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Understand the elements of a news article, including facts and figures, quotes from experts or authorities, and an unbiased presentation.
Recognize how news writing differs from fiction writing.
Collaborate in a group and support all group members to achieve a shared goal.

","materials","

For the whole group:

Copy of the local newspaper or examples of newspaper articles.

These can be hard copy or digital versions shared on a projector.

For each student:

Pen or pencil
Notebook paper

","preparation","

Read through and familiarize yourself with the entire activity.

Obtain a recent copy of your local newspaper, if possible. This can be the school paper, your community paper, or your city paper. If paper copies are unavailable, share a digital version on a projector.
Identify at least 1 news article (a factual recap of an event which may begin on the front page) and at least 1 feature article (a human interest story which may appear in a section on entertainment or lifestyle.) Make enough copies of each article to share with youth if possible.

Review the news article and identify the 5 elements listed below. Note that the headline and lead sentence always begin the article and the conclusion always ends it, while facts, figures, and quotations may appear throughout the article.
HeadlineLead sentence (hook)IntroductionMain body (facts, figures, and quotations)Conclusion

","worksheets","multimedia","steps","

Introduce the activity by asking youth to describe where they get their information on current events (social media, YouTube, newspapers, etc.). Tell students that today, they'll be focusing on newspapers. Explain that many newspapers are also available digitally.
Ask students what kind of information they can learn from newspapers. (Possible answers include weather forecasts, upcoming events, comics, news, etc.)
Divide youth into equal groups depending on how many sections are in the newspaper. Pass out or display copies of the local newspaper to the group. If there are enough copies for the groups, ask students to identify the different sections and topics covered within each. If there is one newspaper or a digital copy, identify and discuss as a group. Typically, newspapers have the following sections (but may be named differently based on the newspaper):
- National and International News
- Local News
- Sports
- Business
- Entertainment / Arts and Culture
- Classifieds / Advertisements
Pick one article on the main page as an example. Give a brief overview of the elements of an article:
- The headline offers a very brief summary of the article. It also sets the tone for the article, which could be serious or humorous, as well as gracious or brusque.
- The lead sentence, or hook, acts as an invitation to read the article beyond the headline. The hook may present a question or puzzle that continued reading will answer. Or it may present the most surprising or interesting detail about the news story.
- The introduction summarizes the event or activity that the article is reporting, generally in 1 paragraph.
- The body of the article presents facts, figures, and quotes, as well as details that allow for a deeper understanding of the event being presented.
- The conclusion completes the article. Generally, it extends the earlier summaries by incorporating additional details or by predicting how the event or activity will affect the future.
Distribute copies of the two articles - one featured, one news. As youth read the articles, ask them to identify the:
- Headline
- Lead
- Introduction
- Body
- Conclusion
- If the article is a news article or a featured article.
When youth have finished reading, ask for volunteers to summarize one of the articles they read and to identify each elements. Ask:
- How did you identify these elements?
- How did you determine what type of article it was?
Tell youth that they will now work together to write their own news story. As a group, brainstorm ideas for the story that are based on a real event youth are experiencing. Consider ideas in these categories:
- A significant event that would appear in national news, such as an election or the passing of a new law.
- A natural disaster, such as a wildfire, storm, or earthquake.
- An event of local or regional interest, such as the opening of a new highway or sports stadium.
- An event at the school, such as the opening of a play or a victory or loss in sports.
Help the group narrow down their ideas and then settle on a specific event. Tell youth that the story should be realistic, but that they will not be researching or gathering actual facts, figures, quotes, and other specific information.
Although accuracy is very important in real newspaper articles, this activity focuses on the components of the stories rather than specific details. Youth should plan to invent details for the story they are writing.
When the idea is decided, divide youth into 5 equal groups. Assign each group one aspect of an article listed in step 3.
Invite team members to collaborate to write their assigned part of the story. Circulate among the teams and answer any questions or help with any confusion. Encourage youth to have fun with the topic; remind them that all of the information is made up in this activity! Facts, figures, and quotations can all be exaggerated.
For groups writing the headline or hook, encourage them to brainstorm several potential openings and then choose one.
Reconvene the whole group and compile their separate pieces into a single article. You may wish to have a representative from each small group read their part of the article in order from headline to conclusion.
Wrap up with a whole-group discussion. Ask:
- What were your general reactions to the combined news story? Did it catch your attention and give you all the necessary details?
- Which of the 5 teams do you think had the most difficult job?
- Which part of the article do you think was the easiest to write?
- How would the article would be different if it had been written by 1 person instead of 5 teams?
- How would the article be different if it was presented as a features story instead of a news article?
Tell students that newspapers often include both news articles and featured articles. Ask students what they think are the differences between news articles and features articles.
Potential answers:
- News stories focus on the facts, while features stories may analyze the facts or focus on the human interest component.
- News articles are time-sensitive, while features may not be tied on current events.
- News articles are concise and straight-forward, while features tend to be longer and more detailed.
More differences can be found at the link attached.

News Article Vs. Feature Article

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After each team has completed its assigned part of the article, have 1 member of each team join together to form new groups. Each new group should work together to assemble a complete newspaper article, which may involve revising their work for smooth transitions and a logical flow.

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Students go through a variety of activities that help them practice their writing skills in areas such as journalism, storytelling, and more.

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Writing the News

Writing the News

Writing the News

Overview