harbor.
Rumor #2: The coins are part of a sunken treasure from a Spanish schooner that was
boarded and sunk by pirates.
Rumor #3: A robbery took place last week from a pirate’s museum on the Outer Banks
of North Carolina last week. The gold coins were dropped by the thieves from their boat
as they made their way down the east coast toward Cuba.
Leader/Official Spokesperson Preparation

The leader/official spokesperson must create a real story that the reporters try to
discover.
First, she must decide if each rumor is true or false. Then she must create a story that
includes three teenagers discovering gold coins at a coral reef near the town’s harbor
while they were diving.
Press
Journalist
Tommy Burns
Orlando Gazette
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
My Question
Official Spokesperson Answer
My Question
My Question
My Question
My Question
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MEREDITH CURTIS
My Lead
The Real Story
How Close Did I Come to the True Story?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week Three Home

Read “Interview Guidelines”
Read “Conduct an Interview”
Read “How to Write an Interview”
Write Up the Interview
Read Rebel’s Keep by Douglas Bond
Interview Guidelines
You will interview a person you know outside of your family and homeschool co-op. It
could be the mayor, your pastor, a neighbor, or someone else that has an interesting
story to tell.
You might write an article about the mayor’s pet project, a new playground for children.
Or maybe readers would enjoy learning how your pastor prepares a sermon. If your
neighbor is a business owner, they could share how they started their own business.
Who would you like to interview?
What story could you tell about this person?
The first step will be to interview the person to discover the story.
Here are some things to keep in mind when you write an interview.
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Make Arrangements
You will need to ask the person you want to interview if they are willing to be
interviewed. Once they say, “yes”, it’s time to set up a time and a place to do the
interview.
Make sure the place is quiet, so you can hear one another easily. Make sure that it is a
safe place for both of you.
What to Bring
Bring a pencil and small notebook. Write your questions down on the first page on one
question on each page. I number my questions and then just use the number on the
answer page.
You might also bring a tape recorder (or use your cell phone) if you have permission to
use it from the person you are interviewing.
List what you will bring:
Prepare
Research the person you are interviewing, especially if he is the focus of the article.
If you are interviewing your mayor, find our how long he’s been mayor, what he’s
accomplished, who likes him, who doesn’t like him, and how he ran his campaign.
If it’s your pastor, find out where’s he’s from, how long he’s been in ministry, where he
went to seminary, and what kinds of things he does and teaches.
If someone you are interviewing has written a book or articles, try to read it/them.
Ask Questions
Make sure you ask the right questions. Remember the kinds of questions to ask from
last week:
• Who, What, Where, When, How, & Why Questions
• Open-Ended Questions
• Follow-Up Questions
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Here are some questions I will ask:
Conduct an Interview
When you conduct your interview, you will want to go out of your way to make the
person you are interviewing feels comfortable.
Introduce yourself if you are meeting for the first time and shake hands.
If you already know him, be sure to greet him or her in a friendly way and shake hands.
Make every effort to make the person you are interviewing feel comfortable and safe.
Yes, I realize you may be nervous, but thinking about the other person is a great way to
get rid of stress.
If you want to record the interview, it is best to ask permission ahead of time. If the
person has agreed, then remind them and get their permission again.
Pull out your notebook and pencil. Ask questions and take notes, even if you are
recording.
Jot answers down in your notebook. If you miss something, politely ask if she can repeat
what he, or she said.
How to Write Up an Interview

Decide up front what you will focus on in the article. You won’t be able to include all the
questions and answers. You will have to choose some and discard others.
Remember, this is a newspaper article, so it needs to start out with a lead. The lead will
give you the Who, What, When, and Where of the interview.
If you interviewed Dr. Watson, your family dentist, you might focus on her thoughts on
new trends in dentistry or why she loves being a dentist.
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What do you want to focus on based on your interview?
Summarize what your article will be about in one sentence:
Now think about your lead. What is the main point of your article including Who, What,
Where, When, Why, and How? Write your lead here:
Write Up the Interview

Now write up your article. Make sure the first paragraph is the lead. Use quotation
marks for your direct quotes.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Rebel’s Keep Book Review

By Douglas Bond
What did you learn about the American Revolution from this book?
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MEREDITH CURTIS
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
December
Editorial Section
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find a Letter to the Editor
How to Write a Letter to the Editor
Write a Letter to the Editor
The Journeyman Book Review
Editorial Cartoons
Find an Editorial Cartoon
Create an Editorial Cartoon
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MEREDITH CURTIS

Read Each Other’s Interviews Aloud
Discuss How Interviews Went
Peer Review: Interview Articles
Plan the First Edition of Our Newspaper
Our Newspaper: Plan First Edition

Your first edition of your newspaper comes out next month. It’s time to plan the first
newspaper. Brainstorm ideas for the sections, the front page, crosswords, comics,
classifieds, and ads.
Has everyone bought their articles in or are they still working on them?
What sections will be in the newspaper?
What articles will be on the front page?
Any other plans?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week One Home

Read “Re-Write the Interview Article”
Read The Journeyman by Elizabeth Yates
Read “Editorial Section”
Complete Proofwriting Practice
Re-Write the Interview Article

It’s time to read over your interview and make it better. If you are at home, ask family
• Does it have an eye-catching, exciting headline with a large font?
• Did you include questions that will interest your readers?
• Are your interviewee’s answers recorded accurately in your article?
• Is the introductory paragraph interesting and does it whet your reader’s appetite
for more?
• Does it answer the questions who, what, when, where, why, and how?
• Does the final paragraph contain interesting information relevant to the story?
• Is there a message or purpose to the interview article?
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Once you have rewritten your story, it’s time to proof

your story. You can also have a friend or sibling proof
your paper and you proof his or hers. Don’t forget to
use the editor symbols!
Who proofed your interview?
Editorial Section
A page or two of the newspaper is dedicated to sharing the opinion of the editor or
editorial board. Syndicated columns are also published in the editorial section of the
newspaper. Cal Thomas has a syndicated column that is published in newspapers all
over American. Readers can write letters to the editor, published in the Editorial Section,
to share their opinions on current events or things published in the newspaper.
The editorial board will also endorse political candidates in the editorial section.
You will also find editorial cartoons in the editorial section. Editorial cartoons are comics
that have a political message.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
“Why don’t you write a leeeter to the editor? Mom said to Dad.
“Get Lewis for me right now President Jefferson ordered his secretary.
The Lord is goo23d,” David declared in his song.
The Lewis and Clllarke Expedition left from Independence MIssssouri.
The soldier loved to read the newspaper every morning with his coffee.
Miss Julie boarded the stamship to sail down the Misisppi River.
James Madison served as secretary of state

to president tom Jefferson.
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Interview Article Grading Rubric

Possible Points for
Quality Description
Points Student
Byline &
Dateline
Are they accurate?
where, and when?
Lead/First
Paragraph
the how and why?
about the story?
interesting information relevant to
Supporting
the story? 15/15
Paragraphs
Are there quotes in the
paragraph?
Is the topic relevant to the
Content audience? 25/25
Does the audience learn anything
new about the person you
interviewed?
15/15
Total 100/100
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING

Be a Newspaper Detective: Find the Editorial Section
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find a Letter to the Editor
Read Re-Written Interview Article Aloud in Groups
Check Proofreading Practice
Discuss Letters to the Editor
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find the

Editorial Section
Find the Editorial Section in a Newspaper. Cut out some headlines and glue them on
below.
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Be a Newspaper Detective: Find a

Letter to the Editor
Find a letter to the editor, cut it out, and paste it here.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week Two Home

Read “How to Write a Letter to the Editor”
Finish Reading The Journeyman & Complete Book Review
How to Write a Letter to the Editor

