Grade 9 Unit 2: Informative, Journalistic, and Literary

Grade 9 Unit 2: Informative, Journalistic, and Literary

Writing

Table of Contents

Introduction 2

Unit Objectives 2

Lesson 1: Informative Writing 3 Warm-up! 3 Learn About It! 4 Check Your Understanding 8 Let’s Step Up! 9

Lesson 2: Journalistic Writing 10 Warm-up! 10 Learn About It! 11 Check Your Understanding 14 Let’s Step Up! 15

Lesson 3: Literary Writing 16 Warm-up! 16 Learn About It! 16 Check Your Understanding 20 Let’s Step Up! 21

Performance Task 22

Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn? 25

Wrap Up 26

Bibliography 26

GRADE 9 |English

UNIT 2 Informative, Journalistic, and Literary Writing

Reading and writing play a key role in our learning. It is often assumed that when someone says he or she likes writing, he or she spends hours creating poems or short stories for entertainment. However, writing is not limited to stories and poems as writing also serves other purposes. In this unit, you will learn more about different styles of writing depending on its purpose.

Unit Objectives

In this unit, you should be able to:

● distinguish between and among informative, journalistic, and literary writing; ● examine sample texts representative of each type; and ● compose forms of literary writing.

2 Copyright © 2018 Quipper Limited

Lesson 1: Informative Writing

Information can be found in many ways. A person may turn to reference materials such as books, encyclopedias, and

even legitimate internet sources. This lesson discusses how to write informative texts.

Warm-up!

Chalkboard Splash In three large groups, write your thoughts (under five minutes) on the question:

“What is the purpose of informative writing?” Post your responses in the board and discover the similar responses per group!


Learn About It!

Informative writing informs the reader about a specific topic. Usually a non-fiction type of text, informative texts are typically found in magazines, science or history books, autobiographies, and instruction manuals. It is written using special text features that allow the reader to find necessary information and to understand the main topic. 1. Features of Informative Writing Informative writing generally has three main purposes, namely:

● To inform. Derived from the word itself, informative writing aims to spread information about a particular topic or area of knowledge; for example, a new invention or innovation that could assist the community or contribute to society in general.

● To raise awareness. Certain situations, for example, the spread of an epidemic,

can be thwarted with informative texts raising awareness about these.

● To educate. Informative texts can be used to teach concepts and ideas. It conveys knowledge in terms everyone could understand, so that these ideas that were once foreign to most people will be easily understood.


Look at the sample text below:

A Unique Category

All living things belong to a particular category. These categories are based on observed standard characteristics. This is called Taxonomy. Taxonomy is a branch of Biology which is responsible in defining and naming categories of organisms based on their shared characteristics.

An example is the classification of cats and dogs. Cats and dogs may share particular characteristics such as having fur and the ability to give birth to live young. However, they differ in terms of other characteristics such as their other physical characteristics and abilities. These differences separate them in different categories.

Groupings in taxonomy are separated into kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. Scientific names of organisms are determined through their genus and species such as Homo sapiens for humans or Felis catus for cats.

In this example, the text discussed what taxonomy is and what it does. It gives facts about ways of categorizing organisms through taxonomy and gives examples that will enlighten readers to understand the concepts better. Informative texts have certain features that make them distinct. Check the table below:

Feature Purpose

Table of Contents Helps the reader see major parts of the book along with page numbers and locate information and see main topics or main points

Glossary Helps the reader quickly find a key term from an alphabetical list

Index Helps to quickly find pages that contain information the reader is looking for

Keywords Defines key terms for the reader to better learn and understand the subject


Diagram Helps the reader understand a more detailed or simplified view of information

Chart/Graph/Table Aims to organize large amounts of information

Map Helps the reader identify where events take place

Timeline Shows the order of events and how one event may have led to another

Graphics/Illustrations Uses visual aids (e.g., image representations) to help the reader understand particular information

Bold/Italics Signifies that the word is important

Title Shows the topic of the text

Subheading Divides the text into sections

Caption Helps the reader understand what is shown in the photo or illustration

Sidebar Helps the reader understand interesting facts or important information the author wants the reader to know

In order for an informative text to be effective, it has to present information in an objective, clear, and organized manner and use reliable and scholarly resources.

