Elicit from the students what sections they usually read in a newspaper and if they ever read on-line newspapers in Portuguese or in English.

Tell students that they are going to visit some on-line newspapers in the MMC to do some research and talk about a news item to the class.

Organize them in groups of 3 students per computer and give them the form that they are going to use for their task.

FORM

READING ON-LINE NEWSPAPERS FORM1. What’s the name of the newspaper? ________________________________

2. Choose an interesting article from the front page or in the world news section and copy its headline: ___________________________________

3. Answer these questions:

a) Can you anticipate the story by just reading the headline? ( ) YES ( ) NOb) What verb tense is used in this headline? _________________________

4. Now read the article very quickly. What is it about? Summarise it in one sentence:____________________________________________________

5. Write 2 sentences from this article in which you can find examples of

passive voice structures. In which verb tense were they used? _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

6. Go to the HOMEPAGE of the newspaper and tick the items you can find:

( ) film reviews ( ) TV programme listings( ) editorial ( ) comic strips / cartoons( ) weather forecast ( ) letters to the editor/ the reader’s opinion( ) job ads ( ) gossip

Go through the form with

them. Check any vocabulary

problems. Remind them that

when they come back they will

have to do a presentation to

their classmates.

Tell them to log on to the e-practice site and click on

LEISURE NON-FICTION READING ROOMS.

Here they can find a newspaper to work in. It is important that each group work with a different newspaper. Here are other suggestions of on-line newspapers:

www.thewashingtonpost.comwww.thenewyorktimes.comwww.independent.co.uk e-practice

After students come back from

the MMC, the teacher should

ask one member of each group

to write their HEADLINES and

ONE sentence in the PASSIVE

VOICE on the board.

All the members of the group should then tell their classmates what they understood from the story they have read and show them the PASSIVE VOICE structure they have found in the news item.

Estimated time: 60 minutes

Levels: Cultura Express 9, Plus 2, Express Plus 3

Profa Aparecida Moreira – Tijuca Branch

PROJECT WORK - READING ON LINE NEWSPAPERSAbstractThis activity aims at giving the students an opportunity to see examples of Passive Voice constructions in a real context (newspapers). In this lesson students will also be able to identify what type of newspapers they are, the different sections and how headlines are written. It can be used as a post-presentation lesson to reinforce the understanding of the structure.