Medieval Newspaper Class Project

Transcription

1 The term medieval refers to the span in history known as the Middle Ages. It is the period of time that we associate in our minds with castles, knights, kings, kingdoms, dragons, princesses, etc. We are going to create a class edition of a medieval newspaper. Keep in mind that everything written and drawn in the paper needs to have a medieval theme. You will be broken into groups, and each group will be responsible for the section of the newspaper assigned it. All group members will receive the same grade for their newspaper section. Miss Brown (Editor in Chief!) will be in charge of assembling each group's sections into the final newspaper. We will decide as a class what the name of our medieval newspaper will be. So, think medieval, be creative, have fun, and let s crank out a newspaper like MMS has never seen before!! Advertisements Section This group will be responsible for writing the advertisements appearing in the kingdom s paper. Remember, regardless of which type of ad it is, it must have a medieval theme. So think about the times of kings, kingdoms, dragons, and castles, and come up with four creative ads! 1. The first ad will be one that is trying to sell something. It might be a service of some sort. Here are some ideas: *Midden cleaning service (there was no modern plumbing in the castle think along the lines of outhouses indoors they had to be flushed out and cleaned periodically) *Magic wand repair *Dragon slaying *Come up with your own creative medieval service! It might be an item you re wishing to sell. You could either be advertising for a company, or as an individual trying to sell something. Here are some ideas: *Flying carpets *Armor *Weapons *Livestock *Garden supplies *Housing or building supplies Think about what items might have been of use during medieval times. 2. The second ad will be a wanted ad. It might be help wanted. Here are some ideas: *Need a dragon slayer *Need someone to plant a fairy garden *Need an official scribe for the king (a scribe is someone who writes down what someone else dictates) *Come up with your own medieval help wanted. It might be an item you want to buy. Again, think about what items might have been of use during medieval times. 3. The third ad will be a business ad. Think about what businesses may have existed in medieval times. Here are some ideas: *Castle catering *Armor cleaning and/or repair *Medieval joke shop *Dragon walker and/or groomer *Come up with your own creative idea! 4. The fourth ad will be a work wanted ad. Think about what kinds of jobs were available back then. Here are some ideas: *Knight *Scribe *Gardener *Babysitter *Unicorn trainer For each ad, include the following: *Advertiser s name *Item or service to be sold, bought, etc. *Describe it. *Price *Contact information (remember, there were no phones or electronics back then!) *Best time to contact *A colored picture *A medieval theme Advice Section This group will be responsible for writing the advice column for the newspaper. You will write two problem letters, and an answer letter for each, for a total of four letters. Each problem letter should include the following: *Greeting (i.e. - Dear Ms. Fix-It ) think of an amusing, descriptive name for the person who will be giving the advice *Body - describe what the problem is, describe why it needs to be solved, and end with a request for help. Remember, this is a medieval newspaper, so there needs to be a medieval theme. The body should be at least a paragraph long, and grammatically correct. See below for some ideas of possible problems. *Closing (i.e. - Sincerely, ) *Signature (i.e. - Desperate Debbie) people who write to advice columnists usually give themselves a descriptive name consisting of an adjective and a first name; often they use alliteration *A colored picture Possible Medieval Problems Needing Advice: *My son wants to be a dragon slayer and I m afraid he ll die. *I m in love with the king. *My pet dragon blows bubbles instead of breathing fire. *Trolls are living under my bridge. Come up with your own creative idea. Think castles and magic and things that could go wrong. What would you need advice about if you lived in medieval times?? Each answer letter should include the following: *Greeting (should be the same as the signature of the problem letter you re responding to) *Body - restate the problem, describe a solution, and wish the writer luck. The body should be at least a paragraph long, grammatically correct, and have a medieval theme. *Closing *Signature of advice columnists (i.e. - Ms. Fix-It ) *A colored picture

