TEN WAYS To Use Newspapers In Instruction

WELCOME Lynette Hazelton Manager of Volunteer Tutors/GED Instructor ext. 5510

WHO READS A NEWSPAPER?

The most likely to read newspapers are those with more education or more income, and who are white. SOURCE: PEW Research Center

Less affluent and less educated folks lean on daytime talk shows for information. SOURCE: PEW Research Center

Do Our Students Read Well Enough to Tackle a Newspaper?

SOURCE: PEW Research Center The truth is, many newspapers have become too difficult for most adults to read VS.

PeriodicalGrade Level Times of India 15 London Times 12 Los Angeles Times 12 Boston Globe 12 National Enquirer 12 Sydney Sun-Herald 12 China Daily 12 Atlantic Monthly 11 Better Homes and Gardens 11 Atlanta Constitution 11 Cleveland Plain Dealer 11 San Jose Mercury News 11 New Yorker 10 New York Times 10 Washington Post 10 USA Today 10 TV Guide 9 The Sun (UK Tabloid) 9

Reading Levels of Recent Articles NewspaperLevel Metro12.2 ( Seth Williams) Philadelphia Daily News11 (ACLU sues state over prisoners’ mental health care) Philadelphia Inquirer9.5 (Clinton) New York Times14.5 (Clinton) SOURCE:

READING LEVELS The average newspaper is written at the 11th-grade level, the tolerable limit for a 9th- grade reader.

READING LEVELS People like to read recreationally two grades below their actual reading skill.

READING LEVELS Sixth – eighth grade is the sweet spot of readability.

Ten Reasons Why I use Newspapers

Authentic Engagement Increase Awareness Increase Intellectual Confidence Civic Engagement Improve Social Studies Knowledge

Perspective Taking Improve Consumer Awareness Visual Literacy Media Literacy Past - Present Connections

My Instructional Goals NEWSPAPER A supplemental resource READING Ability to reading with comprehension and fluency LISTENING Ability to actively listen WRITING Ability to write coherent response SPEAKING Ability to hold academic conversations

Ten uses of newspapers

WORDS

1. WORD FIND Low Level Have student select a passage of at least one paragraph and highlight all the words that they know in a single article. Higher Level Have students select a passage of at least three paragraphs and highlight words with which they are unfamiliar. First, try to guess the meaning from context clues? Have students look up the definitions and suggest a more familiar synonym.

2. HEADLINES Low Level Have students re-write headlines into a complete sentence Have students cut out headlines from various newspapers and assemble them into a poem. Higher Level Have students compare headlines from a tabloid and headlines from a more conservative newspaper. Discuss the pros and cons of only reading headlines for your news source? Discuss the concept of sensationalism. Have students find headline examples?

IMAGES

3. WEATHER REPORT Low Level Have students learn how to read a weather map. Have students learn the regions of the United States. Higher Level Have students create their own color-coded weather map from information they gather.

4. Photographs Low Level Have students select a photograph from the newspaper and explain the story the photograph tell. Have students identify the photograph of “famous” newsmakers. Higher Level Have students take photographs of problems in their neighborhood and write a compelling caption for each photograph.

5. EDITORIAL CARTOON Lower Level Bring in an appropriate level cartoon and have students explain the issue. Discuss what different symbols stand for. Higher Level Have students write a paragraph discussing the position of the cartoonist.

ROLE PLAY

6. YOU BE THE DEFENSE ATTORNEY Low Level Read students an article about a crime and ask them to determine how they would defend the alleged perpetrator based on the facts presented in the article. Higher Level Have students pretend to be the defense team and work in small groups and read an article about a crime. Ask them how they would defend the alleged perpetrator based on the facts presented. Students must come to agreement. Further Discussion: Which is better - To be innocent until proven guilty or guilty until proven innocent?

7. YOU BE THE ADVICE COLUMNIST Low Level Read a simple advice column and ask students to determine the question being asked and then provide an answer. Higher Level Have students read an ethics-related problem, determine the relevant detail and the insiginficant detail and then provide an answer complete with rationale.

TAKE ACTION

8. LETTER TO THE EDITOR Low Level Pick an editorial that s/he has a position on and write and simple letter to the editor. Higher Level Pick an editorial that s/he has a position on and write and actually send a business letter to the editor.

9. CONDUCT A SURVEY Low Level Pick a current controversial issue and ask ten of your friends, family, peers or co- workers their position on the issue. Create a chart to keep a record of your answers. Higher Level Pick a current controversial issue and ask ten of your friends, family, peers or co- workers their position on the issue. Create a chart to keep a record of your answers. Include pertinent demographic information on your final report.

HAVE FUN

10. Play the games in the Newspaper

Final Notes

TEACHER READ ALOUD Effective literacy programs provide activities that support learning, and research has proven that reading aloud constructs a valuable link to becoming literate. When teachers model oral reading, they help students understand the structure of written language, expanding their knowledge of words, and enable them to learn new ways to use language.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES MEDIA RESOURCES IN-EDUCATION-GUIDES/ READABILITY CALCULATOR

THANK YOU CONTACT: LYNETTE HAZELTON