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TEACHER NOTES:
gen zED!
COMPETITION 2015
Terms 2-3, 2015
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................... 6
Photography .................................................................................................................................................................. 6
AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM LINKS ............................................................................................................................... 7
English ........................................................................................................................................................................... 7
The Arts: Media Arts ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
KEEP WATCH – an interview with a rising star ................................................................................................................ 8
Finding a subject ........................................................................................................................................................... 8
Preparing interview questions ....................................................................................................................................... 8
What questions to ask ................................................................................................................................................... 8
Conducting the interview ............................................................................................................................................... 8
Taking the photograph .................................................................................................................................................. 9
Review the responses ................................................................................................................................................... 9
SPOT ON – five different answers to the same question ............................................................................................... 10
THE BUZZ – a news story about or of interest to children ............................................................................................. 11
Writing the article ........................................................................................................................................................ 11
MAKE IT – a crafty procedure for others to follow .......................................................................................................... 13
THE WORD – a book review to interest others .............................................................................................................. 14
Facts about the book ................................................................................................................................................... 14
Outline of the story - fiction ......................................................................................................................................... 15
Outline of the contents – non-fiction ........................................................................................................................... 15
Personal recommendation .......................................................................................................................................... 15
WHO? WHERE? WHAT? – a research article on a person, place or thing .................................................................... 16
Research ..................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Writing the article ........................................................................................................................................................ 16
MIND GAMES – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain ....................................................................................... 17
Crossword puzzle ........................................................................................................................................................ 17
Other puzzles .............................................................................................................................................................. 17
Hidden words .............................................................................................................................................................. 18
Find the missing numbers ........................................................................................................................................... 18
Find the function .......................................................................................................................................................... 18
What’s the pattern? ..................................................................................................................................................... 19
Appendix 1 – Student notes ............................................................................................................................................ 20
Keep Watch – an interview with a rising star ............................................................................................................. 21
Spot On – five different answers to the same question ............................................................................................. 22
The Buzz – a news story about or of interest to children ............................................................................................ 23
Make It – a crafty procedure for others to follow ......................................................................................................... 24
The Word – a book review to interest others .............................................................................................................. 25
Who? Where? What? – a research article on a person, place or thing ..................................................................... 26
Mind Games – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain ...................................................................................... 27
Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED! .......................................................................................................................... 28
Keep Watch – an interview with a rising star ............................................................................................................. 29
Keep Watch – an interview with a rising star ............................................................................................................. 30
Spot on – five different answers to the same question ............................................................................................... 31
The Buzz – a news story about or of interest to children ........................................................................................... 32
The Buzz – a news story about or of interest to children ........................................................................................... 33
The Buzz – a news story about or of interest to children ........................................................................................... 34
Make It – a crafty procedure for others to follow ......................................................................................................... 35
Make It – a crafty procedure for others to follow ......................................................................................................... 36
Make It – a crafty procedure for others to follow ......................................................................................................... 37
The Word – a book review to interest others ............................................................................................................. 38
What? – a research article on a thing ........................................................................................................................ 39
What? – a research article on a thing ........................................................................................................................ 40
Who? – a research article on a person ...................................................................................................................... 41
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Who? – a research article on a person ...................................................................................................................... 42
Where? – a research article on a place ..................................................................................................................... 43
Where? – a research article on a place ..................................................................................................................... 44
Mind Games – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain ...................................................................................... 45
Mind Games – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain ...................................................................................... 46
Mind Games – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain ...................................................................................... 47
© Media Education / The West Australian 2015
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INTRODUCTION
The gen zED! Competition gives students the opportunity to put their skills into practice and write one or more articles
for a special edition of ED! Magazine.
Students who are familiar with the magazine will know the format of each article but the following pages offer a few
tips to guide them as they prepare to write their own.
Most articles can be completed in class but some outside work is necessary for Keep Watch and The Buzz.
All text, photos and artwork must be the students’ own work though help can be given just as it would be with regular
class work.
Photography
Please note the following points in regards to photography:
 All photographs must be in focus and have good lighting.
 If photographs are taken for the students by someone else, that person must be credited as the photographer.
 All photographs must have the name of the subject or a title. They may include a short caption.
 Permission to publish must be sought for all photographs taken of people. Parental permission is required if
the subject is under 18 years of age.
 Prior to interviews, gain permission for an interviewee to be quoted either in person or under a general term;
e.g. a member of the cast, the person who called the police, a lifeguard.
