A Better Class of Journalists
Current Events Journals Allow Students to Record and Reflect on the Week's News
from Education World ®
Subjects: Language Arts, Math, Health, Science, Social Studies, Journalism
Grade Levels: preK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Objectives
Students will:
- skim newspapers for news articles that fit defined guidelines,
- cut out two articles each week and write a brief description of the main idea for each,
- reflect on the importance of the news story and write a statement demonstrating that reflection, and
- develop time management skills by planning work on this project so it is completed in full at the end of each quarter.
Keywords
current events, newspaper, reflect, writing, journal, time management, main idea, critical thinking
Materials Needed
- access to the daily newspaper (Alternative: access to online news sources or news magazines)
- a notebook to hold news clippings and reflections
Procedure
Explain to students that, in this activity, they are responsible for keeping a Current Events Journal. On a weekly basis, they will collect two articles of interest from newspapers and keep a notebook of the articles they find. For each article, tell students they also will provide a reflection of 25-50 words that includes a statement of the main idea of the news story and the student's reaction to the importance of the news story.
Notes About This Project
The project makes a great homework assignment because it provides opportunities for parents to work with students and to discuss news events with them. The project equates to 30 minutes of homework twice a week.
- If students do not have access to a daily newspaper, they can use news magazines or online newspapers as their sources of information.
- Students should have complete freedom to select news stories, however articles may focus on a specific subject area.
Having students hand in their Current Events Journals at the end of each quarter will help them learn the importance of keeping up with long-term assignments.
Assessment
Each entry will be scored equally. If there are nine weeks in a quarter, for example, students should have 18 news clippings in their Current Events Journals. Assign each entry a value of 5.5 points -- for a total possible score of 100.
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