Creating a newspaper – Battles Assignment

Imagine that you are a reporter during World War 1.  What kind of writer would you be?  What type of things would you like to write about?  In this assignment you will write as if you were a reporter during the War.  First, you have to decide if you will be writing from the perspective of a reporter on the battle field or at the Homefront.  Then you have to give your newspaper a name such as the “New York Times”.  Your newspaper will contain pictures and events from one battle in WWI history.  You need to write the events as if the events you described happened just a few days ago.  Your newspaper should be a minimum of 200 – 300 words.

Your grade will be determined by how well you describe the events, how many details you provide in your articles and the thoroughness of your research.   Each part should also have a headline.   Grammar, spelling and punctuation errors will result in a loss of points for each individual. There should be no excess white space in your newspaper. You may choose to include pictures with captions, political cartoons, advertisements, etc. to complete your newspaper.  All pictures, political cartoons, advertisements, etc.  must be relevant to the time period. 

You must use 2 resources other than your textbook for the newspaper.  Internet sources are acceptable as long as they come from reputable academic sites and are properly cited.  (Do not cite Wikipedia as a source)  On a separate sheet of paper you need to list your resources in a works cited page.   Failure to attach a works cited page will result in the loss of one letter grade. 

The Basic Story Outline

The best way to structure a newspaper article is to first write an outline. Review your research and notes. Then jot down ideas for the following six sections. Remember, this is just a foundation upon which to build your story.

I. Lead sentence

Grab and hook your reader right away.

II. Introduction

Which facts and figures will ground your story? You have to tell your readers where and when this story is happening.

III. Opening quotation 

What will give the reader a sense of the people involved and what they are thinking?

IV. Main body

What is at the heart of your story?

V. Closing quotation

Find something that sums the article up in a few words.

VI. Conclusion (optional—the closing quote may do the job)

What is a memorable way to end your story? The end quote is a good way to sum things up. That doesn’t always work. If you are quoting more than one person with different points of view in your story, you cannot end with a quote from just one of them. Giving one of your interviewees the last word can tilt the story in their favor. In this age of the Internet, you can also end your story with a link to more information or even your own behind-the-scenes blog post.

Please take a look at the sample newspaper here.

https://www.makemynewspaper.com/

Follow the instructions said in class and feel free to ask any important questions, thanks!

How to do citations for MLA format

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html

Making a Newspaper Website (Please use this website!)

https://www.newspaperclub.com/

Letters from the Trenches

See the source image

Here’s a link to several letters written by soliders to their homes during WWI.

Click to access Letters%20from%20the%20Trenches%20SAMPLE.pdf

Click to access letters-from-the-first-world-war-1915-3-trenches.pdf

http://spcoll.library.uvic.ca/schoolnet/digicol/pearkes/plv5/trenches.htm

Assignment 1- Life in the Trenches and at Home

For this assignment, imagine that you are a Canadian soldier participating in World War 1. You are living in or near the trenches in France or Belgium. Your task is to write a letter home to your husband/wife telling him/her about your life in the trenches.

You are to write a short letter (200 words min) from the perspective of a Canadian soldier fighting in the trenches in World War 1. In your letter, describe his and her experiences at war and at the home-front. Make sure that you outline the living conditions in the trenches and lifestyle/perspectives of the war at home.

In your letter, include at least five specific pieces of information related to the First World War, a battle and the individual’s experiences and emotions: (1) weather, (2) food, (3) moral, (4)health, (5) recent events, (6) other news about friends or information from home, (7) sleeping and living conditions, (8) sounds and (9) your fears. -Your letter must include: dates, sights, sounds, smell, feelings, and thoughts of war. -Try to make your letter sound and look authentic.

Evaluation: Date and to…. /Address
Sights /1
Sound /1
Smells /1
5 Specific Examples of Experiences/Emotions /5
Authenticity/Creativity /3
Total /12×2=24
You can use your notes, textbook, and internet for references, make sure to cite at the end of the assignment, include a title page with your name, date, and class number. A detailed look at Canadian soldiers’ experiences in the Great War, including life in the trenches, is available online on The Canadian Encyclopedia and the Canadian War Museum websites.