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AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM LINKS
English
Strand
Sub-strand
Language
Language for interaction
Text structure and organisation
Expressing and developing ideas
Literature
Literature and context
Responding to literature
Literacy
Texts in context
Interacting with others
Interpreting, analysing and evaluating
Creating texts
The Arts: Media Arts
As the students are directly writing and reporting for a newspaper magazine, they are using skills of Media Arts,
including sound recording and photography.
Years 3 - 6
Years 7 & 8
Exploring ideas and improvising with ways to represent ideas
Developing understanding of practices
Manipulating and applying the
elements/concepts with intent
Sharing artworks through performance, presentation or display
Responding to and interpreting artworks
Developing and refining understanding of
skills and techniques
Structuring and organising ideas into form
Analysing and reflecting upon intentions
Responding to and interpreting artworks
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KEEP WATCH – an interview with a rising star
The purpose of Keep Watch is to introduce a young talent to the readers of ED! Magazine. It involves conducting an
interview with a person aged 15 – 20 who is performing at an outstanding level in a sport or art form (art, music,
drama).
For the gen zED! edition in October, the Keep Watch article must be between 250 and 350 words.
Please make sure that your students include everything that is required:
 Student’s name
 Year level
 250 – 350 words
 Photograph of subject
Look at samples of Keep Watch in previous editions of ED! Magazine.
Finding a subject
 If students do not know anyone who fits the criteria for Keep Watch, there are many after-school clubs whose
participants are involved in local, state, national and even international competitions, exhibitions or
performances. By approaching the administration staff of a club, it should be possible to ask if one of their star
athletes or artists would like to be interviewed, with parental permission if he or she is under the age of 18. Let
the subject know the purpose of the interview and explain that if your article is chosen, he/she will be featured
in the gen zED! edition of ED! Magazine.
Preparing interview questions
 The secret to a great interview is taking the time to think of questions that will give the most enlightening
answers.
 Questions for the gen zED! edition interview come in three sets:
o those that provide basic, factual information for the lead paragraph; e.g. age on October 21 (date of
publication if selected), suburb/town where he/she lives, his/her best achievements and those that
provide the more interesting information
o those that inform the reader about the subject’s involvement in the sport or art form; e.g.
achievements to date, training regimes, goals for the future, role models.
o those that delve deeper to find out more about his/her personality and character; e.g. responses to
success and failure, attitude to training, acknowledgement of support, preferred pastime, ideal
holiday, favourite cuisine. These are important questions as they tell the reader something about the
person behind the athlete or artist.
 Keep together questions about the same topic. Think about the order of questions. Ask the most significant
ones first.
 Prepare about 12 questions and from these, the best eight to ten can be chosen for the Keep Watch article.
What questions to ask
 Students research a familiar sportsperson and present the information as a set of questions and answers.
 Students imagine themselves as the interviewee. What questions could be asked to find out different things
about them?
 Write questions to be answered by people from history or characters from a novel.
Conducting the interview
 It would be best to conduct the interview where the subject trains so that action photographs can be taken
afterwards.
 Ensure you are both relaxed and committed to taking part in the interview.
 How will the interview be recorded: video or sound recording, on phone, tablet or laptop or paper and pen?
Check that all equipment is set correctly so that playback is clear.
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If the interviewee gives short answers, encourage him/her to add a little more information. If typing or writing
the responses, take enough time to ensure they are recorded accurately and that they will be clear after the
interview.
Taking the photograph
 How will the photographs be taken: as stills or freeze-framed from a video recording?
 If taking stills, take a shot in which the subject is not moving or use a fast shutter speed to capture action in
focus. Take several shots and choose the best one for the article.
 If someone else takes the photographs for you, cite him/her as the photographer
Review the responses
 Review the responses as soon as possible after the interview while it is still fresh in the mind.
 If the interview was video or sound recorded, play it back and record the answers exactly as they were given.
 Edit the answers to correct punctuation and spelling and write abbreviations in full.
 Use the answers from the first few questions to write the lead paragraph. This should state who the subject is,
what he/she does and what he/she has achieved.
 Consider which questions have provided the most interesting responses that will tell the reader most about
the person. Choose the best for the article.
 Order the questions and answers from what you believe to be the most to the least significant.
 The article requires a title. Play around with some ideas. What figurative language could you use? What play
on words?
 Give the photograph a title and caption
For classroom use:
 Appendix 1 – Student notes
 Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED!
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SPOT ON – five different answers to the same question
The idea of Spot On is to invite five children to offer their opinion on a topic of current interest or to give their response
to a specific survey question.
For the gen zED! edition in October, each response must be between 30 and 60 words.
