Y4 unit plan_word_processing

2006
Year 4 Word Processing – Newspapers
About this unit:
In these lessons, children learn how to use different features of a Word Processor to
help them write a newspaper style article. Children are encouraged to be critical of
their work, particularly of the impact that different styles and layouts have on the
reader. Stimulus is taken from online newspapers and there are a number of
possibilities to publish the work online. Microsoft Word is the recommended Word
processor to be used in these lessons.
National Curriculum Programmes of study:
Finding things out
1b) how to prepare information for development using ICT, including selecting
suitable sources, finding information, classifying it and checking it for accuracy
Developing ideas and making things happen
2a) how to develop and refine ideas by bringing together, organising and
reorganising text, tables, images and sound as appropriate
Exchanging and sharing information
3b) to be sensitive to the needs of the audience and think carefully about
the content and quality when communicating information
Reviewing, modifying and evaluating work as it progresses
4a) review what they and others have done to help them develop their
ideas
Independent ICT Challenge
Work in pairs to use ICT to help write a newspaper style report.
Previous learning:
In Year 3, children were introduced to a Word Processor
and combined text and images to write reports from
curriculum areas e.g. History.
Resources you will need:
• Microsoft Word
• Y4 Word Processing Resources
• Flipchart – y4 word processing.flp

2006
Year 4 Word Processing - Newspapers
Record of progress
Write names in the appropriate boxes to show attainment, with jottings on children whose attainment differs markedly
from the rest of their group.
Expectations
What children know, understand and can do (based on ITASS scheme of work)
some children will not have made so much progress and will:
• use features such as spell check to help them edit their
work
most children will:
• use the more advanced features of a word processor
to help them match their work to their audience
some children will have progressed further and will:
• choose and use the appropriate advanced features of
a word processor to increase their efficiency when
matching their work to their audience
Working at Level 3

2006
Year 4 Word Processing - Newspapers
Lesson Title ICT NC Links Objectives Vocabulary Cross
Curricular Links
Success Criteria
1 Reading an
online
newspaper
4a) review what they and others have
done to help them develop their ideas
To navigate and recognise
features of an online
newspaper
link, scroll, back,
headline, click,
Literacy strands – Group
discussion and interaction ;
Understanding and
interpreting texts ;
Engaging with and
responding to texts
To read and report back on
articles from an online
newspaper
2 Headlines 3b) to be sensitive to the needs of the
audience and think carefully about the
content and quality when
communicating information
To alter font size and use
effects to indicate relative
importance
font, size, style, effect Literacy strands – Creating
and shaping texts ;
Presentation
To have written and altered
the font size of newspaper
headlines
3 Lead sentences 2a) how to develop and refine ideas
by bringing together, organising and
reorganising text, tables, images and
sound as appropriate
That ICT can be used to
reorganise text to make its
meaning clearer
cut, Copy, Paste Literacy strands – Creating
and shaping texts ;
Presentation
To use cut and paste to
match headlines with lead
sentences.
4 Spelling and
layouts
4a) review what they and others have
done to help them develop their ideas
correct mistakes
spell check, columns,
format,
Literacy strands – Creating
and shaping texts ;
Presentation
Use a spell checker to
correct mistakes.
Change the layout of a piece
of text to look like a
newspaper
5 Independent ICT
Challenge
1b) how to prepare information for
development using ICT, including
selecting suitable sources, finding
information, classifying it and
checking it for accuracy
To use ICT to organise,
reorganise and analyse
ideas and information.
To edit text and use a
variety of presentation
techniques
font, size, style,
effect, Cut, Copy,
Paste, spell check,
columns, format
Literacy strands – Group
discussion and interaction ;
Creating and shaping texts;
Presentation
Organise and reorganise text
on screen
Use appropriate techniques
to ensure that their writing is
clear, well presented and
free of errors