2 Comics Section This group will be responsible for doing the funny pages of the newspaper. You ll be drawing and writing the comics section. Design, draw, and color five comic strips. This is a chance to show off your medieval sense of humor! Be creative, and have fun with it. Each strip should include the following: *at least 4 panels there can be more, but no more than 6 *dialogue in each panel the characters need to be saying something, or there needs to be a commentary line in each panel *a distinctive, logical thought progression there should be a very definite beginning, middle, and end in each strip remember, each comic strip is telling a short story, or telling a joke, or making a point of some kind *color - for the final newspaper production, which Miss Brown will take care of, the comics will be scanned. Unfortunately, when copies are made, the comics will be printed in black and white. However, your originals are to be colored. *Medieval theme remember, this is a newspaper set in the times of dragons, kings, castles, and magic. Your characters, drawings, and dialogue should reflect that mindset. Local News Section This group will be responsible for reporting on the kingdom s local news. Your group will be writing three articles about something important that has happened or will happen in the kingdom. Each article should be at least two grammatically correct paragraphs. Of course, each article is to be medieval in nature. Get into the mindset of castles, dragons, kings, and kingdoms. Think about knights and magic. Now, if you were someone living in such a kingdom, what news would be of interest to you? Your articles can cover a wide array of topics. Here are some things to think about: *Politics is another king threatening war with yours? *A rampaging dragon threatens crops *Rumors of flying carpets to hit the market at affordable prices *A new, exciting discovery that will change lives *A public meeting debating whether criminals should be beheaded or hanged Come up with your own! This is where I ll be looking for your creativity, and your relevance to the topic which is, of course, medieval time. Remember your 5 W s. For each article, include the following: *Headline (eye-catching title that makes the reader WANT to read the article) *By-line(Name of the person reporting) *What: what happened or is happening? *Where: where did it happen or where will it happen? *Who: whom does it involve? *Why: why did it or will it happen, or why is it important that it did or will happen? *When: when did it happen or when will it happen? *A colored picture Sports Section This group will be responsible for reporting on the kingdom s sporting events. Remember that you must make your articles medieval in nature. The first thing is to choose three different sports. Here are some ideas: *Jousting (armored knights on horseback trying to knock each other off with long poles) *Darts contest *Dwarf toss (see who can throw a dwarf the farthest think shotput) *Maybe a medieval marathon of some sort *Come up with your own! Remember they don t have to be REAL sports make it sound like a sporting event that could have taken place during the time of dragons, knights, kings, and castles Be creative! You ll write a grammatically correct paragraph reporting on each event. So your group will be responsible for three articles. Here are the parts of the each article: *Headline (eye-catching title that makes the reader WANT to read the article) *By-line (Name of the person reporting) *Sport Name (i.e. - jousting, dwarf toss, etc.) *Description of the sport *Team Names who competed *Where the event took place *When the event took place *Final Score *Winner *At least 3 event highlights (what were some exciting things that happened during the event? Summarize what went on during the event, etc. Think along these lines: If you hadn t been at the event, and had wanted to be, what would you want to know about it?) *A colored picture *A medieval theme

3 Obituary Section This group will be responsible for writing about deaths that have occurred in the kingdom. Remember that you must make your articles medieval in nature. Write at least three obituaries that contain the following: *Name of deceased person *Age of deceased person *Date of death *Time of death *Circumstances of death (This is where you really get to get across your medieval theme. See below for some ideas of how people might have died during medieval times.) *Names of close surviving relatives *Type of service: funeral/memorial/ceremony (When first mentioning the service, specify what type of service it will be open casket, closed casket, cremation, burial, memorial, etc.) *Where the service will be *When the service will be *Any special instructions/requests for visitors *A colored picture of the deceased person *Each obituary must be at least a paragraph long, and grammatically correct. Ways people might have died