writing skills and strategies - the new york times

A New York Times Newspaper in Education Curriculum Guide

WRITINGSKILLSANDSTRATEGIESTeaching Language ArtsWith The New York Times

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Writing Skills and Strategies: Teaching Language Arts With The New York Times

INTRODUCTION

Teaching Writing: A Challenge for Everyone Involved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Time Frame for the Lesson Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Using the Student Worksheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

New York Times Services For Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

CORRELATION OF LESSONSTO NATIONAL LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

LESSONS

LESSON 1 Analyzing How The New York Times Is Written . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

LESSON 2 Developing Analytical Reading Skills With The Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

LESSON 3 Developing Your Vocabulary With The New York Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

LESSON 4 Personal Writing With The New York Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Article: A Death in the Family: In So Many Words, a Wonderful Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

LESSON 5 Linking The New York Times to Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

LESSON 6 Writing a Review in the Style of The New York Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

LESSON 7 Outlining a Biography Based on a New York Times Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

LESSON 8 Vivid Language, Grammar and Stylistic Devices in The Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

LESSON 9 Developing a Research Project Based on a Times Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

LESSON 10 The New York Times in the Drama Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

LESSON 11 New York Times Photos as Prompts for Creative Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Written by Katherine Schulten. Based on original material by Robert S. Greenman.Additional material contributed by Ellen S. Doukoullos.

This guide was developed by The New York Times Newspaper in Education program. It did not involve the reporting orediting staff of The New York Times.

Copyright © 2010 The New York Times

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TEACHING WRITING: A CHALLENGE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVEDTeaching students to write clearly and stylishly can be as hard on the students as it is ontheir teachers.

Many students have great difficulty writing. Putting words on paper (or a screen) oftenseems to mystify young writers. They struggle with a range of questions, both broad andspecific, from “What is an essay?” and “Where do I get ideas?” to “What is a topicsentence?” and when they’ve finished, “How do I know if I’ve been convincing?”

For teachers, reading their work can be frustrating, even painful, as the eyes blur and thehead begins to ache after hours of grading papers.

This curriculum guide can offer you help. Used in conjunction with The New York Times,the guide and the lesson plans it contains are designed to make the task easier — even fun— for you and your students.

Vivid writing, stimulating opinion and clear presentation of information and ideas arehallmarks of Times reporting and editing. When your students are exposed to the richvariety of The Times on a regular basis, they’ll find articles on a wide range of topics ofinterest to them that will stimulate their thinking and serve as models of good writing forthem to follow in their assignments.

The vocabulary in Times news reports, features and opinion pieces will show yourstudents how to communicate their thoughts with style, even wit (as in Timesheadlines). Many teachers have told us that test scores show marked improvementwhen their students – as young as fourth graders – have The Times as part of theirdaily reading and writing experience.

We invite you to have fun with these lessons and to use The New York Times to give yourstudents the skills they need to write with style and confidence.

TIME FRAME FOR THE LESSON PLANSEach lesson plan has a wealth of material that can be used during a number of classperiods, as homework or for independent study. The lessons can be used in any orderyou like. We recommend that you review the lessons in advance to determine whichactivities to use and when; obviously, not every issue of The Times will include articlesrelevant to each lesson.

USING THE STUDENT WORKSHEETSEach lesson has a Worksheet with questions for students to answer individually or in smallgroups. (Alternatives to making copies of the Worksheets are writing out the material onthe board or displaying Worksheets with an overhead projector or interactive white board.)

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INTRODUCTION

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WEB SITEnytimes.com/nie

Visit our Web site to download order forms for the print edition or Electronic Edition forclassroom use. You may also download a host of other free curriculum guides and activitiesto use with The Times.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

CALL: (800) 631-1222 FAX: (888) 619-6900 E-MAIL: [email protected]

Contact us with questions about ordering a classroom subscription or about your existingschool account.

HOME DELIVERY AT THE EDUCATOR RATEAND SCHOOL LIBRARY RATE

CALL: (888) 698-2655

If you are a teacher or school librarian, call (888) 698-2655 to order a single home deliveryor library subscription and get more than 50% off regular rates.

THE NEW YORK TIMES LEARNING NETWORKlearning.blogs.nytimes.com

The New York Times Learning Network offers interactive classroom activities based on theMonday – Friday editions of The Times. The wealth of features on the site includes lessonplans linked to specific Times articles, a lesson plan archive and search, an interactive dailynews quiz, “Word of the Day,” “On This Day in History” feature that links to historical Timesarticles, “6 Q’s About the News” activity linked to a Times article, “Times Fill-Ins” sentencecompletion feature, Student Crossword and Student Opinion (for students age 13 and older).

TIMES TOPICSnytimes.com/topics

Times topics is an excellent starting point for research, providing quality information onthousands of topics. Each topic page contains featured Times articles, graphics, audio andvideo files, with additional links to other good sources.

THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE ARCHIVEnytimes.com/archive

You can use the “Search” function on nytimes.com for access to the complete backfile ofThe New York Times from 1851 to the present.

THE NEW YORK TIMES IN COLLEGEnytimes.com/edu

Our Web site for college faculty offers services for higher education, including course-specific instructional strategies using The New York Times.

NEW YORK TIMES SERVICES FOR TEACHERS

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MEDIA

VIEWING

LISTENING AND SPEAKING

1. Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process

2. Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing

3. Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions

4. Gathers and uses information for research purposes

5. Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process

6. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of literary texts

7. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety ofinformational texts

10. Understands the characteristics and components of the media

9. Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media

8. Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes

READING

The lessons in this curriculum guide are correlated with relevant national standards from Mid-continent Research forEducation and Learning (McREL). These standards represent a compilation of most state standards.

Each McREL standard has subcategories, or benchmarks, for different levels of instruction. For details, seewww.mcrel.org/standards.

WRITING

CORRELATIONCORRELATION OF LESSONS TO NATIONAL LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

SOURCE: “Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education,” by John S. Kendall and Robert J. Marzano (2000, 3rd ed.);Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), Aurora, Colo. www.mcrel.org/standards/

Used by permission of McREL, 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, Colo. 80014; (303) 337-0990.

LESSONS

LESSONS

LESSONS

LESSONS

LESSONS

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KNOWLEDGE NETWORK


At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to:● identify characteristicsof the content, layoutand organization ofThe New York Times.

● identify elements of thereporting style of TheTimes in specific articles.

● The New York Times,one copy per student.

● Copies of theLesson 1 Worksheet.

PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Review possible questions and answers for the scavenger hunt.

WARM UP:ASK YOUR STUDENTS:■ “How many of you read, watch or listen to some form of news every day?”■ “What kinds of news are you interested in? From what source(s) do you get your news?”■ “How is getting news from newspapers different from getting it from TV, radio or the

Internet?”(Sometimes you get only the headlines, the Internet can give you just news youask for, television is accompanied by images, newspapers often have more depth, etc.)

NEWSPAPER ACTIVITYSay: “You and your partner will be competing against other pairs of students in a‘scavenger hunt’ to answer questions using today’s New York Times. You will have 30minutes to record your answers on both copies of the Worksheet I’ll hand out. Hold onto one copy for our class discussion, and trade your other copy with another pair so youcan check each other’s answers. Don’t look at the worksheet until I say, ‘Go.’”

