Stone Cold Lesson 14 & 15 - Writing Assessment 2

Type Definition ExamplesNational Contain some national and international

news, but focus on news relating to a specific area of the country.

The Sussex TimesSouth West Mercury

Regional Contain some national and international news, but focus on fairly local news topics

in detail. Usually based around towns, cities or groups of villages.

Bath ChronicleBristol Evening Post

Local A newspaper which covers news across the whole country, together with international

news.

The Daily ExpressThe Guardian

The Sun

Tabloid The largest type of newspaper! Cover all national and international news, often in a

serious or formal way.

The TimesThe TelegraphThe Guardian

The Independent

Broadsheet Cover all national and international news. Often contain a certain amount of more ‘gossipy’ or scandalous news items, or

more personal stories.

The News of the WorldThe Daily Mirror

The Sun

Lesson 13 – Writing assessment 2

By the end of the lesson...

ALL of you must be able to identify the difference between tabloid and broadsheet newspapers.MOST of you will be able to write in the style of a tabloid newspaper.SOME of you will be able to write in a sophisticated way using the correct tone and appropriate vocabulary.

Read pages 70 – 75

Homelessness moves individuals to the edge of society, to a place where they exist rather than live. Homelessness creates a 'separate species.' Link talks of how being an 'outsider' denies you the chance to 'get your hair cut or have dental check - ups,' because normal everyday experience doesn't apply to you. However, the chapter ends on a positive note, Link has made a friend, someone who seems genuinely interested in him as a person. How many of us can honestly say that all we need to be happy is the company of others?Or are the material things in life important too?

Read pages 76 - 80

Earlier on in the novel, Link repeatedly complains of the effects of the weather. He was 'constantly wet,' often 'freezing,' really hungry and found it impossible to sleep (p.76-77). His health was suffering too. He had 'stomach cramps, headaches from the flu, toothache, fleas and lice.' (p.57). Look back at the above descriptions, and compare them with the weather in chapter thirteen, and how Link feels at this point.

What’s the difference between a tabloid and a broadsheet?TABLOID BROADSHEET

Why do you need to know how to write a newspaper article?

Plan Every Paragraph!

Who?What?Why?

When?Where?How?

When you are writing an article for GCSE Media or GCSE English, you need to be giving your reader the answers to their questions in the right order. You must NEVER write the questions but instead write out a list of questions (this is planning) using the words on the left and put them in order of importance. Your article will be really simple to write because each new paragraph is just answering a question.

• The headline should be accurate and in the present tense

• The first sentence needs to be short and dramatic. Surprise your reader! Make them curious.Use the 5 W’s and H – who is the story about, what happened, when did it happen, how, where and, most important, why?

• News stories always start with what’s new. Put the most important facts first.

• The tabloid mode of address is quite informal, and tends to use short, sharp sentences, active verbs and a straightforward vocabulary.

• Look at the different ways in which newspapers describe people. “The 42-year-old father of two”, “star of War of the Worlds”, “former page 3 model” etc.

• Keep the article brief – don’t bore your reader and don’t make it too complicated to understand.

• Be fair – there are at least two sides to every story. Let the readers make up their own minds.

• Personal opinion – “I think,” or “In the opinion of this newspaper,” does not belong on a newspaper front page.

• Avoid clichés – find new ways to describe familiar people and events. (instead of ‘Radio 1 DJ, Chris Moyles’ opt for ‘Roley poley DJ, Chris Moyles’

• Search for a special ingredient – make your story stand out from the others

• Think about imagery – what sort of picture or pictures will you want with your story? Can you source these online – or take them yourself?

Controlled Test 2On page 79, Link speaks to Toya’s father who is looking for his daughter. As a journalist who is approached by Toya’s father, your task is to use Toya’s disappearance as part of a tabloid newspaper article about a number of

homeless people that have been reported missing to the police.

Toya’s disappearance

Who?Who is

involved?

Who is doing something about it?

Why did Toya’s father approach the press? Why?

Why is someone targeting the homeless?

What?

What might have happened to

Toya?

What problems do the people on the

streets have?

When?

When did people start disappearing?

When did Toya go missing?

Where?Where do the

homeless sleep in London?

Where can the homeless get

help?

How?How do we

know what has really happened

to them?How did Toya’s

father know something was

wrong?

Controlled test

You have one lesson to write your response. You will be marked on...

Writing Assessment Focuses

AF1 Write imaginative, interesting and thoughtful texts

AF2 Produce texts which are appropriate to task, reader and purpose

AF3 Organise and present whole texts effectively, sequencing and structuring information, ideas and events

AF4 Construct paragraphs and use cohesion within and between paragraphs

AF5 Vary sentences for clarity, purpose and effect

AF6 Write with technical accuracy of syntax and punctuation in phrases, clauses and sentences

AF7 Select appropriate and effective vocabulary

AF8 Use correct spelling