1

TEACHER NOTES: junior journo

COMPETITION

Terms 2-3, 2019

2

3

CONTENTS CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Photography ................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 COMPETITION INFORMATION ............................................................................................................................................................ 5

Prizes .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 How to enter .................................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Competition rules ........................................................................................................................................................................... 5

CLASSROOM RESOURCES .................................................................................................................................................................... 6 News unplugged: Current events, how news works, and critical and media literacy… ................................................................. 6

ORDER THE WEST FOR YOUR CLASS ................................................................................................................................................... 9 WA CURRICULUM LINKS ................................................................................................................................................................... 10

English v8.1 ................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 The Arts: Media Arts ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10

ED! SECTIONS – GUIDELINES FOR TEACHERS .................................................................................................................................... 11 KEEP WATCH – an interview with a rising star ............................................................................................................................. 11 SPOT ON – five different answers to the same question ............................................................................................................. 13 THE BUZZ – a news story about or of interest to children ........................................................................................................... 14 MAKE IT – a crafty procedure for others to follow ....................................................................................................................... 15 THE WORD – a book review to interest others ............................................................................................................................ 16 WHO? WHERE? WHAT? – a research article on a person, place or thing .................................................................................... 18 MIND GAMES – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain...................................................................................................... 19

Appendix 1 – Student notes .............................................................................................................................................................. 22 Tips for writing for ED! columns .................................................................................................................................................. 22 Keep Watch – an interview with a rising star .............................................................................................................................. 23 Spot On – five different answers to the same question .............................................................................................................. 24 The Buzz – a news story about or of interest to children ............................................................................................................. 25 Make It – a crafty procedure for others to follow ........................................................................................................................ 26 The Word – a book review to interest others .............................................................................................................................. 27 Who? Where? What? – a research article on a person, place or thing ....................................................................................... 28 Mind Games – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain ....................................................................................................... 29

Sample articles from ED! Magazine ................................................................................................................................................. 30 Keep Watch – an interview with a rising star .............................................................................................................................. 31 Keep Watch – an interview with a rising star .............................................................................................................................. 32 Spot on – five different answers to the same question ............................................................................................................... 33 The Buzz – a news story about or of interest to children ............................................................................................................ 34 The Buzz – a news story about or of interest to children ............................................................................................................ 35 The Buzz – a news story about or of interest to children ............................................................................................................ 36 Make It – a crafty procedure for others to follow ........................................................................................................................ 37 Make It – a crafty procedure for others to follow ........................................................................................................................ 38 Make It – a crafty procedure for others to follow ........................................................................................................................ 39 The Word – a book review to interest others ............................................................................................................................. 40 What? – a research article on a thing .......................................................................................................................................... 41 What? – a research article on a thing .......................................................................................................................................... 42 Who? – a research article on a person ........................................................................................................................................ 43 Who? – a research article on a person ........................................................................................................................................ 44 Where? – a research article on a place ....................................................................................................................................... 45 Where? – a research article on a place ....................................................................................................................................... 46 Mind Games – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain ....................................................................................................... 47 Mind Games – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain ....................................................................................................... 48 Mind Games – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain ....................................................................................................... 49

© Seven West Media Education 2019

4

INTRODUCTION

The junior journo competition gives students the opportunity to put their skills into practice and write one or more articles for a special edition of ED! Magazine. Students who are familiar with the magazine will know the format of each article but the following pages offer a few tips to guide them as they prepare to write their own. Most articles can be completed in class but some outside work is necessary for Keep Watch and The Buzz. All text, photos and artwork must be the students’ own work though help can be given just as it would be with regular class work.

Real purpose and audience We have designed this competition so students can write their articles with a real purpose and audience in mind, based on each sections respective style. Furthermore, winning students have the opportunity to have their entries published in The West Australian’s ED! Magazine.

WA Curriculum-linked The competition is open to primary students in Years 3-6 in WA schools. Photography

Please note the following points in regards to photography:

All photographs must be in focus and have good lighting.

If photographs are taken for the students by someone else, that person must be credited as the photographer.

All photographs must have the name of the subject or a title. They may include a short caption.

Permission to publish must be sought for all photographs taken of people. Parental permission is required if the subject is under 18 years of age.

Prior to interviews, gain permission for an interviewee to be quoted either in person or under a general term; eg. a member of the cast, the person who called the police, a lifeguard.

5

COMPETITION INFORMATION Prizes

The judges will select a range of winners from each competition category, who will each receive a $100 book voucher from Fremantle Press. Winners will be chosen on creativity and originality. Winning students might also have entry published in a special edition of The West Australian’s ED! Magazine. How to enter

Students must read the student notes for their chosen ED! section, and follow their guidelines (see Appendix 1). To be valid, entries must be:

the student’s own original work.

written according to the style of the ED! columns as outlined in the student and teacher notes.

submitted with all required elements at the time of entry

images must be scanned at minimum of 300 dpi Please note that entries must be submitted online, via the competition website. Entries close Friday September 13. Competition rules

To enter the junior journo competition, entrants must upload their artwork at https://mediaeducation.com.au/competitions/ , within the promotional period. Entries must be scanned and uploaded via this website. No alternative methods of entry will be accepted.

