You can create your own newspaper. Students can be reporters, researching and writing newspaper articles. Topics for articles can include interesting things that have happened in the classroom or school, events that occurred in your town, family milestones (did someone have a birthday recently, or win an award?), a sports tournament, extreme weather, or an interesting local person! Before you begin, read and analyze some newspaper articles to see how professional reporters write.

You can put the articles of all the students in the classroom together to make your own classroom newspaper! You can even add advertisements for made-up products.

A newspaper is a daily or weekly publication that contains news articles, editorials, and other items. Newspapers are printed on large sheets of inexpensive paper that are folded. Ads (and to a much lesser extent, subscriptions) pay the costs of operating a newspaper. Synonyms for newspaper are paper and rag (this is a disparaging term).

The owner of a newspaper is called the publisher. The editor is in charge of the content. Reporters research and write the articles. Most reporters specialize in an area (like government, crime, or science) - this specialty is called the reporter's beat.

In the USA, the freedom of the press is guaranteed by the first amendment to the US Constitution.

Structure of a Newspaper Article
Each newspaper article has a title (called the headline) that is set in large type. The writer of a newspaper article is often not credited; if the author is mentioned, this credit is called the author's byline.

The beginning of each newspaper article (the first paragraph) is called the lead (one or two sentences long); the lead should summarize the main facts of the article, telling the 5 W's (who, what, when, where, and why) and how. The first paragraph should also contain a hook, something that grabs the reader's attention and makes the reader want to read the rest of the article.

The nut graph is the paragraph that contains the core information about the story and tells the reader why the story is important.

The remainder of the article contains supporting paragraphs that go into more detail about the topic, often including quotes and interesting facts. The less important information should appear later in the article, since the article may be cropped (shortened) by the editor (the person who puts the newspaper together) to make the article fit on the newspaper page.

The reporter's opinions should not appear in the article - only the facts. Use clear and simple language. Keep the article short and to the point. Use active verbs (for example: Man bites dog) and not passive verbs (for example: Dog bitten by man).

Each picture, graph or illustration should have a caption describing or explaining it.

Structure of a Newspaper

• First section - with major news, world news and sometimes, editorials (where the newspaper editors offer their opinions on various topics - published with the op-eds -- opinions written by other writers). The most important news articles are on the first page; the top half of the first page is referred to as "above the fold."
• Local news section -with local news and weather.
• Sports section.
• Lifestyle section - often containing feature articles (non-news general interest pieces, for example, an article on stamp collecting or visiting New York City), entertainment, travel, fashion information, cooking, useful household hints, advice columns, the comics, puzzles, and reviews of movies and books.
• Classified ads section in which people and businesses advertise items for sale and post job notices.
• Paid advertisements are scattered throughout the paper except on first pages (the ads generate most of the revenue that keeps a newspaper in business).

Newspaper Reporter Notes Use this worksheet to take notes as your first step in writing a newspaper article.	Newspaper Reporter Notes #2 Use this worksheet to take notes as your first step in writing a newspaper article (with space for a picture and caption).	Inverted Triangle Worksheet Use this worksheet to examine or begin writing a newspaper article.	Inverted Triangle Worksheet #2 Use this worksheet to examine or begin writing a newspaper article.
Newspaper Article Analysis Find an interesting newspaper article, then clip it out, attach the clipping to the worksheet, and write about it.	Fact/Opinion News Article T-Chart Printout (4 rows) A T-Chart for analyzing a news article with columns for Facts and Opinions, four rows to fill in, and two questions about the facts and opinions presented in the article.	Fact/Opinion News Article T-Chart Printout (5 rows) A T-Chart for analyzing a news article with columns for Facts and Opinions, five rows to fill in, and two questions about the facts and opinions presented in the article.	The News This Year A Worksheet to Print A short, printable worksheet with prompts for short answers to questions about the major news events of this year and your hope for the new year. Go to a pdf version of the worksheet.

The First Page:

Newspaper First Page #1 Room __ News Write an article for the first page of a newspaper; one column, no picture.

Newspaper First Page #2 School Tribune Write an article for the first page of a newspaper, including a picture; one column, one picture.

Newspaper First Page #3 Classroom News Write articles for the first page of a newspaper, including a picture; two columns, one picture.

Newspaper First Page #4 School Gazette Write articles for the first page of a newspaper; two columns, no picture.

Sports and Weather:

Newspaper Sports Page School Gazette Write an article for the sports page of a newspaper.

Newspaper Sports Page #2 Classroom Times Write an article for the sports page of a newspaper.

Newspaper Local Weather Page Write the local weather page of a newspaper.

Newspaper US Weather Page Write the US weather page of a newspaper.

World and US News:

5 W's World News Article Analysis Worksheet Summarize a world news article using this graphic organizer, noting the 5 W's, who, when, where, what, and why. Map the location of the news event and your location.

World Newspaper Article Page Write a world news article for a newspaper.

5 W's US News Article Analysis Worksheet Summarize a US news article using this graphic organizer, noting the 5 W's: who, when, where, what, and why. Map the location of the news event and your location.

US Newspaper Article Page Write a US news article for a newspaper.