Spot On
Please make sure that your students include everything that is required:
 Student’s name
 Year level
 30 – 60 words each
 5 photographs (head and shoulders)
Look at samples of Spot On in previous editions of ED! Magazine.
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Think carefully about the subject before you compose the question. Is it going to elicit lots of different
responses or are they likely to be very similar? The more varied the responses, the better.
To receive thoughtful responses, the subject of the question should be of interest to most children of your age;
e.g. a current ‘hot topic’ in the news, an exciting event occurring locally, nationally or internationally,
something related to the entertainment industry.
Think carefully about the way you word the questions. Avoid questions that encourage one word answers.
Devise the question so that it includes the ‘why element’, asking the participant to explain his/her answer; e.g.
If you were a famous inventor, what would you like to invent and why?
Invite a number of people in your class to answer your question, boys and girls.
Choose the responses that you think will be of the greatest interest to readers of ED! Magazine. Edit each one
for correct grammar, punctuation and spelling.
Check the word count of each response. If it is too high or low, ask the person to amend it.
When you have chosen your five entries, take a clear photograph (head and shoulders) of the participants.
Make sure they are all smiling!
For classroom use:
 Appendix 1 – Student notes
 Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED!
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THE BUZZ – a news story about or of interest to children
The aim of The Buzz is to write a news story that features children or which will be of interest to them.
For the gen zED! edition in October, The Buzz news story must be between 300 and 400 words.
There are many local events both planned and unexpected that involve kids or are of interest to them. This is a
chance for students to tell readers what cool things kids in their area are up to or what interesting things have been
happening on their patch.
The Buzz
Please make sure that your students include everything that is required:
 Student’s name
 Year level
 300 – 400 words
 Photograph of subject
 Additional photographs (max. of 2)
Look at samples of The Buzz in previous editions of ED! Magazine.
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Keep a sharp eye and ear out for information in the media about locally occurring events in which kids are
involved or which may be of interest to them; e.g. an organised charity fun run.
Be aware of other students in your school or club who may be involved in something special that is worthy of
reporting; e.g. someone who has won a prestigious award.
Be prepared to drop everything and race to the site of an unexpected event that will provide a great story; e.g.
stranded whales on the beach.
Take lots of photographs that will later help you to recall the event and write the story.
Complete a 5 Ws chart that explains the what, where, when, why and who of the event.
For planned events, prepare a set of questions to ask various people; e.g. participants, onlookers, audience,
volunteers. Consider the type of event and its purpose so that questions are specific rather than random. The
5Ws chart should help here.
Examples of questions: How did they get involved? Did they have to prepare for it? What have they had to
do? Are there any future events? What happens next? What is the history of the event and how has it
evolved? What did they think of the event? How will people benefit from it? What work was involved ‘behind
the scenes’? How did it happen? Why/how do you think it happened?
Ask each interviewee for permission to quote him/her.
Ask permission to take photographs of interviewees and other people involved in the event. Choose the best
one to include in the story.
Writing the article
 Look at all the information you have acquired about the event. Decide how you want to arrange it in the story.
Does it need sub-headings? Does it require any tables, maps or diagrams?
 Separate interview responses into two groups, those offering opinions and those giving facts.
 Decide which quotes to use. It is not necessary to include a full quote. Highlight key words and phrases and
cross out irrelevant information. Include only the key words and phrases and the words that connect them.
Use ellipsis to show words that have been omitted.
 Include the name of the interviewee or if he/she prefers, a general term that describes his/her role; e.g. a
bystander, one of the dancers.
 Study the photographs. Do they provide any additional information? Which ones can be included in the article
in addition to those quoted?
 Write a name or a title and caption for any photographs included.
 Write a first draft of the article. Use only facts and correct English. Edit for layout, punctuation and spelling.
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Write a lead paragraph to introduce the story. This is a general statement about the subject that draws the
reader in to read the whole article.
Play around with some ideas for a short, sharp, snappy title. What figurative language could you use? What
play on words?
For classroom use:
 Appendix 1 – Student notes
 Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED!
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MAKE IT – a crafty procedure for others to follow
The challenge of the Make It article is to write a detailed procedure for readers to follow and create a crafty piece of
work.
The article must reflect something the students have made themselves and through that process, identified the
materials required and the steps involved.
For the gen zED! edition in October, the Make it article can be no more than 300 words.
The article is written in the form of a procedure with four specific features; the title, an introductory sentence, the list of
materials required and the instructions for construction.
A photograph of the finished item is required and others (a maximum of two) of different steps along the way may also
be useful.