Unlike personal letter, a letter to the editor will be read by many people.
Writing a letter to the editor is something that all Americans should consider doing once
in their lifetime. It is important to share your feelings about political and news issues.
You can help shape public opinion. You can write a newspaper article too, but make
sure you write a letter to the editor.
Realize that many different kinds of people will read your letter, so make sure that you
are gracious, kind, and honest.
Write a letter that is relevant to what the general public is talking about. Some subjects
are always popular to discuss like abortion, taxes, limited government, military
spending, and government waste. Other topics come and go with what is going on in
Washington, Hollywood, or around the world. National disasters and how they are
handled are a great topic for a letter to the editor right after they happen.
Be concise when you write a letter to the editor. Your first sentence should summarize
your position clearly. Most editors will make a decision to print your letter based on the
first two to three sentences so make them good and clearly express your point in them.
Keep the letter as short as possible while still sharing enough to make your point. 200
words is a great maximum length to use as a guideline, but I would try to stick to 150
words. When you finish the letter have someone read it and get their honest opinion.
Ask them if anything confused them. Rewrite that section.
Keep it simple! Keep it short!
Write a letter to the editor of your local paper here. It can be on any topic you choose.
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Specific Instructions & Guidelines

Opening: Address the letter to the editor of the newspaper you are writing to. Get
his/her name from the newspaper itself or find it online.
The Issue: Jump right into the problem that you are writing about.
The Results: Explain how the issue, or problem, affects you or other people. Give a clear
example.
People: Mention someone by name, if possible, who is doing something to help the
situation or bring needed change.
Opinion: State your opinion clearly about what action should be taken. Make a general
recommendation for all your readers. Make sure that it is practical. Your letter should
urge people to action of some sort.
Signature: Sign the letter with your full name, address, phone number, and email
address.
Write a Letter to the Editor

Now it’s time to write your own letter to the editor.
What will your letter be about?
Who is the editor you will address the letter to?

How does the issue in your letter affect you or other people?
Are there any people you will mention in the letter?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
What is your opinion on the issue?
What action will you urge people to take?
Don’t forget to include your signature, full name, address, phone number, and email
address at the end of the letter.
Type up your letter.
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The Journeyman Book Review

By Elizabeth Yates
What did you learn about life in Early America from this book?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING

Be a Newspaper Detective: Find the Editorial Cartoons
Critique Each Other’s Letters to the Editor
Talk about Editorial Cartoons
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find

Editorial Cartoons
Usually funny, editorial cartoons get their point across quickly. Find at least two editorial
cartoons and glue them inside the box below.
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Critique Letters to the Editor

It’s time to read over your letter to the editor and make it better. If you are at home, ask
family members for suggestions to make your news article even better. If you are in a
co-op class, ask your fellow students for suggestions on making your news article even
better.
• Does it address the editor of the newspaper?
• What is the problem/issue discussed in letter?
• Does the writer jump right into the issue in the first paragraph?
• Does the write explain how the issue affects him/herself and/or others?
• Does the writer give an example of how issue affects people?
• Does the writer mention someone by name?
• Does the writer share his opinion clearly?
• Does the writer clearly share what action he or she believes should be taken?
• Does the writer urge readers to action?

• Does writer sign the letter with full name, address, phone number, and email?

Who proofed your letter to the editor?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Letter to the Editor Grading Rubric

Possible Points for
Quality Description
Points Student
Does the letter to the editor have
an exciting headline with a large
Headline eye-pleasing font? 10/10
Addressed to Is the letter addressed to the
15/10
Editor editor of the newspaper?
Does the writer jump right into
Lead/First
the problem/issue in the first 20/25
Paragraph
paragraph?
Does the write explain how the
issue affects him/herself
and/or others?
Does the writer give an
example of how issue affects
people?
Does the writer mention
Supporting
someone by name? 25/15
Paragraphs
Does the writer share his
opinion clearly?
Does the writer clearly share
what action he or she believes
should be taken?
Does the writer urge readers to
action?
Does the writer sign the letter with
Closure of
full name, address, phone 15/25
Letter
number, and email address.
15/15
Total 100/100
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Week Three Home

Read The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne & Write Book Review
Rewrite Letter to the Editor

Would you like to create your own editorial cartoon?
Think of an issue you would like to make a cartoon about?
What will the message of your cartoon be?
What are your ideas?
You can make some sketches below.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
My Editorial Cartoon
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The House of Seven Gables Book Review

By Nathaniel Hawthorne
What did you learn about life in Early America from this book?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
January
How to Write an Editorial
Write an Editorial
Layout & Print First Newspaper Issue
Captive Treasure Book Review
Press Conference Game
Write a Newspaper Article
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Share Editorial Cartoons
Make Final Plans for First Newspaper
Our Newspaper: Layout First Issue

Lay out all the articles, along with everything else that will be in the newspaper. Decide
what will go on what page.
Sketch the pages of the newspaper below. Also, do your final proofreading.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING

Editorials
Find an editorial article, cut it out, and paste it here.
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Week One Home

Read “How to Write an Editorial”
Write an Editorial
Read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
How to Write an Editorial

Today we are going to talk about how to write an editorial.
An editorial presents the viewpoint of the editorial staff on a certain subject or issue.
Choose a Topic/Issue
Topics where folks have strong opinion on both sides of the issues make a great editorial
topic. Here are some examples.
• A proposed sales tax increase of $0.01
• A new factory being built just outside town
• A bike path proposed for downtown
• Downtown church that plays worship music extremely loud
• Immigration Laws
Choose Your Opinion

What side of the fence are you on?
Don’t waver. Pick a side.
• I am against this tax increase.
• The new factory is an eyesore.
• The bike path will make our town more attractive to tourists.
• The church needs to turn down the volume before noon on Sunday mornings.
• It is not fair to the people who become American citizens through legal channels
to allow illegal immigration.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Research
Collect information, facts, and statistics about your topic/issue to use in your article.
Byline and Dateline

Every article needs a byline listing the author of the article located below the headline
and a dateline, informing the reader when and where (city, state, country) the article
was written.
Write Your Lead

The lead, like those in other newspaper articles, should summarize your opinion in a
factual tone. Mention the issue and your opinion.
Present the Opposing Viewpoint

Present the opposing viewpoint first with quotes, facts, and statistics.
Refute the Opposing Viewpoint

Reject and refute the opposing viewpoint. Use facts, statistics, quotes, and details.
Concede to One Aspect of the Opposing Viewpoint

Admit that the opposing viewpoint has one or two things in their argument that you
agree with, but…
Repeat Your Strong Opinion

Share your viewpoint strongly, but briefly, once again.
Offer Solutions
In your conclusion, offer solutions to the problem.
• Vote against the tax increase.
• Plant trees in front of the new factory to hide the ugliness from the main highway.
• Encourage city officials to start building a bike path.
• Urge the pastor and church leaders to turn the volume of their worship down or
to add more soundproofing to their building.
• Come up with a conclusion that requires all immigrants to receive citizenship
through legal channels.
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Write an Editorial
You will write an editorial today.
Choose a Topic/Issue
My topic/issue is
Choose Your Opinion

This is my opinion on the issue:
This is the opposing opinion:
Research
Research I did for this editorial:
What I learned?
Write Your Lead

Here is my lead:
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Present the Opposing Viewpoint

This is how I will present the opposing viewpoint:
Refute the Opposing Viewpoint

This is how I will refute opposing viewpoint:
Concede to One Aspect of the Opposing Viewpoint

This is the one aspect of the opposing viewpoint I will concede to:
Repeat Your Strong Opinion

This is how I will repeat my opinion:
Offer Solutions
Here is the solutions I will offer:
Now, it’s time to put everything together to write and type up your article.
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Once your article is written, choose a catchy headline:
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING

Read Editorials Aloud
Discuss Editorials
Print the Newspaper
Make Plans to Distribute the Newspaper
Make Plans for Next Newspaper
Our Newspaper: Print & Distribute

Newspaper
Print copies of the newspaper and distribute to family, friends, and neighbors.
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Our Newspaper: Plan Second

Newspaper
Your second edition of your newspaper comes out next month. It’s time to plan the
second newspaper. Brainstorm ideas for the sections, the front page, crosswords,
comics, classifieds, and ads.
Any other plans?
Who will do what?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week Two Home

Rewrite and Proofread Your Editorial
Finish Reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer & Complete Book Review
Works on Articles or Other Items for Second Newspaper
Re-Write Editorial
It’s time to read over your editorial and make it better. If you are at home, ask family
• Does it have an eye-catching, exciting headline with a large font?
• Did you write the lead, stating your opinion strongly?
• Did you present the opposing viewpoint fairly?
• Did you refute the opposing viewpoint effectively?
• Did you concede to one aspect of the opposing viewpoint?
• Did you restate your opinion strongly?
• Did you offer solutions to the issue/problem?
symbols!
Who proofed your letter to the Editorial?
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Book

