Grades 5–6

Most sections of this lesson can be taught in one to two class periods and repeated on a regular basis.

Lesson Introduction:
The focus for students in grades 5-6 in Scholastic News Online is on developing a global awareness and encouraging early research skills. Students will read daily news stories, test reading comprehension, make decisions, and participate in writing activities.

Exploring the News
Each weekday during the school year, Scholastic editors bring you unique, daily stories written at age level for your students to read for class. These up-to-the minute articles help students think critically about current events. They often provide timely updates on topics first introduced in Scholastic's classroom magazines.

1. When introducing Scholastic News Online to your classroom, have a class discussion on why we study current events. Ask students how people get the news, why people care, why a citizen needs to be informed to make decisions on politics, the economy, and life.
2. There are several ways to keep you students up to date with the news on Scholastic News Online.
   
   In class as a weekly activity:
   Print out the critical thinking questions from the daily story to hand out to students, or have them written on the board. Direct students to the Scholastic News Online home page and have them click on the main photo. This is a photo of the main story of the day. On this page, students can see the day's top headline along with a news photo. Invite students to study the picture and read the headline. What do they think the main news story will be about? What can they infer from the photo? Have students continue by reading the news story. Students can use facts from the story and the accompanying photo caption to decide whether their predictions were on target.
   
   Direct students to explore the other news of the week by clicking on the headlines on the left side of the screen. Students can either write summaries of the articles, answer each set of critical thinking questions, or fill out the Idea Web (PDF) graphic organizer.
   
   As a daily story homework activity:
   Each week, pick a different student whose job is to read the daily story and write a brief summary for homework. The first thing in the morning, perhaps with the school announcements, the student will present the news announcement for the rest of the class. Each week, a new student will make the announcements. For students who do not have computer access at home, you can print the daily story to take home.

1. Have students explore the news at least once a week and ask students to select a major news story from the site. It should be a story that the student believes is of lasting importance. Students may select stories from anywhere on the site including the "Movies, TV, Music," "Sports," or "Special Reports" sections.
2. Have students make an almanac page for the news event. The page should include the news headline (or a student-created headline for the story), a summary of the news event, the student's reaction to and opinion about the event, and a downloaded photo or student-drawn art. In writing their reactions, students should think about why they thought that particular story was important, how the event made them feel, and how it impacted their lives or the lives of others.
3. Organize the pages in a binder. Students can create covers for their binders. Examples of titles include:
   Top News of the Year 2004
   2004 News Almanac
   What's News in 2004
4. At the end of the school year, students should review all the stories in their almanac and write a "Year in Review" article to complete their almanac. Students can compare their articles to see if they contained the same top stories. Engage students in a discussion on what they considered the top stories of the year and why.

1. Depending on your curriculum, you can assign a research topic to your students or have them choose a topic from the "Special Report" home page.
2. Once each student has a topic and has clicked on the home page of their chosen special report, hand students copies of the KWL chart (PDF). Instruct them to fill out the chart as they gather information from the articles they read.
3. Encourage students to participate in the activities within the "Special Report" so they can check their own understanding of what they have read.
4. Once students have completed their KWL charts, have small group discussions sorted by students who have explored the same "Special Report." Have them come up with a list of topics on which they can write their research paper.
5. If students need to do further research, direct them to online and offline resources such as their classroom magazines. They can add information to their KWL charts.
6. Direct students to the "Writing Workshop: Research Paper" online activity where they can follow the steps on writing a research paper.
7. Have students write their paper on a separate piece of paper to hand in for assessment before submitting it online. Encourage students to proofread, edit, and polish their writing before submission.

1. Review or introduce the idea that a fact is a statement that can somehow be proven true, while an opinion is a statement reflecting how a person thinks or feels about something. It cannot be proven true.
2. Have students create a list of words that may signal an opinion statement. Examples include: think, believe, should, should not, best, worst, etc. Point out that in a news report, opinion statements are often found in quotations.
3. Have students select one or two features from Scholastic News Online and search them for examples of facts and opinions.

1. After reading an issue of your Scholastic classroom magazine, go to Scholastic News Online and go to the page for your magazine (see the green box titled "Classroom Magazines" at the top of the home page).
2. Divide your class into small groups and assign each group one of the related Web sites to research. Monitor students' research time to ensure appropriate online behavior and that students stay on task.
3. Distribute A Site to See (PDF) and ask students to complete the worksheet. Students will use the worksheet to determine each Web site's creator, currency, and purpose, and to evaluate the site's content.
4. Discuss the students' site evaluations. Does the creator of a site make a difference in how information is presented? What makes a site interesting?
5. File the site evaluations in thematic folders (animals, space, authors, sports, etc.) and encourage students to check the evaluations before embarking on new Internet research projects.

1. To get started, have students listen to what other students have had to say, and read the tips for filing a report on "Kid to Kid News."
2. Have students brainstorm what they would like to share with their peers in the Scholastic News Online community. Has something interesting happened in your hometown? Is there an issue or cause to which they'd like to draw other students' attention? Or do they have a strong opinion to share about a recent news event, movie they have seen, or book they have read?
3. Direct each student to write a report on the news event of his/her choice and practice telling the story to a peer.
4. Once the report has been edited, rewritten, and practiced, have students call the toll-free "Scholastic Radio Hotline" (1-866-370-7720) to record their message or brief story.

1. Go to Scholastic News Senior current editions (pick Scholastic News Senior Edition in the drop-down menu on the top of any page in Scholastic News.)
2. Have students click on "Sticky Situation" and read the paragraph.
3. Subscriber advantage: The "Sticky Situation" directly relates to content in the current issue of the Scholastic News Senior Edition magazine. Have students read the issue before going online.
4. As a class or in small groups, discuss the situation presented. As the site suggests, have students write a paragraph explaining how they would deal with the situation. This paragraph can be written by individual students, or have students discuss all of the options for handling the sticky situation, and vote on one or two favorites. Write a paragraph as a class to post online.

1. From the home page, have students click on "Vote Now!" and read the week's question, along with the brief summary of the issue that appears on screen. The summary highlights the major arguments on both sides of the issue.
2. Invite students to debate the issue.
3. Submit votes as individuals or as a class. Students will be asked to give their grade, gender, and home state.
4. A pie chart will appear on screen. It shows the results of the online poll so far. Ask students to calculate the percentage of people voted yes and what percentage voted no.
5. Use the "View Graph" buttons beneath the pie chart to look at results broken down by grade, gender, and state. For example, students can view the results for only their grade or only their own state. Have students check to see if younger or older students voted differently than students in their own grade. Discuss reasons why results might vary by age or location.

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