Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Newspaper Meanderings

Join me on my writing journey each week as I post to the Tuesday Slice of Life sponsored by Stacy and Ruth from Two Writing Teachers
My husband and I read the New York Times newspaper quite differently.  He reads it online, while I prefer to peruse the paper version.  He reads the real news from the front page, the Book Review, and the editorial page.  My favorite sections are the Travel section, the Book Review, the NYT Magazine, and Science Times.  He reads the newspaper daily, but I can easily fall several days behind.  
When hubby decided a few years ago to add the WSJ to our already cluttered newspaper life, I protested vehemently.  Now I must confess that I have favorite sections of this newspaper too - Personal Journal, Friday Journal, Off Duty, and Review!
I am an inveterate clipper.  I clip stuff to send to my kids, my siblings, and my friends.  I know it's faster to send a link, but I love real mail in the real mailbox, and I like to think friends and family enjoy it too! I also clip articles to use in my classroom.

Here's a quick glance at my latest clippings:
"Isn't Life Grand?" - new picture books about grandparents, perfect for Grandparents' Day in September.
"Pool Powers" - article about Michael Phelps and Missy Franklin, good for teaching compare/contrast writing.  Also perfect for showing the power of repetition,  five consecutive sentences in the article begin with the word impossible.
"Decoding the Science of Sleep" - long article, use for teaching cause and effect.  How did the invention of the light bulb lead to problems with sleeplessness?  What are the consequences of sleeplessness in today's society?
"Turning Personal Tales Into Bites of Candy" - fun article about chocolatier who creates chocolates " ...designed to evoke ... personal stories, commemorating the foods she has savored, the places she has visited, and some of the personal experiences she has had." Perfect for inspiring personal narratives based around food.
Did you notice that each article I clipped has an intended use in my classroom?   I guess my brain has finally turned the corner from summer respite to fall connections!

7 comments:

  1. Those sound like great examples to use. I, too, am a clipper from the paper. My recent clip was a persuasive letter written by a young girl. Katy Wood Ray says using real world examples has incredible power. I believe it.

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  2. I also still love to receive real mail. It was fun to see a glimpse into your reading life.

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  3. Those sound like awesome examples! I so admire newspaper readers. I admit that I am not one of them. I'm not sure why but I have never been interested in it although my boyfriend reads the newspaper (WSJ) religiously each day. I think I need to try the newspaper. Your articles peaked my interest from a personal and teaching standpoint. I love that your personal/fun reading easily leads into resources for your classroom.

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  4. I'm going to check out the Missy /Phelps article and some of the others. Do you clip to Evernote? I loved using our local paper when I was teaching MS about 18 years ago. Internet was in it's infancy back then. I love using Wonderopolis and Nat. Geo now. I know I want an i-pad after your post. xo

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  5. The connection that I am making with your interest in news clippings is the new emphasis on CCSS ELA non-fiction...having news articles to reference as leads to deeper thinking is perfect! Taking them to another level not just for their news sake but for connections (Phelps/Franklin) compare/contrast etc. Thanks for the inspiration! PS My hubby reads the real newspaper everyday-I usually don't get to see it until he gets home from work and then things get busy-but I will try to do more with getting a headline a day or something-maybe I can subscribe on my iphone...

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  6. I, too, need the real deal. Paper. I need to feel it, write on it, cut it out, tape it up or give it to someone. Evernote is a great tool as well, but I forget what I put on there and it gets lost in the computer, too. :-)

    My recent clippings have been those to display social issues that create a debating conversation amongst students. From these stories, they write poems, essays, writers notebook entries, posters or whatever they choose in that they can share their personal point of view. So powerful. The best one I had last year was an article where a girl died in an auto accident because of texting and driving. Boy, did that cause a stir!

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  7. We used to laugh when our parents would send us clippings - and now we do the same with our own children. I also often tape a clipping in the back of a mentor text in case we have time to discuss connections. And now I am intrigued by the articles you chose to share.

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