Review
By Mark Twain
What did you learn about the Mississippi River from this book?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Editorial Grading Rubric

Possible Points for
Quality Description
Points Student
Byline &
Dateline
Are they accurate?
Does the writer state their opinion
Lead/First strongly in the first paragraph?
25/25
Paragraph Does the lead paragraph make
Did you present the opposing
viewpoint fairly?
Did you refute the opposing
viewpoint effectively?
Supporting Did you concede to one aspect
25/15
Paragraphs of the opposing viewpoint?
Did you restate your opinion
strongly?
Did you offer solutions to the
issue/problem?
Is the topic of the editorial
audience?
15/15
Total 100/100
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Read Rewritten Editorials to One Another
Talk about Captive Treasure
Enjoy Press Conference
Share leads from Press Conference
Discuss The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Press Conference
This is a fun way to learn about interviewing as a reporter. Today, you will pretend that
you are a newspaper reporter.
You will receive breaking news in the form of an official statement and some rumors, as
well as invited to a news conference as a news reporter permitted to ask questions.
You will have five minutes to come up with some questions to ask at the press
conference. You will also be permitted 3 follow-up questions.
Set up the room for the press conference with rows of chairs in front of a podium the
official spokesperson will stand behind the podium calling on reporter by name to ask
questions.
Reporters must be quick on their feet.
After the press conference is over, you will write up a lead and read it aloud. Then the
leader will share the true story and you can see whose lead is closer to the truth.
Official Statement
Here is the official statement from San Francisco’s deputy:
James Marshall claims to have found large amounts of gold yesterday, January 24, 1848
at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma California. Stagecoach rides to San Francisco have tripled in
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
price. The sheriff and I are investigating charges of price gouging by the Tells Largo
Stagecoach Company.
Rumors
There are several rumors that are floating around. They may or may not be true.
Rumor #1: There is no gold. James W. Marshall made a deal with Tells Largo Stagecoach
company to raise prices and get more customers.
Rumor #2: Tells Largo is raising prices to build more stagecoaches so they can bring
more passengers out to San Francisco. Once the stagecoaches are built, prices will go
back down.
Rumor #3: The sheriff has a personal vendetta against the owner of Tells Largo
Stagecoach Company because the owner was engaged to his sister but left her at the
altar.
Leader/Official Spokesperson Preparation

The leader/official spokesperson has to create a real story that the reporters try to
discover.
First, she must decide if each rumor is true or false. Then she must create a story that
is includes James Marshall claiming to find gold, the Tells Largo Stagecoach Company
raising prices, and the sheriff and deputy investigating price gouging.
Press
Journalist
Tommy Burns
Orlando Gazette
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My Question
My Question
My Question
My Question
My Question
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
My Lead
The Real Story
How Close Did I Come to the True Story?
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Week Three Home

Write an Article for Our Newspaper
Read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn & Complete Book Review
Work on Anything Else for Our Newspaper
Write an Article for Our Newspaper

It’s time to write another article. This one will be for our newspaper, so it needs to be
on a topic interesting to your readers.
Choose a news story to tell. What things are going on in the world around you? In your
home? In your neighborhood? In your church? In your homeschool co-op?
All of those things going on around you will make great news stories.
What is going on around you right now in your home?
What is going on around you right now in your church?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
What is going on around you right now in your homeschool co-op?
What is going on around you right now in your community?
What is going on around you right now in your nation?
What is going on around you right now in the world?
Choose one of these things to write a news story on.
Style of Article
The style of a news article is formal, written in third-person and past-tense. The articles
are written in past-tense because you are reporting on a news story that has already
happened.
Angle of Article
The angle is like a lens that the writer sees the information for his story through.
The reporter can often choose from several angles for one story. If there is a war our
nation is fighting in taking place in another nation a reporter is writing an article on, he
might use the local angle and interview folks who have family from the country affected
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MEREDITH CURTIS
by the war. Or he might use a national angle and show how our nation and the President
are responding to help families of the soldiers serving in the war.
What will your angle be?
Research
First you will need to gather all your information about the news story you have chosen.
Who?
When?
Where?
What?
Why?
How?
Other Pertinent Information
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Compile Your Facts

Now that you have gathered all your facts and information, it’s time to collect them and
discern what is important to your article. Divide all the facts into three groups:
• Information that needs to be included in the article (Yes)

• Information that is interesting, but not vital (Maybe)
• Information that is related to the story, but not necessary to include in my article
(No)
NO
YES MAYBE Information that is related
Information that needs to Information that is to the story, but not
be included in the article interesting, but not vital necessary to include in my
article
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Compile Your Article

It’s time to write your article.
Write your lead paragraph below
Write your second paragraph below
Write your third paragraph below
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
A headline should call readers attention and make them want to read your article. Write
your headline below
Your article should include a byline and dateline. The byline is a line beneath the
headline with the author’s name. The dateline tells where (city, country) and when (date)
the article was written. Write your byline or dateline below.
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“remember the alamo, the Texannns said to one another.
WWhat is the quickest way to get to San Francisco?” the young asked.
The pioneer and his wiffe decided to vote for Davy Crockett
How many folks traveled donw the Mississsippippi on a steamboat
Mark Twain wrote Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
Texas was part of Mexico, an independent country for awhile, and ten a state admitted
to the United States of America?
The Underground Railroad had four stops in

Virginia anda five stops inmaryland.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Book Review
By Mark Twain
What did you learn about the Mississippi River from this book?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
February
Classified Ads
Be A Newspaper Detective: Find Classified Ads
Create Classified Ads
Feature Section
Find a Feature Section Article
How to Write a Feature Article
Write a Feature Article
Across Five Aprils Book Review
Layout & Print Second Newspaper Issue
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Read One Another’s Articles Aloud & Give Input to One Another
Go Over Proofreading Practice
Collect Cartoons, Games, and Articles for Second Newspaper
Talk about Classified Ads
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Classified Ads
Our Newspaper: Collect Cartoons,

Games, & Articles for Second Issue
Everyone has had a month to work on articles, cartoons, games, and ads for the next
edition of your newspaper.
Gather everything together and examine it as a group.
Do you see mistakes? Are articles readable?
Are cartoons funny?
Are games fun?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Classified Ads
Classified ads were around in the 1700s.
These ads are put into the newspaper by one of her readers. They are classified, or
ordered, according to subject: House for Sale, Car for Sale, Wedding Announcement,
Help Wanted, etc.
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Be A Newspaper Detective: Find

Classified Ads
Find 2 Help Wanted classified ads in the newspaper, cut them out, and paste them here.
Find 4 For Sale classified ads in the newspaper, cut them out, and paste them here.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Find 3 House For Sale classified ads in the newspaper, cut them out, and paste them
here.
Find 2 Wedding Announcement classified ads in the newspaper, cut them out, and paste
them here.
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Week One Home

Rewrite Your Article
Proofread Article
Type up Final Draft of Article & Print It
Read The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

Write five of your own classified ads.
Here is my Help Wanted classified ad:
Here is my House for Sale classified ad:
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Here is my Lost and Found classified ad:
Here is my For Sale classified ad:
Here is my Car for Sale classified ad:
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Re-Write Article
It’s time to read over your article and make it better. If you are at home, ask family
class, you could ask a friend from class to give you input on your article.
When you are rewriting, the following questions will help you.
when?
the news story?
• Does the third paragraph contain interesting, relative information relevant to the
story?
symbols!
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
News Article Grading Rubric

Possible Points for
Quality Description
Points Student
Byline &
Dateline
Are they accurate?
where, and when?
Lead/First
Paragraph
the how and why?
about the story?
Supporting
interesting information relevant to 20/15
Paragraphs
the story?
audience?
15/15
Total 100/100
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Share Classified Ads with One Another
Read Rewritten Articles Aloud in Group
Proof One Article for Newspaper
Layout Second Issue
Our Newspaper: Layout Second Issue

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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week Two Home

Read “Feature Section” & Find a Feature Section Article
Read “How to Write a Feature Article”
Finish The Red Badge of Courage
Complete Book Review for The Red Badge of Courage
Feature Section
A feature article is an article about a person or event written in an individual style with
a personal slant.
Feature articles can be about famous people, important people, travel, cooking,
organizations, clubs, churches, gardening, decorating, new products, books, movies, or
shows.
Feature articles are more pleasant to read when the writer really likes the person, event,
place, recipe, book, or product he is writing about. Their excitement makes reading the
article fun!
Find a Feature Section Article