■ Form pairs of students.■ Distribute today’s Times to each student.■ Distribute a copy of Worksheet 1 face-down to each student.

Students then complete as much of the “scavenger hunt” (page 7) as they can beforethe time is up. Paired students should have the same answers on their worksheets.Have each pair trade one copy of their completed worksheet for checking by anotherpair during the class discussion.

ANSWERSMost of the answers will come from that day’s Times. Here are answers to twoquestions (see page 7):

2. The most important, or lead, article is on the front page, usually in the upperright-hand corner.

8. There are no comics in The New York Times.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONSAfter reviewing the questions/answers from the Scavenger Hunt, follow up with these questions

■ What are the qualities of a great newspaper? (Objectivity, accuracy, comprehensiveness,depth, courage, originality in reporting, lively writing, etc.)

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

LESSON PLAN 1ANALYZING HOW THE NEW YORK TIMES IS WRITTEN

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● Which of these qualities does The Times have, based on what you’ve seen today andon other days?

● How could regular reading of The Times benefit you? (Improve your vocabulary;learn about the world; prepare for classes such as history, geography, science, etc.; usereviews to help you decide what movies to see, books to read, technology devices to buy, etc.)

EXTENSION/HOMEWORK ACTIVITIESAssign activities. Establish due dates.

■ Explain to the class that every day at 4:30 p.m. eastern time, the top editors of TheTimes have a “Page 1 meeting” where they decide which articles planned for the nextday’s newspaper are the most important, and should therefore start on the front page.

Have your students review the articles on the front page of today’s Times, and foreach article, list the reasons they think these articles were important enough to make itonto Page 1.

■ Have your students assume the role of a Times reporter who covers a particular“beat,” such as the White House, City Hall or a sports team, with students choosingtheir beats based on articles in that day’s Times. Have students create a dialoguebetween the reporter and his or her editor, with the reporter explaining why thearticle is important and should go in the next day’s newspaper — maybe even onPage 1 — and with questions the editor would ask the reporter about the article.

■ Have students create ads that will encourage their peers to read The Times, usingads in The Times as models. Ask them to think about what types of articles wouldbe of special interest to them and their peers, and to focus on those kinds of articlesin their ads. Display the ads around the school.

TEACHER LESSON PLAN 1ANALYZING HOW THE NEW YORK TIMES IS WRITTEN

NAME_______________________________________

With your partner, find answers for each of the questions below in today’s New York Times. Write your answers onboth copies of the Worksheet. You should have the same answer on both Worksheets. (One copy will be exchangedwith another pair of students for checking.) Be prepared to explain your answers during our class discussion.

1. What is the title of each section of today’s New York Times?___________________________________2. What is the headline of the most important news story today?________________________________

_________________________________________________Section/Page_____________________3. Write the headline of an article that deals with a controversial issue:____________________________

_________________________________________________Section/Page_____________________4. Find an innovation in science, the arts, business, technology or any other field reported in The Times today.

___________________________________________________________________________________5. Find a news report in today’s New York Times focusing on:

● an international problem__________________________________________________________● a domestic problem______________________________________________________________

6. What is the title of a movie or book reviewed today? _______________________________________7. Find an adjective used to describe the movie or book reviewed._______________________________8. What page are the comics on?________________________________________________________9. Describe the subject of an article in today’s Times that in some way reflects the diversity of cultures

in America.______________________________________________________________________Section/Page___________________________Headline____________________________________

10. Find a person profiled in any section of The Times today. Why is that person newsworthy now?______________________________________________________Section/Page_____________________

11. Find an article that you don’t think will be covered in any half-hour TV news broadcasts today. Whydo you think it is in the newspaper but would not be on TV?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. Find at least one item from anywhere in today’s Times that relates to something you are learning orhave learned in any of your classes this year.Times item _______________________________________Section/Page_____________________The class it relates to:_______________________________________________________________Why?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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LESSON 1WORKSHEET: ANALYZING HOW THE NEW YORK TIMES IS WRITTEN

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KNOWLEDGE NETWORK


At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to:● identify the main ideaof a news article (who,what, when, where,why, how).

● analyze how details(quotations, statistics,etc.) in the articlesupport the main idea.

● Today’s New York Times,one per student.

● Copies of theLesson 2 Worksheet,one per student.

● Scissors, one per student.● Small envelopes,one per student.

PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.

Background information: Many of the articles on the front page and in the newscolumns of newspapers are known as “hard news” or “breaking news” – that is, newsof an immediate or urgent nature. Feature articles are sometimes called “soft news” inthat they usually have less immediate bearing on readers’ lives.

WARM-UPASK YOUR STUDENTS:■ “How do you think a reporter for The New York Times decides which facts come

first in a news article? What comes next? And after that?

“Today we’re going to learn how reporters organize news articles they write.”

NEWSPAPER ACTIVITY■ Distribute the Lesson 2 Worksheet to each student. Review the directions for Part A.■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student.■ Divide the class into pairs of students.

Have students complete Part A of the Worksheet exercise.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS■ How did you decide which paragraph came first? And how did you arrange the

paragraphs that followed? (In most hard-news articles, the most important facts —who, what, where, when, why and how – usually come first, with the rest of theinformation in descending order of importance. Transition sentences and other clueshelp students decide which paragraphs fit where.)

■ Did the headline use information from near the beginning of the article? (In newsarticles the headline usually captures at least part of the main idea of the article.)

■ Direct students to the instructions for Part B on the Worksheet. Allow time tocomplete, then discuss the answers in class.

ASK:■ “How do you think The Times’s style of news reporting is different from that of

other news media? Give examples.” (Students might say The Times is more “serious”or “in depth” than other newspapers, particularly tabloids; they might compare TheTimes to news on 24-hour radio or TV stations or Web sites, like The Times’s Web sitewww.NYTimes.com, which updates news continuously.)

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED

TEACHER LESSON PLAN 2DEVELOPING ANALYTICAL READING SKILLS WITH THE TIMES

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EXTENSION/HOMEWORK ACTIVITIES■ Have students identify the “five W’s and an H” in each article on the front page oftoday’s Times. (Most of the “W’s” and “H’s” will be in the first paragraph, or the first fewparagraphs, of each article.)

■ Have students compare how The Times reports a news story with how it is reportedby other media such as magazines, radio, television, tabloid newspapers and theInternet. Have students create a chart that shows the similarities and differences,illustrating the chart with material from The Times and other media.

■ Arrange for your students to be “freelance” reporters for your school newspaper.Select a current news subject reported in The Times. Have them interview otherstudents about this topic and write up the report, using Times reporting style.

TEACHER LESSON PLAN 2DEVELOPING ANALYTICAL READING SKILLS WITH THE TIMES

NAME_______________________________________

PART A.

■ Select a news article from the first section of today’s New York Times.(You and your partner should select different articles.)

■ Cut up the story into paragraphs (without the headlines).■ Put the paragraphs in your envelope.■ Exchange envelopes with your partner.■ Empty the paragraphs onto your desk.■ Assemble the paragraphs in the order you think makes the most sense.■ Show your partner the article as it appears in the newspaper and discuss any differences in the

arrangement of the paragraphs.■ Read the headline for the article you assembled. Which facts from which paragraphs were used in

the headline?

