1. Investigating the Bigger Story
8th Grade Narrative Writing
Bend 3

2. Today’s Teaching Point
Writers can analyze a mentor text, asking: What can I learn about the kinds of research, writing, and thinking work investigative journalists do that I could do as well?

3. Session 12: Mentoring Oneself to a Pro
Your next move as a journalist is to add extensive research from sources to your work. This is what will make you an investigative reporter.
When journalists get a feeling that there is more to a story, they begin to set themselves tasks. They make plans for not just which story they’ll write, but for what additional work they’ll need to do to tell the story.

4. The “Big Dog Incident”
I found this quote while I was researching writing, and I thought it was very fitting with the lesson for today.
He said…his instincts were…that this incident was not routine. It was a thing. It was a whole story, with a beginning, and a middle, and an end, and all they knew so far was the end. It was the kind of story that got you thinking. And when that happened, it was time to begin asking questions. It was time to get to work.

5. What Does an Investigative Journalist Do?
Together, we will read a piece of investigative journalism. Here, the writer does variety of research to follow up on a story. That is what I want to figure out now: What are the things an investigative journalist does?
As I read, think about what techniques the writer is using. Jot them down as we go.

6. The Trouble With Sleep Texting
The pre-med student sleeps with mittens on each night. Mittens, to protect herself from her phone. To render her fingers unable to send those unconscious messages that are as embarrassing as they are senseless. Yup: she’s a sleep texter. Okay, there’s the newscast story, right? Now, look for the additional work the journalist did to research the story.

7. The Trouble with Sleep Texting
“It’s a phenomenon occuring with the younger generation,” says Elizabeth Dowdell, a nursing professor at Villanova University, who shared the anecdote about the mitten-wearing student. “And it’s reflective of the significance of our smartphones-of these very powerful machines. Why would we turn them off?” Here, the journalist has gathered quotes. What kinds of quotes are they getting? Where might he be finding these quotes?

8. The Trouble with Sleep Texting
Now, with your partners, study this piece. Try to come up with a list of the work, especially the research work, that investigative journalists do.
Figure out how to keep track of your thinking as well, so you’ll be ready to share.

10. Investigative Journalists Explore the Bigger Story, They…
Research background such as context, causes
Trace possible implications
Gather facts and statistics
Get quotes from experts
Collect other examples in the media

11. Time to Plan and Share
Your homework last night was to choose a story that you want to investigate further and to come up with questions you have or ideas for your story.
Take a minute to share that with your partner and tell them:
What do you want to research more deeply?
What questions do you have?
What work will you have to do to complete this story?

12. Update the anchor chart! To Write a News Story, Journalists…
Deepen readers’ associations and connections with analogies and allusions.
Investigate the bigger story by researching sources and conducting research.

13. Good to Know…
Investigative pieces often start out as stories, and journalists do additional research beyond the story.
The questions that a writer asks and the answers he or she chases are part of what makes a news story an investigation.

14. Adding Authority to Your Pieces
There is an old saying that, “numbers never lie.” Many readers believe that if something has numbers in it, it’s easier to believe because statistics give authority to your statements.
Examples: 8 out of 10 eighth grade students admit to engaging in reckless activity because they thought it would impress their peers.
Statistics can be persuasive, so they will make your assertions more powerful. Just be mindful of how you incorporate them into your writing!

15. Homework
Tonight you should research some particularly strong information. This could be background information or another example of the issue you want to explore. Do that research and generate some notes.
Then, write that part up, really trying to analyze and explain that information or evidence.