Readingboymissing,policepuzzledResources1.Newspaperarticlesareoftenseenasashortenedformofanewsreportthatgivesfullerinformation.Thelead,thefirstparagraphofanewsstory,playsthemostimportantpartintheunderstandingofthewholestory.Itisusuallyaoneortwosentencesummaryoftheparticulareventbeingreported.Theheadlineandthefirstparagrapheffectivelysummarizethestory'scontent.ThereareseveraladvantagesinusinganewspapertoimproveEnglishskills.Anewspaperisinexpensive,easilyobtainedandthematerialsareauthentic.Besides,understandingthenewsstoriesreliesheavilyonthestudents'knowledgeofsocialandculturalexperiences.Newspapersmirrorournationalvalues,habitsandpreferences.Newspaperreadingimprovesthestudents'overallabilitiesratherthansimplyinformingthemofnewinformation.Studentswillfindtimeandeffortdevotedtounderstandingsocialandculturalmaterialsrewarding.2.Somenewspaperactivitiesthatcanbeusedintheclassroom.*Encouragestudentstoreadthenewspaperdaily.Askthemwhatarticlestheyfindinteresting,andreadanddiscussthosearticleswiththem.*Readthenewspapercoverageofamajornewsstoryandwatchthesamestorypresentedontelevision.Talkaboutthedifferencesbetweenreadingnewspapersandwatchingtelevisionnews.*Readthenewspaperforissuesthathavesomedirecteffectsonstudents'lives.Locatenewsstoriesandopinionsineditorials,letterstotheeditorandeditorialcolumns.Askstudentswhichfactsaremostimportantandwhichopinionsareclosesttotheirs.*ReviewTVandmovieschedules,discussingwhichshowsandmoviesareappealingandwhy.Comparereviewswiththosewrittenbymediacritics.*Trytofindpersuasiveletterstotheeditor.Identifyanddiscusstheauthor'sstyleandtone.Encouragestudentstorespondwiththeirownletterstotheeditorwhentheyencounterideaswithwhichtheydisagree.Step1:Lead-in1.SomequestionsaboutUFODoyouknowwhatthethreelettersUFOstandfor?HaveyoueverheardoftheUFOs?Haveyoueverhadthechancetoseeone?DoyoubelievetheusualsayingsabouttheUFOs?WhatdoyouthinkaUFOis?Doyouthinkthereareanycreaturesonit?Wheredoyouthinkthecreaturescomefrom?Willtheybecomeourfriendsorenemies?2.Today,we’llcometoReadingpart.NowI’dlikeyoutolookatthepicturesonpages2and3andthetitle,Boymissing,policepuzzled.Canyouconnectthemwitheachother?Picture1:IsthefirstpictureaUFO?AretherereallyUFOsfromtheouterspace?Picture2:Whowasthemissingboy?Doeshelikeplayingfootballorbaseball?Picture3:What’sthepictureabout?DoesthebrightlightoutsidethewindowcomefromaUFO?DoesthebrightlighthavesomethingtodowithJustin’smissing?(Ifpossible,theteachermayusetheprojectorormacromediatoshowthesituationsinthethreepicturesandaskthestudentsthesamequestionsasgivenabove.Checkanswersinpairs.Checktheanswerswiththewholeclassifyouwish.)3.Answerthefollowingquestions,focusingonthetitleofthearticle,Boymissing,policepuzzled.Doesthetitlearouseyourinterestwhenyoureadit?Canyoucompletethetitle?Whatinformationcanyougetfromthetitle?Whatelsedoyouwanttoknow?Forexample,'boymissing'(How/When/Wherewastheboymissing?)'policepuzzled'(Whyaretheypuzzled?/Whatarethepolicegoingtodoabouttheboy'sdisappearanceandhow?)Areyoucuriousaboutwhythewriterusesanincompletesentenceasthetitle?Didyouknowthatitisafeatureofanewstitle?Whataresomeotherfeaturesofanewstitle?Canyouguesswhatdetailsmaybecoveredinthefollowingnewsstory?Step2:Fastreadingforgeneralideas1.Beforeskimmingthepassage,pleaselookatthenewsphotographsfirstanddescribewhatishappeninginthem.Thenfindtheanswerstothethreequestionsabovethe...