Make it
Please make sure that your students include everything that is required:
 Student’s name
 Year level
 Maximum of 300 words
 Photograph of finished product
 Additional photographs (max. of 2)
Look at samples of Make It in previous editions of ED! Magazine.
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Title: The title for a Make It article is simply the name of the item being made.
Introductory sentence: This includes how the item can be used, who might use it and why it is useful.
Materials: Although written as one list, with dot points for each item, the list comprises two parts: firstly,
materials specific to the construction of the item followed by one of general items; e.g. scissors, glue, tape.
The specific materials are usually listed in the order they are first used. If appropriate, alternatives can also be
listed plus any additional information that may be useful.
Instructions: When writing instructions, it is important to be clear, precise and include only essential
information. Assume that the audience has no knowledge of the process, so every single step must be
recorded.
Number each step.
Write each step in chronological order.
Use a command verb with an adverb if required to begin each instruction.
A brief explanation may be included to clarify an instruction, or a tip to assist construction.
Start a new line for each step of the instructions.
Position photographs illustrating different steps in the appropriate places.
For classroom use:
 Appendix 1 – Student notes
 Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED!
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THE WORD – a book review to interest others
The purpose of The Word is to write a book review that will help readers make a decision about choosing to read the
book, to give an outline of the story and to give a personal recommendation.
For gen zED!, the book review must be between 150 and 200 words.
The Word
Please make sure that your students include everything that is required:
 Student’s name
 Year level
 150 – 200 words
 The book’s cover image
Look at samples of The Word in previous editions of ED! Magazine.
Facts about the book
 The title – What is the name of the book?
o In a book review, it is only necessary to record the title of the book, but this is also an ideal time to discuss
the purpose and importance of a book’s title.
o What are the characteristics of book titles? What does an author do to make the title of a book appealing
to a prospective audience? What information does a title suggest about the storyline or contents of the
book?
o Take a selection of popular titles to discuss. Suggest different titles for each book. Take a vote to
determine the most popular alternative titles. Discuss why they were chosen.
 The author – Who wrote the book?
o The student only needs to record the author’s name for the book review, but this is also an opportunity for
them to discuss favourite authors. A student’s familiarity with different authors and their styles can assist
him/her when writing the personal recommendation.
o Who are the students’ most popular authors? Which authors of fiction write series of books in which the
same characters feature in all books? Who writes ‘one-off’ books? Which authors are known for writing
particular genres?
o Create a ‘Most Popular Authors’ display. Write a biography of each author and compile a list of all their
books for children.
 The illustrator – Who drew the pictures in the book?
o Not every book has illustrations but for those that do, the illustrator must be acknowledged. No other
information is required but through discussion and studying the work of different illustrators, students will
begin to recognise their styles and appreciate the added value they give to books. This will be of
assistance to them when writing the personal recommendation.
o How important are illustrations in a book? Do all books need illustrations? Who are some popular/famous
illustrators? Can an author’s book be recognised by the illustrator’s style?
o Create a ‘Famous Illustrators’ display. Write a biography of each illustrator including the authors with
whom he or she has worked. Compile a list of books each illustrator has worked on.
 The publisher – Who agreed to take the author’s manuscript and put it into print?
o By investigating the role of the publisher, students will discover that being a writer does not just involve
sitting at a computer and turning the fruits of a good imagination into a ripping yarn.
o Where in the book can you find out who published it? What are some well-known publishing houses? Who
publishes the students’ most popular books?
o Create a chart with the name of a publishing house at the head of each column. In each column, write the
authors who have had their work published by that company.
o Investigate the process from an author’s idea for a story to the book appearing on the bookshelves of a
book store or online. Create a flow chart to show the process and all the jobs involved.
o Research a favourite author. Discover his/her personal publishing journey from manuscript to book shelf.
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As the genre and style are important factors to consider when choosing a book, they can also be included in a book
review.
 The genre – What is the category that defines the type of book it is?
o The broadest classification of books is fiction and non-fiction. Within the fiction category, genres include
historical, science fiction, contemporary. Within the non-fiction category, genres include biographies,
guide books, dictionaries, journals.
 The style – How is the text written and organised?
o In most fiction books for independent readers, the narrative is written in prose. Other styles include
graphic novels and various forms of poetry. In non-fiction books the narrative is usually written in prose
but the page will be organised to include subheadings and appropriate graphic organisers.
Outline of the story - fiction
 The key to writing a good outline for a fiction book is to give enough information about the story without giving
away too much. While the outline can be descriptive it should remain objective.
 It is often the hardest part of the book review to write. How much information is enough and when does it
become too much?
 It may help to draw a story map that shows all the events and outcomes of the story. Then, cross out all the
events that the book review should not reveal. Use the information left on the story map to answer the
following questions.
