Feature ArticlesFeature Articles

What is a Feature What is a Feature Article?Article?

An article, in general, is a written piece that is usually non-fiction and is a stand-alone part of a book, newspaper, or magazine.

A FEATURE ARTICLE is a creative/specific article that deals with real events, issues, and trends.

Focus on people not facts/story not facts Catchy Title Specific and interesting

Purpose of a Feature ArticlePurpose of a Feature Article How many of you keep up with the news?

Why/Why not?

Why is it important/or not important that we know what’s going on in the world around us?

Aside from regular, factual news stories a feature article highlights specific things. What kinds of specific, feature articles

have you seen lately? What did you learn?

ExampleExample

7 Types of Feature Articles7 Types of Feature Articles

1. Human-Interest

2. Personality

3. How - To

4. The Best

5. Past Event

6. Informational

7. The News Feature

In groups, you will take one of these 7 types and present its aspects (bullet points) to the class in a song.Objectives:•List 3 examples of a news topic you could focus on.

•Write your song(3-4 lines over the description of the type)

HomeworkHomework

Find a feature article in a newspaper or magazine and bring it to class with you. Tip: ask family or friends for their

old newspapers or magazines (bring them in for class use if you’d like! )

Folder Mystery ActivityFolder Mystery Activity

In your groups you will be given a folder with 7 numbered examples of feature articles. Each article represents one of the 7 types of feature articles.

You must work with your team to determine the type of feature that each article represent as well as give a defense (3 reasons) for your decision.

Put the number, the type, and the three reasons of defense for each article on your own paper (one paper per group)

Example: Article # 1: “How To” feature article because

1. It teaches the reader how to do something specific and interesting. 2. It makes a difficult process seem easier and explains why it is

important to learn how to do this. 3.It breaks the process down into steps and lists all of the materials

needed.

Your paper will look like this:

Names:

# _____ represents the ___________ type of feature article because:1.2.3.

#____ represents the ______________ type of feature article because:1.2.3.

And so on…

Feature Article Example Feature Article Example ActivityActivity

In your groups find an example of each of the 7 types of feature articles.

Number each example.

Fill out the worksheet by placing the example # of the type and defend why that example represents that type.

STAPLE ALL TOGETHER AND PLACE IN YOUR FOLDER!

Feature Article Example Feature Article Example ActivityActivity

You will present your articles to the class by briefly describing them and explaining why you feel they represent a certain type (each member must present at least one).

After presenting place your articles on the corresponding posters around the room.

Get out your feature article handout

1. Human-Interest

2. Personality

3. How - To

4. The Best

5. Past Event

6. Informational

7. The News Feature

Participle QuizParticiple Quiz

Write 5 sentences using the following subjects that have participial phrases. Underline the participial phrase and draw an arrow to the noun or pronoun it describes.

1. Mickey Mouse

2. Paris

3. The happy penguin

4. The group of students

5. The American flag

Vocabulary in Feature ArticlesVocabulary in Feature Articles

What are some strategies you use to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word in a piece of writing?

Review: What is context? How can we use context clues?

Context Clues in Feature ArticlesContext Clues in Feature Articles

There are two articles in the back of the classroom. You can decide which article you choose first.

Read the article.

Take the article and fill out the vocabulary chart that is on the next slide. (Same chart for both articles).

Must have all 11 pre-selected vocabulary words in your chart, you add more as you choose.

Vocabulary ChartVocabulary Chart

New Vocabulary What I think it means.

What I KNOW it means.

1. Vitriol

2. Polarizing

3. Manic

4. Detractors

5. Epitomized

6. Deft

7. Devout

8. Feats

9. Endeavors

10. Cavalry

11. Competent

What I think it means…: this is based on the context of the article. By looking at the words around the new vocabulary word and the meaning of the sentence, what do you think it means?

What I KNOW it means: look in the dictionary and find out FOR SURE what the word means.

Underneath your chart, write each word in a new sentence that you create now that you know the meaning.

Context Clues in Feature ArticlesContext Clues in Feature Articles

After filling out your chart and writing your sentences. Take your first post-it note and fill it out for one of the articles.

Repeat with 2nd article

Post It Note (1 for each article)1.Title of Article2. Type of feature

article3. Reason 1 why it is

that type4. Reason 2 why it is

that type.

Happy Valentine’s DayHappy Valentine’s Day

http://vimeo.com/33698394

What are the themes from the documentary?

Based on those themes, what types of feature articles could you create?

Respond to the documentary by writing a 2-columned, 5-paragraph feature article. Based on what we’ve already covered and the example you have beside you do the best you can.

Use 5 of our new vocabulary from yesterday.

Text Features Text Features

Text Features for Feature Text Features for Feature ArticlesArticles

As we discuss the 12 types of text features that a writer can use in feature articles, take detailed notes using your note taking guide: What is the text feature? How does it enhance an

article.

Draw It!Draw It!

As we cover these text features, you will create an example as we go.

Draw a fake feature article, taking up a whole piece of paper and add each type of text feature in some way as we go along.

