Literacy Lesson Plan: Reading and Writing News (Grades 6–8)

ByTeaching Resources Desk Grade 7
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This free literacy lesson plan uses real-world news reading and writing to help students understand how information is organized and communicated. Students learn to identify main ideas, supporting details, fact vs. opinion, and point of view, and then apply those skills by producing their own newspaper article.

Grade Band: Middle School (6–8)
Subject Area: English Language Arts

Overview

Students explore how informational texts communicate meaning by working with news articles. They practice reading for information, summarizing, and analyzing perspective. The unit culminates in students writing an original newspaper article that demonstrates clear organization and accurate use of facts and details.

Subject Connections

English Language Arts is the primary focus as students analyze nonfiction text structure and produce informative writing. Social Studies connections appear when students interpret real-world events and civic information. Media literacy develops as students evaluate reliability and perspective in news sources.

Learning Goals

  • Identify the main idea of an informational text
  • Distinguish relevant details from irrelevant information
  • Differentiate fact from opinion
  • Recognize point of view in nonfiction writing
  • Write a structured news article with headline and supporting details

Materials

  • Printed or digital news articles appropriate for students
  • Highlighters or colored pencils
  • Notebook or writing paper
  • Chart paper or whiteboard
  • Access to a computer or tablet for writing (optional)

Preparation

  • Select several short news articles on varied topics
  • Prepare a main idea and details organizer
  • Prepare a fact vs. opinion two-column chart
  • Arrange students into discussion pairs or small groups

Teaching Procedure

Each session fits a standard class period of 45–50 minutes.

Session 1 – Introducing News Texts

  1. Students discuss where people get information and record ideas.
  2. Activity: Students read a short article, identify unfamiliar words, and define them.
  3. Students write two questions about the topic and share with a partner.

Session 2 – Finding the Main Idea

  1. The teacher models identifying what a paragraph is mostly about.
  2. Activity: Students read short articles and write one-sentence main ideas.
  3. Students compare and revise responses in pairs.

Session 3 – Supporting Details

  1. The class reviews how details support the main idea.
  2. Activity: Students highlight main ideas and supporting details in different colors.
  3. Students write a brief summary using highlighted information.

Session 4 – Fact and Opinion

  1. The teacher explains fact and opinion.
  2. Activity: Students sort statements from an article into FACT and OPINION columns.
  3. The class reviews and explains each classification.

Session 5 – Point of View

  1. The teacher explains perspective in reporting.
  2. Activity: Groups write the same event from different viewpoints.
  3. Students identify the viewpoint used.

Session 6 – Writing a Newspaper Article

  1. Students choose a real school or community event.
  2. Activity: Students write a news article including headline, lead paragraph, and supporting details.
  3. Students edit with a partner and share or publish their article.

Assessment

  • Main idea statements
  • Article summaries
  • Fact vs. opinion chart
  • Final newspaper article

Look for clarity, correct identification of details, accurate use of facts, and logical organization.

Differentiation

  • Provide shorter articles or read aloud for support
  • Offer graphic organizers with sentence starters
  • Allow advanced students to research and write longer articles

Grade Adaptation

This lesson is written for Grade 7 students, who can independently read informational texts and organize writing. Grade 6 students may need guided reading and shorter articles, while Grade 8 students can extend learning by comparing multiple sources, evaluating bias, and adding interviews or quotations.

Extension Ideas

  • Create a classroom newspaper or website
  • Conduct student interviews and publish results
  • Compare coverage of the same event across two news sources

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