Word Processing Activity #1

Hot Topics in the News...

Introduction:

Give the students a hot topic in the news and have them write a 1 -2 paragraph opinionated response on how they feel about the topic. Some example topics could include:

• Are cell phones dangerous to your health?
• Obesity in youth
• Terrorism around the world
• E-mail privacy issues at work or at school
• Bullying in schools / School Violence

Any hot topic within the news or in your school could be the topic of the week or month.

Procedure:

Research and find a hot topic in the news you want your class to discuss (if you can't think of one, ask the class what topics they think are important or interesting and generate a list). Find some information on the topic by using any internet search engine by typing (for example) 'cell phones+health risks'.

Provide the students with the web site so they can read the information. If the internet is not available to everyone, you may have to print the information off the internet. When each student has read the article they are to type a 1-2 paragraph response of how they felt about it, their opinion or what the affects might be surrounding the article.

Evaluation:

Suggestions on evaluation -

• Have students print or e-mail their response to the teacher to be marked with a rubric

• Have students type and read or present their response to the class and submit paper for marking. Teacher could also create a Hot Topic bulletin board and post student responses

• If available and feasible, create a public or class folder on your server, and create discussion groups. Students could post their responses and other students could read them and respond. An extension of this idea would be to create news groups within your class, and have each group responsible for choosing and research a hot topic for the rest of the class to respond to. Evaluation could be marked on effort, participation within discussion and written material.