Find a feature article, cut it out, and paste it on the next page.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
How to Write a Feature Article

Let’s talk about how to write a feature article!
Kinds of Feature Articles

There are many different types of features articles.
Human Interest Feature Articles focus on an issue that affects a specific group of
people.
A Profile Feature Article gives you a window into someone’s life. Often these articles
are about famous people or celebrities. But, you could do a profile article on someone
who is important to you like your pastor or grandfather.
An Instructional Feature Article will teach a skill or explain how you learned a certain
skill. You can find many instructional articles in newspapers about getting in shape or
eating a healthier diet.
Historical Feature Articles are often written on the anniversary of a certain event. For
example, on the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence,
many newspapers carried historical feature articles about the Second Continental
Convention and famous Founding Fathers like John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John
Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, and George
Washington.
Seasonal Feature Articles welcome summer, celebrate Christmas, or other seasonal
topics. At this time of year, St. Valentine’s Day, the arrival of spring, Lent, Good Friday,
and Easter are topics to consider.
Behind the Scenes Feature Articles take you into the lives of the people who are
putting on a play, making a movie, writing a book, leading worship, running the
evangelism team, or putting on a conference.
I would like you to write about something or someone or a place that you like. In fact, if
you really like it a lot, that will be even better.
First let’s brainstorm a little bit.
My Readers
Think a minute about your readers. They are your family or you homeschool co-op class.
What would they enjoy reading about?
Feature articles are more fun to read when the writer likes the topic they are writing
about. So, think about your reader, but also think about things you would love to write
about.
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Brainstorm
Think of 5 people who would be fun to write a feature article on. Suggestions include
singers, musicians, actors, politicians, pastors, missionaries, businessman, or inventors.
List 5 places that you have traveled to that would be fun to write an article about.
List 5 restaurants that you love to eat at and would enjoy writing an article about.
List 5 other feature articles you would enjoy reading an article about in the newspaper.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Objective and Subjective

A feature article is both objective and subjective. Like a news article, it is objective by
sharing the facts. However, it is also subjective, sharing the writer’s opinion and feelings
about the subject of the article, without coming right out and saying so. You want to
“SHOW” the reader, rather than tell the reader.
Show, Don’t Tell

For example, let’s say that you are writing about a brand-new book. You’ve read the
book and talked to the author of the book. You’ve also talked to others who really like
the book, too.
In your article, you don’t want to say, “I like this book. You should go buy it.”
Instead, you might use excerpts from the book that are exciting to read or quote another
person who has read the book.
You can also talk about the author and how he ended up writing the book in the first
place.
In a feature article, you are presenting someone or something to your audience so that
they feel like they are getting to know someone.
Think about one of the 5 places you listed that you would like to write a feature article
about. Now, write some ways you could “SHOW” your reader why it’s a wonderful place,
rather than just say, “This is a wonderful place!”
If I were writing about Italy and I like Italy, I might talk about the delicious coffee, the
beautiful artwork, the historic ruins, and some encounters I had with nice Italians.
If I were writing about Italy and I didn’t like Italy, I might talk about some tours that
started late, a time when someone was rude, or the long lines to get into the Vatican.
By choosing what details you include and what you leave out, you can create a different
picture for your reader.
Choose one of the people you listed earlier that you would enjoy writing a feature article
about.
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MEREDITH CURTIS
What things could you share in your article to “SHOW” your reader what he or she is
like?
Research
A feature article involves research. You will need to learn more about your topic. If it’s
on a restaurant, you’ll have to go eat there. If it’s on a person, you will want to interview
them and research them online.
Be sure to jot down everything you learn and know on note cards so you can get to the
facts you need quickly and easily.
Byline and Dateline

Every article needs a byline listing the author of the article located below the headline
and a dateline, informing the reader when and where (city, state, country) the article
was written.
Write Your Lead

Like all newspaper articles, your feature article will have a lead, the first paragraph,
giving the reader all the pertinent information on who, what, where, when, why, and
how.
However, in this lead, you want them to know that more is coming.
Gil George is the top-selling Country Artist in New Zealand where he lives with his wife
Anne and seven children. His faith in Jesus has led to Gil and Anne to homeschool and
they are enjoying a happy home life. I got to spend a week on their farm miles from the
nearest city to find out why they have such a happy home life.
You have given the reader the facts, but you have set them up to want to know what
that week was like that you spent will Gil and his family.
Write the Rest of the Article

Unlike other newspaper articles where you stick to the facts, you have more room here
to be creative in how you present your story.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Your feature article on Gil George and his family could give a day by day summary of
the week.
Or you could share a few vignettes that illustrate who they are and how they live.
Or you should use a quote from each family member followed up by something you
experienced with them.
Just don’t get too wordy. A newspaper article, even a feature article, should get right to
the point.
SHOW, Don’t Tell

Don’t come out and share your opinion, but by what you include and what you leave
out, you will show the reader your perspective.
There are things you have heard and seen that make you feel the way you do. Share the
things that you have heard and seen, allowing the readers to come to their own
conclusions.
Headline
When the article is finished, come up with a catchy, eye-catching headline and use it!
Remember your headline should make readers want to read your article.

Now, it’s time to write your own article.
Don’t forget your dateline and byline. Make sure your lead in the first paragraph tells
the reader who, what, where, when, why, and how.
When you finish writing the article, come up with a catchy headline and use a bold, eye-
catching font to type it up.
167
MEREDITH CURTIS
The Red Badge of Courage Book Review

By Stephen Crane
What did you learn about the Civil War from this book?
168
NEWSPAPER REPORTING

Read Feature Articles Aloud in Groups
Print Newspaper
Distribute Newspaper

Second Issue
169
MEREDITH CURTIS
Week Three Home

Rewrite Feature Article
Read With Lee in Virginia by G.A. Henty
Rewrite Feature Article

It’s time to read over your feature article and make it better. If you are at home, ask
family members for suggestions to make your feature article even better. If you are in
a co-op class, you could ask a friend from class to give you input on your article.
When you are rewriting, the following questions will help you.
when?
the news story?
• Is there something in the first paragraph that makes you want to keep reading?
• Does the article SHOW, not tell the reader about the subject?
• Is the writing enjoyable, interesting, and fun to read?
• Does the reader walk away feeling like the really got to know the subject of the
article?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
symbols!
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MEREDITH CURTIS
Genreal Robert E. Lee could not bring himself to fitht again fellow Virginians.
Abraham Lincoln gave his life to Christ during the terrible Revolutionary War while he
was governor of the United States.
Was Andrew Johnson the only southern sentor who did not resign from the United
States Senate in 1861.
Flags were used to signal one another before during and after battlessss.
Clara Barton worked as a nurse during the Cvil Vietnam War and started the Blue Red
Cross.
General lee surrendered to general grant in 1888865.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Feature Article Grading Rubric

Possible Points for
Quality Description
Points Student
Byline &
Dateline
Are they accurate?
where, and when?
Lead/First
Paragraph
the how and why?
Does the writer “show” not just tell
about their subject?
Is the subject interesting?
Supporting
Is the article objective—sharing 15/15
Paragraphs
facts?
Is the article objective—sharing
author’s opinion?
Does the article SHOW/not tell
about the topic?
Content 25/25
15/15
Total 100/100
173
MEREDITH CURTIS
The Red Badge of Courage Book Review

By Stephen Crane
What did you learn about the Civil War from this book?
174
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
March
Plan Third Newspaper
Business & Circulation Department
Advertisements
Find Ads
Create Ads
Little Women Book Review
Newspaper Art
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Newspaper Art
Create Newspaper Art
175
MEREDITH CURTIS

Read Rewritten Feature Articles Aloud
Go Over Proofreading Practice
Review Second Newspaper
Review First Newspaper
Plan Third Newspaper
Review Our Newspapers

Pull out your first and second newspaper. We will look at the second newspaper first.
Are you happy with the issue?
Is it interesting?
Did your readers enjoy reading it?
Now ask the same thing about your first newspaper.

