Parts of Speech
Parts of Speech
When teaching the parts of speech to your class, use the newspaper to reinforce word identificaiton. Give the students a piece of manila paper or newsprint. Select two or three parts of speech on which to focus. Have them divide their paper into the necessary number of columns and label each column with the name of a part of speech. Give each student a newspaper or a section of a newspaper. Have them search the paper for words that match the parts of speech on their paper. Using scissors, have them cut out the words. Then have them glue the word on their papers in the proper column.
Main Idea
Select a story from the newspaper that will be of interest to your students. Read the story aloud to your class. Discuss the main idea of the story. Pass out newspapers to your students. Have them select several stories from their papers to read. Tell them to number the stories. Then write the same numbers on a sheet of paper. Next to each number have them write the main idea of the same numbered story. Have your students exchange stories with a partner. Their partners should read the stories and write their main ideas ona nother piece of paper. When both partners have finished this activity, they should compare answers, discussing any discrepencies.
Outining
After teaching the rudiments of outlining, give your students a newspaper. Have them select an article to read. After reading the article, have them outline it.
Sequencing, Story structure
Give each of your students a newspaper. Have them select an article to read which clearly demonstrates an introduction, a body containing several paragraphs, and a conclusion. Tell them to cut out the article then to cut it into paragraphs. Give them an envelope and have them write the article's title on the front. After placing the paragraphs in the envelope, have them exchange envelopes with another student. This student is to arrange the paragraphs in proper order. Once the article is in order, have the original student check the article for proper order. These articles can be used several times for further practice.
Who, What, When, Where, Why
Give each student a newspaper. Have them select an article to read. On a piece of paper have them list the five W's. Next to each have them write the information from the article that pertains to each. Encourage the students to write their answers in sentence form.
Visualizing
Give each student a newspaper. Have them select an article to read. Give each student a piece of unlined white paper. Have them fold the paper into six or eight blocks, numbering each. Tell them they are to retell the article in pictures, no words allowed. When they are finished, have them share their visual articles with the class. See if the other students can retell the article from the pictures.
Content Discrimination
Have your students turn to the local section of your newspaper. Instruct them to read the articles on this page to determine which items are "good" news and whisch are "bad." Have them circle the "good news" articles with blue crayon and the "bad news" articles with red crayon.
Inference
Have your students turn to the front page of a newspaper and copy all of the headlines on a sheet of paper. Instruct them to think carefully about each headline and try to determine what the article is about. Tell them to write their inferences next to each headline. After they have completed this portion of the assignment, have them read the articles' contents and write how close their inferences really were or weren't.
Locating Specific Information
Have your students turn to the sports section of a newspaper and select three articles. On a sheet of paper have them list the following information:
- TITLE OF ARTICLE
- NAME OF SPORT
- TEAM NAMES
- FINAL SCORES
- SOMETHING INTERESTING OR UNUSUAL ABOUT THE GAME OR EVENT
Fact and Opinion
Have your students look through a newspaper to locate four articles that express factual information and four that express an opinion. Have them explain their decisions.
Evaluating
Have your students make a poste, collage, or booklet of what they feel are the most important news items for a WEEK. They may draw pictures, cut out articles, or summarize the events. Intruct them to give reasons why they included each item.