PART B. Reread the original printed article and, in the margin, label each paragraph with theappropriate letter from this list:

Answer the following questions about the article:1. What is the significance of the event or issue discussed in this article: Why is it news?______________

________________________________________________________________________________2. Sometimes news articles have what is called a “nut graph,” or a paragraph that sums up a an article’s

wider significance; other times that information is spread throughout the article. Is there a “nut graph”in this article, and if yes, which one is it?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Sometimes reporters write “sidebars” for an article – shorter articles on related topics. What additionaltopics might have worked as sidebars for this article?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. How might this article be reported differently in another medium? Name another newspaper, televisionor radio program, magazine or Web site and describe how the news might be reported there.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

a) provides backgroundb) adds factsc) summarizes facts

d) quotes sourcese) explains an issue or problem.

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LESSON 2WORKSHEET: DEVELOPING ANALYTICAL READING SKILLS WITH THE TIMES

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At the conclusion ofthis lesson, students willbe able to define anduse — orally and inwriting — new wordsthey have learned fromtoday’s New York Times.


● Copies ofLesson 3 Worksheet,one per student.

● Dictionaries andthesauruses.

PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Scan today’s Times. Preselect an article of general interest to your students that

contains powerful vocabulary words.

WARM-UPASK YOUR STUDENTS:■ “When you’re reading something and you come across a word you don’t know,

what do you do?”■ List student answers on the board. (Skip it, try to figure it out from the context, asksomeone, look it up, break it down into root parts, etc.)

■ Tell students that they are going to learn 10 new words in class today, and that theywill be using some of the techniques they just identified.

NEWSPAPER ACTIVITY■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student.■ Give students five minutes to read the preselected article and underline all the

words they don’t know.■ Have students call out the underlined words and list them on the board.■ Distribute the Lesson 3 Worksheet.■ Go through Part A as a class using one of the words on the board.■ Divide the class into small groups, say, four students per group.■ Assign each group one of the words on the board to use with Parts A and B.

Allow 10 minutes.■ Have each group “teach” their assigned word while other students take notes in Part C.■ Direct students to place their finished Worksheets face down. Call out the words that

have been taught and have students write their meanings on the back of the Worksheet.■ Maintain the list of words from this and other similar exercises and periodically review

these words, asking students to provide definitions or use them in a sentence. Discussthe techniques that make the words memorable and why. (Elementary classroomsoften use “Word Walls,” where vocabulary words are posted prominently in big letters.)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS■ In general, what can you do to improve your vocabulary? (Read more; look up words;practice using them aloud and in writing; study lists of new words.)

■ Why would you want to improve your vocabulary? (To express yourself better, soundmore educated, be treated more seriously and with more respect in business, etc.)

■ How do prefixes or suffixes help you break down the parts of new words andunderstand their meaning? What are some common prefixes and suffixes and theirmeanings? (Students might suggest prefixes like “un-” or suffixes like “-ology.”)

OBJECTIVE

TOOLS NEEDED

TEACHER LESSON PLAN 3

DEVELOPING YOUR VOCABULARY WITH THE NEW YORK TIMES

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EXTENSION/HOMEWORK ACTIVITIES■ Have students write an essay in the style of the Op-Ed page of The Times, using some

of the words studied today. Introduce the Op-Ed page as a model for essay writing.

■ Assign students a “shades of meaning” project in which they find synonyms in thethesaurus for each of the words studied in a Times article and describe how thesentence and/or article would be different if the writer had used the synonyms. Havestudents list more “everyday” words the writer might have used, then ask how theword actually used in the article was more descriptive, meaningful, direct, etc.

■ Have students choose a review of a movie, book or TV program in The Times, thenevaluate the words used to positively or negatively describe the work. Have studentswrite a review of a movie, book or TV program with vocabulary words that describethe work both positively and negatively.

■ Have students rewrite a Times article using language that would be understood by achild in the third grade (an 8-year-old). Then have them explain what is lost (orgained) by using simpler vocabulary.


DEVELOPING YOUR VOCABULARY WITH THE NEW YORK TIMES

NAME_______________________________________

A Investigate the meaning of a new vocabulary word from The New York Times so that you can teachthis word to your classmates.

Word:________________________________________________________________________This word appeared in an article with the headline:_____________________________________Date/Section/Page:______________________________________________________________Your guess about the meaning of this word:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Context clues to the meaning of this word:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Dictionary definition of this word:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

B Think about how to teach the meaning of this word to your classmates in a way that will make itmemorable. You may use drawings, drama, props, games or other word-association techniques.

C Write down the words that your classmates teach you. Jot down how youwill remember the meaning of each word.

LESSON 3WORKSHEET: DEVELOPING YOUR VOCABULARY WITH THE NEW YORK TIMES

WORD

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

I WILL REMEMBER THIS WORD BECAUSE …

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will be ableto write an essay based onarticles in The New YorkTimes that have personalmeaning for them.

● Today’s New York Times,one copy per student

● Copies of Lesson 4Worksheet and article

● Binder paper.

PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Scan today’s New York Times, noting articles that might be of interest to your students.■ See The Times article at the end of this Lesson Plan, which may inspire students and

which they can use as a model.

WARM-UPASK YOUR STUDENTS:■ “When you pick up a newspaper, how do you know what sections and articles will

interest you?” (Discuss the sections people reach for first and why.)■ “Would you rather write about a topic that interests you or about a topic that does not

interest you?” (It is often easier and more interesting to write about topics to which wehave some personal connection.)

■ “Today we’ll look at The New York Times to see what interests each of us. Be readyfor some surprises!”

NEWSPAPER ACTIVITY■ Distribute today’s Times and the Lesson 4 Worksheet. Assign Part A. Review instructions.■ Allow 20 minutes for students to find connections to three articles.■ Form small groups of, say, four students each.■ Have students share the articles they chose with the other members of their group and

explain why they chose them.■ While the students are conferring, write headings for three columns on the board:

Headline Why It Sounds Interesting Essay Topic Ideas

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS■ Ask for volunteers to tell the class which articles they were drawn to and why

they were of interest.■ Record responses in the first two columns on the board.■ Then say: “Let’s go one step further. Look at the columns on the board – the headlines

and why they were interesting. The next step is to write what you think about one ofthe topics that interests you. That’s what writers on the Editorial and Op-Ed pages ofThe Times do. They read or hear something that interests them, and then express theiropinions in an essay on the Editorial or Op-Ed page. This form of writing allows youto explore the meaning an article had for you personally – whether it inspired you,made you angry or made you laugh – and express your opinion on the topic.”

■ Explore potential essay topics from the list of articles on the board and write themunder the Essay Topic Ideas heading.

OBJECTIVE

TOOLS NEEDED


PERSONAL WRITING WITH THE NEW YORK TIMES

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■ Have students use their own Worksheets to come up with an essay topic from one ofthe headlines of interest to them (Part B). Have them discuss the topics they comeup with, either as a class or in their groups.

■ Assign the rest of Part B on the Worksheet, with a due date. (You may want to havestudents do a quick “free-write,” i.e., jotting down some of their thoughts while thetopic is fresh in their minds.)

■ Encourage students to use the Editorial and Op-Ed pages of The Times as modelsfor their writing.


