Because of television news, students are reluctant to open a newspaper, so I use fun activities to stimulate learning and curiosity. I have students search for different photographs, skim the related articles and list three reasons why an editor chose to run a particular photo with the story. The photo may show detail, make the article more interesting, or even evoke an emotional response, e.g., a front-page photo of a fireman rescuing a baby.
After a class discussion about an authors use of alliteration to “paint a picture” for the reader by creating emotion or helping the reader to visualize, I made an activity using USA TODAY, which is full of headlines that use alliteration to grab readers attention. I compile headlines containing alliteration and ask students to seek out an answer to one of the Five Ws found in the article. I want them to make a meaningful link between headlines and content.
Students are so used to getting their news from TV, especially talk shows, that they tend to get what is skewed or sensationalized. USA TODAY gives them an unbiased version of the news and encourages them to search for information that is both interesting and honest.
Submit your review | |