Week 28 · Axis 4, Chapter 3 Connecting with Community (A) · 3 lessons
2
Interview and write the news
Discover P3 Term 2: Axis 4, Chapter 3
GoalChoose news that readers care about, interview a community member with good questions, and plan an article with a headline and byline.
New words
interview · asking a person questions to learn about themreporter · a person who finds and writes newsaudience · the people who read or listenopen question · a question that needs more than yes or no
Explanation
A reporter finds news and writes it for readers. First, think about the audience. Our class newspaper is for families. News that readers care about is happening now, happens near them, is unusual, affects many people, is about science or technology, or matters to their lives and families. We choose a person in our community to write about, for example a baker, a bus driver, a nurse or a school gardener. With a grown-up’s permission, and with a grown-up there, we interview that person. A good question starts with who, what, when, where, why or how. It is an open question, so the answer is more than yes or no. For example, “Why did you become a baker?” is better than “Do you like baking?” We write each question and short notes of the answer. Then we write the article. It has a headline, a byline with your name, a strong opening sentence, details in a clear order, and a strong closing sentence. We use descriptive words so that the reader can picture the person.
Question word
Example question
Who
Who buys your bread?
What
What is the hardest part of your day?
When
When do you start work?
Where
Where did you learn baking?
Why
Why did you choose this job?
How
How do you know the bread is ready?
Worked examples
Question
Answer (notes)
Why did you become a baker?
loves the smell of fresh bread
When do you start work?
at 4:00 in the morning
What is the hardest part?
standing near the hot oven
Interview notes with Uncle Gamal, a baker.
Yes-or-no question
Open question
Do you like baking?
Why do you like baking?
Is your job hard?
What is the hardest part of your job?
Open questions are better than yes-or-no questions.
Hours of work. Uncle Gamal starts at the time on the clock and finishes at 10:00. From 4:00 to 10:00 is 10 − 4 = 6 hours.
Class activity
Interview and plan. Choose a person your grown-up knows, such as a baker, a bus driver, a shopkeeper or a school helper. Ask permission and do the interview with a grown-up there. Write five open questions. Write the answers as short notes in a two-column table: Question and Answer. Then plan the order of your information. Write a draft with a headline, a byline, a strong opening sentence, the details and a strong closing sentence. Use descriptive words. Never interview a stranger alone, and never publish phone numbers or addresses.
Practice
1
Who is the audience of a class newspaper?
The people who read it, such as families and classmates.
2
Change this into an open question: “Do you like your job?”
For example: Why do you like your job? or What do you enjoy about your job?
3
A bus driver starts work at the time shown and works for 6 hours. When does he finish?
At 3:00.
4
A reporter asks 4 questions and writes 2 lines of notes for each answer. How many lines of notes?