Entrants must include details such as to reasonably identify themselves (including name, school, email address, phone number) so that they may be contacted if they are chosen as a winner.

Image file names must be in the following format: o SCHOOL NAME-YEAR LEVEL-STUDENT NAME-UNIQUE NUMBER o Eg. BunburyPS-Yr5-RobertSmith-1.jpg

Multiple unique entries from individual students will be accepted.

No joint entries will be accepted. Please refer to the full Terms and Conditions on the competition website for further information.

6

CLASSROOM RESOURCES

Enhance your students’ understanding of how to write for the media News unplugged: Current events, how news works, and critical and media literacy…

Choose from our range of subscription programs for primary school classrooms, with integrated links to the WA Curriculum in English, HASS and Media Arts. In these programs, the newspaper becomes a ‘living textbook’ for students who can investigate, highlight, cut and paste from the newspaper to complete the activities in their own workbook. Each double-page spread in the student workbooks relates to that day’s news. No photocopying is required! The activities are designed to enable students to become critical consumers of news. Through completing the activities, students will develop the skills to consider, question, inquire and challenge reported news stories. Media Education encourages students to become informed citizens of global issues considering multiple perspectives before generating their own ideas and opinions. Comprehensive teacher notes with links to WA Curriculum are also provided with each program. Each order includes a class set of 35 copies of The West Australian for 10 days, and flexible delivery options are available – order every day for two school weeks, two delivery days for five weeks, or one day per week for the term. And it’s economical – the total cost for teachers is just $25.

7

8

9

ORDER THE WEST FOR YOUR CLASS Your students’ understanding of print journalism – and your classroom program – will be enhanced by allowing students to use the newspaper to access, cut, collect, sort, compare, interpret and analyse the articles contained within. Furthermore, the newspapers are a great way to enable you and your class to follow current events, and to support teaching and learning related to the WA Curriculum: Media Arts. The Media Education team has a range of extremely affordable offers for schools, enabling you to receive copies of The West Australian for your class. You can place an order to receive a class set* delivered to your school at these low flat-rates!

Please contact Media Education by email at info@mediaeducation.com.au or telephone 9482 3717 for further information. *Conditions apply. A class set is up to 35 copies (minimum quantities apply). Newspapers must be delivered to schools within The West Australian’s delivery network. Offer only valid during school terms.

10

WA CURRICULUM LINKS English v8.1

Strand Sub-strand

Language Language for interaction

Text structure and organisation

Expressing and developing ideas

Literature Literature and context

Responding to literature

Literacy

Interacting with others

Interpreting, analysing and evaluating

Creating texts

The Arts: Media Arts

As the students are directly writing and reporting for a newspaper magazine, they are using skills of Media Arts, including sound recording and photography.

Years F - 6 Years 7 - 10

Making Ideas Exploring ideas and improvising ways to represent ideas

Media language

Skills Developing skills and processes

Representation

Production Sharing the arts through performance, presentation or display for an audience

Production

Skills and processes

Responding

Responding to and interpreting the arts

Analysing and reflecting on intentions

11

ED! SECTIONS – GUIDELINES FOR TEACHERS KEEP WATCH – an interview with a rising star

The purpose of Keep Watch is to introduce a young talent to the readers of ED! Magazine. It involves conducting an interview with a person aged 15 – 20 who is performing at an outstanding level in a sport or art form (art, music, drama). For the junior journo edition in October, the Keep Watch article must be between 250 and 350 words. Please make sure that your students include everything that is required:

Student’s name Year level 250 – 350 words Photograph of subject

Look at samples of Keep Watch in previous editions of ED! Magazine.

Finding a subject If students do not know anyone who fits the criteria for Keep Watch, there are many after-school clubs whose

participants are involved in local, state, national and even international competitions, exhibitions or performances. By approaching the administration staff of a club, it should be possible to ask if one of their star athletes or artists would like to be interviewed, with parental permission if he or she is under the age of 18. Let the subject know the purpose of the interview and explain that if your article is chosen, he/she will be featured in the junior journo edition of ED! Magazine.

Preparing interview questions The secret to a great interview is taking the time to think of questions that will give the most enlightening answers.

