1LV: Article Writing

Parts of a feature article:

I. Lead sentence
Grab and hook your reader right away!

II. Introduction
Which facts and figures will ground your story? You have to tell your readers where and when this story is happening.

III. Opening quotation 
What will give the reader a sense of the people involved and what they are thinking?

IV. Main body
What is at the heart of your story?

V. Closing quotation
Find something that sums the article up in a few words.

VI. Conclusion (optional—the closing quote may do the job)
What is a memorable way to end your story? The end quote is a good way to sum things up. That doesn’t always work. If you are quoting more than one person with different points of view in your story, you cannot end with a quote from just one of them. Giving one of your interviewees the last word can tilt the story in their favor.

TASK:

Group assignment

1. Click on your group name below. 

2. Identify the different parts of a feature article (as stated above). 

3. Mark the different parts like this:

 Highlight the portion you want to comment on. I thought this part was the hook so I highlighted it. 

Right-click on selected area and move cursor to "Comment".

Type out whatever you need to.

Click the "comment" button and your comment will appear. You can reply to the comments of your group members if you want to.

Youth Day Team

Cross Country Team

NCDCC & BB Team

SYF Team

Bollywood Veggies Team

Tree Planting Team

Singapore Art Museum Team

Sports Fiesta Team

1LV: How to conduct an interview

How to Conduct an Interview

Research, preparation are the keys to interviewing like a pro

Source: Scholastic Kids Press Corps

One of the hardest skills for a young reporter to master is interviewing. It takes preparation and persistence to conduct a good interview. Follow these steps and learn how to interview like a pro!
STEP 1: Research, research, research. Then research some more. The only way to come up with good questions is to know everything there is to know about your subject.
STEP 2: Contact the person you wish to interview. Ask when a good time would be to do the interview. Be polite! Say "please" and "thank you." Try to set up the interview in person. If this isn't possible, then set up a phone interview.
STEP 3: Read over your research and brainstorm a list of 15 questions. The more specific your questions are, the better! And never ask questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. Make your interviewee talk!
Be sure to write all your questions down in a notebook, then practice asking them with a partner. Become very familiar with your questions before you go into the interview.
STEP 4: Come prepared with:

• A pencil
• A notebook
• A list of good questions
• A recording device (always ask permission before recording an interview)

STEP 5: Be on time! Arrive at your interview with plenty of time to spare. If you’ve never been to the place where your interview is taking place, go early and scout it out. There is nothing more unprofessional than a reporter who is late.
You can also use the time you are waiting to make notes about the surroundings. You won’t remember details later, so write them down.
STEP 6: Conduct your interview in an organized, timely manner. During the interview:

• Be courteous to your subject.
• Always take time to ask for an explanation about things you don't understand.
• Don’t be afraid of uncomfortable silences and pauses.
• Let the interview take its natural course.
• Look the person in the eye when asking questions.
• Always listen carefully to the answers. Each answer could lead to more questions or include an answer to a question you haven’t asked yet. Don't ask a question that has already been answered. Your subject will know you weren't listening and be insulted.
• Don't read through your questions one right after another like you can't wait to be finished. Conduct your interview like a conversation. One question should lead naturally into another. If you are LISTENING to the answers this will come naturally!
• Also, take notes on what the person looked like, what the person was wearing, where he or she sat. If the interview is in an office, make notes of what is on the walls and on the desk. The objects people surround themselves with hold important clues to their personalities. Ask about any object that interests you. You’ll find some good stories!

STEP 7: Even if you are recording an interview, take notes. Don't try to write every word said. It will show down the interview. Just take down the highlights.
After the interview, while the details are still fresh in your mind, write everything down you can remember about the person you interviewed. Don’t forget to make note of the sounds in the background. Take not of what was happening around you. Write it all down as soon as possible.
At home, expand your notes by following up on things you learned in your interview with more research!
STEP 8: Review your research and your interview notes. Circle or highlight quotations that you think will be good for your article. Now you're ready to begin writing!
Here are two examples of interviews from the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.

• Kid Reporter Daniel Wetter interviews Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. Watch the video, then read the news story Daniel wrote based on his video.
• Kid Reporter Mariam El Hasan on the set of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. Watch the interview video, then read her story.

 http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3752516 

1LV: Research on how to conduct interviews for feature articles

Seating arrangement: Together with your Espoir groups as much as possible.

