Feature Writing Lesson – Day Two

September 23, 2016

Prepared by: Jami Williams, Mexico High School, Mexico, Missouri

TARGET
Students will write their first feature.

EDUCATION METHODS

  1. PowerPoint presentation
  2. Writing Workshop and Collaboration

OBJECTIVES

  1. Level 2 (Proficient) application of principles of feature writing.
  2. Level 3 (Advanced) creation of a feature story

MATERIALS NEEDED

  1. Feature Writing PowerPoint Day 2
  2. Feature Story Prompter

VERIFICATION

Steps to check for student understanding

  1. Teacher will do frequent comprehension checks in the form of Classroom Assessment Techniques (thumbs up, thumbs down; exit slip in the form of post-it note summary)
  2. Feature story prompter should be copied by the student and submitted or submitted electronically to the teacher so the teacher can assess the student’s process. The student will need the copy to work at home that night.

FLOW OF LESSON

  1. Suggested bell ringer: Tell me your least favorite thing about doing the actual interview and why it was your least favorite thing.
  2. Teacher will present PowerPoint.
  3. After the PowerPoint, the teacher will introduce the prompter and allow the students to work while acting as a guide and facilitator. It is imperative that the teacher requires the students to write to the guidelines that were adopted by the class as the accepted writing rules.
  4. PLEASE BE AWARE: This process may require more than one class period. Make sure students are given enough time to explore the process of writing and have any questions addressed by you.
  5. As students complete their writing at different times, some alternate activities may include the following:
  • Providing them with grid paper and having them sketch the layout of the feature and what they would want it to look like
    • In a newspaper
    • In a magazine
    • On a website
  • Ask them to brainstorm ideas for photos
    • For an Internet slide show
    • For a feature layout in a magazine
    • For a newspaper

 6. Once all students are done, you will ask the students to peer edit using the guidelines that have been adopted by the class.

WRAPPING IT UP

  1. Exit slip: Simplest part of writing your feature… go!