Use the information in the answers to compose the outline
 When and where is the story set?
 Who are the main characters?
 What is the main plot?
 Are there any sub-plots?
 End this part of the book review with a question that points to how the story might end.
Outline of the contents – non-fiction
 There are many genres of non-fiction book, organised in many ways to suit specific purposes. How the
information is organised affects the accessibility of that information and so it should be referred to in a book
review.
 Non-fiction books include a contents page which can be used to suggest examples of subjects to be included
in the review.
 Compare a selection of different non-fiction books. How are their layouts the same and different? What are
their advantages and disadvantages? Suggest ways to summarise them.
 Discuss the features of each type of page layout; e.g. sub-headings, maps, tables and diagrams and give
opinions on their advantages and disadvantages.
 Display different non-fiction books in similar groups based on how the information is organised.
Personal recommendation
 Every reader is entitled to his or her opinion of a book. Because everyone has different opinions about what
makes a good story or a good reference book, it is important to give evidence to support an opinion.
 Evidence supporting a reader’s negative comments may be the very thing that encourages someone else to
read or use the book. So even a negative review can have a positive outcome!
 Ask students to give their opinions on three random books: one they really liked, one for which they had no
strong opinion and one they really disliked.
 Give evidence to support each opinion, evidence that would help another decide whether or not read the
book.
 Compare different opinions of the same books. What does this say about the type of books the different
students like to read?
 A personal recommendation should also include a suggested age range for whom the book may be suitable.
For classroom use:
 Appendix 1 – Student notes
 Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED!
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WHO? WHERE? WHAT? – a research article on a person, place or thing
The idea of the Who is? / Where is? / What is? article is to research a subject that will be of interest to the reader. It
may be a person, place or thing from the past or the present.
For gen zED!, the Who is? / Where is? / What is? article must be between 300 and 400 words.
Who? Where? What?
Please make sure that your students include everything that is required:
 Student’s name
 Year level
 300 – 400 words
 Photographs (max. 3)
Look at samples of Who is? / Where is? / What is? in previous editions of ED! Magazine.
Research
It is important that students take notes from a range of reputable resources especially if they are using internet
websites. This helps them to verify information.
Before they begin, students may want to brainstorm to create a chart with headings that suggest different things they
can find out about their subject. As they research, students make notes under each heading. These can be the subheadings in the final article.
Determine the most appropriate form to present the information; e.g. bullet points, graphic organiser, sentences.
Decide on photographs and illustrations to include with the article.
Writing the article
Edit the notes and write the information in the chosen form under each sub-heading.
Photographs should have their own title and if necessary a caption. Permission must be sought from the
photographer, and his or her name included, if someone else’s photographs are used.
An article requires a lead paragraph. This is a general statement that invites the reader to continue reading. The
vocabulary should hint at the article’s appeal and make the reader want to find out more.
Use appropriate figurative language to make the title short, snappy and eye-catching while still informing the reader of
the article content.
For classroom use:
 Appendix 1 – Student notes
 Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED!
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MIND GAMES – a selection of puzzles to challenge the brain
The challenge of the Mind Games feature is to encourage the reader to think laterally with a selection of different
puzzles.
For the gen zED! edition in October, you must submit three puzzles for the Mind Games.
One puzzle must be a crossword with a maximum of eight clues. The other two can be of any style, housed within a
maximum area of 10 cm x 12 cm.
The size of the puzzles must be large enough for readers to record answers, if required.
Mind games
Please make sure that your students include everything that is required:
 Student’s name
 Year level
 1 crossword
 2 other puzzles
 Solutions to all puzzles
Look at samples of Mind Games in previous editions of ED! Magazine.
Crossword puzzle
Before you begin:
 Aim to create a compact puzzle in which the answers have many common letters that can be used in the
across and the down strips.
 Try to achieve a balance in numbers of across and down clues.
 Aim for a mixture of short, medium and long length words. This helps when putting the puzzle together.
Constructing the puzzle:
 Decide on the eight puzzle clues. They may be random or linked to a theme.
 Ensure the answers are facts that can be verified.
 Check that your answers are correct and spelt correctly.
 Using squared paper, try several ways to arrange the answers to achieve the most compact grid.
Hint: start with the longest word first, either across or down.
 Letters of different words can only touch at the intersection of across and down answers.
 Struggling to fit an answer in? Look at the puzzle so far and see if a word can be made. If so, think of a
question for which this word is the answer.
