WRITING AN ARTICLE FOR A CHILDREN’S MAGAZINE
Performance Standard 3B.D
Write a well-organized and coherent magazine article about an event in a children’s fiction book accordingly:
• Focusing the article: Set purpose of paper through thematic introduction, specific preview, or inductively;
maintain position/logic throughout; use an effective closing.
• Supporting main points: Support all major points with specific details; clearly develops depth; enhance
specificity through word choice.
• Organizing the article: Use a clear structure; paragraphs major points appropriately; use effective devices to
attain coherence and cohesion (e.g., transitions, pronouns, parallel structure).
• Using conventions: Uses correct sentence construction, spelling, basic subject/verb agreement, basic
punctuation and capitalization.
• Integrating text: Develops text fully for grade level; integrates ideas clearly and purposefully with in-depth,
balanced support; identify and develop lines of reasoning coherently and cohesively throughout the article.
Procedures
1.
2.
3.
In order to compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences (3B), students
should experience sufficient learning opportunities to develop the following skills:
• Use prewriting strategies to choose a topic and generate ideas (e.g., webbing, brainstorming, listing, note
taking, outlining, drafting, graphic organizers) with limited teacher assistance.
• Compose topic sentence; establish and maintain a focus.
• Organize paragraph(s) with a clear beginning, middle, and end appropriate to purpose, audience, and
context.
• Use simple transitions to connect ideas.
• Elaborate ideas through first-level supporting details (e.g., facts, description, reasons, and narration).
• Use adjectives and adverbs to enrich written language.
• Use a variety of sentence structures (e.g., simple, compound, complex) appropriately.
• Revise and edit (e.g., self or conference with peer, volunteer, or teacher).
Have students review and discuss the assessment task and how the rubric will be used to evaluate their work.
Model the activity using a familiar story. Acquaint students with the features of an article from an ageappropriate children’s magazine (e.g., Weekly Reader). Have students brainstorm to discover how to select an
event from a novel that would make a good magazine article (see examples below). Complete the steps on the
“Writing a Children’s Magazine Article” worksheet, writing the information on the board or overhead
transparency. Have students review and discuss the assessment task to be completed and how the rubric will be
used to evaluate it.
Novels
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Little House on the Prairie by
Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Nightingale by Hans
Christian Andersen
4.
5.
6.
1.
2.
1.
2.
1.
2.
Events
Wilbur wins the prize at the fair.
The first word in Charlotte's web is discovered.
The Indians come into the cabin and steal the furs that Pa had planned to use to
buy a plow and seeds for spring planting.
The government sends word that all white settlers must leave Indian Territory.
The Emperor lay near death.
The nightingale sang and revived the Emperor, saving his life.
Provide students with a selection of children’s literature from which each student will choose a novel to read
and use as the basis for a magazine article. Have the student record ideas about events that might be suitable for
his/her article as he/she reads the novel and take notes on events that might be used for the article. Each student
should complete the “Writing a Children’s Magazine Article” task sheet to prepare him/her for writing the
article.
Ask each student to pretend he/she is a reporter and write an article for a magazine giving details about one of
the novel’s events, relating it to real world events when possible.
Evaluate each student's performance using the state’s writing rubric. Add each student's scores to determine the
performance level.
ASSESSMENT 3B.D
Examples of Student Work follow
Time Requirements
• Three to five class periods
Resources
• Novels and children’s magazines
• Copies of “Writing an Article for a Children’s
Magazine” task sheet
• State Writing Rubric
Source: Adapted from Katherine Wiesolek Kuta, What a Novel Idea! Teacher Ideas Press, 1997. 1-800-237-6124.
ASSESSMENT 3B.D
WRITING AN ARTICLE FOR A CHILDREN’S MAGAZINE
NAME ________________________________________________________________ DATE _____________
#
#
#
#
Exceeds standard (must receive 28 - 32 points)
Meets standard (must receive 21 - 27 points)
Approaches standard (must receive 14 - 20 points)
Begins standard or absent (must receive 6 - 13 points)
NOTE: Use the state’s writing rubric in appendix A for this assessment.
Focus
Support
Organization
Conventions
6
Integration
5
4
3
2
1
MAJOR AND MINOR ERRORS
SENTENCE CONSTRUCTION
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Major Errors
Incorrect subject/verb
agreement
Run-on
Fragment
Omitted words that interfere
Incorrect usage
Incorrect use of common
words
Incorrect pronoun reference
Confusing tense shifts
Minor Errors
Incorrect use of connectors
between clauses
Omitted words that do not
interfere
ASSESSMENT 3B.D
USAGE
•
•
•
Minor Errors
Commas in a series, for
opening or clauses
Awkward or odd use of words/
phrases, but meaning still clear
Homonyms (its/it’s, there/their/
they’re, to/two/too)
SPELLING
Major Errors
Misspelled common words (same
misspelled word considered once)
Minor Errors
Inventive spellings for unusual or
less frequently used words
PARAGRAPH FORMAT
Major Errors
Using titles to delineate paragraphs
Numbering paragraphs
Minor Errors
Inconsistent separation of
paragraphs
PUNCTUATION/
CAPITALIZATION
Major Errors
Omission of initial caps
Common proper nouns
Missing/incorrect end punctuation
Missing or misplaced apostrophes
Minor Errors
Periods for abbreviations
NAME ______________________________________________
DATE _______________________________
WRITING A CHILDREN’S MAGAZINE ARTICLE
Student Task Sheet
Title of the novel read: ___________________________________________________________
Author of the novel read: _________________________________________________________
Choose and list below three major events from your novel and tell why they are important.
Beside the event, write the page number from the novel where the event begins.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Choose one event and write a children’s magazine article that would encourage your classmates
to read this book. Remember, all good news stories include the five W's plus the H:
Who? ________________________________________________________________________
Who? ________________________________________________________________________
What? ________________________________________________________________________
When? _______________________________________________________________________
Where? _______________________________________________________________________
Why? ________________________________________________________________________
How? ________________________________________________________________________
Choose an “attention grabbing” headline to use as a title for the article and write it below.
______________________________________________________________________________
Supply a picture, photo, or illustration to be included in the story.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Source: Adapted from Katherine Wiesolek Kuta, What a Novel Idea! Teacher Ideas Press, 1997. 1-800-237-6124.
ASSESSMENT 3B.D
"Meets" (page 1)
"Meets" (page 2)
"Meets" (page 3)
"Exceeds" (page 1)
"Exceeds" (page 2)
"Exceeds" (page 3)
"Exceeds" (page 4)