Writing the opening of an article on ‘The Speckled Band’ case
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can create an effective opening for a newspaper article about Julia Stoner’s death.
Key learning points
- An article opening begins a newspaper article
- The opening must contain main information about the event
- The main information about an event covers the who, what, where, when and why of the event
- You should be as precise as possible when reporting on the who, what, where, when and why of an event
Keywords
Opening - An opening is the beginning section of a text.
Interview - An interview is a conversation between two or more people where one party is asked questions about something.
Speculation - Speculation is a theory or idea formed about something without the full concrete evidence.
Common misconception
Details of a crime can be reported in any part of an article.
Explain to students that more and more information is revealed as an article develops.
Teacher tip
Students could be challenged to edit their opening depending on their target reader.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is purpose of a headline for a newspaper article?
Q2.What must a subheading be when used in a newspaper article?
Q3.Which headline uses a pun?
Q4.'Tasty new pastry lands in shops!' Which technique does this headline use?
Q5.What comes after the headline and subheading in a newspaper article?
Q6.Which headline is least effective at hooking the reader?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the purpose of a newpaper article opening?
Q2.What does speculation mean?
Q3.Where must you include the who, what, where, when, why of a newspaper article?
Q4.What is important to include in the main body of a newspaper article?
Q5.What does not fit into an opening of a newspaper article?
Q6.Which order will you find these details when reading a newspaper article?
To help you plan your 7 English lesson on: Writing the opening of an article on ‘The Speckled Band’ case, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 English lesson on: Writing the opening of an article on ‘The Speckled Band’ case, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 English lessons from the Sherlock Holmes: short stories unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.