 To number the answers, use a ruler to cover all but the first row of squares. Number the first letter of each
new word, starting from 1, from left to right. Move the ruler down row by row, numbering each ‘first letter’
letters. Look at puzzles in previous ED! Magazines to see how this works.
 From the numbered answers, arrange the clues in order under Across and Down.
 If two clues, an across and a down, have the same starting letter, there will not be a Number 8 clue. Instead,
these two clues will have the same number.
Other puzzles
The other two puzzles can be of your choice. Choose from examples used in previous editions of ED! Magazine or
include new ones.
All clues and other content must have been researched and devised by you.
Before you submit your entries, ask family and friends to test them to make sure they work.
Remember to include the solution to each puzzle.
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Here are some more examples:
Hidden words
 How many words can you find in the square?
 Score points for the number of letters in each word you find. One point for three-letter words up to six points
for eight-letter words.
 Words can be found horizontally, from left and right; vertically, from up and down; diagonally, from left and
right.
 For your puzzle, a maximum of an 8 x 8 square.
 Make lists of 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7- and 8-letter words. These may be random or topic based.
 Try different ways to place them in a grid so that you use as many words as possible.
 With any gaps, add random letters but if possible, choose ones that will make other words.
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D
Find the missing numbers
 In the shape there should be 15 numbers between 4 and 102. When ordered from smallest to largest, the
pattern shows an increase of 7 each time; but some of the numbers are missing. Which numbers are they?
 For your puzzle, choose a random starting number and a number to add or subtract each time.
 Continue until you have 15 numbers. Choose five to remove. Place the ten remaining numbers randomly
within the shape.
32
53
102
81
11
60
25
4
46
88
Find the function
 Place the functions in the number string to make it correct.
 You are given a string of numbers and a selection of functions. The functions are placed between the
numbers to make the number string correct.
e.g. Insert these functions to make the following number string correct: + 8, - 6, x 3, ÷ 6
4
SOLUTION:
x3
4

18
=
12
=
12
÷6
=
2
=
2
+8
=
10
=
10
-6
=
4
=
4
For your puzzle, keep to one and two digit numbers in the number string and one digit numbers in the
functions. Use a maximum of eight functions.
18
What’s the pattern?
 Find the pattern in the sequence of numbers or letters. Write the next two in the sequence.


What are the next two elements in this sequence of numbers? 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 16, _ , _
o The next two in the sequence are 22 and 29. What’s the pattern?
o Look for the difference between consecutive numbers: + 1, + 2, + 3, + 4, +5
o The pattern is, the difference between numbers increases by one each time.
What are the missing elements in this sequence of letters? J, F, _ , A, M, _ , J, A, S, _ , N, D
o This is not strictly a pattern but do you recognise the sequence?
o The letters are the first letter of each month of the year, so the missing elements are: M, J, O.
o For your puzzle, give between six and ten elements of the sequence and ask for a maximum of three
elements to continue or complete the sequence.
For classroom use:
 Appendix 1 – Student notes
 Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED!
19
Appendix 1 – Student notes
20
Keep Watch –
an interview with a rising star
Thousands of kids take part in activities
outside school and many are achieving
great things in state, national and even
international events.
How do they cope with the demands of
such high level performance? What
motivates them? Who inspires them?
What are their dreams for the future?
Here’s your chance to find out what it
feels like to be a reporter interviewing a
celebrity! Find a local hero and spend a
while finding out what makes him/her tick.
The word count for the interview is
between 250 and 350 words.
Finding a subject
You may already know of someone but if not, ask your
parents or teacher to suggest clubs where you may
find a willing candidate. Let him/her know that if you
win this competition, he/she will be featured in the
special gen zED! edition of ED! Magazine. Who could
refuse such great publicity?
Preparing interview questions
A great interviewer is one that asks great questions.
Readers will want to know how he/she arrived at their
current level, who helped him/her and what he/she
hopes to achieve in the future. They will also be
interested in the person behind the activity. Phrase
your questions so your subject gives you this
information.
You will also need some ‘basic information’ including
name, age and achievement to date.
Conducting the interview
It is best to conduct the interview where you can also
take photographs of the subject performing. Will you
record the interview manually or electronically? If
electronically, make sure that all your equipment works
and is fully charged. Bring all leads with you, just in
case!
Taking the photograph
You need permission for any photographs taken and, if
someone takes the photos for you, you must include
his/her name. All photographs submitted to the
competition must be in focus so make sure your
camera and photography skills are capable of taking
moving shots. If in doubt, take a still shot.
Reviewing the responses
Review the responses as soon as possible while the
interview is still fresh in your mind. Type all answers
just as they were given. Edit them for spelling and
grammar. Write any abbreviations in full.