Questions for the junior journo edition interview come in three sets: o those that provide basic, factual information for the lead paragraph; eg. age in October (date of publication if

selected), suburb/town where he/she lives, his/her best achievements and those that provide the more interesting information

o those that inform the reader about the subject’s involvement in the sport or art form; eg. achievements to date, training regimes, goals for the future, role models.

o those that delve deeper to find out more about his/her personality and character; eg. responses to success and failure, attitude to training, acknowledgement of support, preferred pastime, ideal holiday, favourite cuisine. These are important questions as they tell the reader something about the person behind the athlete or artist.

Keep together questions about the same topic. Think about the order of questions. Ask the most significant ones first.

Prepare about 12 questions and from these, the best eight to ten can be chosen for the Keep Watch article.

What questions to ask Students research a familiar sportsperson and present the information as a set of questions and answers.

Students imagine themselves as the interviewee. What questions could be asked to find out different things about them?

Write questions to be answered by people from history or characters from a novel.

Conducting the interview It would be best to conduct the interview where the subject trains so that action photographs can be taken afterwards.

Ensure you are both relaxed and committed to taking part in the interview.

How will the interview be recorded: video or sound recording, on phone, tablet or laptop or paper and pen? Check that all equipment is set correctly so that playback is clear.

If the interviewee gives short answers, encourage him/her to add a little more information. If typing or writing the responses, take enough time to ensure they are recorded accurately and that they will be clear after the interview.

12

Taking the photograph How will the photographs be taken: as stills or freeze-framed from a video recording?

If taking stills, take a shot in which the subject is not moving or use a fast shutter speed to capture action in focus. Take several shots and choose the best one for the article.

If someone else takes the photographs for you, cite him/her as the photographer

Review the responses Review the responses as soon as possible after the interview while it is still fresh in the mind.

If the interview was video or sound recorded, play it back and record the answers exactly as they were given.

Edit the answers to correct punctuation and spelling and write abbreviations in full.

Use the answers from the first few questions to write the lead paragraph. This should state who the subject is, what he/she does and what he/she has achieved.

Consider which questions have provided the most interesting responses that will tell the reader most about the person. Choose the best for the article.

Order the questions and answers from what you believe to be the most to the least significant.

The article requires a title. Play around with some ideas. What figurative language could you use? What play on words?

Give the photograph a title and caption

For classroom use: Appendix 1 – Student notes

Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED!

13

SPOT ON – five different answers to the same question

The idea of Spot On is to invite five children to offer their opinion on a topic of current interest or to give their response to a specific survey question. For the junior journo edition in October, each response must be between 30 and 60 words. Spot On Please make sure that your students include everything that is required:

Student’s name Year level 30 – 60 words each 5 photographs (head and shoulders)

Look at samples of Spot On in previous editions of ED! Magazine.

Think carefully about the subject before you compose the question. Is it going to elicit lots of different responses or are they likely to be very similar? The more varied the responses, the better.

To receive thoughtful responses, the subject of the question should be of interest to most children of your age; eg. a current ‘hot topic’ in the news, an exciting event occurring locally, nationally or internationally, something related to the entertainment industry.

Think carefully about the way you word the questions. Avoid questions that encourage one word answers. Devise the question so that it includes the ‘why element’, asking the participant to explain his/her answer; eg. If you were a famous inventor, what would you like to invent and why?

Invite a number of people in your class to answer your question, boys and girls.

Choose the responses that you think will be of the greatest interest to readers of ED! Magazine. Edit each one for correct grammar, punctuation and spelling.

Check the word count of each response. If it is too high or low, ask the person to amend it.

When you have chosen your five entries, take a clear photograph (head and shoulders) of the participants. Make sure they are all smiling!

For classroom use: Appendix 1 – Student notes

Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED!

14

THE BUZZ – a news story about or of interest to children

The aim of The Buzz is to write a news story that features children or which will be of interest to them. There are many local events both planned and unexpected that involve kids or are of interest to them. This is a chance for students to tell readers what cool things kids in their area are up to or what interesting things have been happening on their patch. For the junior journo edition in October, The Buzz news story must be between 300 and 400 words. The Buzz Please make sure that your students include everything that is required:

Student’s name Year level 300 – 400 words Photograph of subject Additional photographs (max. of 2)

Look at samples of The Buzz in previous editions of ED! Magazine.

Keep a sharp eye and ear out for information in the media about locally occurring events in which kids are involved or which may be of interest to them; eg. an organised charity fun run.

Be aware of other students in your school or club who may be involved in something special that is worthy of reporting; eg. someone who has won a prestigious award.

Be prepared to drop everything and race to the site of an unexpected event that will provide a great story; eg. stranded whales on the beach.

Take lots of photographs that will later help you to recall the event and write the story.

Complete a 5 Ws chart that explains the what, where, when, why and who of the event.

For planned events, prepare a set of questions to ask various people; eg. participants, onlookers, audience, volunteers. Consider the type of event and its purpose so that questions are specific rather than random. The 5Ws chart should help here.

