Max is Missing!
After reading chapters 15 and 16 we know that Max has been
kidnapped by his father, “Killer Kane,” in the middle of the night, and only
Loretta and Iggy Lee know where he is. What might happen to him? What
do you think Grim, Gram and Freak did when they found out Max was
missing? What do you think the police know?
Imagine what it would be like if a teenaged boy here in Lunenburg
County was kidnapped by a murderer who had just been released from
prison. It would be front page news! We can be sure it would have been
front-page news in Max’s town, too.
For this assignment, you are going to take on the role of an
investigative reporter from Max’s town. It is your job to inform the public
about what has happened. As a reporter for the local newspaper, you will
write an article detailing the events of Max’s abduction, but ONLY as they
would be known to the police or Max’s friends and family.
Remember that you are investigating the crime as someone outside the
story and its characters. You do not know Freak, Max, The Fair Gwen,
Grim, or Gram. Even though there are many things we may know about
Max’s background and kidnapping through reading the book, you must be
very careful to only include information in your article that would be known
to a reporter.
Writing the Article
Paragraph 1: The Lead
The first sentence should grab the reader’s attention right from the start. Make it
dramatic and interesting, but make sure it is the truth. In this paragraph, give a brief
description of the important information. Summarize the 4 Ws (Who, What, Where,
When) and the H (How). Prepare the reader for what the article will be about. Make the
audience want to read the rest of the article, rather than skim over it.
Paragraph 2: Expand
In this paragraph, give more details and important information that you want to be
clear about the story.
Paragraph 3: Quotations
In this paragraph, try to include some of the quotations from any witnesses,
suspects, friends, or family. Make a statement telling us about the importance of the
event to the public.
HEADLINE NEWS!
Finally, after you have written your article, decide on a suitable headline for your
article. For example, “Boy Snatched From Bedroom!” Write three possible headlines for
your article below. Draw a star next to the one that you choose to use.
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FINALLY…
Write a good copy of your article and make it “look” like a newspaper article. If
you look at a newspaper article, you can see what the format looks like. Try to copy that
format. You should have a bold headline centered at the top, a “byline” (with your name,
the newspaper, and the name of the city) above the article, and your article must be
written in two columns, like in a newspaper. We will discuss this more in class.
Freak the Mighty News Article
CATEGORY
10
9
Who, What,
When, Where,
and How
The article
thoroughly
addresses the 4 Ws
and the H.
Articles- Interest
The article
contains facts,
figures, and word
choices that make
the article
exceptionally
interesting to
readers
No spelling or
grammar errors
remain after one or
more people (in
addition to the
author) read and
correct the
newspaper.
Spelling and
Proofreading
LayoutHeadlines &
Captions
Quotations
The article has a
centered headline
that captures the
reader’s attention
and accurately
describes the
content. There is a
byline. Text is
contained in two
neatly justified
columns. All
graphics have
captions that
adequately
describe the people
and action in the
graphic.
More than one
properly cited
quotation is given.
Name __________________
8
7
6
5
4
3
The article
adequately
addresses 4 of the
5 required
questions.
The article
contains facts,
figures, and word
choices that make
the article
interesting to
readers.
The article
adequately
addresses 3 of the
required questions
No more than three
spelling or
grammar errors
remain after one or
more people (in
addition to the
author) read and
correct the
newspaper
The article has a
centered headline
that accurately
describes the
content. There is a
byline, all graphics
have captions, and
text is contained in
two neatly justified
columns.
No more than five
spelling or
grammar errors
remain after one or
more people (in
addition to the
author) read and
correct the
newspaper
The article has a
headline that
somewhat
accurately
describes the
content. There is a
byline and the text
is neatly typed.
Several spelling or
grammar errors
remain in the final
copy of the
newspaper.
More than one
quotation is given,
but there is a
minor error in
punctuation.
Quotations are
given, but major
punctuation errors
exist OR only one
quotation is given.
No quotations are
given.
Paraphrasing only
has been used.
The article
contains some
facts and figures,
but is marginally
interesting to read
Total
The article
adequately
addresses fewer
than 3 of the 5
required questions
The article does
not contain facts or
figures that might
make it interesting
to read.
The article is
missing a byline
OR does not have
an adequate
headline OR
graphics do not
have captions
/50