■ How does who you are affect how you read the newspaper? Find articles in TheTimes to which you have an especially strong response, based on your interests, age,race, religion, sex, geographical region or ethnicity, and describe how these factorsaffected your reaction to the article. Then imagine the response of someone quitedifferent from you to this article. Describe this person and how he or she mightrespond to the article.

■ Cut out articles from your copy of The New York Times that you think friendsor family would enjoy or benefit from reading. Mail them to these people, with anote saying why you thought this particular article would be of interest to them.

■ Read the article, “A Death in the Family: In So Many Words, a Wonderful Life.”Underline the key words that describe the writer’s father. Select someone you knewwho died. Make a list of key words that describe what the person was like. Use withexamples from his or her life to write a personal piece.



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TEACHER LESSON PLAN 4: ARTICLE


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NAME_______________________________________

PART A.

■ Scan the pages of today’s New York Times, and turn down the corners of pages that haveheadlines that interest you.

■ Read the articles that most interest you.■ Complete the exercise below for each article.

Headline of Article:________________________________________________________________Why this article interests me personally:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Headline of Article:________________________________________________________________Why this article interests me personally:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Headline of Article:________________________________________________________________Why this article interests me personally:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

■ Read the essays on the Editorial and Op-Ed pages of The New York Times. These essays are basedon topics that interested the writers, either in news articles in The Times or in things they read orheard elsewhere.

■ Review the articles that you found interesting and the reasons why.■ List essays you could write expressing your opinion on topics covered in the articles you selected.

PART B.

On a sheet of binder paper:■ Select a topic for your essay.■ Write a topic sentence for your essay.■ List reasons and the details for your opinion (from the news articles you read and other sources).■ Write a summary statement of your opinion.

Write your essay using these elements. (Read the Editorial and Op-Ed pages of The Times as modelsfor your writing.)

LESSON 4WORKSHEET: PERSONAL WRITING WITH THE NEW YORK TIMES

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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to connect quotationsand situations fromliterature with currentevents reported in TheNew York Times.



PREPARATION:■ Assemble tools.■ Review the literary quotations on the Lesson 5 Worksheet.■ Select quotations from literary works your students are currently reading or have

recently read for class assignments.■ Write the following prompt on the board:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”— “A Tale of Two Cities,” by Charles Dickens, 1859.

WARM-UP■ Direct students to the prompt on the board.■ Say to the class, “Though Dickens was referring to the time of the French Revolution,

many people have said that this statement could apply to our own time as well. Whatdo you think? Write your answer in your journal, with examples of current events thatsupport your answer.”

■ Write two column headings on the board: “Best of Times” and “Worst of Times.”

NEWSPAPER ACTIVITY■ Ask for examples of current events to put under the two column headings.■ Distribute copies of today’s New York Times.■ Have students scan the paper for additional “Best of Times” and “Worst of Times”

examples in the news and add them to the lists on the board.

TELL THE CLASS:“Famous quotations from literature and history endure because they express somethingthat applies as much to our world today as it did to another time and place. Can youthink of other famous quotations, from literature or history you’ve read in school or onyour own, that also seem timeless?”

■ Have students scan The Times for examples of current events that might illustrate thecurrent relevance of the quotations the class came up with.

■ Divide the class into small groups.■ Distribute the Lesson 5 Worksheet. Review with students.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS■ Which quotations could you find connections for pretty easily? Which were more

difficult to connect to events described in today’s newspaper? Why?■ Have each group discuss the quotations and the articles they connected.

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED


LINKING THE NEW YORK TIMES TO LITERATURE

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EXTENSION/ HOMEWORK ACTIVITIESAssign activities. Establish due dates.

■ Choose a quotation from a favorite poem, short story, play or novel and collect clippingsfrom The Times that illustrate the quotations. Write an introduction to the clippings,explaining the quotation and how it relates to the current events reported in The Times.Date each clipping. Present the material in the form of a booklet or poster.

■ Choose a character from literature and read The Times as if you were that character.Find a news article to which this character would have a strong response. Clip the articleand write the character’s response, in his or her voice and from his or her point of view.

■ Create a newspaper front page like that of The Times, but based on the time and placeof a work of literature the class is reading. News articles can report on key events inthe novel and conflicts among characters. Also create inside pages that could includeadvertising, letters to the editor and other features from The Times, all written toreflect the perspective of the time and place of the novel.

■ Write a summary of an updated version of a classic work of literature in which thebasic conflicts, plot, characters and themes remain the same, but which is set in thecontemporary world. Use The Times to find examples of current events that will makethis new version both realistic and pointed in its commentary on our world.

■ Look through articles in The Times to find classic literary types: Who are the heroes ofour world? The villains? Why do you think we see them this way? Prepare a “Heroesand Villains” poster with Times articles illustrating our heroes and villains, and a list ofsimilar heroes and villains from literature.

■ Create a poster with clippings from The Times in which classic literary conflicts (e.g.,man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. himself, man vs. nature, etc.) play out every dayin news articles. Label the conflict illustrated by each article.

■ Select a news article that has elements of a major work of literature. Write an analysisof the article examining elements like setting, characters, conflict, dialogue,description, etc. Write the opening paragraphs of a novel based on this news event.

■ Write a report about our nation or planet as an alien might write it if it had read aweek of The New York Times. Write in the style of a news report on the front pageof The Times.


LINKING THE NEW YORK TIMES TO LITERATURE

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NAME_______________________________________

W e’re going to test the assumption that many quotations from literature are still relevant today.

■ Find news or feature articles, photos, ads or other elements in today’s Times that illustrate each ofthe quotations below.

■ How well does each of the following quotations apply to our world today? Look for connectionsbetween each quotation and current events reported in The Times, then explain the connection.

“A man’s character is his fate” (Heraclitus, “On the Universe,” fragment 121.)Article/element from The Times:____________________________________________________Section/Page/Date:_______________________________________________________________Explain the connection:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the otheris getting it.” (Oscar Wilde, “Lady Windermere’s Fan,” Act III, 1892.)Article/element from The Times:____________________________________________________Section/Page/Date:_______________________________________________________________Explain the connection:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the otherend fastened about his own neck.” (Frederick Douglass, speech at Civil Rights Mass March,Washington, D.C., Oct. 22, 1883.)Article/element from The Times:____________________________________________________Section/Page/Date:_______________________________________________________________Explain the connection:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose a quotation from literature:Author/Source__________________________________________________________________Article/element from The Times:____________________________________________________Section/Page/Date:_______________________________________________________________Explain the connection:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LESSON 5WORKSHEET: LINKING THE NEW YORK TIMES TO LITERATURE

4

3

2

1

At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to:● define the elements of aNew York Times review.

● write a reviewthat incorporates allthese elements.

(This lesson is based on abook review; book reviewsappear daily in The Times,and can be adapted to fitany kind of review in TheTimes, e.g., movies,architecture, TV shows,restaurants, new software ortechnological devices, etc.)



● Dictionariesand thesauruses.

PREPARATION■ Assemble tools.■ Scan today’s Times and note the variety of reviews on any given day. (Bookreviews are published daily; reviews of movies, art, architecture, theater and TV showsappear on different days of the week, but Friday has the most arts and culture reviews.)

■ On the board, write the following prompt: “What is the best book you’ve readrecently, either in class or on your own?”