Have you seen any positive changes between the first and the second newspaper?
Okay. Now, it’s time to think about what is good and what could be better.
What changes would you like to see in the third newspaper?
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Our Newspaper: Plan Third Newspaper

It’s time to plan the third newspaper. Brainstorm ideas for the sections, the front page,
crosswords, comics, classifieds, and ads.
My suggestion is that you plan to use the feature articles you have just written and ask
some of your readers if they want to put a classified ad or two in the paper.
In addition, you might want to consider ads in the last issue. We are learning about ads
and creating ads this week.
Any other plans?
Who will do what?
177
MEREDITH CURTIS
Week One Home

Read “Business & Circulation Department”
Look Up Newspaper Costs
Read Little Women
Work on Your Responsibilities for Third Newspaper
Business & Circulation Department

Let’s talk about the business of running a newspaper.
A newspaper, like any other business exists to make a profit. A newspaper sells
advertisements to put inside the newspaper and sells the newspaper itself to readers.
The Circulation Department exists to sell newspapers.
The Powerline Herald’s Circulation Department sells newspapers 3 ways.
You can purchase the Powerline Herald at a store or newspaper stand for $1.00 on
weekdays and $2.00 on Saturday or Sunday.
You can purchase the Powerline Herald from a vending machine for $1.50 on weekdays
and $2.50 on weekends.
You can also get a month’s subscription to the newspaper for $18.00 and it will be
delivered to your door.
How much does the newspaper cost per day if you have a monthly subscription?
How much would it cost to buy the Powerline Herald for one month from the store (don’t
forget Saturdays and Sundays)?
178
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
How much would it cost to buy the Powerline Herald for one month from a vending
machine (don’t forget Saturdays and Sundays)?
Why is it so much cheaper to get a subscription?
179
MEREDITH CURTIS

Discuss Business, Circulation, and Newspaper Costs
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Ads
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Ads

Today you are going to look for advertisements.
Find an ad with artwork in it, cut it out, and paste it below.
180
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Find 3 ads that uses photographs, cut them out, and paste below.
181
MEREDITH CURTIS
Find a diagram, map, or graph created by an artist, cut it out, and paste it below.
182
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Find an ad that is mostly words, cut it out, and paste it below.
Find an ad that you really like, cut it out, and paste it below.
183
MEREDITH CURTIS
Find four ads in different sizes, cut them out, and paste them here
184
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week Two Home

Read “Advertisements”
Create Ads
Finish Reading Little Women
Complete Book Review on Little Women
Advertisements
Newspapers costs are met by subscriptions and advertising.
Like any business, a newspaper exists to make money. The biggest source of revenue is
advertising. Full page ads can cost thousands of dollars.
Newspaper advertising has been around since colonial times here in America. Putting
an ad in a newspaper gets a product or service out there for many people to see.
A company can target certain readers by placing their ad in the right section. An
advertisement for a clothing sale was often published in the Home Section, most often
read by women, while a product targeting men might go in the Sports Section. A service
targeting wealthy businessmen would reach its target audience on the stock tables page
in the Business section.
Next to each of these real ads, choose the section of the paper where you would place
them to reach their target audience.
185
MEREDITH CURTIS
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Create Ads
Let’s create our own newspaper ads.
You can use photographs or draw your own artwork. You can also create ads using
computer software like photoshop. Paste your ad, or a photo of your ad below.
Just relax and have fun. 😊
187
MEREDITH CURTIS
Little Women Book Review

By Louisa May Alcott
What did you learn about life during the Golden Age from this book?
188
NEWSPAPER REPORTING

Share Ads
Discuss the Possibility of Using Ads in Next Newspaper
Discuss Little Women
Discuss Third Newspaper Preparation
Find Newspaper Art
Discuss Third Newspaper

Make sure you touch base today about the third newspaper. You will be gathering
everything next time we meet.
Make sure that everyone is working on their assignments and remind everyone of what
they need to bring in next for the next newspaper meeting.
189
MEREDITH CURTIS

Newspaper Art
Find a photograph that “tells a story,” cut it out, and paste it below.
Find a sports photograph that “shows action,” cut it out, and paste it below.
190
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Find a diagram, map, or graph created by an artist, cut it out, and paste it below.
Find an example of art in an advertisement, cut it out, and paste it below.
191
MEREDITH CURTIS
Week Three Home

Read “Newspaper Art”
Take Photographs that will Work with some of your Articles
Choose 1 Newspaper Art Assignment & Complete It
Read Ragged Dick by Horatio Algiers, Jr.
Newspaper Art
Newspapers are filled with art: photographs, diagrams, maps, and comics. People love
pictures, graphs, charts, and maps. These visual aids help us to understand what we are
reading, making information clearer.
A news story may need a photograph, diagram, graph, or map to make it clear.
Photographs were added to newspapers during the Golden Age (late 1800s). Today they
are very important to readers. In fact, many readers just glance at the headlines and
photographs, rather than reading many of the articles.
Newspaper artists also have to create diagrams, maps, and other visuals to help explain
the content of a story.
I just want you to dabble in newspaper art.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Create Newspaper Art

Take photographs that work for some of your newspaper articles.
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MEREDITH CURTIS
Choose One Art Assignment

Are you ready to create some newspaper art?
Choose one of the following assignments.
You are reporting on a volcano. Make a diagram of the interior of a volcano to show how
a volcano works.
You are reporting on a plane crash in Ocala, Florida. Make a map of Florida with Ocala
labeled to show where the plane crash happened.
Your mayor just got a new car. Draw a picture of it for your article.
The corn crop in your city is being assaulted by corn sap beetles. Draw a diagram of a
corn sap beetle.
In your city, 50% of the citizens go to church every Sunday, 25% go to church on Easter
and Christmas, and 25% don’t go at all. Draw a circle graph illustrating this.
Look up the average temperature in your city for each month of the year and create a
bar graph showing those temperatures from January to December for last year.
Jack’s Ice Cream Parlor wants to put an ad in your newspaper, but he needs a picture
drawn of one of his ice cream specialties. Draw the picture.
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NEWSPAPER REPORTING
My Choice of Art Assignments is:
195
MEREDITH CURTIS
Ragged Dick Book Review

By Horatio Algiers, Jr.
What did you learn about life during the Golden Age from this book?
196
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
April
Sports Section
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find a Sports Article
How to Write a Sports Article
Write a Sports Article
Entertainment Section
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Entertainment Items
Number the Stars Book Review
Third Newspaper Issue
How to Write a Food Article
Write a Food Article
197
MEREDITH CURTIS

Collect Everything Needed for Third Newspaper Issue
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Sports Articles
Our Newspaper: Collect Cartoons,

Games, & Articles for Second Issue
Everyone has had a month to work on articles, cartoons, games, and ads for the next
edition of your newspaper.
Gather everything together and examine it as a group.
Do you see mistakes? Are articles readable?
Are cartoons funny?
Are games fun?
198
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find a

Sports Article
Find an article on football and glue below.
199
MEREDITH CURTIS
Week One Home

Read “Sports Section”
Write a Sports Article
Read Freckles by Gene Stratten Porter
Sports Section
The sports section is my husband’s favorite part of the newspaper.
The sports section covers current sporting events, athletes, coaches, owners of teams,
and other people involved in the world of sports. A sports reporter often has a beat
related to a particular sport. He might have the football beat or the tennis beat.
Newspapers report on football, baseball, soccer, basketball, tennis, golf, hockey,
volleyball, and racing.
Read a few sports articles to get a feel for how they are written and what’s included.
200
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Write a Sports Section Article

What is your favorite sport?
Why do you like this sport so much?
Name at least two famous or superstar athletes who play your sport
Why are they superstars or famous in their sport?
Sports Articles
When you write a sports article, you will be writing about action. You must focus on the
highlights and not give a blow-by-blow of the entire game.
Byline & Dateline

Don’t forget to include a byline and dateline.
Start with the Lead

Like all articles, you must start with the lead that explains who, what, where, when, why,
and how.
Be Clear & Concise

Like all articles, come straight to the point and make sure that you are brief.
Choose a Headline
When you are finished with your article, choose a interesting, eye-catching headline.
201
MEREDITH CURTIS

Read Sports Article Aloud in Groups
Layout Third Issue of Our Newspaper
Our Newspaper: Layout Third Issue

