[{"_1":2,"_203":-5,"_204":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4},"pages/Activity.page",{"_5":6,"_7":8},"origin","http://mizzen.org","dehydratedState",{"_9":10,"_11":12},"mutations",[],"queries",[13,42],{"_14":15,"_16":17,"_36":37,"_40":41},"dehydratedAt",1756465182603,"state",{"_18":-5,"_19":20,"_21":22,"_23":-5,"_24":25,"_26":25,"_27":25,"_28":-5,"_29":-5,"_30":31,"_32":33,"_34":35},"data","dataUpdateCount",1,"dataUpdatedAt",1756465182588,"error","errorUpdateCount",0,"errorUpdatedAt","fetchFailureCount","fetchFailureReason","fetchMeta","isInvalidated",false,"status","success","fetchStatus","idle","queryKey",[38,39],"activity-collections","featured","queryHash","[\"activity-collections\",\"featured\"]",{"_14":15,"_16":43,"_36":199,"_40":202},{"_18":44,"_19":20,"_21":15,"_23":-5,"_24":25,"_26":25,"_27":25,"_28":-5,"_29":-5,"_30":31,"_32":33,"_34":35},{"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_32":53,"_54":55,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":75,"_76":77,"_78":79,"_90":91,"_121":122,"_123":124,"_133":134,"_141":142,"_166":198,"_69":46},"id","ce9da4be-d3ed-406c-9678-372c41773c8a","createdAt","2025-07-28T19:34:48.936Z","updatedAt","2025-08-13T21:05:56.266Z","title","The News Today","PUBLISHED","partner",{"_45":56,"_47":57,"_49":58,"_59":60,"_61":-5,"_62":-5,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":31,"_68":-5,"_69":56},"f3c582e9-3453-48bf-a918-5399d6672576","2025-07-28T19:03:42.435Z","2025-08-18T23:55:36.044Z","name","Mizzen Education, Inc.","contact","profilePhoto","logo","13f7c227-1e7b-4390-a552-412ae92cca5e","visible",true,"deleted","slug","slugOrId","overview","In this activity, students will analyze the structure of the daily newspaper, and then collaborate to write a newspaper edition of their own.","duration",45,"gradeFrom",9,"gradeTo",12,"tags",[80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89],"language arts","literacy","writing","journalism","media literacy","news","collaboration","communication skills","team building","digital literacy","heroImage",{"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":93,"_59":94,"_95":-5,"_32":96,"_97":98,"_99":31,"_100":101,"_102":101,"_103":104,"_105":94,"_106":107,"_108":109,"_110":111,"_112":94,"_113":96,"_114":101,"_115":-5,"_116":-5,"_117":118,"_119":120},"d2e811c2-97b1-4b56-b37a-995768ff2827","2025-08-05T16:29:39.033Z","hero-image-ck7msphga1ru20713ar1rn23w","note","ACTIVE","type","FILE","isAttachment","fileUuid","81dfc4de-11fd-4089-8cad-43bd262b1367","fileS3Key","fileS3Bucket","mizzen-platform-asset-uploads-production","fileName","fileExtension","jpeg","fileMimeType","image/jpeg","fileSize",210695,"legacyFileKey","fileAutoThumbnailStatus","fileAutoThumbnailUuid","linkUrl","thumbnailUuid","fileUrl","https://ucarecdn.com/81dfc4de-11fd-4089-8cad-43bd262b1367/","thumbnailUrl","https://ucarecdn.com/81dfc4de-11fd-4089-8cad-43bd262b1367/-/resize/1000x/","template","DEFAULT","categories",[125,129],{"_45":126,"_59":127,"_69":128},"baf84e54-cbad-4323-8a5a-7fd740e42fa0","Stories and Perspectives","storytelling",{"_45":130,"_59":131,"_69":132},"f6e93f23-bfdc-48ae-a780-9480fa2a95e9","Digital Voices","digital-voices","learningStandards",[135],{"_45":136,"_47":137,"_49":137,"_59":138,"_139":140},"55b2ff53-9253-4254-9989-e3fca5ca5925","2025-07-28T19:03:40.573Z","Common Core (ELA)","description","","collections",[143],{"_45":144,"_47":145,"_49":146,"_147":148,"_168":169,"_194":195,"_196":46,"_197":170},"59eb72d4-f690-47cb-be27-79d4f2532a4f","2025-07-28T21:53:08.708Z","2025-08-14T16:38:40.330Z","activity",{"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_32":53,"_54":56,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":75,"_76":77,"_78":149,"_150":151,"_152":153,"_154":155,"_156":140,"_157":140,"_158":159,"_160":140,"_161":140,"_162":163,"_90":92,"_121":122,"_123":164,"_133":165,"_166":167,"_69":46},[80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89],"learningObjective","

Analyze the structure and content of a daily newspaper.
Write newspaper articles and features.
Present their articles in an electronic newspaper.