2006
Year 4
Word Processing -
Newspapers
Lesson 1 - Reading an online newspaper
What you need for this lesson:
Online Newspapers Printout; Flipchart – y4 word processing.flp
Objectives
To navigate and recognise features of
an online newspaper
Success Criteria
To read and report back on articles from
an online newspaper
Vocabulary
link, scroll, back,
headline, click
Introduction:
• Explain to the class that in these lessons they will be learning how to use ICT to create
the front page of a class newspaper.
• Explain that they will start by having a look at some online newspapers to get some
ideas.
• Demonstrate accessing the www.thenewspaper.org.uk website – there is a link on
flipchart p3
• Discuss similarities and differences between online and paper based newspapers e.g.
• Clicking on links to different sections
• Using the Back button
• Scrolling down the page to read the full story
• Eye catching headlines and lead stories
• Scan reading the web page to find interesting information
• Hyperlinks to other stories
• Do the same for http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/ which, although it is not an online
newspaper, it is set out in a very similar way.
Development:
• Children may well have watched breakfast television programs when the presenters
review what is in the newspapers. Explain that they are going to do a similar activity
using online newspapers.
• Give out copies of the Online Newspapers Printout or demonstrate to the class where
to locate the Online Newspapers-Form template within the RMShared Documents area
(see notes). This is also displayed on flipchart p4
• Explain that the children are to use both examples of online newspapers to find stories
that interest them.
• Explain that, when they find a story they like, they are to copy the headline and write a
brief summary e.g. one sentence, explaining the main point of the story. They should
also write a sentence about why it caught their eye.
• Model this using flipchart p4.
• Allow time for children to find make notes on their stories.
Plenary:
• Encourage individuals to read out their summaries.
• If appropriate they might do so in the style of a news presenter i.e. have them sit behind
a desk and read out as if on television.

2006
Year 4
Word Processing -
Newspapers
Lesson 1 - Reading an online newspaper
Notes
Differentiation:
• The reading levels on both examples should be appropriate for Year 4 pupils, however
children should be paired according to reading ability which will mean less able children
can be given additional support.
Preparing for the lesson:
• The Y4 Word Processing Resources folder contains all the web links that children need
for this unit.
o Copy the Y4 Word Processing Resources folder into an appropriate area in the
RMShared Documents area of the network so that children can access it from
their computers. The Copying a file in to the RMShared Documents area help
file (also found in the Resources folder) is a step by step guide to this process.
o Children can then browse to the RMShared Documents area to find the web links
rather than typing in the links themselves.
• The Development part of the lesson can be done as a paper based or computer based
activity according to the teacher’s preference.
• For a paper based activity, the Online Newspapers Printout worksheet found in the
Resources folder should be printed, photocopied and given out to children during the
lesson.
• The Online Newspapers-Form template found in the same folder can be used for a
computer based activity.
• Teachers may prefer to use the Online Newspapers-Form template, which is a locked
form meaning children can only type inside the table, cannot change the font or delete
the table. When typing in the table, the text will increase the size of the column at first.
This is corrected once text is added to the adjacent column.
• Children should locate the template in the RMShared Documents area and open it, then
click File then Save As and save it into their My Documents area before they start work
on it and then regularly Save throughout the lesson.
Extension activities / Homework:
• Ask children to collect interesting newspaper articles from newspapers from home and
make them into a scrap book for display.
• Encourage children to summarise the articles in the same way as they have during the
lesson.

2006
Year 4
Word Processing -
Newspapers
Lesson 2 - Headlines
Write here – Write now material (optional), scissors; Flipchart – y4 word processing.flp
Objectives
To alter font size and use effects to
indicate relative importance
Success Criteria
To have written and altered the font
size of newspaper headlines
Vocabulary
font, size, style,
effect
Introduction:
• Teachers often report that children struggle with the keyboard. The resources found at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/ are a free way of introducing children to touch
typing and are easily accessed. There is a link on flipchart p6
• If appropriate start this and all subsequent lessons in this sequence with a quick touch
typing activity. Children can choose their own level. Printed support resources are saved
in the Y4 Word Processing Resources folder
• Recap on the Headlines gathered by the children in the previous lessons.
• Discuss what makes a good headline.
• If appropriate, play the Headline Grabber Game available at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/presspack/gamesroom/chooseyourstories.shtml - There is
also a link to this on flipchart p7
• Explain that Headlines also need to stand out to be noticed.
• Model locating the Headlines file saved in the Y4 Word Processing Resources folder
(see notes)
• Demonstrate changing the font style, size and colour of each headline in the file to make
it stand out. There is a demonstration of this on flipchart p8
• Model choosing a font that fits the headline and discuss the idea that some fonts are
easier to read and more suitable than others.
Development:
• Set the challenge for children to change the font style, size and colour of each headline.
• Children should be encouraged to make careful choices about the style of each.
• Encourage the class to name, save and print the work when done.
• Once printed, each headline can be cut out in a strip.
• For each headline, ask the class to hold up their version. Pick out the most and least effective
versions and encourage the children to justify the choices they made. Also encourage discussion
between the children about which are most effective.
• Lastly, show the images on flipchart p9 from the http://www.writehere.org.uk/ competition. Click
on the centre picture in each row to open the illustrations file and view larger images.
• Challenge the children to make up suitable headlines for one or more of the images. They should
type them directly into a new Word document and edit the font style, size and colour of the text as
before.
• These files should be saved and printed.
Plenary:
• Encourage pairs to show their headline. Can the rest of the class guess which image the
headline goes with?
• Discuss the effectiveness of the chosen font.

