Writing your own newspaper article about Sherlock Holmes
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can create a non-fiction text that is engaging and accurate.
Key learning points
- A newspaper article has five main sections with their own unique success criteria.
- You can use emotive language in a newspaper article to intrigue the reader.
- You need to punctuate quotes correctly using speech marks in a newspaper article.
- You can use a noun appositive in an article to give more information about a person.
- The conclusion of an article should include all other background information.
Keywords
Autopsy - An autopsy is an examination to reveal the cause of someone’s death.
Intrigue - To intrigue someone is to evoke their curiosity or interest.
Coaxed - Coaxed means to persuade someone to do something.
Venomous - A venomous substance is poisonous and typically secreted from snakes or spiders by biting or stinging.
Common misconception
A newspaper article can be written in the same style as a story retelling.
Newspaper articles must have different elements to show they are an article - interview quotes and a concise way of writing things are key.
Teacher tip
You can allow students to type their articles up once the first draft is done, to make the article seem real and publishable.
Equipment
You may want to have access to 'The Speckled Band' by Arthur Conan Doyle for this lesson.
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 does culminate mean?
Q2.Who would be able to provide the most informative interview quote about the case in 'The Speckled Band' once solved?
Q3.Match the who, what, how where, when of Julia Stoner's death (from 'The Speckled Band') to how it might be written in an article opening.
Q4.What is the most hooking headline for an article on the solved mystery of 'The Speckled Band'?
Q5.What tone must you create in the tail of a newspaper article?
Q6.Which are true of interview quotes when used in a newspaper article?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does a headline do in a newspaper article?
Q2.What must a subheading be when used in a newspaper article?
Q3.Which technique is used here to give extra information about a noun: Dr. Roylott, son of a wealthy aristocrat, had lost his fortune.
Q4.Which sentence uses noun appositive correctly?
Q5.How should you write out an interview quote in a newspaper article?
Q6.Which sentence creates the best conclusive tone for the end of an article?
To help you plan your 7 English lesson on: Writing your own newspaper article about Sherlock Holmes, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 English lesson on: Writing your own newspaper article about Sherlock Holmes, 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.