Special Newspaper Page Topics:

Science Newspaper Article Page Write a science news article for a newspaper.	Medical Newspaper Article Page Write a medical news article for a newspaper.	Business Newspaper Article Page Write a business news article for a newspaper. A graph might be a good addition to your article.	Technology Newspaper Article Page Write a technology news article for a newspaper. Tech news reports innovations in computer science, telecommunications, nanotechnology, etc.
Newspaper Feature Article #1 Write a feature article for a newspaper. Pick a topic that interests you, then research it before writing the piece. Prompts: Headline, Introduce the topic and tell why it is interesting, Give some examples, facts, history, quotes, Summarize topic and give ideas for the future. Space for an illustration with caption.	Newspaper Feature Article #2 Write a feature article for a newspaper. Pick a topic that interests you, then research it before writing the piece. Prompts: Headline, Introduce the topic and write most intersting aspect, Support with quotes, anecdotes, facts, background info, Summarize topic plus a message or lesson learned. Space for an illustration with caption.	Newspaper Editorial #1 Write an editorial for a newspaper. Pick an issue or problem, then research the topic before writing your letter. Use moderate language, facts, and strong, logical arguments in your editorial. Prompts: Headline, Explain the problem, Explain the other side and its weakness, Explain you solution and its strengths, Support your solution with facts, examples, Restate your position plus you view of the future.	Newspaper Editorial #2 Write an editorial for a newspaper. Pick an issue or problem, then research the topic before writing your letter. Use moderate language, facts, and strong, logical arguments in your editorial. Prompts: Headline, State the issue and your position or colution, Explain the other side and its weakness, State the reasons (facts) supporting your position, Support your position with examples, Restate your position plus you vision of the future
Newspaper Comics Write a comics page for a newspaper. This worksheet has room for three three-panel comics.	Newspaper Travel Column Write a travel column for a newspaper. This worksheet has prompts to write a travel article, including: Headline, Introduce the location and tell why people should travel there, Note some places to visit, things to do, anecdotes, Summarize your trips and give ideas for future trips.	My Week in School Write a classroom newspaper page on what you learned in school this week.	My Week in School #2 Write a classroom newspaper page on what you learned in school this week -- version #2.

Reviews:

Restaurant Review Page Write a restaurant review for your newspaper. Describe the food and service at your school cafeteria, your favorite fast food place or a nice family restaurant.

Book Review Page Write a book review for your newspaper. Describe the book, including your assessment of the plot, writing, character development, and other aspects of the book. Remember - DO NOT give away the ending!

Movie Review Page Write a movie review for your newspaper. Describe the movie, including your assessment of the plot, acting, music, special effects, and other aspects of the movie. Remember - DO NOT give away the ending!

Video Game Review Page Write a video game review for your newspaper. Describe the video game, including your assessment of the game, the goal of the game, the characters, and other aspects of the game.

Tests, Quizzes:

Newspaper Scavenger Hunt Worksheet Print this scavenger hunt, then use a newspaper to answer the questions. For example, "Write the caption of a picture on the first page of the newspaper." (Note: the answers depend on the contents of the newspaper and the choices of the student).	Newspaper Scavenger Hunt Worksheet #2 Print this scavenger hunt, then use a newspaper to answer the questions. For example, "Write the name of one of the editors of the newspaper." (Note: the answers depend on the contents of the newspaper and the choices of the student).	Newspaper Scavenger Hunt Worksheet #3 Print this scavenger hunt, then use a newspaper to answer the questions. For example, "Write the headline of an article about science." (Note: the answers depend on the contents of the newspaper and the choices of the student).	Newspaper Definition - Multiple Choice Comprehension Quiz Answer 8 multiple-choice questions on the definition of newspaper; a lesson in using a dictionary. Go to the answers.
Reporter Definition - Multiple Choice Comprehension Quiz Answer 8 multiple-choice questions on the definition of reporter; a lesson in using a dictionary. Go to the answers.	Newspaper Spelling Word Questions Use the list of newspaper spelling words to answer simple questions. Words: headline, byline, lead, hook, opinion, caption, why, local, reporter, editor, editorial, ads. Or go to the answers.	Newspaper Match Each Word to Its Definition Match each newspaper-related word to its definition (printable worksheet). Words: editor, reporter, byline, headline, lead, 5 W's, hook, caption, editorials, ads. Or go to the answers.	Newspaper Multiple Choice Comprehension Quiz Answer ten multiple-choice questions about a newspaper. Or go to the answers.
Newspaper Cloze (Fill-in-the-Blanks) Activity Fill in the missing words (from a word bank) in the passage on newspapers. Words: headline, caption, verbs, grabs, first, fold, supporting, when, language, feature, classified, lead, publisher, editorial, reporters. Or go to the answers.	Newspaper Comprehension Quiz Answer fifteen questions about a newspaper. Or go to the answers.	Newspaper Word Pieces Puzzle In this puzzle, combine pairs of word segments to make newspaper-related spelling words. Words: article, caption, classifieds, comics, editor, feature, headline, opinion, publisher, reporter, sports, weather. Or go to the answers.

The Five W's:

5 W's Chart Diagram Printout A chart with 2 columns and 5 rows, labeled: Who, When, Where, What, and Why.	Story Star Printout A story star is a type of star diagram that can be used to describe the key points of a news story or event, noting the 5 W's of the story: who, when, where, what, and why.	5 Labeled Circles Printout Use this graphic organizer to summarize the 5 W's of a news story: Who, When, Where, What, and Why. Five labeled circles around a main oval.	5-option Labeled Oval Diagram Printout Use this graphic organizer to summarize the 5 W's of a story: Who, When, Where, What, and Why. Five labeled options around a central oval.
5-petal Labeled Flower Diagram Printout Five labeled petals around a main oval.