Newspaper Templates for Google Docs

A fun and engaging way to assess student knowledge and application is to allow students to create a project based on any given topic.  A common project for students at all grade levels is to create their own newspaper.  The following link offers templates for Google documents for students of all ability levels.  Working in pairs or individually students can create their own newspapers based on social studies and science topics (expository writing), review of books, an op-ed (opinion/argumentative), or report on current events (expository, cause/effect).  Printing and displaying on walls, creating online portfolios of work, and peer sharing are some ways to disseminate their work.

Please let me know how these work out for you.  I would love to see the student's work and share some pictures of their work here.

Be well.

ASCD Express Vol. 12 Issue 24, August 24, 2017

Here are some great articles on argumentative, persuasive, writing from the online publication ASCD Express.
(Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development)

Well-Argued Writing

Rather than an act of domination, a good argument can be "an invitation to collaborate, to reason together and, perhaps, to find and inhabit common ground," writes Notre Dame English professor John Duffy. This issue will look at how teachers, in all subject areas, are helping students approach argument writing with a sense of inquiry—generating relevant theses or claims that are supported with clear reasoning and vetted evidence. Use the many tools and activities in this issue to help your students judge and deliver sound arguments.

Features

Thesis Writing Activities: Blocks, Graphic Organizers, and Superman

Corey Thornblad and Gretchen Hazlin

Just like students write hypotheses in science class, they should be writing evidence-based thesis statements in early grades. These activities inject hands-on fun and a sense of play into what can be a daunting task.

State Your Case (as Seen on TV)

John Hayward

A well-argued paragraph is like a court case. Any weakness in evidence, research, and organization can cost one side the whole trial. Here's how to help students build a case, one body paragraph at a time.

The Game of Why

Jessica F. Handley

In this interactive, scaffolded, prewriting activity, teachers build the expectation that students will use evidence—not ego—to make strong and compelling justifications for their arguments. By turning "why" questions into a game, teachers help students become more confident and capable writers.