Sports Journalism Lesson Plan: Writing News, Features & Editorials

Transform your language arts or journalism class into a bustling newsroom with this engaging lesson plan on sports reporting. Students will learn to differentiate between a factual news report, a narrative feature article, and a persuasive editorial. Through interactive activities like analyzing video clips and a creative 'press conference' game, learners will explore how to report on one event from three unique perspectives. This lesson plan is perfect for developing critical thinking, media literacy, and versatile writing skills, culminating in students crafting their own sports article.

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Sports Reporter for a Day: Crafting News, Features, and Editorials

Student: Aira Marie

Subject: Language Arts / Journalism

Materials Needed

  • A computer or tablet with internet access and word processing software (like Google Docs or MS Word)
  • A notebook and pen or pencil for brainstorming
  • Access to sports news websites (e.g., ESPN, The Athletic, local news sports sections)
  • A short, exciting sports video clip (approx. 1-2 minutes). Example: a dramatic last-second play, a record-breaking race, or a major upset.
  • An online story dice roller (like rollthedice.online/en/dice/story) or physical Story Cubes if available.
  • "Reporter's Role Cards" printable (or simply write the prompts below in a notebook).

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, Aira Marie will be able to:

  • Differentiate between the purpose, tone, and structure of a sports news report, a feature article, and an editorial.
  • Analyze a single sports event from three different journalistic perspectives.
  • Create an outline and a compelling headline for each of the three article types.
  • Write a short, well-structured sports article in a style of her choice (news, feature, or editorial).

Lesson Activities

Part 1: The Warm-Up (10 minutes)

  1. Watch the Action: Together, watch the pre-selected exciting sports video clip. Watch it once for enjoyment, and a second time to notice details.
  2. Initial Report: After watching, ask Aira Marie the following three questions. Have her jot down her answers.
    • "Just the facts! What is the single most important thing that happened here? Who was involved? Where and when did it happen?" (This primes her for a News mindset).
    • "Think about the people. What emotions do you think the main athlete was feeling? What might their journey to this moment have been like?" (This primes her for a Feature mindset).
    • "What's your 'hot take'? Do you think the final play was brilliant, lucky, or unfair? What should the losing team do next?" (This primes her for an Editorial mindset).
  3. Connecting the Dots: Explain that she just acted like three different types of sports reporters! Her answers correspond to the three main types of sports articles we will explore today: News (the facts), Feature (the story), and Editorial (the opinion).

Part 2: The Playbook - Understanding the Roles (15 minutes)

Briefly go over the three types of articles, using sports analogies to make them clear. You can pull up one example of each online to look at together.

  • The News Report (The "Play-by-Play")

    Purpose: To inform objectively and quickly. It answers the 5 Ws: Who, What, When, Where, Why (and How).

    Tone: Factual, direct, and unbiased.

    Key Feature: Uses the "inverted pyramid" structure—most important information comes first!

  • The Feature Article (The "Player Profile")

    Purpose: To tell a deeper human-interest story. It goes beyond the game to explore a person, a theme, or a behind-the-scenes narrative.

    Tone: Descriptive, narrative, and often emotional. It uses storytelling techniques.

    Key Feature: A creative "hook" to draw the reader in. It doesn't have to start with the most important fact.

  • The Editorial (The "Commentator's Corner")

    Purpose: To persuade the reader to agree with a specific opinion or argument. It is a "hot take" supported by evidence and reasoning.

    Tone: Persuasive, passionate, and subjective. Uses strong, argumentative language.

    Key Feature: A clear thesis or argument stated early on, followed by supporting points.

Part 3: The Scrimmage - Interactive Press Conference (20 minutes)

This is a fast-paced creative challenge to see how a single event can be covered in three different ways.

  1. Create the Scenario: Use the online story dice roller. Roll 5-6 dice.
  2. Invent the Sport Story: As a team, quickly create a bizarre, funny, or dramatic fictional sports event based on the images rolled.
    Example Dice: A Tree, a Key, a Magnifying Glass, a Parachute, a Question Mark.
    Our Story: "During the final event of the National Tree Climbing Championship, star climber Axel Woods mysteriously lost the key to his safety harness. An investigation is now underway to find out what happened before his rival, Sally Branch, parachuted to an easy victory."
  3. Start the Press Conference: Now, Aira Marie becomes a reporter on the scene. You will give her a "Role Card" (or just call out the role) and she must quickly brainstorm what her angle would be.
    • "You're a NEWS Reporter! Go!"
      • What is your headline? (e.g., "Harness Key Vanishes in Championship Upset")
      • What are the first three questions you ask in the press conference? (Who is Axel? Where was the event? What are the official results?)
    • "Switch! You're now a FEATURE Writer! Go!"
      • What is your headline? (e.g., "The Broken Lock: Axel Woods' Lifelong Dream Slips Through His Fingers")
      • Who do you want to interview for the human story? What will you ask them about their feelings and background? (e.g., "Axel, can you describe the moment you realized the key was gone?")
    • "Switch! You're an EDITORIAL Columnist! Go!"
      • What is your headline? (e.g., "It's Time for a Change: Why the Tree Climbing League's Lack of Security is a Joke")
      • What is your strong opinion? What point are you trying to argue? (e.g., "My argument is that the league needs to implement better security to prevent potential sabotage.")

Part 4: Game Time - Become the Reporter (30 minutes)

Now it's time for Aira Marie to apply her skills to a real-world topic.

  1. Choose Your Beat: Aira Marie selects a recent real sports event she knows and is interested in. It could be a game she watched, a player transfer, or any other sports news.
  2. Pick Your Angle: She chooses ONE of the three styles to write in: News, Feature, or Editorial.
  3. Write the Article: Using a word processor, she will write a short (200-300 word) article in her chosen style. Encourage her to focus on matching the tone and structure we discussed for that specific type of writing. She must include a powerful headline.

    4. Part 5: Post-Game Analysis (10 minutes)

    1. Share the Story: Aira Marie reads her article aloud.
    2. Constructive Feedback: Discuss the article together using these questions as a guide:
      • Does the headline effectively capture the style of the article?
      • Did you successfully write from the perspective you chose (informative, narrative, or persuasive)?
      • What is the strongest part of your article?
      • Is there one sentence you could revise to make it even more powerful?
    3. Final Reflection: Ask Aira Marie, "Which type of sports writing did you find most challenging? Which did you enjoy the most, and why?"
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