Examples of questions: How did they get involved? Did they have to prepare for it? What have they had to do? Are there any future events? What happens next? What is the history of the event and how has it evolved? What did they think of the event? How will people benefit from it? What work was involved ‘behind the scenes’? How did it happen? Why/how do you think it happened?

Ask each interviewee for permission to quote him/her.

Ask permission to take photographs of interviewees and other people involved in the event. Choose the best one to include in the story.

Writing the article Look at all the information you have acquired about the event. Decide how you want to arrange it in the story. Does it

need sub-headings? Does it require any tables, maps or diagrams?

Separate interview responses into two groups, those offering opinions and those giving facts.

Decide which quotes to use. It is not necessary to include a full quote. Highlight key words and phrases and cross out irrelevant information. Include only the key words and phrases and the words that connect them. Use ellipsis to show words that have been omitted.

Include the name of the interviewee or, if he/she prefers, a general term that describes his/her role; eg. a bystander, one of the dancers.

Study the photographs. Do they provide any additional information? Which ones can be included in the article in addition to those quoted?

Write a name or a title and caption for any photographs included.

Write a first draft of the article. Use only facts and correct English. Edit for layout, punctuation and spelling.

Write a lead paragraph to introduce the story. This is a general statement about the subject that draws the reader in to read the whole article.

Play around with some ideas for a short, sharp, snappy title. What figurative language could you use? What play on words?

For classroom use: Appendix 1 – Student notes

Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED!

15

MAKE IT – a crafty procedure for others to follow

The challenge of the Make It article is to write a detailed procedure for readers to follow and create a crafty piece of work. The article must reflect something the students have made themselves and through that process, identified the materials required and the steps involved. For the junior journo edition in October, the Make it article can be no more than 300 words. The article is written in the form of a procedure with four specific features; the title, an introductory sentence, the list of materials required and the instructions for construction. A photograph of the finished item is required and others (a maximum of two) of different steps along the way may also be useful. Make it Please make sure that your students include everything that is required:

Student’s name Year level Maximum of 300 words Photograph of finished product Additional photographs (max. of 2)

Look at samples of Make It in previous editions of ED! Magazine.

Title: The title for a Make It article is simply the name of the item being made.

Introductory sentence: This includes how the item can be used, who might use it and why it is useful.

Materials: Although written as one list, with dot points for each item, the list comprises two parts: firstly, materials specific to the construction of the item followed by one of general items; eg. scissors, glue, tape.

The specific materials are usually listed in the order they are first used. If appropriate, alternatives can also be listed plus any additional information that may be useful.

Instructions: When writing instructions, it is important to be clear, precise and include only essential information. Assume that the audience has no knowledge of the process, so every single step must be recorded.

o Number each step. o Write each step in chronological order. o Use a command verb with an adverb if required to begin each instruction. o A brief explanation may be included to clarify an instruction, or a tip to assist construction. o Start a new line for each step of the instructions. o Position photographs illustrating different steps in the appropriate places.

For classroom use: Appendix 1 – Student notes

Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED!

16

THE WORD – a book review to interest others

The purpose of The Word is to write a book review that will help readers make a decision about choosing to read the book, to give an outline of the story and to give a personal recommendation. For junior journo, the book review must be between 150 and 200 words. The Word Please make sure that your students include everything that is required:

Student’s name Year level 150 – 200 words The book’s cover image

Look at samples of The Word in previous editions of ED! Magazine.

Facts about the book The title – What is the name of the book?

o In a book review, it is only necessary to record the title of the book, but this is also an ideal time to discuss the purpose and importance of a book’s title.

o What are the characteristics of book titles? What does an author do to make the title of a book appealing to a prospective audience? What information does a title suggest about the storyline or contents of the book?

o Take a selection of popular titles to discuss. Suggest different titles for each book. Take a vote to determine the most popular alternative titles. Discuss why they were chosen.

The author – Who wrote the book? o The student only needs to record the author’s name for the book review, but this is also an opportunity for

them to discuss favourite authors. A student’s familiarity with different authors and their styles can assist him/her when writing the personal recommendation.

o Who are the students’ most popular authors? Which authors of fiction write series of books in which the same characters feature in all books? Who writes ‘one-off’ books? Which authors are known for writing particular genres?

o Create a ‘Most Popular Authors’ display. Write a biography of each author and compile a list of all their books for children.

The illustrator – Who drew the pictures in the book? o Not every book has illustrations but for those that do, the illustrator must be acknowledged. No other

information is required but through discussion and studying the work of different illustrators, students will begin to recognise their styles and appreciate the added value they give to books. This will be of assistance to them when writing the personal recommendation.

o How important are illustrations in a book? Do all books need illustrations? Who are some popular/famous illustrators? Can an author’s book be recognised by the illustrator’s style?

o Create a ‘Famous Illustrators’ display. Write a biography of each illustrator including the authors with whom he or she has worked. Compile a list of books each illustrator has worked on.

