Grade 2: Newspaper Reporting
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Common Core Standards
Reading Informational Text
RI.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
RI.2.5 Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.
RI.2.6 Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
RI.2.7 Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text.
Reading Literature
RL.2.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2–3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Writing
W.2.3 Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
W.2.5 With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.
W.2.6 With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
Language
L.2.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
L.2.3 (a) Compare formal and informal uses of English
Speaking and Listening
SL.2.4 Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentence
Description of Unit
This Grade 2 unit titled “Newspaper Reporting” from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is designed for twelve 30-40-minute sessions of ELA/Literacy instruction for use mid-year or later, after students have experienced reading informational books. In this unit on reading and reporting news, students use a guided inquiry model to learn about print, online journalism, and the job of a reporter. They learn how to read, analyze, and critique models of narrative writing in news articles. Then, they learn to write their own news stories using what they’ve learned from the models. As a culminating activity, students create a class newspaper with each student contributing an article and picture on a topic of his or her choice. Each student reads his/her article to the class. The newspaper is circulated to families, friends, school personnel, and selected community members, as appropriate.
Cautions
In using this unit, Connecticut teachers need to consider the variability of learners in their class and make adaptations as necessary. Before beginning this unit, students must be able to read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension with assistance. Teacher notes and preparation materials are extensive and will require familiarity to be used effectively. While the instructional time needed to complete most lessons is approximately 30–40 minutes; this doesn’t count the “common experience” introduced in Lesson 7. Students may need extra time between Lessons 10 and 11 to type up each article or rewrite. Computer access is recommended to implement the plan as intended. The teacher should plan to provide several newspapers for students to share in various lessons. While this unit lists standards for English Language Arts/Literacy, the content also aligns with the Social Studies C3 Frameworks Standards and these standards could be added. For a direct link to this source, see below.
CT Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Frameworks
Rationale for Selection
This unit is an exemplary example of a progression of learning activities where concepts and skills advance and deepen over time, requiring all students to demonstrate their independent capacities. The plan addresses instructional expectations and is easy to understand and use. Lessons are designed to gradually remove supports. All students demonstrate their independent capacities through an authentic performance task with assessment guidelines. There is an aligned rubric that elicits direct, observable evidence of the degree to which each student can independently demonstrate the targeted grade-level standards. Lessons are designed to cultivate student interest and engagement in reading, speaking and writing. Sections on “Instructional Tips/Strategies/Notes for Teacher”, and “Anticipated Student Preconceptions/Misconceptions” are provided for each lesson. The “Unit Resources” section includes all of the materials needed to complete this unit.