Planning and Writting Article for the Gazette

Me and Jaynie are both completing the newspaper question for are coursework and we found out there was a forensic scientist visiting a year 11 lesson and as Marlwood is a science college, we thought this was a good opportunity to use this to practice writing a article for a local newspaper.

1. Beginning this we need photographs to go along side the article. So we visited the lesson and took a few photos which we thought would be appropriate for the newspaper
2. We then interviewed the teacher at the end of the lesson, asking questions on how the lesson went, the background of the scientist and how the students felt, try to get as much vital information as possible
3. We then took my notes from the interview used these to help me write a short newspaper story, we tried to stick to newspaper conventions whilst doing so, and tried to keep my story factual
4. We selected my favourite photos, and cropped a few to improve the composition of some photos
5. We then made sure we double checked the story we wrote earlier, correcting any mistakes, and making some improvements.
6. We tired to think of a few headlines which could be used with the story
7. Finally we emailed the story, a few headline ideas and my favourite photos to the local newspaper "The Gazette", and asked in my email to receive feedback, especially if the story doesn't get published.

What I sent into local newspaper:-

Ideas for headlines:-

• Marlwood Crimebusters.
• Hands on at Science College
• Science College pupils are dab hands
  

Story I write and sent to local newspaper:-

Malrwood is a specialist science college and as part of the work of a science college, practitioners from the worlds of science and maths will be visiting the school to work with the students. Other work planned includes an actuary, opticians, nuclear power engineers and estate agents.

On Friday 16 October 2009, Jeff Thomas, visited Marlwood Year 11 21st Century Science group. They are studying how science can be used with various jobs such as forensic scientists, where they specialise in collecting finger-prints at crime scenes.

Jeff Thomas is experience in this line of expertise’s and talked to the enthusiastic pupils about how the police use and collect data and evidence from crime scenes. The pupils got to show off their won knowledge and skills by finding their own fingerprints on glass. The students from class X3 also found out exciting and interesting facts such as how scientists can finger print a cows nose.

The students learnt about Jeff Thomas history and experience in this industry, he began his carer as a PC and had moved on to training others to analysis finger prints, he even gets to travel to different countries to gain experience, and work with different people and in other cultures which students seemed interested in hearing about.

Overall this seemed like an interesting day for both Year 11 Marlwood Science class X3 and for Jeff Thomas, as they learnt from each other. The students enjoyed getting to meet somebody who is experienced and has knowledge of 21st Century science which they are studying.

How successful I think this was?
Although I still haven't heard if my article will be published yet, I think it makes sense to for me to look at how this task went, and any improvements I could make if I were to complete a similar task again.

What went well?

• I found it simpler that I expected to turn my notes from the interview into a short newspaper story.
• The interview I held with the teacher who held the lesson went well as I feel I asked all the right question to find the vital information I needed

What I could improve?

• I think I should have spent more time in the lesson observing, then I would have got a better idea of the atmosphere of the lesson
• Although
• some of my photos were successful I think I could have taken a few more photos, so giving me a bigger range of picture to choose from
• When I held the interview with the teacher I felt I needed to write down notes quicker, so i wasted less time
• I found thinking of headlines difficult, so I think it would be useful for me to analyse newspaper headlines, to help see what works.