The publisher – Who agreed to take the author’s manuscript and put it into print? o By investigating the role of the publisher, students will discover that being a writer does not just involve sitting

at a computer and turning the fruits of a good imagination into a ripping yarn. o Where in the book can you find out who published it? What are some well-known publishing houses? Who

publishes the students’ most popular books? o Create a chart with the name of a publishing house at the head of each column. In each column, write the

authors who have had their work published by that company. o Investigate the process from an author’s idea for a story to the book appearing on the bookshelves of a book

store or online. Create a flow chart to show the process and all the jobs involved. o Research a favourite author. Discover his/her personal publishing journey from manuscript to book shelf.

17

As the genre and style are important factors to consider when choosing a book, they can also be included in a book review.

The genre – What is the category that defines the type of book it is? o The broadest classification of books is fiction and non-fiction. Within the fiction category, genres include

historical, science fiction, contemporary. Within the non-fiction category, genres include biographies, guide books, dictionaries, journals.

The style – How is the text written and organised? o In most fiction books for independent readers, the narrative is written in prose. Other styles include graphic

novels and various forms of poetry. In non-fiction books the narrative is usually written in prose but the page will be organised to include subheadings and appropriate graphic organisers.

Outline of the story - fiction The key to writing a good outline for a fiction book is to give enough information about the story without giving away

too much. While the outline can be descriptive it should remain objective.

It is often the hardest part of the book review to write. How much information is enough and when does it become too much?

It may help to draw a story map that shows all the events and outcomes of the story. Then, cross out all the events that the book review should not reveal. Use the information left on the story map to answer the following questions.

Use the information in the answers to compose the outline

When and where is the story set?

Who are the main characters?

What is the main plot?

Are there any sub-plots?

End this part of the book review with a question that points to how the story might end.

Outline of the contents – non-fiction There are many genres of non-fiction book, organised in many ways to suit specific purposes. How the information is

organised affects the accessibility of that information and so it should be referred to in a book review.

Non-fiction books include a contents page which can be used to suggest examples of subjects to be included in the review.

Compare a selection of different non-fiction books. How are their layouts the same and different? What are their advantages and disadvantages? Suggest ways to summarise them.

Discuss the features of each type of page layout; eg. sub-headings, maps, tables and diagrams and give opinions on their advantages and disadvantages.

Display different non-fiction books in similar groups based on how the information is organised.

Personal recommendation Every reader is entitled to his or her opinion of a book. Because everyone has different opinions about what makes a

good story or a good reference book, it is important to give evidence to support an opinion.

Evidence supporting a reader’s negative comments may be the very thing that encourages someone else to read or use the book. So even a negative review can have a positive outcome!

Ask students to give their opinions on three random books: one they really liked, one for which they had no strong opinion and one they really disliked.

Give evidence to support each opinion, evidence that would help another decide whether or not read the book.

Compare different opinions of the same books. What does this say about the type of books the different students like to read?

A personal recommendation should also include a suggested age range for whom the book may be suitable.

For classroom use: Appendix 1 – Student notes

Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED!

18

WHO? WHERE? WHAT? – a research article on a person, place or thing

The idea of the Who is? / Where is? / What is? article is to research a subject that will be of interest to the reader. It may be a person, place or thing from the past or the present. For junior journo, the Who is? / Where is? / What is? article must be between 300 and 400 words. Who? Where? What? Please make sure that your students include everything that is required:

Student’s name Year level 300 – 400 words Photographs (max. 3)

Look at samples of Who is? / Where is? / What is? in previous editions of ED! Magazine.

Research It is important that students take notes from a range of reputable resources especially if they are using internet websites. This helps them to verify information. Before they begin, students may want to brainstorm to create a chart with headings that suggest different things they can find out about their subject. As they research, students make notes under each heading. These can be the sub-headings in the final article. Determine the most appropriate form to present the information; eg. bullet points, graphic organiser, sentences. Decide on photographs and illustrations to include with the article.

Writing the article Edit the notes and write the information in the chosen form under each sub-heading. Photographs should have their own title and if necessary a caption. Permission must be sought from the photographer, and his or her name included, if someone else’s photographs are used. An article requires a lead paragraph. This is a general statement that invites the reader to continue reading. The vocabulary should hint at the article’s appeal and make the reader want to find out more. Use appropriate figurative language to make the title short, snappy and eye-catching while still informing the reader of the article content.

For classroom use: Appendix 1 – Student notes

Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED!

19

MIND GAMES – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain

The challenge of the Mind Games feature is to encourage the reader to think laterally with a selection of different puzzles. For the junior journo edition in October, you must submit three puzzles for the Mind Games.

One puzzle must be a crossword with a maximum of eight clues.

