Newspaper Reports

Overview

In this short lesson, children learn what a newspaper report is and use evidence from Finding Gobi to identify its features. They also practise writing a simple report-style paragraph, linking ideas to paragraphs to organise information.

Learning intentions

• Students will know what a newspaper report is and what it typically includes.
• Students will identify main ideas from more than one paragraph in a text and summarise them.
• Students will understand how language, structure and presentation help meaning in a newspaper report.
• Students will use paragraphs to organise ideas around a theme.

Success criteria

• I can explain what a newspaper report is in my own words.
• I can spot features of a newspaper report (for example headline, byline/date, opening who/what/when/where).
• I can summarise the main idea from different paragraphs and combine them into one clear summary.
• I can write a short report-style paragraph with clear topic sentences and matching information.

Curriculum links

• English — Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation: Years 1 to 6 (Year 4): use of paragraphs to organise ideas around a theme.
• English — Reading: comprehension (Lower key stage 2, years 3 and 4): identifying how language, structure, and presentation contribute to meaning.
• English — Reading: comprehension (Lower key stage 2, years 3 and 4): identifying main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and summarising these.
• English — Reading: comprehension (Lower key stage 2, years 3 and 4): participate in discussion, take turns and listen.

Lesson structure (15 minutes)

1. 0–3 min · Activate knowledge. Teacher shows a short printed “mini report” example (headline + a few lines) and asks, “What do you think this is and where would you see it?” Students turn-and-talk, then share one idea about what makes it sound like a newspaper.

2. 3–7 min · Direct teach: newspaper reports. Teacher explains: “A newspaper report tells readers about an event. It uses clear structure so people can quickly find the most important information.” Students listen and track a teacher-made checklist: headline; opening that answers who/what/when/where; clear paragraphs; factual-sounding language; sometimes a quote or named source.

3. 7–11 min · Read from Finding Gobi and find main ideas. Teacher provides a short excerpt from Finding Gobi (two to three paragraphs) and models reading the first paragraph for the main idea, then the next paragraph for how it adds detail. Students annotate with two symbols in pairs: one for “main idea” and one for “extra detail,” then draft a one-sentence summary using both paragraphs.

4. 11–14 min · Summarise and organise in report paragraph. Teacher gives a writing frame on the board: “Today/Yesterday, [who/what] happened when/where [place/time]. [Main idea from paragraph 1 + paragraph 2 in one sentence].” Students write one short report-style paragraph using at least two sentences, each beginning with a clear topic focus, and ensuring the paragraph stays on the theme of the event.

5. 14–15 min · Share and check (quick feedback). Teacher asks for three volunteers to read their paragraphs; class uses the checklist to decide if the opening and paragraph focus match. Students self-check by circling one success criterion they met and one improvement for next time.

Resources

• Printed excerpt(s) from Finding Gobi (2–3 paragraphs) for each group
• Printed mini newspaper report example (headline + short text)
• Class checklist for newspaper report features
• Writing frame displayed on board or printed for support
• Highlighters/markers for identifying main ideas vs extra details
• Student notebooks or lined paper

Assessment

• Teacher checks during pair annotation: can students identify main idea and extra detail across more than one paragraph?
• Teacher listens during share-out: do students’ sentences match report-style structure and stay on the event theme?
• Exit check (verbal): “Tell me one feature of a newspaper report” and “What is the main idea of this event?” (any student response)

Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters (for the who/what/when/where opener) and a bank of key words taken from the excerpt (names/places/time phrases).
• Support: Offer a reduced excerpt (only two paragraphs) and a simplified checklist with fewer features.
• Extension: Challenge students to include one additional “detail sentence” that uses language to show how structure contributes to meaning (for example, adding a quote or clarifying cause/effect) while keeping the paragraph organised by theme.
• EAL/SEN: Use the writing frame with colour-coding (who/what = green, when/where = blue, main idea summary = yellow) and allow oral rehearsal before writing.