Soehl Middle School 8th grade Language Arts teacher Mr. Jan Macha came up with the thought of turning his classroom into a newspaper. During the month of December and first two weeks of January, the classroom turned into The Macha Times newsroom. Students wore special Macha Times badges and were permitted to conduct interviews during class time. The entire process was outlined by how a group of professional journalist would worked with Mr. Macha as the head of the newspaper.
Students in each of Mr. Macha’s classes formed groups of 2-3 reporters. First, all students were taught how to come up with a great lead. Next, they researched the lead and interviewed students, teachers, and administrators in the school. The third big step involved transcribing the notes of all interviews and writing, organizing, and evaluating the results of the interview. Fourthly, students formed their thesis statement and wrote a detailed blueprint of the article. Step five focused on revising and editing of the articles for content, organization, grammar, and expression.
Next, students were instructed how to use photography to enhance their story. Finally, all articles were formatted according to a newspaper page layout.
All 8th grade students are required to write an informational essay, and this was an innovative way for creating an authentic learning experience for Mr. Macha’s students.
(above) Mr. Jan Macha’s class showcasing their articles.
