2. Journalistic style

Overview

Conservationists are angry with Iceland because the country has said it will start hunting whales for meat. Learn about journalistic style by deconstructing a news report on whaling.

Learning aims

Develop journalistic style through gathering and presenting information.

Introduction

Click below to read the story:

Iceland to start hunting whales

A. Summarise the story to familiarise the group with the content they will be using for this lesson.

Let the students know that they are going to write in the style of newspaper reporters. They will be presented with lots of information to use for their report. They have to order the information so that it tells the story from beginning to end with relevant detail.

B. Remind the students of the key points to the story:

*Iceland has said it is going to start hunting whales again
*There has been a ban on hunting the animals for 20 years
*Icelandic ships will take nine endangered fin whales and 30 minke whales each year
*Conservationists are angry with Iceland

C. Present a framework for writing a story:

1. OPENING
2. ADD MORE DETAIL
3. QUOTE
4. ADD MORE DETAIL
5. END – SUMMARY

D. Present some ways to begin the story:

"Iceland to start hunting whales" OR  "Iceland angers conservationists"

Ask the class what they think is the best opening and why. Guide the students into understanding that the first sentence needs to sum up the story in one go but leaves out some information so readers want to carry on to the next part.  The shorter opening doesn't give the 'newsy' detail that this is about whales.

Develop the story by saying that the next paragraph needs additional detail, then more information is required to take the story into new territory. Add more information further down in the story and conclude with a summary.

Main activity

Display potential sentences - students must select one from each grouping to use in their article.

*Conservationists are angry with Iceland because it has said it will start hunting whales.
*There’s going to be a whale hunt, some people aren’t happy.
*Reykjavík is the capital city of Iceland.

*Icelandic ships will take nine fin whales, an endangered species, and 30 minke whales each year.
*The ships will catch several whales.
*Whaling first began at least 4,000 years ago.

*Icelandic schoolboy Viljar said “I think it’s wrong. They are very beautiful and shouldn’t be hunted.”
*Icelandic schoolboy Viljar said “Whales live in the sea.”
*Icelandic schoolboy Viljar said “Chocolate biscuits, two packets please.”

*There has been an international ban on hunting whales for 20 years.
*Whale hunting is not allowed.
*A famous book about whales is called Moby Dick.

*Norway is the only nation which already hunts whales to make money.
*Hunting whales for money is not very common around the world.
*Blue whales are the largest.

Extension activity

Use bullet points to present facts on any whale-related theme. Rewrite a newspaper article by condensing it into five paragraphs - but including as much information as possible.

Plenary

Volunteers read their stories. Praise the use of suitable sentences and explain why some of the others options do not make such good choices.

Problems could include: being too brief, not related to story, not enough detail, information in the wrong place, opinion opposed to fact.

Teachers' background

Whaling was once a massive industry in many parts of the world, it's almost all stopped now but some great whales are still being hunted. There are three groups of people doing this:

1. Norwegian and Icelandic commercial whalers
2. Japanese whalers with scientific permits
3. Aboriginal subsistence whalers
   
   Get more information in our guide to fishing and whaling

Go back to the journalism lesson plans.