News
Mentor Texts:
Mentor Texts:
- What Really Matters by Irene, Eighth Grader (Feature Article) - This news feature article reports on a teenager named Margaret and the challenges she faces in living life with a disability. Pay attention to the details the author uses to paint a picture of Margaret's life, as well as characterize her.
- Student Entrepreneur Reaches for Dreams of the Sky by Julie, Tenth Grader (Feature Article) - "Tenth-grade writer Julie develops her report with plenty of information and quotations from her subject, T. McDowell. Readers get a clear picture of McDowell’s determined business sense as well as his dreams for the future."
- Internet Plagiarism by Dan, High-School Student (Feature Article) - "Dan writes a problem-solution essay that focuses on one of the great temptations of the digital age: stealing intellectual property via the Internet. The essay begins by explaining the problem in detail and then shifts to recommending a set of solutions." (Side Note: The last line of this is a great example of a powerful takeaway to leave your reader with!)
Other Resources:
Other Resources:
- Brainstorming Your Piece:
- Journalism from life - Look no further than your neighborhood, school, or sports team for good ideas. Write about what you know best. Investigate stories in your own backyard!
- Journalism from the news - Surf the net and read papers, magazines, and other periodicals to find the latest scoop!
- Opinion-based journalism - Pick a controversial topic. Pick a side. Now it’s your chance to be heard!
- Fast Food Nation - Read Eric Schlosser’s investigative piece on American eating habits, then write your own investigative story about eating habits in your community.
- Drafting Your Piece:
- Research resources - It’s important to find out as much as you can about your subject before drafting an article. Being a reporter is like being a detective. Leave no rock unturned!
- Asking good questions - Every journalist worth his or her salt knows how to conduct a successful interview. Here are some tips to help you interview like a pro!
- Everyone’s a critic - Follow these prompts and write movie, music, and book reviews that will stand up to the harshest of criticism!
- P. Diddy - Read this celebrity profile of the rapper P. Diddy, then write your own profile of a celebrity whom you admire!
- Getting Your Piece Peer Reviewed:
- Seeing your Article Through New Eyes - Have someone you trust read your piece and provide you with written and verbal answers to these questions.
- Handling feedback - Here are some important tips on how to give and receive feedback from others!
- Sandwich Critique - Assemble a peer review response that’s honest and easy-to-swallow.
- Submit your draft for review - Get valuable feedback from Write It’s panel of award-winning writers.
- Revising Your Piece
- 10 ways to revise an article - There are many ways to revise a piece of journalism. Here’s a list of ten!
- Back to the drawing board - Stuck for where to go? Find the one good idea you’ve had and go back to where you started!
- Be your own worst critic! - Before publishing your article, make sure your research is thorough and well-documented. Scrutinize your words from every possible angle!
- So you want to be a reporter? - Read this interview with Pultizer Prize-winning reporter, Nigel Jaquiss, and learn how to document your subject’s paper trail. Follow the prompts and write an investigative story about your school!
- Editing Your Piece
- Language Arts Survival Guide - Review the nuts and bolts of how English works!
- Punctuation Survival Guide - Make sure you’ve used punctuation consistently and correctly!
- Reality Grammar: Understanding Sentence Structure - Know the rules before you break them!
Places to Publish:
Places to Publish:
- Scholastic Write It! Literary Magazine - Write It! accepts journalistic essays that are 500-3,000 words in length. All writing must be school-appropriate. As always, read all submission guidelines before submitting your piece!