during medieval times: *Killed by a dragon *Fell in the moat and drowned *Burned as a witch *Killed in war *Died of disease/plague/famine *Weapons accident *Kidnapped and killed by ogres *Be creative and come up with your own cause of death that reflects medieval times! Society Section This group will be responsible for writing the society column for the newspaper. Write three short articles highlighting society events. Remember the articles have to in some way reflect a medieval theme! So put your thinking caps on and imagine society events in the time of dragons, kings, castles, and knights! Article 1: Birth Announcement should include the following: *Parents Names *Family s address *New baby s name *New baby s gender *New baby s birth date *Place child was born *New baby s birth weight *New baby s birth length *Relatives names usually brothers and sisters *A colored picture of the new baby Article 2 Wedding Announcement should include the following: *Bride s name *Groom s name *Bride s parents names *Groom s parents names *Location of wedding *Date of wedding *Time of wedding *Special instructions i.e. reception after the wedding, or casual dress, etc. *A colored picture of the happy couple Article 3 Party Announcement should include the following: *Person who s giving the party *Where the party will take place *Date the party will take place *Time the party will take place *Reason for the party *RSVP contact information *Special instructions i.e. bring a potluck item, wear only armor, etc. *A colored map from the castle to the party address Recipes Section This group will be responsible for creating the recipes section appearing in the kingdom s paper. Remember, they must have a medieval theme. So think about the times of kings, kingdoms, dragons, and castles, and come up with four yummy dishes for readers to make at home! Think about the following things as you create your recipes: *The types of vegetables and fruits available during medieval times, and how people got them *The types of meat available, and how people got them *The types of spices/seasonings likely to be used *The equipment available at that time (no microwaves, for example!) *The types of tools available at that time *Whether the recipe will be for the royalty/nobility or for peasants *Include a colored picture of each dish. Recipe 1: Appetizer: This will be a small, snack-like food that starts the meal off. Appetizers are often finger foods. Recipe 2: Beverage: This is what the diners will drink during the meal. It can t just be a single item, like a glass of water or a glass of milk. Think along the lines of milkshakes, smoothies, etc. Recipe 3: Main Dish: This is what the basic meal will be. It should include some type of meat and some type of vegetable. It could be a stew, a casserole, a meat dish and a veggie side dish, etc. Recipe 4: Dessert: This is the sweet, yummy ending to the meal. It might include such things as pastries, fruits, honey, etc. For each recipe, be sure to include the following: *Name of the dish *Equipment needed to make the recipe *colored picture of the dish *Ingredients needed, including both item and amount of item *Numbered list of steps to follow in order to make the recipe (at least five steps). Each step must be a grammatically correct sentence.

4 Weather Section This group will be responsible for reporting on the kingdom s weather conditions and forecast. Your weather news will consist of today s forecast, the extended forecast for the next five days, and some type of colored weather graphic. For all six days of weather forecasting, you ll give the following information: *tell the expected high and low temperatures *tell what the weather conditions will be (clear, cloudy, partly sunny, rainy, snowy, flooding, etc.) include an icon (little picture) for each condition; for example: sunny = a sun, cloudy = a sun with a cloud over, it rainy = a raindrop, snowy = a snowflake, etc. Be creative and come up with your own. *any special-alert weather bulletins citizens may need (i.e. - during flood season, peasants need to stay clear from the moat, which is rising around the castle). Remember that the bulletins need to be medieval in nature. They must be a grammatically correct sentence. You will also include some type of colored weather-related graphic. There are many different types to choose from. Here are some ideas: *precipitation map *moon phases *allergy indicator *radar map of kingdom *flood zones (if it s rainy season) *Come up with your own! Be creative and remember somehow to reflect the medieval theme in some way. Entertainment Section This group will be responsible for creating the entertainment section appearing in the kingdom s paper. Remember, regardless of what types of entertainment are included, they