Assignment: Espoir Group

ICT: Individual Computers, if not, shared computers among group members


Task for today:

Go to a search engine and find out more about this topic.

Open up this google document and type in some useful search phrases that generated results or useful tips for conducting interviews.

e.g. search: conducting interviews 
e.g. tip: be punctual

Each group will only type in your own boxes.

Do this for 15 minutes. After which, share

FAQ:
I cannot access the google document. What's wrong?
You need to log in with the gmail account you have given me. If you have not given me your gmail, type it into the form shown to you on Thursday.

My classmates keep making a nuisance of themselves. What do I do?
Raise your hand and let the teacher resolve the issue.

Gmail address

Please create a Gmail account with your name as part of your address.

1TH lesson 15/4/2013

Instruction for squads

What you need to do before the game.

1.   Click on the link to padlet to access a wall. Create a Post-it note by double clicking on the wall. Write your names at the top of the post.

2.   You may also use the other resources available in this post to help you in the game.

                    

Instructions for game:

1.    Place your token at ‘Start’.

2.    Roll one die and move your token.

3.    When you land on a black square, give a fact about the topic in the square. Type the fact in padlet.

4.    When you land on a white square, give an opinion about the topic in the square. Type the opinion in padlet.

5.    Follow the instruction when you land on a grey square.

-     When you land on ‘Trade places’, exchange places with any token of your choice belonging to the other players.

6.    You do not move on until you have made a correct statement. If you give a wrong statement, the turn goes to the next player.

7.    The first player to reach ‘End’ wins the game.

Link to padlet

Instruction for squads

What you need to do before the game.

1.   Click on the link to padlet to access a wall. Create a Post-it note by double clicking on the wall. Write your names at the top of the post.

2.   You may also use the other resources available in this post to help you in the game.

                    

Instructions for game:

1.    Place your token at ‘Start’.

2.    Roll one die and move your token.

3.    When you land on a black square, give a fact about the topic in the square. Type the fact in padlet.

4.    When you land on a white square, give an opinion about the topic in the square. Type the opinion in padlet.

5.    Follow the instruction when you land on a grey square.

-     When you land on ‘Trade places’, exchange places with any token of your choice belonging to the other players.

6.    You do not move on until you have made a correct statement. If you give a wrong statement, the turn goes to the next player.

7.    The first player to reach ‘End’ wins the game.

Link to padlet

http://padlet.com/wall/brjjvtpazr

Online Dice

http://www.virtualdiceroll.com/

Simple English Wikipedia to find out more about certain topics

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Online dictionary

http://dictionary.reference.com




You are to give an opinion about one of the following topics:

The death penalty
Abortion
Global warming
Euthanasia

Support your opinion with five facts, opinions or examples.

1LOVE 10 April 2013

1. Go to this site

http://padlet.com/wall/69rji0s4l1

2. Read and follow the instructions.

3. Double click on the wall to create a new post-it and write in your group's answers.
e.g.
1. (F)
2. (O)
3. (F)

1Love Lesson 11 April 2013

Instruction for squads

What you need to do before the game.

1.   Click on the link to padlet to access a wall. Create a Post-it note by double clicking on the wall. Write your names at the top of the post.

2.   You may also use the other resources available in this post to help you in the game.

                    

Instructions for game:

1.    Place your token at ‘Start’.

2.    Roll one die and move your token.

3.    When you land on a black square, give a fact about the topic in the square. Type the fact in padlet.

4.    When you land on a white square, give an opinion about the topic in the square. Type the opinion in padlet.

5.    Follow the instruction when you land on a grey square.

-     When you land on ‘Trade places’, exchange places with any token of your choice belonging to the other players.

6.    You do not move on until you have made a correct statement. If you give a wrong statement, the turn goes to the next player.

7.    The first player to reach ‘End’ wins the game.

Link to padlet

http://padlet.com/wall/vjs8gqtljb

Online Dice

http://www.virtualdiceroll.com/

Simple English Wikipedia to find out more about certain topics

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

 Online dictionary

http://dictionary.reference.com