The other two can be of any style, housed within a maximum area of 10 cm x 12 cm.

Each of the puzzles should have a unique set of clues / answers. The size of the puzzles must be large enough for readers to record answers, if required. Mind games Please make sure that your students include everything that is required:

Student’s name Year level 1 crossword 2 other puzzles Solutions to all puzzles

Look at samples of Mind Games in previous editions of ED! Magazine.

Crossword puzzle Before you begin:

Aim to create a compact puzzle in which the answers have many common letters that can be used in the across and the down strips.

Try to achieve a balance in numbers of across and down clues.

Aim for a mixture of short, medium and long length words. This helps when putting the puzzle together. Only use words that are 3-7 letters for the answers.

Constructing the puzzle:

Decide on the eight puzzle clues. They may be random or linked to a theme.

Ensure the answers are facts that can be verified.

Check that your answers are correct and spelt correctly.

Using squared paper, try several ways to arrange the answers to achieve the most compact grid. Hint: start with the longest word first, either across or down.

Letters of different words can only touch at the intersection of across and down answers.

Struggling to fit an answer in? Look at the puzzle so far and see if a word can be made. If so, think of a question for which this word is the answer.

To number the answers, use a ruler to cover all but the first row of squares. Number the first letter of each new word, starting from 1, from left to right. Move the ruler down row by row, numbering each ‘first letter’ letters. Look at puzzles in previous ED! Magazines to see how this works.

From the numbered answers, arrange the clues in order under Across and Down.

If two clues, an across and a down, have the same starting letter, there will not be a Number 8 clue. Instead, these two clues will have the same number.

Other puzzles The other two puzzles can be of your choice. Choose from examples used in previous editions of ED! Magazine or include new ones. All clues and other content must have been researched and devised by you. Before you submit your entries, ask family and friends to test them to make sure they work. Remember to include the solution to each puzzle.

20

Here are some more examples:

Word find How many words can you find in the square?

Score points for the number of letters in each word you find. One point for three-letter words up to six points for eight-letter words.

Words can be found horizontally, from left and right; vertically, from up and down; diagonally, from left and right.

For your puzzle, a maximum of an 8 x 8 square.

Make lists of 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7- and 8-letter words. These may be random or topic based.

Try different ways to place them in a grid so that you use as many words as possible.

With any gaps, add random letters but if possible, choose ones that will make other words.

U E K A N S R T

S L U G T E N H

E G G S T A G I

R A L T H C O N

L E O P A R D G

E A E T R A T E

T L E D E E S R

E E K S N B K D

Find the missing numbers In the shape there should be 15 numbers between 4 and 102. When ordered from smallest to largest, the pattern

shows an increase of 7 each time; but some of the numbers are missing. Which numbers are they?

For your puzzle, choose a random starting number and a number to add or subtract each time.

Continue until you have 15 numbers. Choose five to remove. Place the ten remaining numbers randomly within the shape.

Find the function Place the functions in the number string to make it correct.

You are given a string of numbers and a selection of functions. The functions are placed between the numbers to make the number string correct.

eg. Insert these functions to make the following number string correct: + 8, - 6, x 3, ÷ 6

4 = 12 = 2 = 10 = 4

SOLUTION:

4 x 3 = 12 ÷ 6 = 2 + 8 = 10 - 6 = 4

For your puzzle, keep to one and two digit numbers in the number string and one digit numbers in the functions. Use a maximum of eight functions.

32 53 102 81 11 60 25 4 46 88

21

What’s the pattern? Find the pattern in the sequence of numbers or letters. Write the next two in the sequence.

What are the next two elements in this sequence of numbers? 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 16, _ , _ o The next two in the sequence are 22 and 29. What’s the pattern? o Look for the difference between consecutive numbers: + 1, + 2, + 3, + 4, +5 o The pattern is, the difference between numbers increases by one each time.

What are the missing elements in this sequence of letters? J, F, _ , A, M, _ , J, A, S, _ , N, D o This is not strictly a pattern but do you recognise the sequence? o The letters are the first letter of each month of the year, so the missing elements are: M, J, O. o For your puzzle, give between six and ten elements of the sequence and ask for a maximum of three elements

to continue or complete the sequence.

For classroom use: Appendix 1 – Student notes

Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED!

22

Appendix 1 – Student notes

Tips for writing for ED! columns

23

Keep Watch – an interview with a rising star Thousands of kids take part in sporting or performing arts activities outside school and many are achieving great things at state, national and even international level. How do they cope with the demands of such high level performance? What motivates them? Who inspires them? What are their dreams for the future? Here’s your chance to find out what it feels like to be a reporter interviewing a celebrity! Find a local hero and spend a while finding out what makes him/her tick. The word count for the interview is between 250 and 350 words. Finding a subject You may already know of someone but if not, ask your parents or teacher to suggest clubs / organisations where you may find a willing candidate. Let him/her know that if you win this competition, he/she will be featured in the special junior journo edition of ED! Magazine. Who could refuse such great publicity? Preparing interview questions A great interviewer is one that asks great questions. Readers will want to know how he/she arrived at their current level, who helped him/her and what he/she hopes to achieve in the future. They will also be interested in the person behind the activity. Phrase your questions so your subject gives you this information. You will also need some ‘basic information’ including name, age and achievements to date.