2006
Year 4
Word Processing -
Newspapers
Lesson 2 - Headlines
Notes
Differentiation:
• It is possible that children are already familiar with changing font style etc. therefore focus
on the effectiveness of their choices of font rather than the ability to do it.
• More able children should be encouraged to explain why they have chosen a particular
font style and size and what effect it might have on the intended audience.
• The Headlines file can be found in the Y4 Word Processing Resources folder.
• Copy the Resources folder into an appropriate area in the RMShared Documents area
of the network so that children can access it from their computers. The RMShared
Documents area help file (also found in the Resources folder) is a step by step guide to
this process.
• Printable material from the http://www.writehere.org.uk/ competition is also available in
the Resources folder.
• Encourage children to collect headlines from newspapers and magazines and display
them is a scrapbook or poster.
• Encourage them to find headlines in different shapes, colours, sizes and styles.

2006
Year 4
Word Processing -
Newspapers
Lesson 3 - Lead Sentences
Newspapers and Magazines to cut up (Optional); Flipchart – y4 word processing.flp
Objectives
That ICT can be used to reorganise
text to make its meaning clearer
Success Criteria
To use cut and paste to match
headlines with lead sentences.
Vocabulary
Cut, Copy, Paste
Introduction:
• If appropriate, allow a short amount of time for the children to practice their touch typing
skills using resources from http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/
• Explain to the class that in this lesson they will be learning how to use cut and paste to
move pieces of text around on a page.
• Use the web link on flipchart p11 to read out some headlines and their lead sentences.
• Try to establish the nature of these lead sentences – that they give a little more detail
than the headline and are designed to make you want to read further.
• Demonstrate locating the Headlines and Stories file
• Explain that in this file, the headlines and the lead sentences have been separated and
their job is to put them back together again.
• Demonstrate using cut and paste to put the lead sentence with the correct headline –
there is a demonstration of this on flipchart p12
Development:
• Allow time for the children to cut and paste the text into the correct order.
• Encourage turn taking and for the children to regularly save their work.
• After a while stop the class and demonstrate locating the Newspaper Pictures file
• Demonstrate how two different Word documents can be open at the same time and how
to navigate between them.
• Demonstrate using copy and paste to put the correct picture with the correct story (there
isn’t a picture for every story)
• Discuss the difference between cut and paste (the original text or image is moved from
one place to another) and copy and paste (the original text or image remains and a
duplicate is created).
• There is a demonstration of this on flipchart p12
• This demonstration also includes how to format pictures.
• Allow time for children to save their work. Print if appropriate.
Plenary:
• Discuss the difference between copy and paste and cut and paste.
• Using the lead computer attached to the IWB, have individuals cut the correct lead
sentence and paste it next to its headline. Also, encourage individuals to show how they
copied the image from one file and pasted it into the other.

2006
Year 4
Word Processing -
Newspapers
Lesson 3 - Lead Sentences
Notes
Differentiation:
• Children should be grouped according to reading ability for this activity so that additional
support can be focussed on those children with lower reading levels.
• The pictures exercise might be reserved for more able only if appropriate.
• Children might also be interested in learning keyboard shortcut keys for cut/copy and
paste. They are:
Copy Ctrl+C
Cut Ctrl+X
Paste Ctrl+V
Save Ctrl+S
Bold Ctrl+B
Underline Ctrl+U
Italic Ctrl+I
Print Ctrl+P
New Document Ctrl+N
Open Ctrl+O
• Can the children do a similar paper based activity?
• Cut up newspaper or magazine headlines and lead sentences for children to match.

