Lesson: Writing the News

Strand A: Literacy Connections and Applications

A2. Digital Media Literacy

A2.4 Forms, Conventions, and Techniques

evaluate the use of the various forms, conventions, and techniques of digital and media texts, consider the impact on the audience, and apply this understanding when analyzing and creating texts

A2.5 Media, Audience, and Production

demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationships between the form, message, and context of texts, the intended and unintended audience, and the purpose for production

Strand C: Comprehension (Understanding and Responding to Texts)

C1. Knowledge About Texts

C1.2. Text Forms and Genres

Grade 7: analyze a variety of text forms and genres, including cultural text forms, and explain how their characteristics help communicate meaning

Grade 8: analyze and compare the characteristics of various text forms and genres, including cultural text forms, and provide evidence to explain how they help communicate meaning

C.3. Text Patterns and Features

Grade 7: analyze text patterns, such as cause and effect in an expository text, and text features, such as a bibliography and accessible fonts, associated with various text forms, including cultural texts, and explain how they help readers, listeners, and viewers understand the meaning

Grade 8: compare the text patterns, such as problem-solution in a letter to the editor, and text features, such as a glossary and infographics, associated with different text forms, including cultural texts, and evaluate their importance in helping readers, listeners, and viewers understand the meaning

C1.5 Elements of Style

identify various elements of style in texts, including voice, word choice, word patterns, and sentence structure, and analyze how each element helps create meaning and is appropriate for the text form and genre

C2 Comprehension Strategies

C2.3 Monitoring of Understanding: Making and Confirming Predictions

Grade 7: make predictions using background knowledge and textual information, pose questions to check whether their predictions were correct, and, if not, adjust their understanding

Grade 8: make predictions using background knowledge and textual information, pose questions to confirm or refute their predictions, and revise or refine their understanding as indicated

C3 Critical Thinking in Literacy

C3.2 Making Inferences

Grade 7: make local and global inferences, using explicit and implicit evidence, to develop interpretations about various texts and to extend their understanding

Grade 8: make local and global inferences, using explicit and implicit evidence, to explain and support their interpretations about various complex texts

C3.3 Analyzing Texts

analyze complex texts, including literary and informational texts, by evaluating, synthesizing, and sequencing relevant information and formulating conclusions

C3.5 Perspectives Within Texts

Grade 7: explain explicit and implicit perspectives communicated in various texts, including narrative texts, provide any evidence that could suggest bias in these perspectives, and suggest ways to avoid any such bias

Grade 8: analyze explicit and implicit perspectives communicated in various texts, evaluate any evidence that could suggest bias in these perspectives, and suggest ways to avoid any such bias

C3.6 Analysis and Response

Grade 7: explain how various topics, such as diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, are addressed in texts, analyze the insights or messages conveyed, and identify different positions presented

Grade 8: analyze how various topics, such as diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, are addressed in texts, respond to the insights and messages conveyed, and identify different positions presented

Strand D: Composition (Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts)

D1 Developing Ideas and Organizing Content

D1.2 Developing Ideas

generate and develop ideas and details about challenging topics, such as topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to other subject areas, using a variety of strategies, and drawing on various resources, including their own lived experiences

D1.3 Research

D1.4 Organizing Content

classify and sequence ideas and collected information, selecting effective strategies and tools, and identify and organize relevant content, evaluating the choices of text form, genre, and medium, and considering alternatives

D2 Creating Texts

D2.1 Producing Drafts

Grade 7: draft complex texts of various forms and genres, including narrative, expository, and informational texts, using a variety of media, tools, and strategies

Grade 8: draft complex texts of various forms and genres, including narrative, persuasive, expository, and informational texts, citing sources, and use a variety of appropriate media, tools, and strategies to transform information and communicate ideas

D2.5 Revision

make revisions to the content, elements of style, patterns, and features of draft texts, and add, delete, revise, and reorganize sentences to improve clarity, focus, and coherence, using various strategies and seeking and selectively using feedback

D3 Publishing, Presenting and Reflecting

D3.1 Producing Final Texts

produce final texts using appropriate techniques and tools, including digital design and production tools, to achieve the intended effect