Adapting a Nursery Rhyme to Create an Article

Author: Garland McKee, University of Alabama Journalism Student

Grades:  7-9

Subjects:  Current Events, Journalism, and Language Arts

Overview of Lesson Plan:  After choosing a nursery rhyme, students will create a news article by adapting the rhyme.  The students will answer all six of “The Steps of Gathering a News Story” (who, when, what, where, why, how) when composing the article.  Students must also apply at least one component of “news values” into the article (impact, timeliness, prominence, proximity, conflict, bizarre, or currency).  The lesson allows students to think creatively and demonstrate an understanding of “The Steps of Gathering News”. 

Suggested Time Allowance:  50 minutes

Objectives:

Students will:

1. Evaluate the purposes and responsibilities that mass media writing requires.
2. Examine the first steps in gathering information or writing a story a journalist must answer:  Five Ws and One H.
3. Compose an article by adapting a nursery rhyme.
4. Implement creative thinking skills when writing a news article.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of their ability to apply necessary writing steps for gathering information.

Resources/Materials:

• student journals
• pens/pencils
• paper
• classroom blackboard
• copies of nursery rhymes
• copies of “The First Steps in Gathering Information”
• copies of USA Today

Activities/Procedures:

1.  WARM-UP/DO-NOW:  In the first five minutes of class, students respond to the following questions in their journals (written on the board prior to class). 

• What purposes do newspapers serve?
• What responsibilities does mass media writing require?
• What do you consider the most important components of a news article?

After giving the students time to respond to the questions, the teacher asks the students to share their answers.  The teacher should offer students an opportunity to explain their reasoning and give examples in each case.  The teacher will explain an important responsibility of the newspaper is to present facts clearly and accurately.  A journalist must also answer six basic questions for the reader when gathering information or writing a story. The teacher will distribute copies of the handout at this time. The students and the teacher will address and discuss each “W” and the “H” on the handout (who, when, where, why, what, and how). 

2. GROUP ACTIVITY/ FINDING EVIDENCE OF THE “W’s” AND “H”: The teacher will divide the classroom into groups of three.  Next, the teacher will distribute copies of USA Today to each group.  The group will be responsible for identifying the “who”, “what”, “when”, “where”, “why”, and “how” in the articles.  By using a red marker, the students will underline each element. Using a blue marker, the students will identify and explain which news value(s) the article contains (choosing from impact, timeliness, prominence, proximity, conflict, bizarre, or currency).  The students will gain a deeper understanding of “The First Steps in Gathering News” after conducting the group activity.

3. NURSERY RHYME ACTIVITY/IMPLEMENTING THE STEPS:  Students will choose a particular nursery rhyme from the copies offered by the teacher.  Some examples of the nursery rhymes include:  “Wee Willy Winky”, “Humpty Dumpty”, and “The Old Lady and the Shoe”.  After selecting a nursery rhyme, the students must demonstrate their ability to implement “The First Steps in Gathering News” into the rhyme.  Therefore, the rhyme will be adapted, including specific names, dates, events, places, reasons, and explanations.  In the exercise, students will also implement the “inverted pyramid”.  The “inverted pyramid” relates to the organization of information (from most important information first to least important information last).  An example of an adapted nursery rhyme opening sentence might be:  “On September 24, Betty Hare, an elderly white female of Demopolis, was found guilty of seven charges of child abuse”.  The students will adapt the “characters” of the nursery rhymes to fit their specific headline news. Teachers must check the students’ stories and find all six questions answered.  They will also identify at least one news value used in the article. The students will implement creative thinking skills when creating the article, as well as demonstrate an ability to apply necessary writing steps.  

4.  WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK:  Student will begin finding articles in newspapers, which contain specific news values.  Each student will be assigned to find three different articles, which contain one of the news values:  impact, timeliness, prominence, proximity, conflict, bizarre, or currency. The students will be asked to glue the articles on poster board to display in the classroom. 

5.  FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:

• What have been some major news stories which contain only one news value? How long did the majority of the stories run? Can you make a generalization about these articles or not? Why or why not?
• What local news story has had the most impact on you? Explain your response.
• Scan your school newspaper. Did all the articles answer all six of “The Steps in Gathering News” questions? Cite examples.

6.  EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT:  Students will be evaluated based on written journal entry, participation in class discussions of news articles, participation in group activity, and completion of nursery rhyme assignment. 

7.  RESOURCES:  Child craft Encyclopedia (Nursery Rhyme Volume)

8.  SUMMARY:  The purpose of the lesson plan will allow students to think creatively as well as apply learned knowledge of “The Steps in Gathering Information”.  The students will adapt a nursery rhyme to meet the journalistic demands of a present-day writer. At least one “news value” will appear in the adapted article.  The teacher will evaluate the students’ assignments to ensure understanding of the lesson.