Conducting the interview It is best to conduct the interview where you can also take photographs of the subject performing. Will you record the interview manually or electronically? If electronically, make sure that all your equipment works and is fully charged. Bring all leads with you, just in case! Remember to take the name of anyone you interview and get his/her permission to record and quote him/her in your article. Taking the photograph You need permission for any photographs taken and, if someone takes the photos for you, you must include his/her name. All photographs submitted to the competition must be in focus so make sure your camera and photography skills are capable of taking moving shots. If in doubt, take a still shot. Reviewing the responses Review the responses as soon as possible while the interview is still fresh in your mind. Type all answers just as they were given. Edit them for spelling and grammar. Write any abbreviations in full. Writing the article Write the lead paragraph introducing the subject and stating his/her current achievements. Order the questions/answers from the most to least informative and select which ones to keep or discard. Write a catchy title to draw the reader’s eyes to the article.

Keep Watch checklist Please make sure you include everything that is required:

Your name Your school year 250 – 350 words Photograph of subject

24

Spot On – five different answers to the same question Here’s an opportunity to give five of your friends the chance to have their say and either offer their opinion about a world event or give a response to a specific survey question. It’s up to you to choose the question but each response must be between 30 and 60 words. Choosing the question Think of a topic that your friends and fellow students would be interested in. It could be a current ‘hot topic’ in the news, an exciting event occurring locally, nationally or internationally or something related to the entertainment industry. Ask a question that requires thought and will give lots of different answers and explanations for them. Asking the question You can only include five people in your entry, but you need to ask several people the question so you can choose the five best responses. What would be the best way to record their answers? Reviewing the responses Read through each response. Put aside any you are sure you won’t use. Look at the rest carefully and choose the best five. Taking the photographs When the five responses have been selected, take a head and shoulders shot of each person.

Spot On checklist Please make sure you include everything that is required:

Your name Your school year 30 – 60 words each 5 head and shoulders photographs

25

The Buzz – a news story about or of interest to children You’ll need to keep your eyes and ears open to enter this competition. Like a regular reporter, you’ll need to sniff out a story that’s happening somewhere near you and be an ‘at the scene’ reporter, or you could write about something really cool that has happened recently such as a young person winning a state, national or international competition. The story must be about or of interest to readers of your age, and one that you would enjoy reading. The word count is between 300 and 400 words. Reporting on the story Reporting electronically allows you to talk as you go, describing the scene. It also makes it easier to conduct interviews. Remember to take the name of anyone you interview and get his/her permission to record and quote him/her in your article. Find out the 5 Ws of the event; Who? What? Where? When? Why? You may be able to answer some questions yourself but for others you will need to interview people. You may receive different answers to the same questions. That could make a very interesting article! Photographs Take photos of the scene and of all individuals interviewed, asking permission for photographs to be taken and used, or ask those interviewed to send good quality photos to you (including the name of the photographer, and the photographer’s permission to use the photos).

Transcribing the report Listen to your report a few times and then start to type it. Listen. Pause. Write. Repeat this until the whole report has been transcribed. Listen to the report again, at the same time reading your transcript. The two should be identical. Writing the report Decide how you want to present the information and which quotes to use. If you have used someone’s quote, include his/her photograph. Write the first draft. Edit for layout, spelling and punctuation. From all the information you have acquired about the event, write a lead paragraph to introduce the story. This is a general statement about the subject that draws the reader in to read the whole article. Finally, conjure up a creative title that will cry out to the reader!

The Buzz checklist Please make sure you include everything that is required:

Your name Your school year 300 – 400 words Photograph of subject Additional photographs (max. of 2)

26

Make It – a crafty procedure for others to follow Do you have any crafty ideas you would like to share with other ED! readers? Well, here’s your chance. The secret to writing a good procedure is to actually do the task as you write. The maximum word count is 300 words. Materials First of all, gather all the materials and tools you’ll need. Arrange items in the order they are first used. Record the materials in this order as dot points. Instructions Starting with a command verb, record and number each step as you complete it. You may wish to take some photographs along the way that will help to explain an instruction. Take several photographs of the finished item. Testing the procedure Ask someone to follow your instructions to make the item. Watch them carefully. You may realise that you have missed some small steps. Edit your procedure to include any missing steps. Title The title can be simply the name of the item being made. Introductory sentence Explain how, when, why and by whom the item could be used.

