#4206. Analyzing Feature Articles

Reading/Writing, level: Elementary
Posted Thu Jul 3 06:13:20 PDT 2008 by Kim Clayton (Kim Clayton).
Oakview Elementary, Ashland, U.S.
Materials Required: copies of articles and questions
Activity Time: 60 minutes
Concepts Taught: parts of a feature article

Looking for a way to introduce your students to feature articles? First, find some feature articles that are interesting to students. I used Time for Kids feature articles. Next, I laminated at least 25 articles. Laminating helps from the wear and tear of everyday use. Students then "analyze" an article, answering the following questions:

1. Title of Article

2. Author

3. Source

4. Who does the author want to read the article: (audience)

5. List details from the article that help you understand the purpose.

6. Explain how the article tries to "hook" your interest (examining the lead).

7. Examine the text feature and list any text features the author uses to help make the article more interesting or informative. (Examples - headings, lists, charts, graphs, diagrams, captions)

8. Examining the conclusion and explain how the author brings the article to a conclusion.

This is an excellent way to introduce to students what type of features should be in an article, in a fun and innovative way!