Lesson 6: Organising and producing news for broadcast
This lesson seeks to consolidate the skills learnt in the previous lessons in order to produce a news broadcast.
Learning outcomes
- Identify the key structures/conventions of a news bulletin.
- Explore how news stories are selected.
- Produce a running order for a news broadcast.
Activity 1: Present a script
Brief outline
Get your pupils to choose one of the scripts below and ask them to practise reading it aloud with a partner.
Don't worry if it's not perfect the first time - that's why presenters practise before they go on air!
If possible, consider recording the bulletins so students can listen to or watch back themselves. Then try re-recording if necessary.
Evidence of learning/assessment opportunity
At KS4/GCSE
- Identify and interpret explicit and implicit information and ideas.
- Explain, comment on the writer’s use of language and structure to achieve effects and influence readers, using relevant subject terminology to support their views.
- Compare the writer’s ideas and perspectives, as well as how these are conveyed across one or two texts
Suitable for: KS3/4 or 11 to 16-year-olds
Duration: 10 to 15 minutes
Activity 2: Broadcasting from your classroom
Brief outline
Have a discussion about the stories you will be presenting and publishing on your website.
Evidence of learning/assessment opportunity
**At KS4/GCSE:
- Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences.
- Organise information and ideas, using structural and grammatical features to support.
Suitable for: KS3/4 or 11 to 16-year-olds
Duration: 10 minutes
Activity 3: News bulletin
Brief outline
To identify the key structures and conventions of a news bulletin.
Evidence of learning/assessment opportunity
- Students are encouraged to observe and make notes which will serve as modelling for the students. These ideas will assist them in their choices later in the lesson.
Suitable for: KS3/4 or 11 to 16-year-olds
Duration: 10 minutes
Activity 4: Running order for news broadcast
Brief outline
To explore how news stories are selected and to produce a running order for a news broadcast.
Pupils are encouraged, through dialectical learning, to explore and evaluate their decisions. They should do this in groups to encourage teamwork and problem solving.
Pupils are organised into two groups: one will focus on a local broadcast, the other on national news. They will start by discussing and sharing how and why they are different.
Evidence of learning/assessment opportunity
This starts by recalling and recapping thoughts and ideas from the example films. e.g. from iPlayer, radio, online (teacher to source and find examples of news)
At KS4/GCSE students should communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences.
Suitable for: KS3/4 or 11 to 16-year-olds
Duration: 10 to 15 minutes
Activity 5: Research, script and broadcast for bulletin
Brief outline
Pupils have to choose five stories from a selection of sources (newspapers, radio bulletins, online) that they would research, script and broadcast in their bulletin.
Evidence of learning/assessment opportunity
- Pupils are encouraged, through dialectical learning, to explore and evaluate their decisions. They should do this in groups to encourage teamwork and problem solving.
- This reinforces the ‘two eye’ rule explored in previous lessons.
Suitable for: KS3/4 or 11 to 16-year-olds
Duration: 15 to 20 minutes
Activity 6: Writing up the running order
Brief outline
Pupils to write up their running orders and display in the newsroom/classroom.
Pupils must carousel and annotate each group's running order to share and discuss ideas and best practice.
Evidence of learning/assessment opportunity
- This activity seeks to give feedback to the students in order to encourage reflection and teamwork.
- Students should be using the key GCSE skills of comparison and evaluation.
Suitable for: KS3/4 or 11 to 16-year-olds
Duration: 20 to 30 minutes
Activity 7: Broadcasting news quiz
Brief outline
This multiple-choice quiz is designed to test students' knowledge of organising and producing news for broadcast.
Evidence of learning/assessment opportunity
- This task consolidates prior learning and enables a summary assessment.
Suitable for: KS3/4 or 11 to 16-year-olds
Duration: 10 minutes