LET'S REVISE

You have recently read David Copperfield.  How familiar are you with the life and work of its author, Charles Dickens? To which extent is this story autobiographical?

• Find out here:

Charles John Huffam Dickens ( 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic who is generally regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period and the creator of some of the world's most memorable fictional characters. During his lifetime Dickens's works enjoyed unprecedented popularity and fame, and by the twentieth century his literary genius was fully recognized by critics and scholars. His novels and short stories continue to enjoy an enduring popularity among the general reading public.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens


Listen to the first 11 minutes of the lecture (see below) and write down notes about the most important events in Dickens' life.

Consider the following aspects to write a summary:

• Early years and adulthood
• How he gained recognition
• Some of his famous works
• Themes present in his works
• Autobiographical elements

              

                                      

                                        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdROFxYEuBI
                 

The Elements of a Story

 Now recall the story of David Copperfield  and provide the corresponding information

• Setting                                         

• Characters

• Plot (conflict, climax, resolution)

Making Comparisons

Compare Dickens' life and the story of David Copperfield. Write a paragraph stating which aspects seem to be autobiographical. Support your arguments with examples.


                           
                                      

STORIES IN THE NEWS

Let’s review what needs to  be considered when writing a newspaper article.

A typical newspaper article contains five parts: the headline, the byline, the lead paragraph, the explanation, and additional information.

Read the article below, find the right sequence (1-5) and finally label its  parts.

(__)___________________ Daedalus, sobbing from the distant shore where he had landed safely, said, “My last words to Icarus before we left the island was to stay close and not fly too high! He just didn’t listen! Why didn’t he listen to me?” Daedalus and Icarus had been held prisoner by King Minos on the island of Crete, and had been forced to build a labyrinth at the palace of Knossos. It was known to be the most difficult maze in the world to navigate successfully.

 (__) _________________   Icarus, son of the famous inventor Daedalus, plunged into the Aegean Sea and drowned while attempting to escape from the island of Crete early

yesterday afternoon. His body has yet to be recovered.   

                                                                                          

 (__)_________________  High flying escape ends in death 

         

(__)__________________  Icarus and his father had made wings from wax and bird feathers they had collected over the years while imprisoned on the island of Crete. They attached the homemade wings to their arms and, using a flapping motion, lifted off from the island shortly before noon. While making their escape, Icarus flew too close to the sun. As a result, the heat melted the wax on his wings which caused the feathers to drop off. The wings collapsed and Icarus fell into the sea and drowned.

 (__)__________________  By Robin Sloan

Your Turn: Individual Project                

If you notice, the news  article  you have just read was created from a greek myth. 

Now you will do something similar,  using a very well known children's  story.

1. Watch  the video and take down notes.

                              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbzMC6qAzVU 

2. Make a plan of your article keeping  in mind the 5 W’s + how 

(i.e. who, what, when, where, why) that you’ve revised in the story of Icarus  and Daedalus.

3. Based on your notes, write your article. Include the five parts .

  Click on the link below to find the newspaper  press tool to create and publish   

          your article:


                          http://interactives.mped.org/view_interactive.aspx?id=110&title=

4.  Hand in your plan and your news article for evaluation.

                           

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CkCpx3CE2Q&feature=player_embedded

WHAT'S THE NEWS TODAY?

 Group Project

1. You are going to write a news report for your class newspaper. In pairs and/or groups of three, decide on a type of news  (education, culture, politics, economy, entertainment, environment, health, national, international, etc) Each group should  pick a different area of interest.

2. Once you have decided on a topic, browse the web to get information about it. Below you will find  some useful links.

3. Make an outline of  your  news report. Refer the class guidelines on how to write a newspaper article.

http://www.santiagotimes.cl/

http://www.emol.com/

http://www.latercera.com/

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

     4. Click on the link below to find the newspaper  press tool to create and publish   
          your article:

                          http://interactives.mped.org/view_interactive.aspx?id=110&title=

    5. Hand in the outline and the resulting news report for evaluation and marking.
           Cite the  websites  you have used to complete this assignment.

                                  

WHAT'S IN THE NEWS

The Language of Newspapers

Newspaper articles require a different style of writing from what is used when writing a story. When writing a newspaper article, picture a triangle like the one shown here:                               The newspaper article has all of the important information in the opening paragraph. This information includes who, what, when, where, why and how. It is written this way because most people do not read an entire newspaper article all the way through. So newspaper writers put the most important information at the beginning.

          Now, can you spot the parts of a news article?

Choose one of the articles about The X Factor and identify  the five  parts.                            Read the information below to help you.                                                             A typical newspaper article contains five (5) parts: Headline: This is a short, attention-getting statement about the event. Byline: This tells who wrote the story. Lead paragraph: This has ALL the who, what, when, where, why and how in it.  A writer must find the answers to these questions and write them into the opening sentence(s) of the article. Explanation: After the lead paragraph has been written, the writer must decide what other facts or details the reader might want to know. The writer must make sure that he/she has enough information to answer any important questions a reader might have after reading the headline and the lead paragraph. This section can also include direct quotes from witnesses or bystanders. Additional Information: This information is the least important. Thus, if the news article is too long for the space it needs to fill, it can be shortened without rewriting any other part. This part can include information about a similar event.

Home Assignment: Watching the news             

Click on the  links below.

1. Watch  this video and summarize the information.

Study: Multivitamins fail to reduce heart problems

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50134544n&tag=mg;health

2. Watch this video and write  a brief piece of news based on it. Include the five parts of a news article as explained above.

iPad Mini debuts around the world

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50133465n&tag=mg;caughtontape

                            Hand in your work to your teacher.