Section I. WRITING FOR MAJORS & WORK Chapter 52. News Article or News Release Prewriting & Writing Activities --- Group Exercises Practice news writing with a small-group activity. First, divide into groups of 3-4 people each. Second, choose group-work roles (coordinator/timer, writer, reader). Third, make up an event which is highly catastrophic or highly controversial and took only minutes or, at most, hours to occur. This event must be something which just finished happening and is now over. It also must be something which either you observed personally or you were present immediately afterward to interview those who were there. As you make up this event, your writer should record with everyone's help a 50-100 word journal of your development of this imaginary event. Fourth, use the five W's of journalism (who, what, where, when, why/how) to factually, consistently, and thoroughly write an up-to-date, standard city newspaper article about this event. Use the inverted pyramid of journalism to choose which answers to your W's should occur first: the most important first and the least important last. You may, if you wish, include interview materials in quotation marks. Write 200+ words. Fifth, read your results to the class. Do the same exercise as above, except choose a real event that happened in recent or ancient history. Choose an event which is highly catastrophic or highly controversial and took only minutes or, at most, hours to occur. Pretend you either were there or were able to personally interview observers immediately after the event happened. Your writer should record with everyone's help a 50-100 word journal of your development of this event. Then follow the remaining steps above. Practice the divisions of a this type of paper with circle sentencing. Do this as a whole class. (a) First, everyone should get out a sheet of lined paper, write "1. The main point of this paper is to ____," and fill in the blank with an interesting, unusual, silly, or strong word or phrase. (b) Next, everyone should pass this paper to the next person clockwise or in his/her row, read the new paper in front of her, then write "2. The first section of this paper will ____," and fill in the blank with a sentence summarizing what the first main section is supposed to do, and then write another sentence or two using the subject chosen just above to describe more details for this section. (c) Then everyone should pass the paper to the next person again, read the new paper before him or her, and then write "3. The second section of this paper will ____," and fill in the blank with a sentence summarizing what the second main section is supposed to do, and then write another sentence or two using the subject chosen just above to describe more details for this section. (d) The papers should continue to be passed around so that one sentence at a time is added. #4 will be "3. The fourth section of this paper will ____," and 1-2 sentences giving details for the chosen subject.  #5 will describe the fifth section, etc.  Once there are no more sections, the final sentence should be, "This paper concludes by saying that "____."   Then start a new cycle by continuing to pass papers, but starting over with a new idea.  Go through at least three such cycles. (e) When you stop, ask each writert to "grade" the paper before them with stars or points.  Then read several of the very best papers. (f) Alternative: If you want each cycle to last longer and/or include more complex practice, then consider each of the sentences above just a topic sentence with brief details.  Then have one or two turns in which people add imaginary supporting details such as quotations, paraphrases, charts, statistics, lists, or illustrations. Make up an imaginary or real situation or event--serious or silly--to which you can apply this type of paper.  Break into small groups.  Each group may have a facilitator, writer, reader, and/or secretary.  Your facilitator should ask you, as a group, to develop ideas of situations, choose one, and have your writer write it down.  Then, while your secretary takes notes on your actions in the group, your group should continue to develop the situation by having the writer write down your group's 50+ words for each main section of your group paper.  Then have your writer write down your group's brief conclusion in a few sentences.  Your secretary should then either turn in the notes on your group's actions to the instructor or read them to the class; your group's reader should then read to the class what your group writer wrote.  Individual Exercises Journaling/prewriting about this textbook chapter: Keeping a journal about your reading of this chapter is an excellent method of thinking about it and preparing to write the paper it describes. Here are some journaling techniques you can try individually or together: a. What information in this chapter is new to you, what is old, and what information helps you make connections to other classes or to people, work, or personal experience? In your opinion, what were the points most helpful to you, and what ones were the least helpful? What points might be most and/or least helpful to others in the class or in other classes? b. If you had this chapter to read over again, what would you change, and why? How would you continue or add to it, if you were the author? c. Who are some people—roommates, friends, family, or coworkers—with whom you might share this chapter? Why? What would you discuss with them after having shared it? What might be their responses and yours in return? d. What are one or more ways in which you think you might be able to write the type of paper described in this chapter? In what ways might you have difficulty doing so? How could you resolve some of those difficulties? Journaling/prewriting about a situation, event, person, action, or professional/disciplinary idea: Respond to one or more of these suggestions: a. Explain and/or list and briefly describe one or more possible subjects or topics you might be able to use for writing this kind of paper. b. Which are best and which worst?  Why?  Which ones do you feel most strongly about?  Where do your two lists--"are the best" and "feel most strongly about"--intersect?  c. Make a third list: what can you most easily write about--or can do so after reading, studying, or observing as needed?  On what subject or topic do all three of your lists intersect? d. What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of this particular topic or subject?  Why?  How will you deal with these strengths and weaknesses?  e. When you are done with your rough draft, how will you evaluate it?  What will be your criteria for evaluating it?  Do you understand the grading or work requirements thoroughly?  Who can read it for you and make an unbiased judgment of what may still need to be done?  What is your timeline for showing it to others, revising, and editing it? Where can you find samples of this type of paper?  Look them over not for content but rather for organization and style.  How can you borrow elements of these sample papers' organization and style so that you can practice building them into your own organization and style?  (Note: Some online examples of papers are available through OnlineGrammar.org's "20. Major/Work Writing.") Writing a Paper from This Chapter: Write a rough-draft paper using the instructions in the chapter, and use the major subtitles suggested in the directions (500-1000 w. or as assigned). --- Find more activities for groups and classes in the Home Page section's General Activities for Groups. --- Return to top.