"Mountain Boy Spotted"

Grade Level: 6

Subjects: English, Reading, Writing, and Computer Technology

Learner Outcomes:

• Students will develop a basic understanding of the parts of a newspaper story.
• Students will use the writing process to create a journalistic article.
• Students will use word processing software to type and edit their journalistic article.
• Students will illustrate their journalistic article by inserting clipart and other pictures.

Materials: A newspaper, newspaper story handout, and book, My Side of the Mountain

Technology Tools/Courseware: Word Processing Software

Teacher Notes:

• Students will continue to work on comprehension questions, summaries, morning activities, and vocabulary assignments daily.
• The teacher should teach a mini lesson on how to insert clipart and pictures into a word document.

• Activity # 1 - The teacher will teach the parts of a newspaper story and invite a local journalist to the class to share their job experience.

• Activity # 2 - The teacher will place students in cooperative learning groups to identify the parts of a newspaper story using the article and handout. The class will discuss and compare the answers to the handout.

• Activity # 3 - The class will have a discussion pertaining to the newspaper articles related to the “sightings of Sam” in chapter.

• Activity # 4 - The students will imagine that they spotted Sam, the Mountain Boy and write a journalistic article of their sighting. Refer to the following pages to introduce this lesson: p. 39, pp. 120-126, p. 130, pp. 150-151, pp. 152-153, pp. 154-155, pp. 156-157, pp. 164-165, pp. 166-167, p. 168, p. 171, p. 172, p. 173, p. 176

• Activity # 5 - The students will use word processing software to type, edit, and illustrate their journalistic articles. Illustrations should be done by inserting clipart and pictures into their articles.

• Activity # 6 – Students will share their journalistic articles with the class.

• Exceptional students may require more time and possibly need a teacher’s aide for assistance during this lesson.
• Students’ lessons will be modified according to their IEP specifications.

• Students may go on a field trip to a local newspaper establishment.

• Students will be evaluated on the contents of their journalistic articles, illustration, and oral presentations.

• English: 6.91, 6.98, 6.107, 6.108, 6.111, 6.126, 6.128, and 6.131
• Reading: 6.17, 6.19, 6.28, 6.1, and 6.3
• Writing: 6.52, 6.53, 6.54, 6.55, 6.56, 6.57, 6.58,  6.60, 6.63, 6.64,6.65 and 6.66
• Computer /Technology: 6.153, 6.154, 6.155, 6.156, 6.157, and 6.158

References: My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

Created By: (If you have any questions about this unit click on a name below
                         and e-mail us with your concerns.)
                        Deborah Sweeney
                        Theresa Whitehead
                        Ruthie McDavid
                        Anne Bailey Elementary (Kanawha County)

            Lesson 1    Lesson 2    Lesson 3    Lesson 4    Lesson 5