Editing Your 300 Word Article

How to Write a News Story (Video)

TASK #3

• Examine your partner's 300 word article and identify the type of lead he/she used. Write the type of lead your partner used on the draft copy. 
• Mark all your partner's mistakes/grammar or formatting errors on their article. Do this together while your partner watches. (If you're not sure there is a grammar/formatting error call me over to help). 
• After editing, give the original draft back to the original writer.
• Once you are done, please revise your OWN article and turn in the new draft for credit. Revise your article to avoid common or ineffective errors like the models mentioned above. For example: 
• Change passive voice to active voice. 
• Clarify long sentences. 
• Remove many general words and replace with specific ones (or examples)
• Rewrite introductions. 
• Rearrange your structure. 
• Use the inverted pyramid structure to restructure your work. 
• Call this draft your second draft (draft #2) and turn in WITH YOUR MARKED ORIGINAL. Note: your original draft should have your identified lead clearly marked as well.

Turn in your work (tasks #1-#3) by the end of class.

• Watch and learn more about The inverted pyramid style here at the link. 

The five W’s (Who, What, Where, When, and Why) are considered foundational elements for storytelling and information gathering. They are important (and expected) from journalists.

The 5 W's are used to piece together important story elements to describe events. Everyone from journalists to crime scene investigators use them to help understand what happened in a given scenario.

TASK #4: When attention is called, please get together in your reading group and do the following in-class activity:

1. Each group member will take 1 chapter he/she read from the book. Try to spread this out so that all chapters that have been read are represented. 

2. Using the five W's, identify the five elements/information in that chapter: who is the chapter about, what happens in the chapter, where does the chapter take place, when does the chapter take place within the reported story, and possible reasons why (what does the author give the reader as way of explanation of events in the story for that chapter?)

3. Turn in your answers either by the end of class (possible) or at least next class (probable). Complete this task #4 for homework. 

HOMEWORK: Keep reading your chosen novel. Complete task #4 if you did not complete this during class. Please take a look at the inverted pyramid style for news writing. Use this format when writing your own articles.