202
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week Two Home

Rewrite A Sports Article
Finish Reading Freckles
Complete Book Review about Freckles
Rewrite a Sports Article

It’s time to read over your feature news article and make it better. If you are at home,
ask family members for suggestions to make your news article even better. If you are in
a co-op class, ask your fellow students for suggestions on making your news article even
better.
when?
the news story?
• Does the third paragraph contain interesting information relevant to the story?
203
MEREDITH CURTIS

Who proofed your sports article?
204
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Freckles Book Review

By Gene Stratten Porter
What did you learn about the Turn of the Century from this book?
205
MEREDITH CURTIS
Sports Article Grading Rubric

Possible Points for
Quality Description
Points Student
Byline &
Dateline
Are they accurate?
where, and when?
Lead/First
Paragraph
the how and why?
Does the writer share highlights
only, not give a blow-by-blow?
about the game?
Supporting
Does the next paragraph contain 25/15
Paragraphs
the game?
need about the game?
Is the sport interesting to the
reader?
Content 15/25
Is the sport the writer chose
relevant to the audience?
15/15
Total 100/100
206
NEWSPAPER REPORTING

Read Sports Articles Aloud in Groups
Discuss Freckles
Print & Publish Third Newspaper

Third Issue
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find a Food

Article
Find two articles about food, cut them out, and paste them here.
207
MEREDITH CURTIS
208
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week Three Home

Read “How to Write a Food Article”
Write a Food Article
Read Julie by Catherine Marshall & Write Book Review
How to Write a Food Article

Are you ready to write a food article?
All of us eat. But, have you ever eaten something that you enjoyed immensely? Are there
dishes and treats that make your mouth water just thinking about them?
Use a food or recipe that you love to write about.
You can write an article that includes a recipe.
Or you can write about a food by sharing about it as part of a personal experience.
Choose Your Food

Decide which food you will use for your article. It should be something you love!
Will You Include a Recipe?
If so, write it down here:
209
MEREDITH CURTIS
Dateline & Byline

Don’t forget your dateline and byline.
Start with a Lead

Give a concise overview of the food article in your lead. Make sure you include who,
what, where, when, why, and how.
When you write about food, be descriptive to include all the senses: sight, hearing, smell,
texture, and taste.
Write the Rest of the Food Article

Write the rest of your article, being clear and concise. Keep your article short but be
clear. Keep your mind on your reader. You want him or her to enjoy the food while he
reads.
Include a photo if possible.
Headline
When you are finished, choose an eye-catching font and interesting words to create a
headline.
Write Food Article

Okay. Go for it. Write your own food article.
210
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Bibclycles were a big craze at the Turn of the Century
Are you enlisting in the service to fight against the Nazis
Lord The protected British soldiers during the Battle of Dunkirk.
Vice-President, Truman moved into, the White House, after President Franklin D.
Roosevelt dyed
Albert Einstein fled Nazi Germany until the United States.
General President Eisenhower until a World War II hero?
The Bulgggee Battle of was the last attempt

ot the Germannns to win the war against !
211
MEREDITH CURTIS
Julie Book Review

By Catherine Marshall
What did you learn about the Great Depression from this book?
212
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
May
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Articles & Games
Comic Strips
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find a Comic Strip
How to Create a Comic Strip
Create a Comic Strip
Incredible Journey Book Review
How to Write a Movie Review
Write a Movie Review
213
MEREDITH CURTIS

Read Food Articles Aloud in Groups
Be A Newspaper Detective: Find Entertainment Articles & Games
Review Our Three Newspapers
Review Our Three Newspapers

Isn’t it exciting that we have created three issues of our own newspapers? Today, spend
some time talking about your three issues and what you enjoyed about the experience
of creating your own newspapers.
Can you imagine getting a newspaper out every single day?
Amusements have changed over the years. Today, the entertainment section covers
movies, books, television shows, The Entertainment Section may also have comic strips,
crossword puzzles, and sudokus.
This section might have a television schedule or a movie listing.
Today you will explore the entertainment section and find different articles, comics, and
games from this fun section.
214
NEWSPAPER REPORTING

Entertainment Articles & Games
Find an article on an artist, actor, singer, or new movie, cut it out, and paste it below.
215
MEREDITH CURTIS
Find a crossword puzzle, cut it out, and paste it below.
Find a crossword puzzle, cut it out, and paste it below.
216
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Find a book review, movie review, or television show review. Cut it out and paste it
below.
217
MEREDITH CURTIS
Week One Home

Rewrite Your Food Article
Read “Comic Strips”
Create Your Own Comic Strip
Rewrite a Food Article

better.
when?
the food article?
• Does the second paragraph contain important information about the food?
• Does the third paragraph contain interesting information relevant to the food?
218
NEWSPAPER REPORTING

219
MEREDITH CURTIS
Comic Strips
As a child, I loved to read the comics each morning while I ate breakfast. My favorite
cartoons were the Sunday Funnies. The Sunday comic strips were bright and colorful
with all my favorites like Family Circus, Peanuts, and Nancy & Sluggo.
When did newspapers start putting comics into the newspapers?
Well, we’ve always had editorial cartoons.
However, the Sunday Funnies were the result of a big competition between those
famous newspapermen William Randolph Hearst and John Pulitzer. Pulitzer started by
running a color comic strip in 1895. Hearst stole the comic strip and got more of his
own. Soon the two newspaper empires were locked in battle over who had the best
comic strips.
You can look up some old comic strips online. Here are some suggestions:
Dick Tracey by Chester Gould (1931-present)
Peanuts by Charles M. Schultz (1950-2000)
Nancy by Ernie Bushmiller (1922-present)
Blondie by Dean Young (1930-present)
Dennis the Menace by Hank Ketcham (1951-present)
Beatle Bailey by Mort Walker (1950-present)
Family Circus by Bil Keane (1960-present)
Peanuts (c)1953 Peanuts Worldwide LLC
220
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Be a Newspaper Detective: Find three

Comic Strips
Find three comic strips, cut them out, and paste them here.
221
MEREDITH CURTIS
How to Create a Comic Strip

We are going to create our own comic strip.
Here are the steps to take.

1. Decide on your comic strip characters. Do you want to do a comic strip about a
homeschooling family? Or a superhero family? Or a worship team? Or animals
who live together in a barn?
2. Choose a short story or joke for your strip. You can do one story, using all eight
panels or two stories, a separate one in each panel. You will either have four or
eight squares to tell you short little story or joke.
3. Summarize your story or joke in one sentence:
4. Draw your characters on scrap paper. Cartoons often emphasize one feature like
long hair or big eyes.
5. Make a plan for each square on scrap paper, including characters, placement of
characters, colors, dialogue, and placement of bubbles that contain dialogue.
6. Now it’s time to fill in the panel with your cartoon.
My Characters:
222
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Create a Comic Strip

Are you ready to create your own comic strip?
223
MEREDITH CURTIS
Food Article Grading Rubric

Possible Points for
Quality Description
Points Student
Byline &
Dateline
Are they accurate?
where, and when?
Lead/First
Paragraph
the how and why?
Does the writer use all the senses
to describe the food?
about the food?
Supporting
Does the next paragraph contain 25/15
Paragraphs
the food?
Is the food interesting to the
reader?
Is the food relevant to the
Content 15/25
audience?
Does the audience want to try the
food?
15/15
Total 100/100
224
NEWSPAPER REPORTING

Read Rewritten Food Articles Aloud
Share Comic Strips in Groups
Discuss Movie Reviews

Look up some reviews on Plugged In and Christian Spotlight on Entertainment.
Read them aloud and discuss each one. What is the purpose of movie reviews?
Plugged In
pluggedin.com/
Christian Spotlight on Entertainment
christiananswers.net/spotlight/
225
MEREDITH CURTIS
Week Two Home

Read “How to Write a Movie Review”
Read The Incredible Journey & Complete Book Review
How to Write a Movie Review

There is often a movie or book review in the entertainment section of our Sunday
newspaper.
Our world is filled with movies coming out in droves. Some are rotten tomatoes, some
are enjoyable, and a rare movie or two is a brilliant work of art.
When a movie comes out, we often read a movie review to decide if we should watch or
not.
Writing a movie review is fun!
Let’s talk about how to write your own movie review.
Research the Movie

Before you start writing your review, you will need to do some research on the movie.
Which movie do you want to review?
What year was it released?
What genre is the movie?
Who directed the movie?
Who are the lead actors and actresses?
226
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Take Notes While You Watch the Movie

Watch the movie and take notes on the movie while you watch it.
Pause the movie whenever you miss something, rewind and watch it again.
Jot down anything that you think readers will enjoy hearing about: music, camera angles,
dialogue, scriptwriting, editing, costume, make-up, and that intangible something that
delights the audience.
Does the movie connect with you in some way?
Does the movie address an important issue?
Does the movie have a message?
Plan Your Review

Plan your first sentence so that it will capture your audience’s attention and keep them
reading.
Here are some examples:
I was terrified as Han took his stand against the Nazi Commander, risking the lives of
his younger sister and friend.
Though the music was amazing, and Chris Pratt is hilarious, does Guardians of the
Galaxy relay the right message to teenagers about rebellion?
Dunkirk was exciting, but it didn’t tell the whole story, while Miracle at Dunkirk fills in
the missing pieces of an extraordinary God who intervenes in the affairs of men when
His people pray.
Share Your Opinion of the Movie

Did you like the movie? Why or why not? You want to answer those questions early on
in your movie review.
Spend the rest of your review backing up why you like or dislike the movie.
It might be the plot, dialogue, setting, action, music, sound, acting, tone, message, or
cinematography. Give details or examples to help your reader understand what mean.
227
MEREDITH CURTIS

Let’s write our own reviews today.
Ideas for my introduction:
Why I like or dislike the movie:
Examples and Points I will Make:
My Headline:
My Byline:
My Dateline:
228
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
The Incredible Journey Book Review

By Sheila Burnford
What did you learn the later 1900s from this book?
229
MEREDITH CURTIS

Read Movie Review Aloud
Discuss Incredible Journey

Read movie review aloud to one another. Give feed-back to help each other’s articles be
the best they can be!
230
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Week Three Home

Rewrite a Movie or Book Review
Rewrite a Movie or Book Review

better.
when?
the movie?
• Does the second paragraph contain important information about the movie?
• Does the third paragraph contain interesting information relevant to the movie
review?
• Can you cut the third paragraph and still have a great movie review?

Who proofed your movie or book review?
231
MEREDITH CURTIS
Movie Review Grading Rubric

Possible Points for
Quality Description
Points Student
Does it have an exciting headline
with a large eye-pleasing font?
Headline 10/10
article?
Byline &
Dateline
Are they accurate?
where, and when?
Lead/First
Paragraph
the how and why?
about the movie?
Does the third paragraph contain
Supporting interesting information relevant to
15/15
Paragraphs the movie review?
need to choose whether or not
you will see the movie?
audience?
15/15
Total 100/100
232
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Resources
Substitution Book
Powerline Productions
About the Author
233
MEREDITH CURTIS
Substitution Book List

September
Magna Charta by James Daugherty
Peter and the Pilgrims by Louis A. Vernon
The Light and the Glory by Peter Marshall & David Manuel
Landmark: Ferdinand Magellan: Master Mariner by Seymour Gates Pond
Landmark: The Voyages of Christopher Columbus by Armstrong Perry
Landmark: Captain Cortes Conquers Mexico by William Johnson
For Advanced Readers

Plimoth Plantation by William Bradford
For Growing Readers (Easier Reading)

Pilgrim Stories by Margaret Pumphrey
Pocahontas: True Princess by Mari Hanes
October
With Wolfe in Canada by GA Henty
Landmark: Walter Raleigh by Henrietta Buckmaster
The Landing of the Pilgrims by James Daugherty
Duncan’s War by Douglas Bond
King’s Arrow by Douglas Bond
Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
King of the North by G.A. Henty
The King’s Book by Louis A. Vernon
Secret Church by Louis A. Vernon
A Heart Strangely Warmed by Louis A. Vernon
The Night Preacher by Louis A. Vernon
234
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
The Bible Smuggler by Louis A. Vernon

Diary of David Brainerd
Landmark: The Story of the Thirteen Colonies by Clifford Lindsey Alderman
Landmark: William Penn, Quaker Hero by Hildergarde Dolson
Landmark: Peter Stuyvesant of Old New York by Anne Erskine

Arundle by Kenneth Roberts
Deer Slayer by James Fenimore Cooper
Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
Bonifacius, Essays to Do Good by Cotton Mather

Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia by Margaret Cousins
Amos Forture Free Man by Elizabeth Yates
Packet Alley by Elisabeth Meg
November
Seneca’s Castle by William W. Canfield
Dawn’s Early Light by Elswith Thane
Peter Treegate’s War by Leonard Wibberly
Sea Captain from Salem by Leonard Wibberly
True to the Old Flag by G.A. Henty
Landmark: Paul Revere and the Minutemen by Dorothy Canfield Fischer
Landmark: Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys by Slater Brown
Landmark: John Paul Jones: The Pirate Patriot by Armstrong Perry
Landmark: The Swamp Fox of the Revolution by Stewart H. Holbrook
235
MEREDITH CURTIS

Life of George Washington by Washington Irving
Bulletproof George Washington by David Barton
The Autobiography of Ben Franklin by Ben Franklin

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
Toliver’s Secret by Esther Woods Brady
December
Of Courage Undaunted: Across the Continent with Lewis & Clark by James Daugherty
Hue and Cry by Elizabeth Yates
Landmark: The Lewis and Clark Expedition by Richard L. Neuberger
Landmark: Robert Fulton and His Steamship by Ralph Nading Hill
Landmark: John James Audubon by Margaret & John Kieran
Landmark: The Lewis and Clark Expedition by Richard L. Neuberger

The Journals of Lewis and Clark
The Constitution

Betsy’s River Adventure by Veda B. Johnes
Cabin on Trouble Creek by Jean Van Leeuwen
Sarah Witcher’s Story by Elizabeth Yates
Carolina’s Courage by Elizabeth Yates
January
The Sketch Book by Washington Irving
236
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
From Sea to Shining Sea by Peter Marshall & David Manuel

Moby Dick by Herman Mellville
Tom Sawyer Detective by Mark Twain
Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain
Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain
Landmark: Davy Crocket by Steward H. Holbrook
Landmark: Clipper Ship Days by John Jennings
Landmark: The Santa Fe Trail by Samuel Hopkins Adams

The Spy by James Fenimore Cooper
The Pilot by James Fenimore Cooper
Life of General Benjamin Harrison by Lew Wallace
The Life of Franklin Pierce by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Captive Treasure by Milly Howard
Bound for Oregon by Jean Van Leeuwen
A Gathering of Days by Jean W. Blos
February
The Iron Scouts of the Confederacy by Lee McGriffin
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt
The Perilous Road by William O. Steele
Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain
C. Aytch: A Confederate Memoir of the Civil War by Sam R. Watkins
Landmark: Abe Lincoln: Log Cabin to White House by Sterling North
Landmark: Robert E. Lee and the Road to Honor by Hodding Carter
Landmark: Stonewall Jackson by Jonathan Daniels
237
MEREDITH CURTIS
Landmark: Clara Barton: Founder of the American Red Cross by Helen Boylston
Landmark: The Monitor and the Merrimac by Fletcher Pratt

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas by Frederick Douglas

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith
March
Little Men by Louisa May Alcott
Jo’s Boys by Louisa May Alcott
Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott
Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott
Elsie by Martha Finley
Sounding Forth The Trumpet by Peter Marshall & David Manuel
Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin’s Luck by Horatio Algiers, Jr.
Mark the Match Boy by Horatio Algiers, Jr.
Brave or Bold by Horatio Algiers, Jr.
Sounder by William H. Armstrong
Landmark: Andrew Carnegie and the Age of Steel by Katherine B. Shippen
Landmark: Wyatt Earp U.S. Marshall by Stewart H. Holbrook
Landmark: The Golden Age of Railroads by Stewart H. Holbrook
238
NEWSPAPER REPORTING

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Earnest Gaines
The Americanization of Edward Bok: An Autobiography

Jack and Jill by Louisa May Alcott
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin
April
Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratten Porter
Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Gilbreath, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Belles on Their Toes by Frank Gilbreath, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Bud and Me: The True Adventures of the Abernathy Boys by Alta Abernathy
Mama’s Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
White Fang by Jack London
Landmark: The Story of San Francisco by Charlotte Jackson
Landmark: The Wright Brothers by Quentin Reynolds
Landmark: The Panama Canal by Bob Considine
Christy by Catherine Marshall
My Philadelphia Father by Cordelia Drexel Biddle
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

A Passion for the Impossible: The Life of Lilias Trotter by Miriam Huffman Rockness
Billy Sunday: The Man and His Message by William T. Ellis
Sergeant York and the Great War (His Diary)
239
MEREDITH CURTIS

Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright
Betsy and Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
Lad, A Dog by Albert Payson Terhune
May
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
American Haven by Elizabeth Yates
Gentle Ben by Walt Morey
Tilly by Frank Peretti
This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti
Landmark: From Pearl Harbor to Okinawa by William L. Shirer
Landmark: From Casablanca to Berlin by Bruce Blevin, Jr.

The Tapestry by Edith Schaeffer
A Man Called Peter by Catherine Marshall

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanine W. Houston & James D. Houston
240
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Being World Changers!

Raising World Changers!
Powerline Productions exists to serve you! We want you to grow in your relationship
with Jesus, experience joy and success in your homeschooling journey, and fulfill the
Great Commission with your family in your home, church, and community. We offer
homeschooling books, unit studies, curriculum, one-credit high school classes, ladies
Bible studies, God’s Girls Bible studies, Real Men Bible studies, audios, and cookbooks
just for you!
Our Websites
powerlineprod.com/
joyfulandsuccessfulhomeschooling.com/
jshomeschooling.com/
meredithcurtis.com/
finishwellcon.com/
E-books Available at powerlineprod.com/

currclick.com/browse/pub/247/Powerline-Productions
Print Books Available @ amazon.com/ (look up Books by Title)

You can find our books here: https://www.amazon.com/Meredith-
Curtis/e/B01GOEMVUC
Contact Us: Laura@powerlinecc.com & Meredith@powerlinecc.com &

PastorMike@powerlinecc.com
251 Brightview Drive Lake Mary, FL 32746
241
MEREDITH CURTIS
Teach History the Fun Way
242
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Real Men Bible Studies & Courses
Ladies Bible Studies
243
MEREDITH CURTIS
Maggie King Mysteries

If you like cozy mysteries, you will love this series! Meet Maggie King, a pastor’s wife and
homeschool mom who keeps stumbling across dead bodies. With her sidekicks, Sophia
and Mary-Kate and her curious children, Maggie is on one adventure after another.
244
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
God’s Girls Bible Studies & Courses
245
MEREDITH CURTIS
High School Classes
246
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
More Books by Powerline Productions
247
MEREDITH CURTIS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Meredith Curtis, a pastor’s wife and homeschooling mom of five
amazing children, leads worship, mentors ladies, and, sometimes,
even cooks dinner. Her passion is to equip people to love Jesus,
raise godly children, and change the world around them with the
power of the Gospel. “Lives are changed in the context of
relationships,” Meredith often says, as well as, “Be a world changer!
Raise world changers!” She enjoys speaking to small and large
groups.
All inquiries can be made to the author, Meredith Curtis, through

email: Meredith@powerlinecc.com or contact her through her websites:
joyfulandsuccessfulhomeschooling.com/
meredithcurtis.com/
finishwellcon.com/
powerlineprod.com/
Meredith is the author of several books.

Joyful and Successful Homeschooling
Seven R’s of Homeschooling
Quick & EZ Unit Study Fun
Unlocking the Mysteries of Homeschooling High School (with Laura Nolette)
Celebrate Thanksgiving
HIS Story of the 20th Century
Travel God’s World Geography
Meredith is the author of several cozy mysteries: The Maggie King Mysteries series.
Drug Dealers Deadly Disguise
Hurricanes Can Be Deadly
Legend of the Candy Cane Murder
Wash, Dry, Cut, & Die
War of the Roses Mystery
Murder in the Mountains
Meredith is the author of several Bible studies.

Lovely to Behold
A Wise Woman Builds
Jesus, Fill My Heart & Home
Welcome Inn: Practicing the Art of Hospitality in Jesus’’ Name
Friends to the End
God’s Girls Beauty Secrets (with Sarah Jeffords)
God’s Girls Friends to the End (with Katie-Beth Nolette & Sarah Jeffords)
God’s Girls Talk about Boys, Dating, Courtship, & Marriage
248
NEWSPAPER REPORTING
Meredith is the author of several unit studies, timelines, lapbooks, and cookbooks.
Celebrate Christmas in Colonial America
Celebrate Christmas with Cookies
Travel to London Unit Study
Celebrate Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims Unit Study
American History Cookbook
Ancient History Cookbook
Travel God’s World Cookbook
20th Century Cookbook (with Laura Nolette)
20th Century Timeline (with Laura Nolette)
American History Timeline (with Laura Nolette)
Ancient History Timeline (with Laura Nolette)
Let’s Have Our Own Medieval Banquet (with Laura Nolette)
Let’s Have Our Own Archeological Dig
Let’s Have Our Own Ancient Olympic Games
Meredith is the author of several one-credit high school courses.

American Literature and Research
British Literature and Writing
Who Dun It: Murder Mystery Literature & Writing
Communication 101: Essays and Speeches
Foundations of Western Literature
Economics, Finances, and Business
Economics, Finances, and Business Answer Key
HIS Story of the 20th Century High School Workbook
HIS Story of the 20th Century High School Workbook Answer Key
Worldview: Understand the Times Workbook
New Testament Survey
Old Testament Survey
Great Commission
Drama 101
Real Men 101: Godly Manhood
Real Men 102: Freedom, Courtship, Marriage, & Family
Real Men 103: Leadership
Real Men 104: Pass the Torch
God’s Girls 101: Grow in Christ
God’s Girls 102: Virtuous Womanhood
God’s Girls 103: Courtship, Marriage, & The Christian Family
God’s Girls 104: Motherhood
God’s Girls 105: Homemaking
God’s Girls 106: Friendship, Hospitality, & Celebrations
God’s Girls 107: How to Homeschool
And more…
249

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America Newspaper-Reporting

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MEREDITH CURTIS

Copyright © 2018 Meredith L. Curtis & Laura N. Nolette

Letter to the Editor Grading Rubric ............................................................................ 121

The Red Badge of Courage Book Review .................................................................... 174

Rewrite a Food Article ................................................................................................. 218

How to Use This Book

Independent or Group Learning

Layout for Study

The Incredible Journey by Shella Burnford

Discovering Your Newspaper

Week One Meet with Mom or Co-op Class

Pass Out Books

Go Over Course Material

Business News Editor Circulation

A Columnist contributes a regular article, or column to the newspaper on a daily or

Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Your

Week One Home

Read “Newspaper Staff”

Read & Do “Be a Newspaper Detective” Find Your Newspaper Staff”

Read Under Drake’s Flag by G.A. Henty

Newspapers & Coffee

Newspaper Evening Standard April 15 1912

Newspapers & American History

Newspaper Vendor (c) Wikipedia Commons Public Domain

Early European Newspapers

Ben Franklin’s Philadelphia Gazette

Join or Die Political Cartoon, Pennsylvania Gazette 1754 public domain

Newspapers & The American Revolution

Newspapers & The Constitution

Newsboy 1905 (c) Wikipedia Commons Public Domain

Newspapers Inform Readers as History Unfolds

Newspaper Men at Work (c) LIbrary of Congress Public Domain

Little Nemo 09-29-1907 (c) Wikipedia Commons Public Domain

Week Two Meet with Mom or Co-op Class

Read & Do “Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Your Sections”

Find Newspaper Staff together in various newspapers

Discuss Starting a Newspaper

Be a Newspaper Detective: Find Your

Dateline from any article

Local News Headline

World News Headline

My Newspaper’s Table of Contents

Something Interesting from the Weather Page

Something Interesting from the Entertainment Section

Something Interesting from the Sports Section

Something Interesting from the Business Section

Something Interesting from the Travel Section

Something Interesting from the Food Section

Our Newspaper: Who Will Do What?

Business News Editor Circulation

Week Two Home

Finish Reading Under Drake’s Flag

Complete Book Review

Ben Franklin: Writer & Publisher

The Process of Phototypesetting

What’s What in Typesetting Newspapers

Under Drake’s Flag Book Review

Who was your favorite character?