Journalism Workshop: Teaching Diverse Writing Styles & Leads

An interactive journalism lesson plan for middle and high school students. Learn to master three distinct writing styles—Op-Eds, Sports, and Sci-Tech—through voice analysis, lead writing challenges, and guided practice.

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Journalism Workshop: From the Field to the Future

Materials Needed

  • Access to news websites or physical newspapers/magazines
  • Notebook or digital document
  • Timer (phone or kitchen timer)
  • Highlighters (three different colors)
  • "The Triple Threat" Worksheet (or blank paper divided into three sections)

Learning Objectives

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

  • Identify the unique characteristics and "voice" of Op-Eds, Sports articles, and Sci-Tech reports.
  • Analyze how journalists use different tones to engage their specific audiences.
  • Write three distinct "leads" (opening paragraphs) representing each of these journalistic styles.

1. Introduction (The Hook)

The Scenario: Imagine you are the Editor-in-Chief of The Global Pulse, a trendy news outlet. Three major stories just broke: a local team won a championship in a massive upset, a new AI robot was released that can cook five-star meals, and there is a heated debate about whether schools should start at 10:00 AM.

The Challenge: You can't write all three stories the same way. If you write about the robot like a sports game, it’ll sound weird. If you write about the 10:00 AM start time like a science report, it might be boring. Today, we are going to learn how to "switch gears" between these three styles.

2. Body: The "I Do" (Expert Analysis)

Let's break down our three categories. Each has a specific "job" to do.

A. The Opinion Editorial (Op-Ed)

  • The Goal: To persuade the reader to agree with your viewpoint.
  • The Voice: Strong, passionate, and personal. It often uses "I" or "we."
  • Key Feature: The "Call to Action"—telling the reader what they should do or think.

B. The Sports Article

  • The Goal: To capture the excitement, stats, and "drama" of a physical competition.
  • The Voice: Energetic and descriptive. It uses "action verbs" (e.g., *sprinted, crushed, pivoted*).
  • Key Feature: The "5 Ws" (Who won? What happened? When? Where? Why did it matter?).

C. Science and Technology (Sci-Tech)

  • The Goal: To explain complex ideas or new inventions in a way that is easy to understand.
  • The Voice: Informative, curious, and objective. It avoids taking sides.
  • Key Feature: The "So What?" factor—explaining how this new tech or discovery changes our daily lives.

3. Body: The "We Do" (Guided Practice)

Let’s look at three "headlines" and decide which category they belong to and why. (Educator/Parent should discuss these with the student).

  1. "Why the 15-Year-Old Prodigy Just Changed Basketball Forever"
    • Style: Sports. (Clues: Basketball, prodigy, focus on a player/achievement).
  2. "How Micro-Chips in Our Clothes Could Track Our Health"
    • Style: Sci-Tech. (Clues: Micro-chips, health tracking, future discovery).
  3. "Video Games Are Actually Good For You, And Here is Why"
    • Style: Op-Ed. (Clues: Taking a stance on a debate, trying to change your mind).

Activity: Find one article online or in a paper for each category. Use your highlighters to mark one "Action Verb" in the Sports piece, one "Opinion Statement" in the Op-Ed, and one "Fact/Definition" in the Sci-Tech piece.

4. Body: The "You Do" (Independent Practice)

The Triple Threat Writing Challenge: You are going to write the "Lead" (the first 2–3 sentences) for three different stories. Use the prompts below:

  1. Sports Lead: Write about a fictional (or real) championship game between two rival schools. Focus on the energy and the final score.
  2. Sci-Tech Lead: Write about a new invention: "The Homework-Helper Helmet." Focus on how the technology works and what it does for the user.
  3. Op-Ed Lead: Write about why every 12-year-old should be allowed to vote in local elections. Focus on why your opinion is right and use persuasive language.

5. Conclusion (Closure & Recap)

Review: Reflect on your writing. Which style was the easiest for you to write? Which was the hardest?

  • Recap:
    • Op-Eds = Persuasion.
    • Sports = Action.
    • Sci-Tech = Explanation.

Final Takeaway: A great journalist is like a "voice actor"—they change their tone depending on the story they are telling to make sure the reader stays interested.

Assessment

Formative Assessment: During the "We Do" section, can the learner correctly identify the category and explain why based on the voice and goal?

Summative Assessment (Success Criteria): Review the "Triple Threat" writing leads. Check for the following:

  • Does the Sports lead use at least two strong action verbs?
  • Does the Sci-Tech lead explain a "how" or a "why"?
  • Does the Op-Ed lead state a clear point of view?

Differentiation & Adaptations

  • For Struggling Writers: Provide "Sentence Starters" (e.g., "The crowd went wild when..." for Sports, or "In my opinion, the most important thing is..." for Op-Eds).
  • For Advanced Learners: Ask them to write a "Cross-Over" piece. How would a Science reporter write about the physics of a basketball game? How would an Op-Ed writer argue against a new piece of technology?
  • Multi-Sensory Option: Record the "leads" as a 30-second podcast clip or news broadcast instead of writing them.

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