Writing the article
Write the lead paragraph introducing the subject and
stating his/her current achievements. Order the
questions/answers from the most to least informative
and select which ones to keep or discard. Write a
catchy title to draw the reader’s eyes to the article.
Keep Watch checklist
Please make sure you include everything that
is required:
 Your name
 Your school year
 250 – 350 words
 Photograph of subject
21
Spot On – five different
answers to the same question
Here’s an opportunity to give five of your
friends the chance to have their say and
either offer their opinion about a world
event or give a response to a specific
survey question. It’s up to you to choose
the question but each response must be
between 30 and 60 words.
Choosing the question
Think of a topic that your friends and fellow students
would be interested in. It could be a current ‘hot topic’
in the news, an exciting event occurring locally,
nationally or internationally or something related to the
entertainment industry. Ask a question that requires
thought and will give lots of different answers and
explanations for them.
Spot On checklist
Please make sure you include everything that
is required:
 Your name
 Your school year
 30 – 60 words each
 5 head and shoulders photographs
Asking the question
You can only include five people in your entry, but you
need to ask several people the question so you can
choose the five best responses. What would be the
best way to record their answers?
Reviewing the responses
Read through each response. Put aside any you are
sure you won’t use. Look at the rest carefully and
choose the best five.
Taking the photographs
When the five responses have been selected, take a
head and shoulders shot of each person.
22
The Buzz – a news story
about or of interest to children
You’ll need to keep your eyes and ears
open to enter this competition. Like a
regular reporter, you’ll need to sniff out a
story that’s happening somewhere near
you and be an ‘at the scene’ reporter. The
story must be about or of interest to
readers of your age, and one that you
would enjoy reading. The word count is
between 300 and 400 words.
Reporting on the story
Reporting electronically allows you to talk as you go,
describing the scene. It also makes it easier to conduct
interviews. Remember to take the name of anyone you
interview and get his/her permission to quote him/her
in your article.
Find out the 5 Ws of the event; Who? What? Where?
When? Why? You may be able to answer some
questions yourself but for others you will need to
interview people. Try to interview people from as many
different groups as possible; e.g. performers,
audience, volunteers, security. You may receive
different answers to the same questions. That could
make a very interesting article!
Writing the report
Decide how you want to present the information and
which quotes to use. If you have used someone’s
quote, include his/her photograph.
Write the first draft. Edit for layout, spelling and
punctuation.
From all the information you have acquired about the
event, write a lead paragraph to introduce the story.
This is a general statement about the subject that
draws the reader in to read the whole article.
Finally, conjure up a creative title that will cry out to the
reader!
The Buzz checklist
Please make sure you include everything that
is required:
 Your name
 Your school year
 300 – 400 words
 Photograph of subject
 Additional photographs (max. of 2)
Taking photographs
Take photos of the scene and of all individuals
interviewed. Ask permission for photographs to be
taken and used.
Transcribing the report
Listen to your report a few times and then start to type
it. Listen. Pause. Write. Repeat this until the whole
report has been transcribed. Listen to the report again,
at the same time reading your transcript. The two
should be identical.
23
Make It – a crafty procedure
for others to follow
Do you have any crafty ideas you would
like to share with other ED! readers? Well,
here’s your chance. The secret to writing a
good procedure is to actually do the task
as you write. The maximum word count is
300 words.
Materials
First of all, gather all the materials and tools you’ll
need. Arrange items in the order they are first used.
Record the materials in this order as dot points.
Make It checklist
Please make sure you include everything that
is required:
 Your name
 Your school year
 Maximum of 300 words
 Photograph of finished product
 Additional photographs (max. of 2)
Instructions
Starting with a command verb, record and number
each step as you complete it. You may wish to take
some photographs along the way that may help to
explain an instruction. Take a photograph of the
finished item.
Testing the procedure
Ask someone to follow your instructions to make the
item. Watch them carefully. You may realise that you
have missed some small steps. Edit your procedure to
include any missing steps.
Title
The title can be simply the name of the item being
made.
Introductory sentence
Explain how, when, why and by whom the item could
be used.
24
The Word – a book review
to interest others
You must surely have read a really great
book that you’d like others to try; or
maybe, you’ve read a really terrible one
that you’d want them to avoid! You can
choose which type of book to review but
remember, you need to justify your
opinions.
A book review has three main parts: facts
about the books, an outline of the story,
taking care not to spoil any surprises, and
a personal recommendation.
In a non-fiction book review, the outline of
the story is replaced by an outline of the
book’s contents and layout.