2. Structure and Organization Informative writing is used to present information to readers without showing any partiality, its purpose is to raise the reader’s awareness about a topic and educate the reader by providing knowledge that the reader could utilize in making a sound judgment.

An informative text begins with a thesis statement, general classification, or definition. The body lists a sequence of supporting or related factual information about the topic. The text ends with a concluding statement.


In terms of organization, informative writing presents information logically (by date/time or order of importance), categorically (by definition or theme), or contextually (by compare/contrast or historical/contemporary).

The informative text follows a structure that can easily be distinguished. Take a look at the table below:


Check Your Understanding

Read the text and answer the following questions: Aside from social media sites which provide us with ways to communicate with other people, we also have a way to share our feelings and insights through blogs. A blog is a form of an online diary or journal. It is an avenue for people to express themselves in the internet. Anyone who has a computer and an internet connection can start a blogging site. They normally use this to document their everyday life, personal thoughts and insights on certain issues, showcasing a hobby or interest they are very passionate about, or sharing their knowledge on particular topics. These people know that blogging can be a way for them to reach out and be heard by others. The internet is a powerful tool not only for communication but also for self-expression. It is through blogs and blogging that people can reach out to others and express themselves freely.

1. What is a blog? 2. What are the qualifications of bloggers? 3. Why do people blog? 4. What is the main idea of the text? 5. Is this text an example of an informative text? Why?


Let’s Step Up!


Lesson 2: Journalistic Writing

There are instances when we need to get facts straight away, so we opt to look into more straightforward reading materials which will give us everything we need to know such as newspapers, magazines, or online journals. This lesson discusses journalistic writing.

Warm-up!

Making sense out of cutouts In groups of seven members each, bring a newspaper (daily broadsheet) and cut out the following:

1) The Headline News 2) One major feature in the Features section 3) The main Editorial 4) The main Sports News

Paste them on a Manila Paper, labelling each part properly, then set it aside for a later task.


Learn About It!

Journalistic writing is a style of writing used to report news stories in newspapers, on television broadcasts, on radio, or on the Internet. An article of this type is written in short sentences and paragraphs and quickly gets to the point.

The purpose of journalistic writing does not stop in giving the readers information, it can also serve as entertainment and can be persuasive without choosing sides, maintaining the balance between two opposing ideas.

In order for journalistic writing to be effective, it has to present information in an objective manner. Journalistic writing relies on facts and evidence, rather than on opinion or emotional appeals.

1. Structure of a Journalistic Text

In this type of writing, the major ideas are placed in the first paragraph and with each succeeding paragraph, the information given becomes less important. Simply put, it is structured so that the more important details go to the top of the article and the not so important ones go below, free to be cut by the editor.

News articles often utilize the inverted pyramid. In this structure, the most important point is first presented, followed by details or information in a descending level of importance.

Other journalistic articles such as feature articles and opinion/editorial articles do not


necessarily subscribe to the inverted pyramid, as features can be more flexible to suit the interests of the reader.

2. Features of Journalistic Texts

Journalistic texts often have features you can distinguish when you look at them:

1. A journalistic text has a catchy headline to grab the reader’s attention. 2. A journalistic text starts with a lead. This paragraph contains the 5 W’s (who, what,

when, where, and why) and identifies the basic information the readers should know. 3. The main body of a journalistic text is written in paragraphs. 4. The body of a journalistic text should include direct or indirect quotes to support the

facts it presents. 5. A journalistic text is written in third person and avoids personal opinion and bias. 6. Since journalistic reports happen in the past, it is generally written in the past tense. 7. Pictures with captions are often included in the text as support. 8. Journalistic texts should answer the following questions: What is the latest? What is

happening to the people involved now?


Take a look at this example:

Government discourages fake news - Roque MANILA, Philippines - Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque has clarified that the government does not tolerate ‘fake news’ in a press conference on Thursday. This clarification came after a remark he made in one of the press conferences that real news will not be determined without the existence of fake news. According to Roque, the government strongly discourages the spread of fake news. He said fake news is not tolerated as far as the government is concerned. He also said that the public is intelligent enough to identify real news from fake news and that they should use this to discern the truth from the lies.

