Broadcast journalists must make sure their reports are truthful, fair, balanced and interesting. They use their research and the information they have gathered from interviews to write a script that explains the important details of a story in a way that is easy to understand.
This lesson focuses on all of the NewsWise values.
To draft an audio news broadcast.
Refer to planning and prior learning.
Write an audio broadcast script that meets a given criteria.
Schools approach the writing process differently, so this lesson plan is completely flexible. We strongly recommend teachers model each part of the broadcast script and break the writing process into chunks. They should use their professional judgement and knowledge of their class to pace the writing in a way that will achieve the best possible outcomes.
It is advisable to build in several opportunities for pupils to read their scripts aloud and continue rehearsing sentences as they go, building on the learning in lesson 12. Real broadcast journalists do this regularly to ensure that the script they have written is easy to read and, more importantly, easy to understand.
One of the starter activities explores hooks and how they keep listeners interested in the story. Most pupils will not write a hook of their own and should only do so if they are ready for that level of challenge. This activity will allow pupils to consider how the hook works and why they may be included in some audio broadcasts. It will be useful for pupils to recognise that an audio broadcast needs to keep its audience interested from the start so that they carry on listening.
If the starter activity focussed on hooks is not appropriate for your class, use the alternative option instead.
[5 minutes]
Explain to pupils that some audio broadcasts will use a ‘hook’ to start the story. This should not give very much information away, but it should make the audience want to listen to the rest of the report.
Use lesson slides to work through the ‘What hooks you in?’ activity. Pairs or small groups discuss the option they feel is the best hook and explain why. Ask individuals to share their thinking and use follow up questions. What made you choose that example? How did that example hook you in? Which of the options is not a good hook? What made it not such a good hook?
OR
Look at the 5W introduction from the Bad example broadcast script used in lesson 9. Ask children: Why is this ineffective? How could we rewrite this to make it better?
Use lesson slides to explore how this could be rewritten in a more effective way.
[50 minutes]
Encourage pupils to revisit their Planning organiser (from lesson 10/11) and Broadcast script note catcher (from lesson 12) to remind themselves of the story they will be writing about.
Give pupils time to write their own broadcast script based on their planning. Chunk the writing process as much as possible by either modelling the writing of each part of the script or by sharing a pre-written example before pupils work on their own.
Encourage pupils to periodically read their script aloud. (Actual presenters and producers will read their scripts aloud regularly to check that they make sense, are easy to say and easy for the audience to understand.)
Use the ‘True or false quiz’ slides to check pupils’ understanding of the style and language of a news broadcast.
What do you need to remember when you write your hook/top line/5Ws/extra details/balanced quotes/outro?
Is all the most important information about the story included?
How could you rewrite… to make it clearer for the audience?
How could you rewrite… to make it easier for you to read?
Why should you avoid using numbers and symbols in your script?
When a broadcast journalist is writing a script, they need to be sure that the information in their report is accurate and based on thorough research. They also need to consider how easily it can be understood by an audience.
There are different conventions used when writing a script for an audio broadcast that make it easier for the presenter to read. For example, numbers are not used: they are written in words instead.
Bad example broadcast script (used in lesson 9)
Planning organiser (completed in lesson 10/11)
Note catcher (completed in lesson 12)
English
Reading: Identify features of texts
Writing: Using model texts to guide own writing; Selecting appropriate vocabulary; Using organisational devices
Oracy: Take part in discussions
If you are finishing the NewsWise project here, it's time to put your pupils' skills to the test! Our short, online quiz checks their fake news detective skills and asks some more questions about what they've learned along the way.
Click the button below or share this link with your class: bit.ly/pupilpostnw2425
Not finished yet? Keep going to the next lesson! You'll find the quiz in the plenary of lesson 15.
Complete the teacher survey too and you'll get a link to the quiz answers, so you can share these with your class. (We recommend completing the teacher survey shortly before, while, or soon after pupils complete their quiz, so you can share the answers with them in the same lesson.)
We'd love to see your pupils' finished news reports! Email them to us at newswise@theguardianfoundation.org - we might be able to publish them on our website!