Make It checklist Please make sure you include everything that is required:

Your name Your school year Maximum of 300 words Photograph of finished product Additional photographs (max. of 2)

27

The Word – a book review to interest others You must surely have read a really great book that you’d like others to try; or maybe, you’ve read a really terrible one that you’d want them to avoid! You can choose which type of book to review but remember, you need to justify your opinions. A book review has three main parts: facts about the books, an outline of the story, taking care not to spoil any surprises, and a personal recommendation. In a non-fiction book review, the outline of the story is replaced by an outline of the book’s contents and layout. The book review must be between 150 and 200 words and you must include an image of the book’s cover. Facts about the book This is where you record the title, the author, and illustrator if appropriate, and the publisher. Do you know where to find details of the publisher? It’s somewhere at the front of the book! You may also wish to include the genre; eg. fantasy, science-fiction, historical and style; eg. prose, poetry, graphic novel. Outline of the story You want to give a suggestion of the plot without giving away any secrets. Outline a little of the plot and name the role of the main characters. Make it sound exciting so the readers want to find out more. Use descriptive phrases to whet their literary appetites! End this part of the review with a question that can only be answered by reading the book.

Outline of contents and layout There are many genres of non-fiction book, organised to suit the purpose, from dictionaries and telephone directories to atlases and encyclopaedia. How the information is organised affects how easily a person can access the information – its ‘user-friendliness’. Non-fiction books generally include a contents page which can be used to suggest examples of subjects to be included in the review. Personal recommendation Because we all love to read different genres, any book review with justified opinions will help someone decide whether or not to read a book, so take this part of the review seriously. You may have given reasons against a book, but for someone who enjoys that genre, those reasons may be what makes it the perfect book for him/her.

The Word checklist Please make sure you include everything that is required:

Your name Your school year 150 – 200 words The book’s cover image

28

Who? Where? What? – a research article on a person, place or thing John Logie Baird, Iguazu Falls, the Large Hadron Collider – who, where, what are these people / things? You may or may not know the answers. You may not even be interested to find out, but if someone researched each one and wrote three interesting articles, you may change your mind! Your challenge in Who is? / Where is? / What is? is to research and write an article of between 300 and 400 words on something your friends and fellow students would find interesting and enjoy reading. Choosing a topic Choose a topic that you are interested in. Your enthusiasm will shine through and help you write a better article. Brainstorm to create a chart of headings to give you a focus for your research. Researching Make notes under each heading which can be the sub-headings of the final article. Choose photographs and images to include in the article.

Writing the article

Read the notes under each heading and rewrite as a number of cohesive sentences to form one or two paragraphs. Decide which sub-headings are the most important and re-order as necessary.

Write a lead paragraph that draws the reader into the article, encouraging him/her to find out more.

Use interesting factual language to create a short and snappy title.

Who? Where? What? checklist Please make sure you include everything that is required:

Your name Your school year 300 – 400 words Photographs (max. 3)

29

Mind Games – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain Everyone enjoys spending a little time testing their powers of logic and lateral thinking to solve a few puzzles. Your challenge is to write three of them! One must be a crossword but the other two can be of your choice. Remember to include the puzzle solutions with your entry, and that your clues / answers must be different for each type of puzzle. Crossword puzzle

The crossword can have a maximum of eight clues. Make sure your answers are spelt correctly.

Aim to create a compact puzzle in which many letters of each word are shared. Only use words with 3-7 letters.

Examine puzzles in ED! Magazine to discover how the Across and Down clues are written and the squares numbered.

Ask someone to test your puzzle and edit it if necessary.

Other puzzles

The other two puzzles must fit within a maximum area of 10 x 12 cm.

Each of the puzzles should have a unique set of no more than 10 clues /

Look at past copies of ED! Magazine for puzzle ideas or find puzzles of your own to include. All questions and examples used must be your own suggestions and not copied from anywhere else.

Mind games Please make sure that your students include everything that is required:

Your name Your school year 1 crossword 2 other puzzles Solutions to all puzzles

30

Sample articles from

ED! Magazine

31

Keep Watch – an interview with a rising star

32

Keep Watch – an interview with a rising star

33

Spot on – five different answers to the same question

34

The Buzz – a news story about or of interest to children

35

The Buzz – a news story about or of interest to children

36

The Buzz – a news story about or of interest to children

37

Make It – a crafty procedure for others to follow

38

Make It – a crafty procedure for others to follow

39

Make It – a crafty procedure for others to follow

40

The Word – a book review to interest others

41

What? – a research article on a thing

42

What? – a research article on a thing

43

Who? – a research article on a person

44

Who? – a research article on a person

45

Where? – a research article on a place

46

Where? – a research article on a place

47

Mind Games – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain

48

Mind Games – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain

49

Mind Games – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain