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Conventions of News Reports and Feature Articles: Exploring Skills

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Ana Gabriela Cortés Barrera
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27 views

Conventions of News Reports and Feature Articles: Exploring Skills

Uploaded by

Ana Gabriela Cortés Barrera
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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5 Conventions of news reports and

feature articles
Assessment objectives IGCSE examination
AO2 Writing • Paper 1 Question 2
W2 Sequence facts, ideas and opinions • Paper 2 Question 1
W4 Use register appropriate to audience and context • Paper 3 Section 1
(Directed writing)
or Component 4
Coursework Portfolio

Differentiated learning outcomes Resources


• All students must understand and use the basic conventions • Student Book:
of writing in newspapers and magazines, using facts to pp. 74–7
explain a recent incident or asking questions to interrogate • Worksheets:
something (Grade E/D). 3.5a News
• Most students should appreciate and use information that is fit report or
for purpose, audience and form when writing news reports feature
or feature articles: personal or factual, chronology, expert article?
view, scientific approach (Grade D/C). 3.5b
• Some students could use the conventions of writing for Material for
newspapers and magazines in a highly original way by feature
representing information from various sources creatively writing
and matched appropriately to the needs of a new audience • PPT: 3.5a–e
(Grade B/A).
Other Student Book pages
• Conventions
of reports,
pp. 72–3

Exploring skills
Explain the difference between news reports and feature articles using the text on
Student Book p. 74. Then ask pairs to decide which is which from the five headings
in Q1. Worksheet 3.5a has the headings presented as cards that can be printed and cut
up in order to make this an interactive starter activity.
Take feedback from students about the features that led them to place the headings in
each category. Is there a link between declarative sentences and news reports and
interrogative sentences and feature articles here? Discuss how news reports try to put
across the facts and the details quickly and clearly whereas features interrogate an
issue or the stories behind headlines. Discuss how news reports draw on social impact
stories to some extent whereas features take a more scientific approach.
Key writing skills
Chapter 3

Building skills
As a lead in to Q2, ask five students to each read a paragraph of the news report on
Student Book p. 75 or display PPT 3.5a and 3.5b. Invite students to discuss the
highlighted features of the text as evidence of whether it is a news report or feature
article. Then ask:
• How many facts are presented?
• Is this a social impact story, or does it take a scientific approach?
• How many questions are asked?

48 • Lesson 5 © HarperCollins Publishers 2013


Give extra challenge by asking students to recast the text into a feature article,
changing the facts to a scientific interrogation with the title: Why would a goat kill
a  man?

For Q2, return to the content–structure–style (CSS) approach to analysing writing for
different purposes and audiences. Ask groups of three to discuss the article Mountain
Goat Kills Hiker, with one student in each group to taking responsibility for feeding
back to the class on content, structure or style, using the annotated report text to help.
The questions are presented on PPT 3.5c and the annotated text is on PPT 3.5d for use
as support or during feedback. (Content is annotated in red, structure in green and
style in blue.) Draw attention to the use of third person; the combination of complex
and simple sentences; the use of facts; the sense of drama created by using ‘but’,
‘when’, ‘if’ and ‘apparently’.

Developing skills
Prior to reading the dangerous dogs article in Q3, use the Checklist for success on
Student Book p. 76 to recap and extend understanding of feature articles. Organise
students into groups of five and allocate one student to each of the features in the
checklist. Explain that the appropriate students should raise their hands while you are
reading if there is evidence that their feature is being used. For example, at the start of
the second paragraph, the writer refers to his meeting with Lee Randall, ‘whom I met’.
This shows the first feature in the checklist (use of personal references).
Then ask the same groups to work together to discuss the CSS for Q3. Groups
should work through the questions on Student Book p. 77, making notes for feeding
back later.

Give extra support to targeted students by breaking down the questions:


• When looking at the content, ask the students to look for the who, what, where,
when, why?
• When considering structure, ask how the mountain goat article tells us the
information about the event. Are there any references to time? Are there
connectives such as ‘next’ or ‘later’?
• When looking at the viewpoint question, ask why the writer has chosen to
describe his subjects as ‘a sweet guy with a sweet dog’.

Applying skills
Ask students to read Q4 individually. Recap on the Checklist for success for feature
articles on Student Book p. 76. Invite students to come up with three features that they
will not be using in this piece of writing.
Then distribute unannotated versions of the two articles on Worksheet 3.5b.
Encourage students to spend ten minutes planning their writing by reviewing which
facts or ideas from the two articles that they are going to use. Invite one or two
suggestions using the model opening provided. This is also on PPT 3.5e, onto which
students can draft their suggestions.
Key writing skills
Chapter 3

Towards Highest attainers will benefit from opportunities to represent information in


A/A* increasingly challenging ways. For example, they could take a flyer advertising
painting and decorating services and recast it as a report warning about bogus
workmen posing as tradesmen in order to steal from your house. They could write
a report with the title ‘Handyman proves to be charlatan’ demonstrating their skills in
using the past tense, simple sentences for clarity and appropriate choice of
material.

© HarperCollins Publishers 2013 Lesson 5 • 49

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