","materials","

For each student or pair:

Computer with internet access and word-processing software
Pen/pencil
Notebook or notebook paper

For the whole group:

Samples of a city newspaper
Smartboard or anchor chart for displaying information to the group

","preparation","

Read through and familiarize yourself with the entire activity.

Obtain enough copies of a daily newspaper for students to review. For best results, choose a city newspaper that presents national, regional, and local news and that includes sections for weather, sports, obituaries, and comics. The copies of the newspaper need not be the same edition or from the same day.

Review websites that present national, regional, and local news. Useful examples could be the same website as the print newspaper you select or national newspapers such as the Washington Post (washingtonpost.com) or the New York Times (nytimes.com) or news networks such as cnn.com or cbsnews.com.

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Distribute copies of the newspaper and invite students to leaf through them. Tell students that today they will be writing articles for a group newspaper.
Ask students to identify the sections of the newspaper and the types of news that are published in each section. Record students’ responses on the board. Make sure the following categories are covered.
- National, regional, and local news
- Weather
- Sports
- Human-interest features, such as stories about the lives of local people
- Arts and entertainment, including comics, games, and puzzles
- Obituaries and other public notices
Divide students into groups for most of the categories listed on the board. The number of group members in each category should reflect the importance of the category in the newspaper. For example, you and the group may decide that 1 student will suffice for reporting on the weather, unless the day’s weather is stormy or dangerous. You also may omit categories, such as obituaries.
Have students in each group review news websites for stories they feel are important to include in their newspaper. Then have group members select their stories, research them further, and begin writing. If a student is a skilled artist, they may wish to contribute a comic or an editorial cartoon.
Circulate among the students and offer help as needed. Encourage all students to write a story on their own but to accept help from another group member if needed. Also offer writing and journalism tips to help students organize their stories.
- The first paragraph of a story, also called the lead, is generally the most important and may be the only part that readers choose to read. Tell the main point of the story, or the “take-home message,” in the first paragraph.
- Try to avoid giving your opinion about the story. Just state the facts as you understand them.
- Include quotes from people involved in the story. If the story involves a disagreement or argument, include quotes that show different perspectives.
- Do your best to be accurate. Confirm all of the information in the story from reputable sources. However, do not copy other sources word for word, which is plagiarism.
Have each small group work together to organize the stories they wrote into a single document and to write and include headlines for each story. The stories should also have bylines, meaning the name of the author should be included next to the headline. Then have each group send the document to you.
Either during the session or soon after, combine all of the documents into a single file saved in web-page format (suffix: .htm or .html), complete with links for each section. Distribute the file electronically to all students.
Reconvene the whole group. Conclude the activity with a brief discussion:
- We forgot 1 very important part of our newspaper. Can anyone guess what part I’m thinking of? (The newspaper needs a name! Lead the class to agree on a name for the newspaper, such as the name of your town or school followed by classic names such as Chronicle, Times, Recorder, Post, or Tribune.)
- Did you feel rushed in writing your story? Do you think this time pressure is typical for newspaper writers? (Rushing to meet a deadline is very common in the newspaper business. A story that is filed late will not make the next edition, and after that, the story might not be fresh news any longer.)
- How was our activity similar to the process of producing a real daily newspaper? How was it different? (It was similar because we each were assigned specific topics to write about, and all of the topics contributed to the whole newspaper. It was different because we published our work only in an electronic format. Although most newspapers publish online, they still publish print editions. Space for stories can be tight in print editions, so stories often need to be edited for length.)

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The newspaper may be focused entirely on school news. If the activity can be spread across multiple sessions, ask students to interview school officials, such as the principal, a veteran teacher, a new teacher, or the manager of the cafeteria. Students may also take photographs and include them in their stories.

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The News Today

The News Today

The News Today

Overview