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Using the Statistics Canada Daily to write a newspaper style article

Overview

This activity uses the Statistics Canada Daily to help students understand the writing and research processes of journalists. Students are given a pertinent press release and are asked to write their own newspaper style article based on the release. Students search the Internet for a newspaper article based on the same release, then compare the three articles. Skills in language, communications, and keyboarding are also enriched in the process.

Contributors: Paul ApSimon, Statistics Canada Support Teacher, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board

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Objectives

• To become familiar with The Daily and learn how it can be used effectively in research.
• To appreciate the research and writing process of journalists.
• To develop Internet application and navigation skills.
• To develop presentation skills
• To develop critical thinking skill
• To reinforce basic word processing skills by fulfilling a preset criteria.
• To introduce students to various websites, with an emphasis on sites covering current events.

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Suggested grade levels and subject

Intermediate and Secondary
Language Arts, Communications, Computer Science, Mathematics, History, Geography, Media Studies, Statistics, World Issues, Languages (French, English).

Duration

120 to 150 minutes

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Outcomes

All students will be able to:

• develop the basic computer skills needed to search on the World Wide Web
• search the Internet for a specific article and critique its contents
• use a word-processing computer application to write a newspaper-style article with graphics and column formatting
• revise and edit their work, focusing on content and elements of style, independently and in collaboration with others
• use and spell correctly the vocabulary appropriate for their grade level

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Materials

• This activity can be adapted for a one-computer class, either in the classroom or as a homework assignment. As an in-class project, however, is most effective in a computer lab.
• The lab or classroom computer must have Internet access and a word processing application.

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Classroom instruction

1. Make and distribute copies of the student worksheet to your students. Review the worksheet with your class.
2. Show the Statistics Canada's Daily website at www.statcan.ca
3. Show what is available in The Daily by giving a brief tour of the features that suit your students' needs.
4. Review the word processing skills/functions the students will need for the assignment (formatting columns and text, inserting or creating graphics, using file properties to perform word counts, etc. and estimate the reading level of finished article).
5. Have the students read the release in The Daily and search the Internet for newspaper articles based on the release.
6. Review your own criteria for the assignment. (e.g: word/page count, graphs, how to tile applications, all details from days 1 and 2)

View completed assignments produced using this activity.

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Enrichment

The activity can be modified to fit any classroom situation.

The word processing portion of the document can have additional criteria. Depending on their previous skills, students can be asked to do additional work on their article. If the students know a presentations application, the class could prepare a presentation on the findings of their research. These are skills that will be necessary for their postsecondary education.

Students can search the Internet for newspapers in affected regions. If a certain press release identifies a region as being affected more than the rest of the country, students can find a regional newspaper and evaluate the coverage for bias or lean.

Students can use their research as a topic for a letter to the editor. After reviewing the release and the article, students can summarize their research in the letter to the editor. Is the analysis of the data accurate? Did the newspaper report the whole story or just the portion of information that showed their point of view?

Students can approach a smaller regional paper and offer to submit a series of articles on other Statistics Canada releases, like the Consumer Price Index, Labour Force Survey or the Census. These articles could be written on a monthly basis as an independent study or a co-op program.

The Daily offers unparalleled access to newly released data, schedules of major releases and announcements of new products and services. Many articles have a link to a CANSIM table number. Please note that there is a $3 charge for CANSIM information. There is no charge if you copy the CANSIM table number and search for it in E-STAT. E-STAT is updated once a year during the summer months and provides free data to educational institutions.

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Please e-mail comments or examples of how you used this exercise in your class to Learning resources.

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