Year 3 Lesson 4 - Repton School

Year 3Lesson 4

Newspaper Report (1)

Over the next two days we are going to be writing a newspaper report on Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius.

First, let’s have a look at newspaper.

You might like to watch the short video clip from BBC Bitesize on the home learning tab.

What is a newspaper report?

• A newspaper report is a news story found in newspapers and are designed to provide people with information about what is happening in the world.

• News is new information and is usually about something that has just happened.

• All news reports follow a certain structure and have the same key features.

Features of a newspaper report

• Headline -The title of the story designed to summarise the story. It should be short and snappy to grab the reader’s attention.

• By Line - The journalist who has written the report.

• Photo - The photograph needs to tell the story

• Introduction (Lead) - The important first sentence or opening paragraph that summarises the story and answers as many as possible of the 5 W’S (Who? What? Where? When? and Why?) and H (How?)• e.g. What? Japan won the Women’s World Cup• Where? the final• Who? Japan• Why? won penalty shoot out

Features of a newspaper report

• Body - The newspaper body includes all the details of the news story and should be split in paragraphs to help the reader digest the information. Each paragraph tells one part of the story e.g. Paragraph one: lead, Paragraph two: the match, Paragraph three: the penalty shoot-out, Paragraph four: what else they won.

• The main body should contain facts and not personal opinions and should be chronological.

• Concluding paragraph (Tail) – The last paragraph should sum up the story and bring it up to date.

• Caption - The information in or under a photograph which explains what the picture is about.

• Direct Quotation - The exact words someone uses. Quotation marks are always used. Quotes are included to give the reader the viewpoint of someone involved in the story like an eyewitness or expert. Quotes make a story credible.

• Columns - The vertical blocks of text into which a page of a newspaper is divided.

Can you find the key features in this newspaper report?

• Title

• Headline

• Byline

• Introduction (Lead) with the 5Ws

• Main Body

• Concluding paragraph/tail

• Quotes

• Photo

• Caption

• Columns

Today’s Task

• Today we are going to plan our newspaper report and write the first draft of our introduction and main body of our newspaper report.

• You might like to look back at your learning from the beginning of the week for Curriculum and Reading to help you with your report.

• You may also like to do some additional research of your own too.

You can print this planning sheet, or you can create your own.

You can print this planning sheet, or you can create your own.

Example of a plan for the introduction

Writing your introduction

Use your planning grid to write the introduction.

This needs to:

• Be short and snappy so that it briefly explains what has happened.

• Have all the key information in – the 5 w’s.

• Use the past tense

There is an example one on the next slide.

Introduction example

Late last night, the city of Pompeii was left completely destroyed after the active volcano, Mount Vesuvius erupted violently covering the city with in millions of tonnes of volcanic ash and rock.

Example plan of the main body

Time to write your main body – use your plans to write the main part of your newspaper report.

There is an example of the main body on the next slide.

Example Main BodyThe first warning signs began at lunch time yesterday evening when a cloud of black smoke, shaped like a pine tree, was spotted over the volcano. Later that evening, a wave of hot ash, rocks and gasses began to rain down over the North side of Pompeii. Although most people evacuated the city at this time, many refused to leave their homes and possessions. Despite people’s best attempts to shelter in homes from the falling pumice, toxic gas and blistering hot ash made it almost impossible to breath. Without warning, Mount Vesuvius erupted again and a fast, thick pyroclastic surge poured down the mountain: it was so hot and surged so quickly it swallowed everything and everyone in its path.

Pliny the Younger, a survivor of the eruption, spoke to The Daily Peel: “I believed I was perishing with the world and the world with me!”