Broadsheet Article Writing for GCSE

This lesson is aimed at middle-upper ability learners and focuses on broadsheet article writing for AQA English Language 8700/2. The questions is:

“Those who are obese have nobody to blame but themselves.”
Write an article for a broadsheet newspaper in which you explain your point of view on this statement.

The lesson includes:

1. Do Now Task: learners use their general knowledge to match seven health-related terms to their definitions. Teacher answers provided. Extension task included.
2. Feedback slide

For the following slides, learners use a designated note-taking sheet to record information on:

• Key points about AQA Question 5, Paper 2
• What an AQA Paper 2, Question 5 will look like
• The basic differences between broadsheets, tabloids and the middle-market dailies
• The difference between an article and a news report
• Broadsheet readers
• Layout features of an article (heading, strapline, lead photo, by-line and date + main body)
• Basic language requirements of a broadsheet article

From this point on:

1. Learners look at the question again and come up with arguments for and against the statement.
2. Feedback slide
3. They then consider what makes a good heading, with several made-up examples
4. What is the strapline? (Example provided)
5. The internal structure of an article e.g. introduction, main body with PEC (point, evidence and comment) paragraphs, counterargument and conclusion. Learners take notes on a designated sheet
6. A WAGOLL
7. The writing task is set for homework (basic planning sheet included)
8. Review

Initially, I wrote one WAGOLL and it turned out to be too long, so I shortened it! Both are included.
The shortened version has been broken up into sections on PPT slides, which you can print out and use as a carousel and group work activity, if you wish.