For Kids

News stories always need to remember the 5 W’s:

Who is the story about?
What happened?
When did it happen?
Where did it happen?
Why did it happen?

• Clip a few interesting short articles from your favorite newspaper. Can you identify the 5 W’s in each article? Use a highlighter or a pen to mark them.
  
• How did the writer of each article present the varied elements of the article? Notice what types of nouns, verbs, and adjectives the writer used. Did the writer use short sentences, long sentences, or perhaps a combination? Does the article read smoothly?
  
• Did the writer interview someone for the article? If so, was the information from the interview interesting? Did it add new facts to the article or enhance what the writer had already stated?

Here’s a WEEKLY READER link that provides a nifty newswriting sheet:
This “Hot Off the Press” guide will help you create an incredible news article in a flash. Once you get the hang of it, volunteer to contribute to your school paper—or start your own newspaper for family and friends. You can be environmentally friendly and sent it to them via email. So grab your pen and pad of paper (or your computer) and start scouting out the latest breaking news in your neighborhood!