1. FEATURE ARTICLE
A typical news article focuses only on straight facts― what, when, and how something happened. However a feature article is much more than just a collection of bare facts. It provides a window into the human experience by focusing on how the people were affected or how they persevered. The most common type is the human interest story. This can be completed on a computer, but you must have a hard copy to be turned in- no digital copies will be accepted. If you do not have access to a working printer, write it out by hand.
Your human interest story should:
educate the reader about tragic situation or continuing struggle
focus on the people involved, not just the facts of the events- reports success in the face of great odds
begin with strong title and lead- a lead is meant to catch the reader’s attention and give them a quick run-down of the story (i.e. describe the scene, quote a character, give a what-if, foreshadow, etc.)
depend on interviews- so imagine you have interviewed Robie/Max
full of detail
include quotes from the characters- use quotes from the actual novel
wrap it up and leave them thinking- end with success, leave a cliffhanger, restate the exciting highlights, provide a personal opinion, etc.
have words (to give you an idea, the “Final Project” section on the first page has 133 words)

2. CROSSWORD PUZZLE
There is often a challenging crossword puzzle in the newspaper. Create one about this section of the novel. You will need 25 question or definitions to use as clues. You can draw it out by hand, or you can search “free crossword puzzle maker” and create one online. This can be completed on a computer, but you must have a hard copy to be turned in- no digital copies will be accepted. If you do not have access to a working printer, draw it out by hand.

3. LETTER TO THE EDITOR DIRECTIONS
A letter to the editor is a written way of talking to a newspaper. It can take a position for or against an issue, or simply inform. They can convince readers by using emotions as well as facts. Using a few carefully placed letters, you can generate plenty of community discussion. This can be completed on a computer, but you must have a hard copy to be turned in- no digital copies will be accepted. If you do not have access to a working printer, write it out by hand.
Your Letter to the Editor should:
be about a world issue (the environment, plane safety, the pressure placed on student athletes, etc.) your character might feel strongly about at this point in the novel
educate the public about the problem and explain why it is important- include examples from the novel
begin with strong title and lead- a lead is meant to catch the reader’s attention and give them a quick run-down of the story (i.e. describe the scene, quote a character, give a what-if, foreshadow, etc.)
wrap it up and leave them thinking- end with success, leave a cliffhanger, restate the exciting highlights, provide a personal opinion, etc.
sign-off at the end- it is a letter and should have a closing
have words (to give you an idea, the “Final Project” section on the first page has 133 words)

4. COMIC STRIP
Newspaper comics are one of the three main formats of modern comics, the other two being comic books and graphic novels. However, they are much shorter― less than page. All types of comics have panels that contain illustrations, and sometimes even narration. Create a comic strip for a scene or situation in this section of the novel. It can be a humorous scene or a serious one, but be sure to keep the tone from the original version in your comic strip. This can be completed on a computer, but you must have a hard copy to be turned in- no digital copies will be accepted. If you do not have access to a working printer, draw it out by hand.
Your Comic Strip should:
be titled- be creative
identified you as the author & illustrator
have 5-8 panels- each frame in a comic strip is called a panel
contain detailed illustrations- you will be graded on your effort not necessarily your ability― Stick figures take no effort!
be narrated– describe the scene or situation in a sentence or two in at least two frames
include dialogue- use quotes from the novel

5. ADVERTISEMENTS
Newspapers are funded by the advertisement space they sell to companies. Come up with 3-5 products that would have helped Max and/or Robie survive or that they may wish they had during this part of the novel. Create an advertisement for each product.
Your Advertisement should:
give the name of the product
show an image of the product
have a motto that speaks directly to Robie or Max’s need
name a price- and maybe even provide a coupon

6. BOOK REVIEW
Newspapers have a critics read books, listen to music, and watch TV shows, movies, and plays. They then write reviews, so people have recommendations on what they should read, listen to, or see. These reviews provide \general information about the book, a brief summary, a run-down of the characters, and a clear opinion. Write a review of The Raft.
Your Book Review should:
identify general information about the novel- title, author, genre (i.e. non-fiction, historical fiction, realistic fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, etc.)
include a summary- overall situation, interesting events, conflicts― give the reader a feel for the book, but don’t spoil it!
describe the characters- who they are, likeability, relatability, general behavior, conflicts they face, your favorite and why, etc.
provide an opinion- give you opinion on the book as a whole, the characters, compared to other books we read, recommendation to read it or skip it, star rating out of 5