WARM-UP■ Have students answer the question on the board by writing the title at the top of a

page in their journals.■ Then say, “Below the title, write what you would say if you were trying to convince a

friend to read this book.”■ When they’ve finished writing, divide the class into pairs and have students take turns

convincing their partners to read the book they chose.

ASK THE STUDENTS:■ “Were you convinced by your partner? Why or why not?”■ “How did your partners try to convince you?” (They told me about the plot, thecharacters, how “real” the story is, how absorbing the book is, etc.)

■ Chart student responses on the board under the headings: “Fact” and “Opinion.”■ Ask whether students found facts or opinions more convincing.■ Define and discuss what constitutes a “review.”

NEWSPAPER ACTIVITY■ Distribute today’s New York Times.■ Have students scan the paper and mark all the reviews (books, television, theater, etc.).■ List the different kinds of reviews the class found on the board.■ How much do you rely on what your friends and family tell you in deciding what you

read, watch and buy? Why are they good sources of information?■ How many of you rely on professional reviews, like those in the newspaper? How is

that different from what your friends or family tell you?■ What are the criteria a writer must consider when reviewing a book and then

conveying that opinion to an audience? (What does any review try to do? How is abook review similar to, and different from, say, a restaurant review?) Record thecriteria on the board.

Direct students to a particular review in today’s Times. Read it aloud sentence by sentence.

■ Survey of the class. How many students think it’s a positive review? A negative review?■ Form pairs of students.

OBJECTIVES

TOOLS NEEDED


WRITING A REVIEW IN THE STYLE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES

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■ Distribute the Lesson 6 Worksheets and review instructions.■ Discuss the questions on the Worksheet.


■ Choose a work of fiction read in class or found in the school library, and write areview for your classmates modeled on book reviews in The Times. Include all theessential elements the class listed on the board. These reviews can then be posted inthe classroom or the school library, or compiled in a book to share with others. (TheTimes Web site features thousands of past book reviews at www.nytimes.com/books.)

■ Analyze other types of reviews (movie, dance, music, architecture, etc.) that appear inThe Times and write your own review of a movie, TV show, etc., for an audience ofyour peers. Submit the best reviews to the school newspaper.

■ Read a book and then see the movie based on the book. Write a review of both thebook and the movie, comparing them and advising readers/moviegoers on the meritsof each, and whether they should read the book or see the movie first.

■ Clip reviews of current movies or TV shows from The Times, but don’t read themuntil you have seen the movies or shows and written your own reviews. Write a shortreport comparing the reviewers’ opinions with your own.

■ Write a review of a book, play, movie or other work from the past as if you lived atthat time. (For example, what might a critic have said about cubism when it firstappeared, or “1984”?) How does when and where we live influence our artistic andcultural taste? Explain how your review would be different if you were writing it todayinstead of in the past.


WRITING A REVIEW IN THE STYLE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES

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NAME_______________________________________

Discuss and answer the questions as they apply to a New York Times book review (or other type of review).

1. Is this review generally positive or generally negative? How soon into the review can you tell? Write thefirst sentence that conveys the reviewer’s opinion.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What other words, phrases or sentences are particularly effective in conveying what the reviewer thinksabout this book?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Label each sentence in the review with an “F” for “fact” or an “O” for “opinion.” Underline sentences whereit isn’t clear. Be prepared to explain your labels.

4. Circle a word or phrase that is particularly descriptive or interesting. What other words could thereviewer have used instead?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Describe the “tone,” or the reviewer’s attitude toward the subject, in the review. In which sentences doesthat tone come across most clearly?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. What does the reviewer tell you about the plot, characters, conflict, setting or themes of the book, if thebook is fiction? What did you learn about the subject matter if the book is nonfiction?_______________________________________________________________________________________________

7. What context or background does the reviewer include to help the reader understand what the book isabout and how good a book it is?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. If you were the publisher of this book, is there anything in this review you would want to use as a “blurb” onthe book’s jacket? Quotation:___________________________________________________________Reason for choosing, or for not using anything from the review_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Would you like to read this book? Why or why not? How much do you think this review has influencedyour opinion? Did the critic use any techniques in this review that you could use when writing your nextbook report? What are they?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LESSON 6WORKSHEET: WRITING A REVIEW IN THE STYLE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES

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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to write an outlinefor a biography of aperson profiled in TheNew York Times.

● Today’s New York Times,one copy per student.

● Copies ofLesson 7 Worksheets,one per student.

● Biographies of severalliving and deceasedpeople of interestto students.

PREPARATION■ Assemble tools.■ Scan today’s Times for articles about specific individuals. Profiles appear throughout

the newspaper: in news sections, the arts, sports, business, etc. And obituaries appearin The Times daily.

WARM-UPTELL THE CLASS:“When I say ‘Go,’ write down the names of people who have been in the news recently— locally, nationally or internationally.”

■ Give them a few minutes, then list the names student came up with on the board,tallying which ones came up most often. Then discuss the following questions:

■ How many of these people do you think will still be on our lists a year from now?”■ “What makes a person newsworthy?” (An event brings someone into the public eye; theperson has an important job or role; he or she is colorful; the person has just donesomething – good or bad — that attracted a lot of attention; interesting facts have justcome to light about this person; the person has just died, gotten married, had a baby, etc.)

NEWSPAPER ACTIVITYDistribute today’s Times to each student. Then discuss the following questions:■ “Where in The Times can you read articles that focus on individual people? Look

through your newspapers and circle as many as you can find.”■ “In what sections did you find these articles?” (Depending on the day, they can be foundin all sections.)

■ “How are profiles different from obituaries?” (A profile is about someone who is alive;obituaries are about people who have recently died; the style and tone of the writing isdifferent in that obituaries try to summarize a person’s entire life while profiles focus onwhy this person is in the news at the moment.)

Direct students to the Times article you have preselected. Distribute Worksheet A forLesson 11. Form pairs or small groups for discussion of the questions on the Worksheet.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS■ What influence do you think a person’s early years have on who he or she becomes?(Encourage students to draw examples from current events, literature and people they know.Note that many Times profiles contain details about the subject’s early life. Why?)

■ If this profile involved an interview with the subject, ask: What techniques do youthink this reporter used to get information from the person being interviewed?

OBJECTIVE

TOOLS NEEDED

TEACHER LESSON PLAN 7OUTLINING A BIOGRAPHY BASED ON A NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE

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■ What kind of questions do you think the reporter asked? (Making people comfortable,asking open-ended questions, knowing something about the person beforehand, etc.)

■ Would you want to be the subject of a Times profile? Why or why not? (Studentsmight mention the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of “fame.”)

BIOGRAPHY ASSIGNMENT

■ Read aloud the titles of each chapter from a biography about someone of interestto your students.

■ For each chapter title ask: “What part of this person’s life do you thinkthis chapter covers?”

■ Write the responses on the board (e.g., birth and early years, parents, etc.)■ Repeat for other chapter titles.

Distribute Worksheet B for Lesson 7 and review with students. Assign a due date forthe outlines. You can also have students write one or more chapters of the biographyas term projects.


■ Have students choose someone they know who has had an interesting life, interviewhim or her, then write a short profile (using Times profiles as models). Collect theprofiles for discussion in class, or for submission to the school newspaper.

