Create an on

							                Create a “newspaper” based on: Witness for the Prosecution, a play by Agatha Christie

Include:
          a minimum of four newspaper articles: news, feature, obituary, opinion.
          a banner or title of the newspaper
          an advertisement
          volume, date, number and also mention the fact that the on-line newspaper is based on the play
          headlines for the four articles
          photographs or images that belong with the articles (Hint: You may have your photo or other students'
           photos taken digitally to use in your newspaper or you can take photos from the Internet.)

Resources:
News and feature article characteristics
Obituary article characteristics
Opinion article characteristics
Checklist on how your newspaper will be graded

Assignments to help prepare you :
Act 1
    1. a)Describe the important characters b) Describe the setting c) Describe contradictions d) Write if you have
       any questions
    2. Write questions you would ask each character.
    3. Write a transcript for several characters including the police.
    4. Write a news article as if you were a reporter gathering information from interviews and based on Act 1.
Act 2
    1. Describe the witnesses and the evidence presented at the trial.
    2. Write a news article based on your observation of the trial in Act 2.

Act 3
    1.     How were almost everyone fooled?
    2.     Write your own newspaper feature article on how mistakes were made in the justice system in the play.
    3.     Read obituary article and then write an obituary article for either character who died.
    4.     Write your own editorial, commentary, or letter-to-the-editor based on the play.


                                   Checklist on how your newspaper will be graded:

How should newspaper be graded?
I. 4 articles (news, feature, obituary, opinion) each need to use correct newspaper form:
________headline

_______lead

_______quotes and paraphrases

________no bias or opinion of news and/or feature article

_______answer 5 W's and H

_______most important facts are first and are all correct based on Witness for the Prosecution
II. Student shows ability to use technology:

________student makes tables with colors , columns, and rows

_______student puts in text and can change fonts and colors

_______student can save an image to the hard drive and students can insert an image

III. Interesting page design

 Readers' Guide
In its daily news pages, The Times presents both straightforward news coverage and other journalistic forms that
provide additional perspective on events. These special forms — news analysis articles, columns and others —
adhere to standards different from those of the editorial and Op-Ed pages. The news and editorial departments do
not coordinate coverage and maintain a strict separation in staff and management. All articles, columns, editorials
and contributions in the newspaper are subject to the same requirements of factual accuracy.

Here are descriptions of the various forms:

IN THE DAILY NEWS SECTIONS

News Articles:

Man or Woman in the News: A portrait of a central figure in a news situation. It is not primarily analytical, but
highlights aspects of the subject's background and career that shed light on that figure's role in the current event.
Reporter's Notebook: A writer's collection of several anecdotes or brief reports, often supplementing coverage of a
major news event like a summit meeting or an important trial. The items provide glimpses behind the scenes that
flesh out the reader's sense of a major story.

News Analysis: A close examination of the ramifications of an important news situation. It includes thorough
reporting, but also draws heavily on the expertise of the writer. The article helps the reader understand underlying
causes or possible consequences of a news event, but does not reflect the writer's personal opinion.

Features:

Memo: A reflective article, often with an informal or conversational tone, offering a look behind the scenes at issues
or political developments. The article (with a title like Political Memo, White House Memo or Memo From London)
may draw connections among several events, or tell the reader who or what shaped them.

Journal: A sharply drawn feature article focusing on a place or event (and labeled with the place name, whether
foreign, national or regional). A Journal article is closely observed and stylishly written, often light or humorous in
tone. It is intended to give the reader a vivid sense of a place and time.

Review: A specialized critic's appraisal of works of creativity — movies, books, restaurants, fashion collections.
Unlike other feature writers, critics are expected to render opinions in their areas of expertise.

News-Page Column: A writer's regularly scheduled essay, offering original insight and perspective on the news. The
column often has a distinctive point of view and makes a case for it with reporting. (Columns in the newspaper are
displayed with the writer's name and the column's title inset into the text.)
The news sections also present a number of regular feature articles that carry labels indicating the topics — for
example, the Saturday Profile in the foreign pages and Market Place in Business Day.

OBITUARY

An obituary, or an obit, is a piece that is written after someone dies to provide a description of the deceased. An
obituary also includes the following characteristics:
•Written in paragraph form
•Written in third person
•Charts the life of the deceased in chronological order
•Lists the milestones and accomplishments of the deceased
•States the impact the person had on his or her family, friends, place of worship, and community

Appraisal: A broad evaluation, generally by a critic or a specialized writer, of the career and work of a major figure
who has died. The article often accompanies the obituary.


IN THE OPINION PAGES

Editorial: A sharply written, generally brief article about any issue of public interest. Editorials are written by the
editorial board of The Times, which includes the editorial page editor, the deputy and assistant editors, and a group
of writers with expertise in a variety of fields. While the writers' opinions are of great importance, the editorials also
reflect the longtime core beliefs of the page. Unlike the editors of the news sections, the editorial page editor not only
reports to the publisher, but consults with him on the page's positions. Editorials are based on reporting, often original
and in-depth, but they are not intended to give a balanced look at both sides of a debate. Rather, they offer clear
opinion and distinct positions.

Editorial Observer: A signed article by a member of the editorial board. These articles have a more distinct personal
voice than an editorial. They often reflect personal experiences or observations, and may be written in the first
person. These articles are not intended to be policy pronouncements, but do not contradict the board's positions.

Op-Ed Column: An essay by a columnist on the staff of The Times, reflecting the opinions of the writer on any topic.
Columnists are expected to do original reporting. Some travel extensively. Op-Ed columns are edited only for style
and usage, not for content. Columnists do not submit their topics for approval, and are free to agree or disagree with
editorial positions.

Op-Ed Contribution: An article by a person not on the staff of The Times, reflecting opinions about a topic on which
the author is an expert or has provocative and well-reasoned ideas. These articles, most of which are solicited by the
editors, are not intended to reflect the positions of the editorial board. Indeed, the Op-Ed page is seen as a forum to
air diverse and challenging viewpoints.