The book review must be between 150 and
200 words and you must include an image
of the book’s cover.
Facts about the book
This is where you record the title, the author, and
illustrator if appropriate, and the publisher. Do you
know where to find details of the publisher? It’s
somewhere at the front of the book!
You may also wish to include the genre; e.g. fantasy,
science-fiction, historical and style; e.g. prose, poetry,
graphic novel.
Outline of the story
You want to give a suggestion of the plot without giving
away any secrets. Outline a little of the plot and name
the role of the main characters. Make it sound exciting
so the readers want to find out more. Use descriptive
phrases to whet their literary appetites! End this part of
the review with a question that can only be answered
by reading the book.
Outline of contents and layout
There are many genres of non-fiction book, organised
to suit the purpose, from dictionaries and telephone
directories to atlases and encyclopaedia. How the
information is organised affects how easily a person
can access the information – its ‘user-friendliness’.
Non-fiction books generally include a contents page
which can be used to suggest examples of subjects to
be included in the review.
Personal recommendation
Because we all love to read different genres, any book
review with justified opinions will help someone decide
whether or not to read a book, so take this part of the
review seriously. You may have given reasons against
a book, but for someone who enjoys that genre, those
reasons may be what makes it the perfect book for
him/her.
The Word checklist
Please make sure you include everything that
is required:
 Your name
 Your school year
 150 – 200 words
 The book’s cover image
25
Who? Where? What? –
a research article on a person,
place or thing
John Logie Baird, Iguazu Falls, the Large
Hadron Collider – who, where, what are
these things? You may or may not know
the answers. You may not even be
interested to find out, but if someone
researched each one and wrote three
interesting articles, you may change your
mind!
Your challenge in Who is? / Where is? /
What is? is to research and write an article
of between 300 and 400 words on
something your friends and fellow
students would find interesting and enjoy
reading.
Choosing a topic
Choose a topic that you are interested in. Your
enthusiasm will shine through and help you write a
better article. Brainstorm to create a chart of headings
to give you a focus for your research.
Writing the article
 Read the notes under each heading and rewrite as
a number of cohesive sentences to form one or
two paragraphs. Decide which sub-headings are
the most important and re-order as necessary.
 Write a lead paragraph that draws the reader into
the article, encouraging him/her to find out more.
 Use interesting language to create a short and
snappy title.
Who? Where? What? checklist
Please make sure you include everything that
is required:
 Your name
 Your school year
 300 – 400 words
 Photographs (max. 3)
Researching
Make notes under each heading which can be the subheadings of the final article. Choose photographs and
images to include in the article.
26
Mind Games – a selection of
puzzles to challenge the brain
Everyone enjoys spending a little time
testing their powers of logic and lateral
thinking to solve a few puzzles. Your
challenge is to write three of them! One
must be a crossword but the other two
can be of your choice. Remember to
include the puzzle solutions with your
entry.
Crossword puzzle
 The crossword can have a maximum of eight
clues. Make sure your answers are spelt correctly.
 Aim to create a compact puzzle in which many
letters of each word are shared. Start with the
longest words and work through to the shortest
ones.
 Examine puzzles in ED! Magazine to discover how
the Across and Down clues are determined and
the answer squares numbered.
 Ask someone to test your puzzle and edit it if
necessary.
Mind games
Please make sure that your students
include everything that is required:
 Your name
 Your school year
 1 crossword
 2 other puzzles
 Solutions to all puzzles
Other puzzles
 The other two puzzles must fit within a maximum
area of 10 x 12 cm.
 Look at past copies of ED! Magazine for puzzle
ideas or find puzzles of your own to include. All
questions and examples used must be your own
suggestions and not copied from anywhere else.
27
Appendix 2 – Sample articles from ED!
28
Keep Watch –
an interview with a rising star
29
Keep Watch –
an interview with a rising star
30
Spot on – five different
answers to the same question
31
The Buzz – a news story
about or of interest to children
32
The Buzz – a news story
about or of interest to children
33
The Buzz – a news story
about or of interest to children
34
Make It – a crafty procedure
for others to follow
35
Make It – a crafty procedure
for others to follow
36
Make It – a crafty procedure
for others to follow
37
The Word – a book review
to interest others
38
What? –
a research article on a thing
39
What? –
a research article on a thing
40
Who? –
a research article on a person
41
Who? –
a research article on a person
42
Where? –
a research article on a place
43
Where? –
a research article on a place
44
Mind Games – a selection of
puzzles to challenge the brain
45
Mind Games – a selection of
puzzles to challenge the brain
46
Mind Games – a selection of
puzzles to challenge the brain
47