News Report Independant Assignment

DUE: Friday February 10th

Deadline: MONDAY February 13th

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE RUBRIC

Assignment Description:

Pretend you are a reporter who just witnessed an important scene from the novel. Write an article about that scene. Include who, what, when, where, why, and how. 1 1/2+ pages, typed/handwritten double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman font with 1” margins. DO NOT summarize the entire book.  

Student Name: ______________________ Name of Book Used: __________________________           /32
CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Who, What, When, Where & How /4	The article includes all of the 5 W's (who, what, when, where and how).	The article   includes 3-4 of the 5 W's (who, what, when, where and how).	The article addresses 2 of the 5 W's (who, what, when, where and how).	The article does not include the 5 W’s and/or is a summary of the entire book.
Articles – Purpose /4	The article establishes a clear purpose in the lead paragraph and demonstrates a clear understanding of the topic.	The article establishes a clear purpose in the lead paragraph, but lacks a clear understanding of the topic.	The article does not establish a clear purpose in the lead paragraph.	The article is more than 25% off-topic.
Articles - Supporting Details /8	The details in the article are clear, effective, and vivid 90-100% of the time.	The details in the article are clear and pertinent 80-90% of the time.	The details in the article are clear and pertinent 70-80% of the time.	The details in more than 30% of the article are neither clear nor pertinent.
Articles – Interest /8	The article contains facts, figures, and/or word choices that make the articles exceptionally interesting to readers.	The article contains facts, figures, and/or word choices that make the articles interesting to readers.	The article contains some facts or figures but is marginally interesting to read.	The article does not contain facts or figures that might make it interesting to read.
Format and length /4	1 1/2+ pages. Typed, double spaced, 1" margins, Times New Roman.	1+ page. Typed, double spaced, 1" margins, Times New Roman.	3/4+ pages. Typed, double spaced, 1" margins, Times New Roman.	Less than 3/4 page. NOT typed, double spaced, 1" margins, Times New Roman.
Spelling and Proofreading /4	0-1 spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors.	2-3 spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors.	4-5 spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors.	6+ spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors.

Main Image, newspaper company optional*

Reminder Checklist – PLEASE USE!

Decide what to write about. Sometimes an editor (or instructor) will give you specific assignments, but other times you’ll have to find your own stories to write about.  For this assignment, choose an important scene in the book that has a lot of details.

Record all the important facts of the scene! (Characters, setting, conflict, unique details)

Before you write your first draft, you should be aware of the parts that make up a news report.

Get someone to proofread and edit your story!

Headline: Alliteration, pun, powerful language,

Byline: This is your name! The byline is the name of the writer.

Lead: The lead is the first paragraph, but it is written to provide a detailed preview of the entire story. It summarizes the story and includes all of the basic facts. The lead will help readers decide if they want to read the rest of the story, or if they are satisfied knowing these details. For this reason, the lead may contain a hook.

Answer the 5Ws and 1H.

Use interesting facts

Interview characters with direct and indirect quotes

The Story: Once you’ve set the stage with a good lead, you follow up with a well-written story that contains facts from the story and quotes from the characters who were involved in the scene. The article should not contain your opinions.

Detail any events in chronological order (what happened first to last). Use active voice—avoid passive voice when possible.

In a news article, you would typically put the most critical information in the early paragraphs and follow with supporting information, background information, and related information.

Use the ‘icecream cone’ format .

Paragraph your work!

Does ending provice closure?

Self-assess your own work – can you make any improvements or changes?