Headings: Title of entire feature article

Subheading: Titles for each section within the feature article.

Fonts: You can use various fonts to add style or set a certain mood/tone in your feature article.

Bullets: organizing information by separating related information.

Pictures/Drawings: Can add emotion, feeling and a personal connection for the reader. Visual representation for visual learners.

Text Boxes: allow you to add words anywhere on page

Color Ink: Adds dimensions to your feature article. Make it visually appealing.

Italics, Underlining, & Bold Font: adds to visual effect and can make certain words or portions stand out.

All Caps: adds emotion to your writing. Can make you seem very passionate, excited, or angry. Will make a word or portion really STAND OUT!!!

Text Features for Feature Text Features for Feature ArticlesArticles

You will receive an example feature article entitled “Dealing with Bullies”

Read the entire article

Find two text features used in this article1. On your own paper Identify the two

text features you found2. Explain the purpose of each text

feature you have found and how it enhances the article (2 separate paragraphs).

Text Features for Feature Text Features for Feature ArticlesArticles

Using your Macbook, you must choose from the provided websites and find 5 examples of text features within feature articles. Write/Document:

1. The website title2. Article title 3. Text feature 4. How it is used to help the article.

(each a different type of text feature)

WebsitesWebsites

www.npr.org www.nytimes.com www.time.com http://www.tennessean.com/ http://online.wsj.com/home-

page

Fact vs. OpinionFact vs. Opinion

Fact vs. Opinion Quiz Write F or O beside each

statement for Fact or Opinion

For all opinions, circle the word or words that signal the opinion.

Fact vs. OpinionFact vs. Opinion

a factual statement can be verified or proven to be true.

An opinion statement is a personal judgment or an expression of someone’s beliefs or feelings. Can be disagreed with. The word “should” can be a clue to identifying a

statement of opinion.

An opinion is how you THINK, FEEL, or, BELIEVE (motions).

DiscussionDiscussion

The moon is made of blue cheese.

The lights are above the desks.

My favorite color is blue.

There should be a door on every house.

We need oxygen to survive.

Fact/Opinion ActivityFact/Opinion Activity

In pairs, search through the provided newspapers and magazines to find: 5 examples of facts 5 examples of opinions

Cut out and paste examples onto your paper.

JOURNAL: What do all three of these pictures have in common?

LEAD

- the beginning of your feature article.

- leads the reader into a feature article.

- attention-getting

Vocab columnVocab column

What are some attention-getting techniques?

Descriptions, interesting facts, stories, questions, or summaries

There are 3 different types of leads. Summary Creative Punch

We are going to look at an example of each and I would like each of you to come up with your own definition of each type of lead.

“The purchase of new school buses will strain

next year’s budget,” school board president

Kathy Barr announced at the March 18th board

meeting.

Summary LeadSummary Lead

Based on the above example write your own definition of a summary lead.

Not even subzero temperatures could stop progress. With a thud, bulldozers churned the icy earth, beginning work on the new performance center.

Creative LeadCreative Lead

Based on the above example write your own definition of a creative lead.

Eastmont cooks serve nearly 500 pounds of pasta each week for lunch.

Punch LeadPunch Lead

Based on the above example write your own definition of a punch lead.

Lead Activity 1Lead Activity 1

Using a laptop, you will go to this online news site and find an example of each type of lead in three separate articles.

On your own paper you will answer the following for each of the three articles you find:1. Title of Article2. Type of lead3. Defend why this article portrays that type of lead.

Number 1: www.teentribune.com

Number 2: www.tennessean.com

Number 3: www.npr.org

Create 3 leads (one of each type) for your favorite fairy tales. Ex. The Three Little Pigs, Snow White and

the Seven Dwarfs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears…

Just in case you’re having a difficult time coming up with examples of fairy tales. Here are a few helpful links: www.ivyjoy.com/fables www.cs.cmu.edu/~spok/grimmtmp/

Make sure to label what type of lead each is.

Writing a leadWriting a lead

A human’s hair can easily support the weight of a man according to Nathan Harshman, Assistant Professor of Physics at American University in Washington, DC. This fact confirms the hair-raising story of a young girl trapped in a tower in a land far, far away.

Type of lead: Creative

RapunzelRapunzel

Feature Article ProjectFeature Article Projecthttp://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/http://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/

On large pieces of posterboard, you are going to, in groups, write a feature article that has a great lead and is focusing on an interesting topic.

Just like in many real feature articles, you are going to have the story wrapping around a picture. ONLY this isn’t a normal picture, it will be a live action

picture, Harry Potter style, with props and action.

Title

Story

Live action picture

Feature Article ProjectFeature Article Project

You will decide together what your topic, heading, and subheadings will be. Each subheading will be an individual feature article.

Each group member must be assigned one of the subheadings to compose. Make sure you have dialogue with one another over what to cover so that the whole story flows well.

Actors then need to be assigned for your real life picture as well as the motions and speaking parts they will be performing.

(project worth 50 pts)