Newspapers as Substitutes for Textbooks

Activities to Stimulate Students When Schools Close

Today we will explore strategies to use the newspaper to engage kids in learning. This resource is available when self-isolating without risk; one can be delivered, purchased from a machine, and probably rummaged from a corner of the house. One paper can provide days of learning opportunities and the best part is it does not have to be current. Second best, newspapers are available online but his is a second-best option.

Scavenger Hunts

Give a child a newspaper and lead them to explore. Depending on the age of the youth, it can provide teachable moments as adults may need to define terms and offer support. I am providing two samples for different ages.

Newspaper Scavenger Hunt for Older Children

1. The date
2. A headline
3. An article about politics
4. An editorial cartoon
5. An ad for a foreign car
6. A team sports score
7. A news story about a foreign country
8. A news story about your town/city
9. A letter to the editor
10. Movie times
11. An obituary
12. The weather forecast
13. The name of the newspaper’s publisher
14. An ad for a house for rent
15. A picture and ad about food
16. A picture of a newspaper writer
17. An ad selling a dog
18. A crossword puzzle
19. A picture of someone famous
20. A headline with a colon :

BONUS: Find and circle every letter of the alphabet

Math

Million Dollar Spending Spree

Give students this information. Today, you have a unique opportunity. A stranger who lives in your town has died and left you a million dollars — tax free. It seems he remembers a kindness you gave him. But the gift has certain conditions.

1. You may only purchase things in the local newspaper. The man who gave you the money wants to support the community.
2. You are limited to 1 hour to create your list.
3. You cannot spend more than $350,000.00 in one place.
4. You cannot buy more than 1 of any item
5. You cannot give money to anyone other than services advertised
6. You must come as close to the total amount given as possible and cannot go a penny over.
7. You should create a list of the items chosen with the amount.

After the activity, parents can ask the teen questions and discuss their thought process. Some ideas are provided.

• Which items are most important?
• What sections of the newspaper did you use?
• What influenced your decisions?
• What do you wish you could have found that wasn’t available?

Figuring an Average

Using the classified ads, have “student” locate 10 homes for sale. Add the totals of the ten homes and then divide by the total. Do the same for rental. After completing these project, lead the child through a discussion of what is available for different amounts: # bathrooms and bedrooms, size, floor plans, location, etc.

Language Activities

Reading and Writing Skills

Newspaper articles generally follow a format. They answer the 5W questions early in the text. Have your son/daughter read an article and then write the answer to each W Question. Then have them write a one paragraph summary of the article.

• Who?
• What?
• Where?
• When?
• Why?

Listening Activity

Read the newspaper aloud. Ask the child to listen carefully. (The length of the story will vary depending on age). Then ask questions about the article. Often it is helpful to read the article twice.

Reading Comprehension

An adult can set this activity up prior to working with a child. It only takes a couple minutes. Cut 5–10 articles out of the paper. Then separate the headline from the article. Give the materials to the learner and invite them to match the headline to the article. This works well when siblings collaborate.

Sequencing of Facts

Find an article that reports a story through a series of events. Remove it from the page, separate each sentence and have the student reassemble the events in order.

I am posting daily during this period of self-isolation. If you are running dry on creativity, checkout these article. I have input from teachers, family, and parents. Click here for more ideas — Check it out.