The events of To Kill a Mockingbird would have made the news, and likely some would have been front page in local or county newspapers. For this assignment, students can select any major event in the novel, such as the trial or even the death of Tom Robinson, and create the front page of a newspaper that features this story. They should use evidence from the text, as well as quotes if necessary, to support their news story.
Students should be sure to include illustrations of scenes or portraits to accompany their headlines much like a real newspaper. They may also want to include advertisements or news from Alabama around that time period in order to set the events of the novel into the context of the time.
For additional templates to include in this assignment, check out our Newspaper Poster and Newspaper Worksheet templates!
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create the front page of a newspaper set during or just after the events of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Student Instructions:
Students should pick a scene that they can actually see coming up in a newspaper. They can also select news based on the importance of events and analyze the public opinion and interest in these events.
The main point of the news piece should be condensed into the headline. Concentrate on the article's most crucial topic or moment.
Pick terms that a large audience may easily understand and that are clear. Eliminate jargon and unnecessarily technical terms. Students should also keep in mind the audience that will be reading the newspaper and their background. Such as “To Kill a Mockingbird” was based in the 1930s so it is important to first research the interests, educational and cultural background of people from that time.
Create a headline that piques readers' interests or fires their curiosity so they will want to read the article to discover more. It is important to remind students here that the headline should not state a lie or deceive readers as it can give off a bad impression.
Headlines must be brief, usually 5–10 words. Longer headlines risk overwhelming readers and losing their impact. Teachers can help the students by giving examples of headlines from other newspapers and analyzing what kind of vocabulary and wordplay has been used.
The "To Kill a Mockingbird" newspaper project is an educational exercise in which students produce a newspaper that closely resembles one from the time period of the book in terms of both style and substance. By presenting them in a journalistic style, this project enables students to interact closely with the novel's ideas, characters, and historical settings.
The project's objectives can include developing a deeper comprehension of the themes, characters, and historical background of the book, enhancing students' writing and research abilities, and promoting creativity in the way the material is presented in a newspaper format.
Students can conduct research by reading the book again, dissecting pertinent portions, and looking up important historical information from the time the story is set. To assure historical accuracy, they can also locate books, photographs, and ads from that time period. Teachers can provide the students with old newspapers for them to analyze and differentiate between the news from two different time periods.