2006
Year 4
Word Processing -
Newspapers
Lesson 4 - Spelling and Layouts
Flipchart – y4 word processing.flp
Objectives
correct mistakes
Success Criteria
Use a spell checker to correct mistakes
Change the layout of a piece of text to look like
a newspaper
Vocabulary
Spell check,
Columns, Format
Introduction:
• If appropriate, allow a short amount of time for the children to practice their touch typing skills
using resources from http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/
• Demonstrate locating the Busted at Butlins file in the Y4 Word Processing Resources folder
of the RMShared Documents area.
• The text of this file was taken from a previous www.thenewpaper.org.uk article and has a number
of deliberate spelling mistakes.
• Discuss why correct spelling is important and explain that before a newspaper is printed editors
and proof-readers correct spelling mistakes.
• Show the class how to use spell check:
o Find a word with a red underline
o Right mouse button click over the word
• Explain that it sometimes makes a number of suggestions for one word, eg ‘wry’, ‘word’, and
‘wad’ for ‘wrd’. Explain that the first suggestion is not always the correct one and that spell check
does not recognise mistakes where a real word is used, eg it will not recognise ‘set’ in the
sentence ‘the cat set on the mat’.
Development:
• Divide the children into pairs and ask them to use spell check to correct spelling mistakes in the
news article.
• Encourage the children to save their work regularly.
• After a while, stop the class and display flipchart p14 or a real newspaper.
• Draw attention to the layout of the newspapers, in particular how the text is arranged into
columns. There is also a link to the ‘Get in the News’ game
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/presspack/gamesroom/getinthenews.shtml which is a quick way to
generate a newspaper column
• Demonstrate changing the layout of the Busted in Butlins file into one that looks more like a
newspaper, by changing the formatting to Columns, changing the size of the text and headline.
There is a demonstration of this on flipchart p15.
• Once the class have completed the spell check and formatting, they may wish to add another
picture to the file.
• Do not encourage the class to type Busted into a Google image search as the results can be
inappropriate, instead, demonstrate copying and pasting images from
http://www.busted.com/gallery/. There is a demonstration from Year3 of Copying and Pasting
pictures from the Internet on flipchart page 15.
Plenary:
• Use the plenary to recap on the skills leaned this lesson – Spell check, Formatting columns and
adding images.

2006
Year 4
Word Processing -
Newspapers
Lesson 4 - Spelling and Layouts
Notes
Differentiation:
• Ask children to word process a poem or other short piece of writing.
• Encourage them use the spell checker before printing the work.

2006
Year 4
Word Processing -
Newspapers
Lesson 5 - Independent ICT Challenge
Flipchart – y4 word processing.flp
Objectives
To use ICT to organise, reorganise
and analyse ideas and information
to edit text and use a variety of
presentation techniques.
Success Criteria
Organise and reorganise text on
screen.
Use appropriate techniques to ensure
that their writing is clear, well
presented and free of errors.
Vocabulary
font, size, style,
effect, cut, copy,
paste, spell
check, columns,
format
Introduction:
• Explain to the class that they will be using the techniques they have learnt to produce
newspaper articles. Ask the class to recall what they have learnt so far.
• If appropriate, ask children to review the work they have been doing on a particular topic.
Explain that their newspaper articles will bring together the key points in the topic. The
articles must be factually correct, lively and interesting. They must also use appropriate
presentation techniques.
• Alternatively, use stimulus from either the BBC Press pack site
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/presspack/newsroom/writeareport_form.shtml or the
Journalism material from http://www.writehere.org.uk/ . There links to both resources in
the Y4 Word Processing Resources folder, also flipchart p17.
• Put the children into pairs to write their articles. They should amend their articles over a
period of time, saving the work as they go.
• Explain to the class that they need to identify the key points, experiment with sequencing
and modify the text to make it more interesting. Ask them also to identify any headings,
subheadings and key pieces of text and to use appropriate effects.
Development:
• Allow two or more sessions for this task.
• Encourage the children to save multiple drafts of their work and to choose the most
effective for the audience.
• Completed work can be printed and displayed in a class newspaper.
• The completed work can also be submitted to the BBC’s Press Pack
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/presspack/newsroom/writeareport_form.shtml or if the timing
is right entered into the http://www.writehere.org.uk/ competition.
• If possible, the work might also be uploaded to the school’s website.
Plenary:
• Display the finished work.
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using ICT for this kind of task.

2006
Year 4
Word Processing -
Newspapers
Lesson 5 - Independent ICT Challenge
Notes
Differentiation:
• This activity could be extended by including advertising, letters pages, comments and
features and could be carried out in ‘real time’ using simulation software, radio
broadcasts or news feeds from the Internet.
• Encourage children to think about the content of their articles before considering layout
and presentation, otherwise they may become distracted and spend too long changing
fonts and making minor adjustments to presentation.
• This activity could be set in the context of any relevant work in other subjects, eg writing
an article on a science investigation and presenting it as a major discovery, an article on
the impact on people’s lives of a product that they have been disassembling, designing
or making in design and technology.
• The finished work can be pasted into a virtual newsreader
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/presspack/gamesroom/newsreader.shtml
• Children can practice reading out their reports in the style of a real newsreader.

Y4 unit plan_word_processing

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