■ Interviewing an interviewer: Have students interview a reporter at your school or localnewspaper, asking him or her about the most interesting, difficult, funny, etc.,interviews they have ever done. What tips would he or she give to help studentsimprove their interviewing skills?

■ Have students choose someone profiled in today’s Times whose life they think wouldmake an interesting TV show or movie. Have them develop the “pitch” they wouldgive studio executives to convince them that the studio should “green light” the idea.In other words, they should explain why this person’s story would be interesting; whatform (movie, comedy series, drama, etc.) would best fit the story; who would play thisperson; who would be interested in seeing this movie or show; the general plot,setting, other characters, conflicts, etc. Students can take turns delivering their pitchesto their classmates, who act as studio executives charged with choosing the best projects.

TEACHER LESSON PLAN 7OUTLINING A BIOGRAPHY BASED ON A NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE

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NAME_______________________________________

Choose a Times profile or obituary and answer the following questions.

1. Do you think the person profiled would be happy with this article? Why? Find specific sentences thatsupport your opinion.________________________________________________________________

2. Is the person described physically? If yes, how? What does this description tell you about this person?_________________________________________________________________________________

3. What adjectives are used to describe this person?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. If the subject was interviewed for the article, can you tell what the setting was? What does that tell youabout the person?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. What does the profile reveal about the subject’s background? How is that relevant?__________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. How is the subject’s personality described in the article? If it’s a profile, how much of the subject’s personalityis revealed through his or her actions and statements, as opposed to narrative from the reporter? If it’s anobituary, can you make inferences about what kind of person the subject was? Find sentences that supportyour opinion._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. What do you think the reporter wants you to think or feel about this person? How much is impliedrather than stated directly?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Does the reporter succeed in making the subject come alive for the reader? If yes, indicate sentences thatare particularly evocative._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. What else would you like to know about this person that the reporter, perhaps for space reasons, did notinclude? Make a list of questions you have about this person.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10.Would a profile or obituary of this person have been newsworthy a year ago? Do you think he or shewill be newsworthy five years from now? Why or why not?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LESSON 7WORKSHEET A: OUTLINING A BIOGRAPHY BASED ON A NEW YORK TIMES PROFILE

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NAME_______________________________________

■ Select a profile or an obituary from The New York Times.

■ Using details from the article, create a list of chapter headings for a biography of this person.

■ Select sentences from the article that each chapter would expand on. For example, a sentence about thesubject’s birthplace and family would serve as the basis for the chapter on his or her early years. (Reviewthe chapter headings from biographies of several people who interest you to get a sense of howbiographies are organized.)

Headline of article from The New York Times:_______________________________________________Name of the person profiled in the article:__________________________________________________Date/Section/Page_____________________________________________________________________

Due date for biography outline:_______________________________________

LESSON 7WORKSHEET B: OUTLINING A BIOGRAPHY BASED ON A NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE

SENTENCE FROM ARTICLE

________________________________________

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________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

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________________________________________

________________________________________

CHAPTER TITLE

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

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________________________________________

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At the conclusion of thislesson, students will beable to identify typesof figurative language,stylistic devices,grammatical elements andpunctuation used inThe New York Times.



● Dictionaries, thesaurusesand grammar or writingtexts with glossaries,one set per small group.

● Optional: prizes forLanguage ArtsBingo winners

BACKGROUNDNew York Times articles and headlines are rich with figurative language. Here aresome examples:

■ “a Darth Vaderesque building”■ “Things are chugging along.”■ Subway riders are “like clever mice who had figured out the fastest way to the cheese.”■ “The earth might give up secrets.”

PREPARATION■ Assemble tools.■ Review the Lesson 8 Worksheet. Consider the different ways students could play the

Language Arts Bingo game in small groups; for example, each group could handle arow or column.

■ Scan today’s New York Times for examples of figurative language and the use ofspecific grammatical devices.

WARM-UPASK YOUR STUDENTS:■ “Why has Michael Jordan been called ‘Air Jordan’”? (Students will most likely say heappeared to be in flight as he slam-dunked the ball.)

■ “ ‘Air Jordan’ is an example of ‘figurative language’ (write on the board). Good writersuse rich language like this. Great writers create these kinds of rich expressions.”

■ “What other people in the news are described with this kind of figurative language?”■ “We’re going to play a version of ‘Bingo’ which will help you see how New York

Times writers use rich or figurative language, stylistic devices, grammatical elements,even punctuation to enhance their articles.“Everyone will get a copy of today’s Times and a Bingo Worksheet. Everything youneed to answer the Bingo questions can be found in one or more places in today’sNew York Times.”

NEWSPAPER ACTIVITY■ Form small groups.■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student.■ Distribute to each group a dictionary, thesaurus and grammar/writing texts.■ Distribute the Lesson 8 Worksheets face-down to each student.■ “When I give the signal, turn over the Worksheet. You’ll have 15 minutes to

complete a row, column or diagonal. Find your answers anywhere in today’s Times.The first group to finish, call out BINGO! (pause) Ready, GO!”

OBJECTIVE

TOOLS NEEDED

TEACHER LESSON PLAN 8VIVID LANGUAGE, GRAMMAR AND STYLISTIC DEVICES IN THE TIMES

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■ Game winners share their answers with the class, including the page and section wherethey found each example. Award prizes to the winners.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS■ Why do writers use figurative language and other stylistic devices? Why not just write

everything as simply as possible? (The best writing often says something in a new orunexpected way that allows readers to see the topic from a new perspective; makingconnections between things, as metaphors or analogies do, can help make a point clear;writing would be dull and not as fun to read if it was all structured the same way.)

■ Which of these techniques have you used in your own writing?■ Which would you like to try? (Have students look at the Bingo board and identify the

types of figurative language, stylistic devices and grammatical elements they wouldlike to use.)

EXTENSION/HOMEWORK ACTIVITIES:Assign activities. Establish due dates.

■ Have students write new sentences using examples of figurative language, stylisticdevices and grammatical elements found for the Bingo game.

■ Identify a Times writer or reporter who you feel is a particularly gifted stylist. Collectseveral examples of his or her writing, identifying components of the writer’s style withexamples from his or her work.

■ Collect articles from The Times about a well-known person and write a description ofthis individual, using figurative language, based on the facts in the articles.

TEACHER LESSON PLAN 8VIVID LANGUAGE, GRAMMAR AND STYLISTIC DEVICES IN THE TIMES

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NAME____________________________________

■ Find and circle one example of as many of the following types of figurative language, stylistic devices andgrammatical elements as you can in The New York Times.

■ When you have a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row completely filled in, call out “Bingo!” Be sure torecord the section and page of today’s Times where you find each example.

LESSON 8WORKSHEET: LANGUAGE ARTS BINGO

MetaphorSection/page:

Slang orcolloquialism

Section/page:

Use of a colonSection/page:

AlliterationSection/page:

A compoundsentenceSection/page:

Use of asemicolonSection/page:

Use of aperson’s title

Section/page:

Active voiceSection/page:

A sentencefragmentSection/page:

A complexsentenceSection/page:

PersonificationSection/page:

MetaphorSection/page:

AlliterationSection/page:

A clichéSection/page:

An analogySection/page:

Anabbreviation

Section/page:

A transitionsentenceSection/page:

SimplesentenceSection/page:

HumorSection/page:

Compound-complexsentenceSection/page:

A comparisonbetween

two thingsSection/page:

SimileSection/page:

InterestingquotationSection/page:

Allusion or punSection/page:

Hyphenor dash

Section/page:

NEW YORK TIMES LANGUAGE ARTS BINGO

At the conclusion of thislesson, each student willhave developed a topic fora research projectprompted by an article inThe New York Times.