In this example, the text is considered a journalistic text because it shows relevant information at the time it was published. It also talks about an issue that is relevant to the readers at that specific moment. The lead talks of the most important details that will inform the readers of what the entire text is about. The succeeding paragraphs are the details that support the lead. It contains indirect quotation or statements from the source.


Check Your Understanding Read the text and answer the following questions: MANILA, Philippines - The bill that expands the nutrition and health programs for mothers and child’s first 1000 days in the country is soon to become law as the Senate approved it on its final reading. This bill aims to resolve the problem of malnutrition in children during the first 1000 days beginning from a mother’s pregnancy. According to Senator Risa Hontiveros, sponsor of the bill, it ensures that every child should receive proper nutrition and proper health services during this period to allow them to have a better quality of life as they grow. Senators and Congressmen are set to convene a bicameral conference committee to work out differences in their proposed amendments in the bill. The final and approved version will then go to the Office of the President for his signature.

1. What is the text about? 2. What are the provisions of the bill? 3. What will happen during the bicameral conference? 4. Who will sign the bill? 5. Is the text considered a journalistic text? Why?


Let’s Step Up!


Lesson 3: Literary Writing

There are times when we write to showcase our creative and artistic side. One of the primary reasons may be to express our emotions and insights in a more creative way, or to give a lesson to our intended readers. In this lesson, we will discuss literary writing.

Warm-up!

Think-Pair-Share

Listen to Tom Hiddleston reading William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 (Shall I compare thee to a Summer’s day?) while reading the text online.

Working in pairs, answer the following questions:

1) What did you feel while you were listening to the text and reading it at the same time?

2) What do you think is the message of the poem?

Selected pairs may share their thoughts in class.

Learn About It!

The text’s purpose in literary writing is to entertain or to tell a story. Its primary function is usually aesthetic, but it may also contain beliefs or political messages. Literary texts are sometimes considered work of art, but they not bound by the need for providing correct information (like informative texts) or objectivity and fairness (like


journalistic texts); hence, they can last for a long time and be relatable across multiple generations.

It is mostly fictional, meaning it is from the imagination of the writer but can also contain or be based on facts. It serves to entertain the audience, appealing to their creative and emotional side. 1. Purposes of Literary Writing Literary writing serves three main purposes, namely:

1) To entertain and inform leisurely; 2) To express emotions; 3) To appeal primarily to the emotions.

Literary writings should have an emotional appeal among readers by connecting with the audience on an emotional level by composing experiences that can be felt through the writing. The language used in this type is creative and imaginative. It also uses literary techniques like hyperbole, personification, simile, and metaphor.

2. Common Elements of a Literary Text Literary texts have distinct elements that can be used to identify them.

Element Description Setting Indicates the time and place where the story happened Mood The emotions and atmosphere or feeling of a literary work

Characters The individuals whose thoughts and action make up a story. They are either the protagonist or antagonist, or they can also be flat, static, dynamic, or round characters.

Plot This is the sequence of events in a story, from the Exposition, to the Rising Action, to the Climax, Falling Action, and the Resolution or Denouement.

Subplot This is another story within the main plot of the story, usually added to give clarity to the events in the plot.


Conflict

This is the main struggle of characters in the story. It could be one of the following: 1) A character vs. another character; 2) A character vs. Nature; 3) A character vs. destiny or supernatural forces; or 4) A character vs. himself or herself. Conflicts reach their peak at the Climax of a plot and usually gets resolved at the end of the story.

Theme Refers to the message or lesson that the author is trying to convey in the story.

3. Common Literary Techniques To make it further distinct from informative and journalistic texts, literary texts use a variety of techniques.

A. Flashback

Flashbacks are scenes that are suddenly inserted in a narrative, taking the story back to a time before its current point. Flashbacks often serve to fill in a crucial backstory or recount events before the story’s primary sequence of events.

B. Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is a literary device used by writers to provide an insight of what is to come in a later part of the story. As it often appears at the beginning of a story or a chapter in the story, foreshadowing helps the reader develop expectations about a story’s upcoming events.

C. Imagery and Figurative Language

Imagery and Figurative language create visual representations of actions, objects, and ideas in our mind in such a way that they can appeal to our physical senses. Examples are similes, metaphors, hyperbole, irony, personification, alliteration, and allegory.


4. Structure of a Literary Text

A literary text might have complex sentence structure and linguistic aspects like dialects and ambiguity.

The most significant difference between literary writing and other styles of writing is that the language used in literary writing uses figurative language. Literary texts have lasting value and artistic merit. Identification of such writings or works varies among cultures and societies. Let us look at the example of literary text:

Margie used to love this place. The smell of freshly brewed coffee reminded her of the days she would wait for her friends. The cozy brown couch by the window was a witness to those evenings that she spent solving Math problems while eating Chocolate cake. It all ends today. It is Mar’s last day in Manila. She packed her bags beforehand and made a few letters to her friends. She stayed in the coffee shop and ordered a glass of caramel macchiato and chocolate cake for one last time. “I will miss this place,” she said. “I will miss everything here.” As she looked outside the window, she saw her friends across the road with a sign that said, “We will miss you, Margie!” Tears fell from Margie’s eyes. She didn’t expect her friends to give such a touching surprise. She went outside the shop and was met with hugs and tears from her friends. “Thank you for this,” she said. “I will miss you most of all.”

In this example, the text is considered literary because it showed more fictional characteristics than informative and journalistic texts. It also used literary devices such as flashback and imagery in narrating the flow of the story.


Check Your Understanding

Read the text and answer the following questions: Uriah was a man who was struggling in life. He did not have the best of everything. He works as a service crew in a restaurant and provides for his family. Despite his hardships, he was also blessed with a kind heart and a generous nature. His misfortune did not stop him from showing kindness. One day, he saw an old lady at the side of the road. She was begging for a few coins so that she could eat. Uriah had a bad day himself because he paid for his siblings’ tuition fee and nothing was left for him to buy a decent meal for himself. He had a few coins left and he felt pity for the old woman. He approached her and said, “Here you go, Lola. I am sure you will need this more than I do,” and gave the remaining coins to the old lady. “Thank you, hijo. May God bless you,” the old woman replied. Uriah went on and walked home. When he arrived, he was met with cheering and laughter from his family. “Your father won the lottery! We’re rich, Uriah!” his mother exclaimed. Uriah could not believe what he heard. He suddenly remembered the old lady he met that afternoon. He went on to do a good deed and his family was blessed a hundredfold.


1. Who is the main character of the text? 2. Discuss the setting of the text. 3. What is the story about? 4. What is the theme of the story? 5. Is this text an example of a literary text? Why?

Let’s Step Up!


Performance Task

LITERARY NEWSCAST You have seen news reports being broadcasted on television, but have you tried reporting about

events that happened in literary contexts? Goal: You will integrate the elements of informative, journalistic, and literary writing into one program where your audience will be informed and entertained at the same time. Role: You will be newscasters for a renowned news organization. There would be at least two anchors who will be in a studio, and field reporters who will report the news live. There should also be a trivia segment/studio where a resident reporter will stay. Audience: The whole country (i.e., the whole class) will be watching your 30-minute show. Situation: The challenge involves not just reading the texts in a comprehensive manner, but also scanning for necessary information that can be made newsworthy. You will also be practicing proper presentation skills in delivering your news. Product/Performance and Purpose: Using selected literary texts, you will create a news show that is complete with all the segments (newsflash, trivia/information, entertainment, sports, etc.) and present it to your audience either through a live presentation or a videotaped performance. The Selected literary texts are as follows:

1) Beowulf 2) The Last Leaf (O. Henry) 3) The Gift of the Magi (O. Henry) 4) The Cask of Amontillado (Edgar Allan Poe) 5) There Will Come Soft Rains (Ray Bradbury)

Standards and Criteria for Success: You will be evaluated based on the rubric provided.


