Newspaper

The 5th graders publish a class newspaper, learning how to develop topics and write articles. Students examine the overall structure of a newspaper and article, differentiate between feature and hard news stories, and understand how to avoid bias in their writing. They often have an opportunity to meet with working journalists or visit a newspaper in action to learn more about the art of journalism. Students choose their own topic, develop Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How questions, and locate source documents to inform their piece. They also explore how to utilize source material and effectively paraphrase ideas. When finished, they celebrate their work at a publishing party and enjoy delivering their newspaper to classrooms.