Learning task 2
| Learning intention(s)
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Developing understandings about argument
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| KCs/ Principles/Values focus
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KCs:
Thinking – making connnections
Relate to others – peer discussion
Use language, symbols and texts –exploring a text type
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Reading and responding to feature articles
- Browse print and online newspapers. Develop a list of topics which you might be interested in writing about.
- As a class, talk about how to recognise and identify facts and opinions in a piece of writing. Introduce the concept that feature articles often combine both facts and opinions. Discuss how effective writers express and develop their points of view and support them by evidence.
- Run a short newspaper/magazine based quiz. Select 10 extracts drawn from feature articles. Classify these as facts or opinions, then justify the classifications.
- Read The Ginga Stereotype feature article. In pairs or small groups, use the questions on The Ginga Stereotype Discussion Sheet to guide the discussion and to record comments and examples.
- As a class, discuss whether The Ginga Stereotype could be classified as ‘good writing’. Talk about examples of writing they liked from the article. Discuss which examples might earn a ‘good writing’ classification. Is the writing effective because of: [for example] the use of humour, interesting ideas and development of argument, skilful expression and use of language? Look particularly closely at several examples of effective sentence structures and word selections the writer has made.
- What criticisms do you have of this piece? How do you think it could be improved?
- Identify examples of information about ‘gingas’ from other sources. Classify these pieces of information. For example, historical details about ‘gingas’, unusual details, scientific details. Ask students to consider and describe the approach they might take when they write their articles.
- Brainstorm two or three possible topics you could write about. Complete an internet-based search for three or four pieces of information that you could potentially incorporate into feature articles on these topics. Your search and the information you select should be guided by the tone and approach you might take in your articles. Information collected for a serious article is likely to differ from that collected for a humorous piece.
- When you make a firm decision about topic for your own feature article, you could widen your search to include library and other relevant sources to locate information that could be included.
Published on: 17 Jan 2011