must have a medieval theme. So think about the times of kings, kingdoms, dragons, and castles, and come up with four fun things to read or do! The first thing you will include is a word search puzzle. Come up with a list of 20 words that have medieval significance. Then create a puzzle containing those words. Think about the following things as you try to come up with your word list: *Architecture: castles, bridges, moats, etc. *People: royalty, titles, peasants, etc. *Creatures: dragons, fairies, dwarves, etc. *Occupations: witches, armorers, knights, etc. Note: Prepare an answer key for the puzzle, to be handed in separately. The second thing you will include is a crossword puzzle. Come up with 10 medieval words, and define them. Then, using the definitions as the clues, create a crossword puzzle. Note: Prepare an answer key for the puzzle, to be handed in separately. The third thing you will include are 3 jokes with a medieval theme. You can create your own, or research and use what you find. Include a colored illustration with each joke. The fourth and final thing you will include is a list of three events, fun things, happening in the kingdom, and describe them. The description for each should include: *Name of the event *A description of the event (must be a grammatically correct sentence) *The date and time it will happen * Cost, if any (if it s free, say so) *Colored illustration for each event Remember, these events need to have a medieval theme. For ideas, consider the following: *Plays being performed (remember, there weren t movies or TV back then) *Sporting activities *Hikes, riding opportunities, etc. *Competitions such as cooking, scavenging, treasure hunts, etc. *Anything else that people might want to go out and do that is fun Legal Section This group will be responsible for reporting on criminal activity happening in the kingdom. Report briefly on five illegal things that have happened in the kingdom. Each article should be a paragraph long, grammatically correct, and include the following information: *Offender s name *Brief description of the offense *Date the offense occurred *How the offender was caught (what clues/events/tips/etc. led the authorities to catch the offender?) *What happened to the offender (punishment, etc.) *A colored picture for each offense Remember, this is a newspaper set in the times of dragons, kings, castles, and magic. Keep this in mind when coming up with the types of illegal activities, and the consequences. Below are some ideas. Types of Offenses: *Stealing someone s livestock *Carrying a sword without permission *Breaking in to the castle *Pickpocketing the king *Being a spy for the enemy s army *Be creative and think up something good! Types of Punishments: *Thrown in the dungeon *Put in the stocks *Executed (hanging, beheading, drawn and quartered, etc.) *Work detail *Be creative and think up something good!

5 Horoscope Section This group will be responsible for the section of kingdom s newspaper that will tell readers what their day will bring them. In medieval times, people often looked to the stars to gain guidance about their lives. According to their astrological Zodiac sign, they would read their horoscope to see what is in store for them. You are going to create a short medieval horoscope for each of the twelve Zodiac signs. For each horoscope, include the following: *The name of the sign *The birth dates of the sign *Something good that will happen that day *Something to be cautious about that day *That day s lucky number *Also include an icon (small colored picture) Each horoscope needs to have a medieval theme, and some reflection of each sign s personality. Listed below are the general character traits for each sign. *Capricorn (Dec. 22- Jan. 19): ambitious, hardworking, never lose sight of goals *Aquarius (Jan. 20 Feb. 18): like new, unusual challenges, love freedom and independence *Pisces (Feb. 19 Mar. 20): like to live in their own imaginations, trust their feelings *Aries (Mar. 21 Apr. 19): bossy, good leaders, determined, outspoken *Taurus (Apr. 20 May 20): love the good life and acquiring things, stubborn, dependable *Gemini (May 21 June 21): extremely curious about everything, gossipy, love to be the center of attention *Cancer (June 22 July 22): emotional, love home and family, feelings hurt easily *Leo (July 23 Aug. 22): good leaders, concerned with the well-being of others, confident *Virgo (Aug. 23 Sep. 22): perfectionist, analytical, people pleasers *Libra (Sep. 23 Oct. 23): don t like to be alone, very concerned with fairness and justice *Scorpio (Oct. 24 Nov. 21): very curious about everything, live life on their own terms, secretive *Sagittarius (Nov. 22 Dec 21.): intellectually curious, great scholars, tend to procrastinate.