Criteria Beginning (0-12 points)

Developing (13-16 points)

Accomplished (17-20 points)

Score

Content (Focus on details/events are clearly evident; it is clearly related to the topic.)

Organization (Logical progression of details/events; clear transitions between ideas.)

Language (spelling, mechanics, grammar and usage)

Research and Accuracy of Facts

The group may have done no research or it was not evident in their newscast.

Group researched the subject and integrated 4-3 pieces of research into their newscast. Most were inaccurate.

Group researched the subject and integrated 5 or more specific and accurate pieces of research into their newscast.

Creativity Students involved 2 creative lines or ideas into their newscast.

Students involved 3 unique and creative lines or ideas into their newscast.

Students involved 4 or more unique and creative lines or ideas into their newscast.


Duration of presentation

The newscast was too long or too short.

The newscast was within 30 minutes but seemed SLIGHTLY hurried or too slow.

The newscast was within 30 minutes and did not seem hurried or too slow.

Enthusiasm Facial expression and body language showed some interest and enthusiasm about the topic throughout the newscast.

Facial expression and body language showed a strong interest and enthusiasm about the topic throughout the newscast, but it is somewhat overdone.

Facial expression and body language showed a strong interest and enthusiasm about the topic throughout the newscast, but it is not overdone.

Group Work Some members of the group were often not focused on the task AND/OR were overtly disrespectful to others in the group AND/OR were generally not noticed by other group members.

The group functioned pretty well. Most members listened to, shared with and supported the efforts of others. The group (all members) was almost

The group functioned exceptionally well. All members listened to, shared with and supported the efforts of others. The group (all members) was almost always on task.


always on task.

Total Score:

Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn?

Do a self-check on how well you learned the lessons in this unit. Place a checkmark in the appropriate box.

Skills I think I need more

practice and assistance

I am familiar and can perform well

with minimal assistance

I am confident that I can perform this on

my own

I can distinguish between and among informative, journalistic, and literary writing.

I can examine sample texts representative of each type.

I can compose forms of literary writing.


Wrap Up

Informative Texts -serves to inform, raise awareness, or educate. -unbiased and fact-based.

Journalistic Texts -serves to inform, provide entertainment, as well as voice out opinions on particular issues. -must remain objective, balanced, and verified with facts.

Literary Texts -serves to appeal to the emotions. -not bound by facts or biases; primarily made for its aesthetic value.

Bibliography

Calvert, R. 2011. Informational Text Features. Accessed June 7, 2017.

http://ferguson.dadeschools.net/Faculty/Literacy/2011- 2012/Text_Features_Chart.pdf

Dickens, M. 2013. Journalistic Writing—The Key Features. Accessed June 7, 2017. https://prezi.com/8qwhrryq-py2/journalistic-writing-the-key-features/

Examples of Informative Essays. 2017. Accessed June 7, 2017.

http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-informative-essays.html

Hasa. 2015. Difference Between Technical Writing and Literary Writing. Accessed June 7, 2017. http://pediaa.com/difference-between-technical-writing-and-literary- writing/

Journalism and Journalistic Writing. 2015. Accessed June 7, 2017.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/735/01/


Journalistic Writing. Accessed June 7, 2017. http://www.stmarysyate.co.uk/journalistic- writing/

What are Literary Devices. 2017. Accessed June 7, 2017. https://literarydevices.net/literary-devices/

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Accessed June 7, 2017. https://www.merriam- webster.com/

Text Types and Purposes. 2015. Accessed June 7, 2017.

https://www.aea267.k12.ia.us/english-language-arts/writing/text-types-and- purposes/

Text Types (Different Types of Writing). 2016. Accessed June 7, 2017. https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/eppcontent/glossary/app/resource/factsheet/4108.pd f

What is the definition of a literary text? 2017. Accessed June 7, 2017.

https://www.reference.com/art-literature/definition-literary-text- e2c4af15a7a79714#

White, D. 2017. Journalistic Writing: Characteristics & Functions. Accessed June 7, 2017. http://study.com/academy/lesson/journalistic-writing-characteristics- functions.html


Documents

Grade 9 Unit 2: Informative, Journalistic, and Literary