The Newspaper Clipping Generator Lesson Plan

STUDENTS' AGE : 12 years old

LANGUAGE LEVEL: Pre-Intermediate

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 20

OBJECTIVES: By the end of the lesson, the students will know how to ...

• Identify the parts of a news article
• Write a newspaper story
• Use ICT equipment and software
• Layout and publish a classroom newspaper

LANGUAGE AREAS: reading - writing

ALLOTTED TIME: 80 minutes

PHYSICAL LOCATION: classroom and computer lab

In the previous class, the teacher introduced the 6 Wh - questions the students need to answer to create their own piece of news and the students wrote a draft of a bizarre piece of news in pairs. The teacher told them to write a bizarre piece of news so as to make it more interesting for them.

Warmer


The teacher will write the word "NEWS"on the middle of the board and brianstorm with the help of the students the Wh - words they have already seen the previous lesson.

Afterwards, she will elicit from them what specific questions a piece of news can answer and make a list of them. For example:

• What happened?
• Who was the person involved?
• Where was he/she?
• When did something happened to him or her?
• How did that situation happen?
• Why did it happen?

Web

The students will go to the computer lab and the teacher will tell the students that she has created a bizarre piece of news and she will show it to them by using a projector. She will show it by going to https://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp and copying and pasting her piece of news in the "Enter your Story" field. The teacher will read it aloud and then the students can make comments about it, if they like it or not and why. 

Then, the students will be briefly introduced to the webpage "The newspaper clipping generator". The teacher will send them the link of the tutorial by email: The Newspaper Clipping Generator Tutorial. 

They will have to type the story they have written the previous class by using the Newspaper Clipping Generator and make the necessary changes so as to improve the grammar and lexis of their story. There will be two students per computer. 

What's next

Once they have finished writing their pieces of news, the students will swap places and read each other's work. They can make corrections about grammar, spelling of words and check if their peers have answered all the wh questions discussed before. Then, everyone will go back to their seats and they can read aloud their stories to the rest of the class.

EVALUATION CRITERIA 

	1. Weak	2. Marginal	3. Adequate	4. Strong	5. Superior
Vocabulary & Grammar	Sentences are basic and use well - rehearsed words and phrases	some familiar vocabulary and grammar is used, but frequent errors in tenses are made	a range of familiar vocabulary and grammar is used, but errors in tenses are evident	a range of vocabulary and grammar is used effectively, although with some errors in tenses	a wide range of descriptive vocabulary and grammar is used effectively, correct use of tenses
Cohesion	Cohesive devices are not used properly	some simple linking words are used, but the meaning as a whole is fragmented	basic cohesive devices are used to connect simple ideas	selected cohesive devices are used to link aspects of the text	a range of cohesive devices is used to link aspects of the text
Register	There are several discrepancies in register	There are some discrepancies in register	register used is generally consistent	register is usually appropriate to a piece of news	register is appropriate to a piece of news
Spelling, Punctuation and Word Order	frequent errors are evident	errors in spelling, punctuation and word order hinder meaning	spelling, punctuation and word order contain inaccuracies	spelling, punctuation and word order display a reasonable degree of accuracy	spelling, punctuation and word order display a high degree of accuracy
Organization & Coherence	written text lacks coherence and provides very little or no organizational structure	Uses an improper or confused organizational structure	structure Is organized in sequential (if not always logical) manner that is consistent with paragraph conventions  and displays some coherence	It is organized clearly and is generally coherent	written text is well-organised and displays a high level of coherence
Content	There is no relation to the headline. It only includes characters and plot. It is confusing for readers.	It is related to the headline. It doesn’t provide enough details of the characters or plot. It doesn’t catch the reader’s attention.	It is related to the headline. It is not bizarre. It answers 5 Wh- Questions but HOW is missing. It may catch the reader’s attention.	It is related to the headline. The setting is not mentioned. It catches the reader’s attention.	It is related to the headline. It answers the 6 WH- questions. It is bizarre and catches the reader’s attention

Theoretical Support

• The SAMR model by Dr. Puentedura

The Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition Model offers a method of seeing how computer technology might enhance teaching and learning. To apply this model, educators follow four different levels: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition. By using this models, the students will engage more with the activities proposed. 

At the beginning of this lesson plan, the teacher makes use of a data projector to show the students a piece of news and read aloud what it is about. This part of the lesson corresponds to the Substitution level since technology acts as a direct tool, with no functional change. This area tends to be teacher centric where the instructor is guiding all aspects of a lesson. However, it could have been done with printed out worksheets. 

The use of the Newspaper Clipping Generator corresponds to the Augmentation level since technology acts as a direct tool, with functional improvement. There is some functional benefit here in that paper is being saved and the students become more engaged in learning because they will receive immediate feedback from their peers, once they have finished writing their piece of news.

• NAPs [Núcleos de Aprendizaje Prioritario]

The NAPs are the core priority areas that were set up by the Ministry of Education. Educators need to take into account these areas when teaching a second language. Their main purpose is to shape respectful citizens considering cultural and linguistic differences and to prepare students to face the diversity that can be found in our country. The six main areas around which the guidelines for language teaching are arranged are the following: listening comprehension, oral production, reading comprehension, written production, language awareness and intercultural reflection.

The use of The Newspaper Clipping Generator can be thought in terms of these six areas. For example:

• Reading comprehension: As they read the instructions and steps included in the tutorial.
• Written production: by using this tool, the students will practice their writing skills and then, they will make corrections on their peers' work.
• Oral Production: when the students read their written product aloud to the rest of the class.
• Language awareness: students are conscious that their work is going to be shared afterwards, so they try to write as accurately as possible.
• Listening comprehension: as students listen to the bizarre piece of news created by the teacher at the beginning of the lesson. Besides, they listen to the final pieces of news their peers have created. 

• Triple E Framework by Liz Kolb

This framework guides teachers in meaningful technology integration. The three components that characterise this framework are Engagement, Enhancement and Extension. This theoretical framework also encourages teachers to go beyond an instrumental use of technology and consider how it can enhance and extend learning goals.

The use of The Newspaper Clipping Generator can be analysed in terms of these components.

• Engagement: The learners become engaged in the task since they have to create their own product (a piece of news) by using a web 2.0 tool. They can express their creative ideas because their final product must be bizarre. Moreover, they are moving to be passive learners to active learners since they will share what they have written with their peers.  
• Enhancement: this web 2.0 tool presents students with opportunities for creation and production. The students are also scaffolded by this tool because there are fields included with labels so as to help them to complete the different parts of the piece of news. 
• Extension: The Newspaper Generator Clipping allows the students to download their piece of news and then they can share it through their social networks or with their family or friends. Therefore they can connect what they do in the classroom setting to their everyday lives. In addition,  the students learn to build their writing skills and collaboration between peers (as they work together).

References:

• Consejo Federal de Educación. Nucleos De Aprendizaje Prioritatio Lenguas Extranjeras. e.edim.co/92818/NAP_LE.pdf?
• Kolb, L. (2017). Learning first, Technology Second. Arlington, VA: ISTE.

• SAMR Model - Technology Is Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/a/msad60.org/technology-is-learning/samr-model