● Textbooks withguidance on writing aresearch paper.

PREPARATION■ Assemble tools.■ Scan today’s New York Times, noting articles that could be sources of good

research topics.■ Write the following prompt on the board: “If you could have a special edition of

The Times delivered to your door that would include only news, features, profiles,reviews and ads that interest you, what would it contain?”

WARM-UP■ Have students list examples of what their “special edition” would contain.■ Discuss their responses – the similarities and the differences.

NEWSPAPER ACTIVITYThis exercise will help students develop a manageable research topic based on an articlein The Times. Point out examples of articles that focus on topics so broad that a singleresearch paper could never begin to cover it. And point out what appear to be lightarticles that actually touch on significant issues.

SAY TO YOUR CLASS:“Today you’ll be using The New York Times to help you choose a research topic ofinterest to you. You’ll then use The Times and other publications and resources toresearch your topic.”

■ Distribute today’s New York Times.■ Distribute the Lesson 9 Worksheet to each student.■ Give students 10 minutes to scan The Times and list articles and the ideas for research

topics prompted by the Worksheet. (Emphasize that this is brainstorming, andthat they may not end up doing their project on any of these topics; and that topics can beas broad as, say, the Civil War or the 2004 presidential election, or as specific as the latestcelebrity scandal.)

■ “We’re going to practice planning a research project so you can see how to get fromyour general interest in a topic to a clear focus for a research paper. You made a listof Times articles that interest you. Let’s take one article from today’s Times forpractice as a class.”

Guide students to the preselected article and give them time to read it.

■ “What questions does this article raise in your mind? Begin your questions withthe word, ‘Why.’”

■ List all the questions on the board.■ As a class, rank the questions in order of importance.

OBJECTIVE

TOOLS NEEDED


DEVELOPING A RESEARCH PROJECT BASED ON A TIMES ARTICLE

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■ Ask the class if there are additional questions that should be answered throughresearch. (These questions need to be directly related to the research question, or theresearch topic will become too broad.) Summarize what the research paper would beabout in this case.

■ “Now, you’re going to develop your own research topic from the list of Times articlesthat interested you and the research ideas they gave you. We’re going to split up intosmall groups, and classmates will help you come up with a list of ‘Why’ questions toinvestigate in your research.”

PREPARATION FOR RESEARCH■ Form small groups of up to three students.■ Review the steps on the Worksheet.■ Review standard research sources, places to conduct research and basic steps in

gathering research data.■ Establish due dates as indicated on the Worksheet.

HOMEWORK/EXTENSION ACTIVITIESAssign activities. Establish due dates.

■ After they’ve finished their papers, have students write an opinion piece (like thoseon the Op-Ed page of The Times) about the topic they researched.

■ Write a research paper that compares Times coverage of the same topic indifferent eras. (The Times began publishing in 1851. Microfilm archives are available inmany libraries.)

■ Have students research a change in society that began in their lifetime, continuestoday, and which they believe will continue in the future, e.g., the growth of theInternet. Have students create portfolios or posters with Times articles that show howthis change in society has taken place.

TEACHER LESSON PLAN 9DEVELOPING A RESEARCH PROJECT BASED ON A TIMES ARTICLE

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NAME_______________________________________

1) Scan The New York Times and mark all the articles that interest you.

2) Select the article that interests you the most, so much so that you want to findout more about the topic of the article.

Headline of article ____________________________________________________________________Topic of article:_______________________________________________________________________Date/section/page_____________________________________________________________________

3) Discuss the articles selected by each member of your group and develop a list of “why” questions each ofyou will investigate in your research.

4) Place a #1 before the “why” question that you think is most important. Discuss your choice with yourgroup. This question will be the primary focus of your research.

5) Are any of the other questions related to researching the #1 question? If so, number them – but takecare not to add questions that enlarge your research topic. Add only questions that are subtopics ofyour #1 question.

Assigned length of research paper:__________________________________________

Due date for list of newspapers, books, magazines, Web sites, people, etc., from which I will gatherresearch data and information:_____________________________________________

Due date for first draft of research paper:_____________________________________

Plan to write as many drafts of your paper as necessary to produce an A-quality paper.

Due date for final research paper: _________________________________________

LESSON 9WORKSHEET: DEVELOPING A RESEARCH PROJECT BASED ON A TIMES ARTICLE

”WHY” QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE ARTICLE I’VE CHOSEN

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

At the conclusion of thislesson, students willperform an original“reader’s theater” dramaticpiece based on an articlefrom The New York Times.



● Highlighters orcolored pens, at leastone per student.

● Optional: severalindex cards for eachstudent, rehearsal spacefor each group,performance space.

PREPARATION■ Assemble tools■ Scan today’s New York Times for potential “reader’s theater” dramatic material.

Preselect an article to use as a model. Write the headline on the board, leaving spacearound it to write in material discussed during the Warm-up.

■ Establish a time frame for students to develop, rehearse and perform their pieces.Write the dates on the board.

■ Prepare the space for the day of performances.

WARM-UP■ “After reading this headline from today’s Times, what words, phrases, and images

come to mind?” (For example, if the headline uses the word “war,” encourage students tothink about what war looks like, sounds like, etc.)

■ Write their responses on the board surrounding the headline.■ Ask students to answer the following question in their journals: “If you were a

performer and had three minutes to deliver a dramatic piece on this subject, whatwould you do?”

■ Students then share answers; volunteers might even perform their ideas for the class.

NEWSPAPER ACTIVITY■ Distribute today’s New York Times.■ Have students read the headline and article used in the Warm-Up.■ Compare the responses on the board with the facts in the article.■ “What would you change about the performance you just described, now that you

know more of the facts?”

Explain the Worksheet to the class: “You will be creating and performing a three-to-five-minute dramatic piece based on an article you choose from The New York Times.”

■ Distribute the Lesson 10 Worksheet. Review the instructions and discuss the conceptof “reader’s theater.”

■ Have students work on Part A individually.■ Form students into small groups and assign Part B. (Circulate while the groups

are working.)■ Allow the rest of this class period for the groups to plan their performances, offering

rehearsal space to one or two groups at a time (if it is needed and available).■ Set a date on which all groups must be ready to perform (suggested time period: a week).

Tell students that if they have any special needs for their performances (a tape player,desks in a circle, etc.), they must let you know beforehand. Each group must set up itsown rehearsal time outside of class, unless you are willing to set aside class time.

OBJECTIVE

TOOLS NEEDED


THE NEW YORK TIMES IN THE DRAMA CLASSROOM

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CLASS DISCUSSION■ Each group briefly describes the article they have chosen as the basis for their

performance. (All students in the group should have read the article.)■ Have students talk about how doing a dramatic interpretation of this topic is

different from reading about it. (It is more “hands-on” and allows for differentinterpretations by those performing.)

