NEWS WORTHY NEWS

8TH GRADE WEBQUEST
 

Introduction  |  Task |  Process  |  Evaluation  |  Conclusion

INTRODUCTION 

Are you interested in the daily news?  Do you enjoy reading news articles?   Are you able to read a story and tell WHO, WHAT, WHY, WHEN, and HOW?  Everyone has a favorite fairy tale they could listen to over and over and over again.  Right?

 


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Task: 

Your job is to become a daily news reporter.  To do this you must become an expert in telling all about the:

  • WHO
  • WHAT
  • WHERE
  • WHEN
  • WHY
  • HOW

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Process: 

Your first step in becoming a news reporter is to find a news article that you would like to read and make a practice report for. 

  1. Find any news article and read it silently.
  2. Take notes on the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, and HOW.
  3. Pretend that you are a reporter and practice your news report.
  4. Get ready for your report!

Time for Kids

National Geographic World

 

Your next and final step is to select your favorite fairy tale.  Read the fairy tale enough times to yourself until you are prepared to give an oral report on the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY and HOW.  Make sure to be creative, and tell the story; not like a fairy tale, but like a news report!

Grimm Fairy Tales

Andersen Fairy Tales

 

 

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Evaluation:  

Your actual evaluation will be to write and give an oral news report on both the fairy tale and the news article.   You will be evaluated on your oral news report.  You can practice with a friend first and have them use the grading rubric for constructive criticism before you are graded by the teacher.  This is how the project will be evaluated.  The oral evaluation is worth a total of 24  points.  You will also be evaluated on your use of the internet, your notes, and your understanding of the WHO, WHAT WHERE, WHY, and WHEN.

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CATEGORY
4
3
2
1
Stays on Topic
Stays on topic all (100%) of the time.
Stays on topic most (99-90%) of the time.
Stays on topic some (89%-75%) of the time.
It was hard to tell what the topic was.
Content
Shows a full understanding of the topic.
Shows a good understanding of the topic.
Shows a good understanding of parts of the topic.
Does not seem to understand the topic very well.
Uses Complete Sentences
Always (99-100% of time) speaks in complete sentences.
Mostly (80-98%) speaks in complete sentences.
Sometimes (70-80%) speaks in complete sentences.
Rarely speaks in complete sentences.
Vocabulary
Uses vocabulary appropriate for the audience. Extends audience vocabulary by defining words that might be new to most of the audience.
Uses vocabulary appropriate for the audience. Includes 1-2 words that might be new to most of the audience, but does not define them.
Uses vocabulary appropriate for the audience. Does not include any vocabulary that might be new to the audience.
Uses several (5 or more) words or phrases that are not understood by the audience.
Volume
Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members throughout the presentation.
Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 90% of the time.
Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 80% of the time.
Volume often too soft to be heard by all audience members.
Speaks Clearly
Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, and mispronounces no words.
Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, but mispronounces one word.
Speaks clearly and distinctly most ( 94-85%) of the time. Mispronounces no more than one word.
Often mumbles or can not be understood OR mispronounces more than one word.
Posture and Eye Contact
Stands up straight, looks relaxed and confident. Establishes eye contact with everyone in the room during the presentation.
Stands up straight and establishes eye contact with everyone in the room during the presentation.
Sometimes stands up straight and establishes eye contact.
Slouches and/or does not look at people during the presentation
CATEGORY
4
3
2
1
Quality of Information
Information clearly relates to the main topic. It includes several supporting details and/or examples. It includes who, what, where, when and how.
Information clearly relates to the main topic. It provides 1-2 supporting details and/or examples. It includes three of the five W's.
Information clearly relates to the main topic. No details and/or examples are given. It includes two of the five W's.
Information has little or nothing to do with the main topic. Only included one of the five W's.
Internet Use
Successfully uses suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.
Usually able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.
Occasionally able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.
Needs assistance or supervision to use suggested internet links and/or to navigate within these sites.
Notes
Notes are recorded and organized in an extremely neat and orderly fashion.
Notes are recorded legibly and are somewhat organized.
Notes are recorded.
Notes are recorded only with peer/teacher assistance and reminders.

 

Conclusion: 

Now that you have had fun with various fairy tales, news articles, and pretending to be news reporters, you should be experts on finding the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY, and HOW of any story.

By completing this WebQuest, not only should you have learned all about WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY and HOW about a lot of different fairy tales and news worthy articles,  you should also have learned a little about reading information carefully enough to report factual information about what you have read. 

 

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