This document provides instructions for students to write an article for a travel magazine. It begins by outlining the lesson objectives of producing an "ingredients list" for a successful article and using that list to write their own article. Students then read and analyze a sample travel article, noting its key features to create their own ingredients list. This includes elements like a catchy title, facts about the place, sights to see, atmosphere, tone of voice, and ending on how the place impacted the author. Students are then instructed to write their own travel article based on a place they have visited recently within 5 minutes, applying what they've learned from analyzing the sample article.

1. Writing Articles

2. Lesson outcomes:
• To produce an ‘ingredients list’ of what makes a successful article;
• To use the list to create an article of your own.
Miss Kirkpatrick is obviously away today. She wants to see your transactional (or ‘non-
fiction’) writing skills. At some point in this lesson you will be asked to write an article, Miss
Kirkpatrick expects it to be completed by the end of the lesson.

3. What things do you need to know before
writing an article?
Discuss ideas in pairs. 1 minute.
Be ready to feedback to the class.
Let’s hear your ideas.

4. What things do you need to know before
writing an article?
There are lots of things that would be useful to know before writing an article.
The main three things you need to know are:
• The purpose (why are you writing the article? What do you need to
communicate? Are you trying to persuade, entertain, advise, inform etc?)
• The audience (who is the article for? Families, young people, schools, older
people, adults, people with specific interests?)
• The format of your article (headings, paragraphs – what should it look like?)
Write these three things down in your books – you don’t have to write
down the parts in brackets.

5. An article for a travel magazine.
In a few minutes, you are going to produce your own
article.
It is going to be for a travel magazine about a place
that you have visited and found interesting.
Before you do this, you are going to read an article
from a travel magazine for inspiration.
Turn to page 126 of the WJEC GCSE English and English
Language book (higher tier).

6. An article for a travel magazine.
Page 126 of the WJEC GCSE English and English Language
book (higher tier).
• Read the article as a class.
• Then, in pairs. Note down the main features of this
article to create an ingredients list. Write them down.
You don’t have long to do this, so work in a focussed
manner.
(HINTS: you could look at things like how the writer has
set out their article, what sort of information they include,
whether it is written in first or third person, the voice or
tone used).

7. Your ingredients list should look something like this:
1. Catchy title (try to use a pun or a feature such as alliteration)
2. Written in first person (“My….I”)
3. Facts about the place they have visited (e.g. “the revolution of 1958”)
4. The main sights to see (e.g. in this case, the Hotel Nacional, Catedral de le
Habana).
5. What the atmosphere was like in the places/sights they visited (e.g. “bright
colours and the sound of Cuban music”)
6. A lively, positive tone of voice
7. Memorable moments (“a memorable moment for me was taking a trip in a
horse and cart”)
8. Ending with how the place they visited has had an impact on them (“Cuba
has left a lasting impression on me”).
Add any
features
you missed
to your list!

8. Your turn…
TASK: Write an article for a travel magazine based on a place you have visited
and found interesting.
Hints and tips – you have just returned from the summer holidays; it is a good idea to write
about a place you visited recently.
DO NOT WRITE ABOUT A PLACE YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TO – you will make things difficult
for yourself.
Don’t waste time wondering where to write about. Decide and write.
Take no more than 5 mins to plan your response – what do you want to include?
Remember – Miss Kirkpatrick wants to see what you can do. Have a go, no talking and get on
with it.