PERFORMANCE OF READER’S THEATER■ Establish the order in which each group will perform (possibly based on each group’s

physical set-up requirements).■ Tell students to be ready to take notes after each group’s performance.■ Have student groups perform in the established order.■ After each performance, have students write down their reactions for later discussion.


■ Write a review of this series of group performances. Use theater reviews from TheTimes as models for your writing.

■ Write and perform an interior monologue of a character in a news article at the timethe events described in the article are taking place.

■ Have students tell the story of an event in The Times from a first-person point of view.■ Write and perform dialogues between people in news articles, or between figures in

the news or characters in literature.


THE NEW YORK TIMES IN THE DRAMA CLASSROOM

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Selecting an article as the basis of a dramatic performance.

NAME_______________________________________

“Reader’s theater” is a dramatic form in which the words of a written text or texts arecombined with elements of a performance like acting, staging, costumes, props and music, to emphasize

a theme, idea or message in the text(s).

■ Select an article from The New York Times. Read silently, highlighting any words, phrases,sentences or paragraphs that seem especially rich or telling about whatever the topic is. Bring thearticle to your group meeting.

■ Each group member gives a one-minute “pitch” for the article he or she selected. Your group shouldthen choose one article that it will use as the basis of its performance piece and discuss the followingquestions as guidance for scripting and rehearsing a “reader’s theater” piece of about five minutes.

1) What are the most important sentences in the article? Why? Are there sentences or piecesof information that everyone in the group agrees should be included in the theater piece?

2) What is the most important thing to say about this topic in your dramatic piece? Why?

3) Your group may want to write its lines on index cards so that you can move them aroundand look for words or phrases that might be important to repeat.

4) Do the lines you’ve chosen suggest ways to perform them? Your piece can be tightlyscripted (for example, a skit based on the topic with actual characters who use words from thearticle), or loose and abstract (a poem created with words from the text).

5) What kind of physical space would you like to have to present your piece?

6) What sound effects would help your performance? Is there music you could use? How?Could the performers themselves — or the classroom audience — create sounds for you?

7) What simple costumes and props might make your performance more compelling?

LESSON 10WORKSHEET (PAGE 1 OF 2): THE NEW YORK TIMES IN THE DRAMA CLASSROOM

PART A.

Evaluating the potential for a performance.PART B.

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Preparing the performance.

NAME_______________________________________

■ Put the entire piece together and rehearse it until it feels, looksand sounds “right.” Make sure each group member has a role onstage, and time yourselves so that your performance is no longer thanfive minutes. Though you may add your own words to the script,take as much as possible directly from the text of the article, movingsentences, words or paragraphs around in any way that will help youmake your dramatic piece stronger.

IMPORTANT: Hold on to the original article on which the performance is based. You will needthis for the post-performance discussion with the class.

Rehearsal Date(s)_____________________________________________

Performance Date____________________________________________

LESSON 10WORKSHEET (PAGE 2 OF 2): THE NEW YORK TIMES IN THE DRAMA CLASSROOM

PART C.

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At the conclusion of thislesson, each student willhave written a creative pieceinspired by a photographin a recent issue ofThe New York Times.


● At least 10 differentphotographs clippedfrom recent issues ofThe Times, with theircaptions removed andsaved separately.


● Masking tape.

PREPARATION■ Assemble tools. Write these questions on the board:

● What are the characteristics of a great photograph?● What makes a great news photograph?● What famous news images can you think of?● Why do you think they became so famous?

WARM-UP■ Have students answer the questions on the board in their journals.■ As they write, tape the 10 photos around the classroom in places where there is room

for small groups of students to stand in front of each photo.■ Have small groups of students view each photo closely.■ Have each group share their interpretations of the photos.■ After each group has spoken, read the appropriate photo caption aloud.■ Discuss the differences between each group’s interpretation and the actual description

of the photograph in the caption.■ Explain to students that they have just exercised their visual imagination.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONSASK YOUR STUDENTS:■ How much of what you wrote captured something noted in the caption?■ How much do you think these pictures “told you” about their stories, even without

words (captions) below them?■ How did they do that? (A picture is worth a thousand words, etc.)■ Return to the question asked at the beginning of class: What makes a good news

photo? Do you have any new insights after writing about one?■ How can photos have the same elements as good literature — conflict, characters,

symbols, setting, etc.?■ Do you think the photographer sets these up pictures up in advance or just shoots

what he or she sees?

NEWSPAPER ACTIVITY■ Distribute today’s New York Times to each student. (Tell them to save this issue of

The Times for future class discussion.)■ Distribute the Lesson 11 Worksheet and review the directions.

DISCUSSION■ Post students’ creative work around the room in a photo gallery.■ Give students time to view each photograph and their classmates’ creative writingprojects and write their reactions. As a class, discuss their responses.

OBJECTIVE

TOOLS NEEDED


NEW YORK TIMES PHOTOS AS PROMPTS FOR CREATIVE WRITING

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NAME_______________________________________

A Choose a photo that interests you from today’sNew York Times. Save the entire page on which it appears.

B In 30 minutes, write a rough draft of a piece that responds to or offers insight in some way to thephoto. You may write in any form: a poem, description, dialogue for a play, a diary, a eulogy, etc.

Use details from the photo so it is clear that what you write has been inspired by the photo.

C Follow the “Before Writing” prompts below as needed to help brainstorm creative writing ideas.When you’ve finished, check your work with the “After Writing” prompts.

LESSON 11WORKSHEET: NEW YORK TIMES PHOTOS AS PROMPTS FOR CREATIVE WRITING

1) Study your photograph carefully, and think aboutthe following questions:● What do you think is happening in the photo?● If there are people in the photo, what are theydoing, and what might they be thinking?

● What do you think happened before the photowas taken? What do you think might havehappened after it was taken?

2) Look closely at the photo and free-write, on aseparate page, your thoughts about the photo.

3) Read over your free-writing. What in it could bethe “seed” on which to build a creative piece ofsome kind? What words or phrases suggest an ideato you? What ideas, no matter how outlandish,occur to you? Underline key words and phrases.

4) Decide what kind of piece you will write as yourinterpretation of the photo. It might relate to thesame general theme as the photo, or it might focuson something inspired by the people, setting,objects, emotions or events shown in the photo.Maybe the photo sparked a memory that you wouldlike to write about, or it gave you an idea for pieceof fictional writing or poem.

5) Write your piece.

1) Read over your work. Underline the mostimportant words.

2) What are the strongest aspects of your piece?The weakest?

3) Circle anything you would like to change in asecond draft.

4) Are any parts unclear? What could you do to makethem more understandable?

5) What could you add to this draft? What couldyou take away? Would either make the piecestronger? How?

6) What part do you think other readers willlike best? Why?

7) Did you learn anything about the topic fromwriting this piece? What?

8) Can you think of another way to say what you saidhere? Would that make the piece stronger?

9) What problems, if any, are you having with thispiece? How can you get help?

10 Does your writing have any grammar, punctuationor spelling errors that need correcting?

11) Tape your final, revised piece below the photo andits caption, on the page of The Times where thephoto was published.

BEFORE WRITING AFTER WRITING

writing skills and strategies - the new york times

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