Step 2: History on the run

• Engels
• Secundair onderwijs

Step 2: History on the run

Writing a news report

Ex. 1

 Skim the text on the next page and answer these questions.

a What type of text is it?

b What is the goal of this text?

c What is the source?

d Look up whether this is considered a reliable or non-reliable source.

e Which war does it refer to?

Ex. 1

a What type of text is it?

Ex. 1

a What type of text is it?

a newspaper article

Ex. 1

b What is the goal of this text?

Ex. 1

b What is the goal of this text?

inform people by recounting certain events

Ex. 1

c What is the source?

Ex. 1

c What is the source?

The New York Times

Ex. 1

d Look up whether this is considered a reliable or non-reliable source.

Ex. 1

d Look up whether this is considered a reliable or non-reliable source.

The Times is considered a high-quality newspaper, which makes us believe it is a reliable source.

Ex. 1

e Which war does it refer to?

Ex. 1

e Which war does it refer to?

World War I, because there is a clear reference to the trenches.

Ex. 2

Now read the text in detail and answer the following questions.

a In which time frame of that war would you situate the text?

Explain your answer.

b Explain in your own words what ‘Kommandantur’ is.

c How did the German authorities divide men into 3 categories and how were they treated?

d Is the title well-chosen in your opinion? Why (not)?

e Do you think the journalist is completely unbiased? Why (not)?

Ex. 2

a In which time frame of that war would you situate the text?

-early war 

-mid war 

-late war 

Explain your answer. 

Ex. 2

a In which time frame of that war would you situate the text?

-early war 

-mid war 

-late war 

Explain your answer. 

Belgium was clearly under German occupation. The fact that Belgians were obliged to work for Germany to repair damaged items shows that the occupier had suffered great losses already.

Ex. 2

b Explain in your own words what ‘Kommandantur’ is.

Ex. 2

b Explain in your own words what ‘Kommandantur’ is.

The ‘Kommandantur’ is the commander’s office of the Germans during the war.

People were forced to report to the office, and then they were given orders to work for the Germans.

Ex. 2

c How did the German authorities divide men into 3 categories and how were they treated?

Ex. 2

c How did the German authorities divide men into 3 categories and how were they treated?

– Those who refused to work were imprisoned, given insufficient food, and then sent off to the front.

– Those who accepted work were sent to the ports to unload ships and earned 3 marks a day.

– Those who accepted military work were paid 6 to 10 marks a day to dig trenches etc.

Ex. 2

d Is the title well-chosen in your opinion? Why (not)?

Ex. 2

d Is the title well-chosen in your opinion? Why (not)?

e.g. The title states that women had to dig German trenches,

but the article mostly talks about men who had to work or were sent to the front . The subtitle does mention the men and boys.

Ex. 2

e Do you think the journalist is completely unbiased? Why (not)?

Ex. 2

e Do you think the journalist is completely unbiased? Why (not)?

Although the journalist sticks to the facts as he retells the course of events, he also reveals his doubts through, e.g. ‘voluntary engagement’ (line 50).

Ex. 3

Look at the following line from the article and answer the questions.

(--> multiple choice questions in the next slides)

A card of identification was (there) given to each of them.

a How many verb forms are there in the sentence? 

b Which of these is the auxiliary verb and which is the main verb? In which form is the main verb?

A card of identification was (there) given to each of them.

How many verb forms are there?

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3

A card of identification was (there) given to each of them.

Which is the auxiliary verb?

1. was
2. given

A card of identification was (there) given to each of them.

What form of the verb is 'given'?

1. infinitive
2. past simple
3. past participle

Ex. 3

A card of identification was (there) given to each of them.

a How many verb forms are there in the sentence? 2

b Which of these is the auxiliary verb and which is the main verb? In which form is the main verb?

‘Was’ (= to be) is auxiliary, and ‘given’ (to give) is the main verb in the past participle form.

Ex. 3

A card of identification was (there) given to each of them.

(--> multiple choice questions in the next slides)

c Which tense is used in this sentence? 

d Highlight the subject and underline the verb forms.

e What is remarkable about this sentence?

A card of identification was (there) given to each of them.

Which tense is 'was given'?

1. present simple
2. past simple
3. past perfect

A card of identification was (there) given to each of them.

What is the subject?

1. each of them
2. A card of identification
3. there is no subject

A card of identification was (there) given to each of them.

Does the subject perform the action?

1. yes
2. no

A card of identification was (there) given to each of them.

Do you know who gave the card?

1. yes
2. no

A card of identification was (there) given to each of them.

Is this sentence active or passive?

1. active
2. passive

Ex. 3

A card of identification was (there) given to each of them.

c Which tense is used in this sentence? past simple

d Highlight the subject and underline the verb forms.

e What is remarkable about this sentence?

We don’t know who/what gave the card. There is no agent (= who/what performs the action of the verb) mentioned. It doesn’t matter who gave the card. If the agent had mattered, it would be introduced by ‘by’, e.g. by the German authorities.

p. 90

A card of identification was (there) given to each of them.

In a passive sentence you want to stress...

1. who performs the action
2. the action itself

p. 90

A card of identification was (there) given to each of them.

Make this sentence active.
What is the correct active sentence?

1. They have given a card of identification to each of them.
2. They had given a card of identification to each of them.
3. They gave a card of identification to each of them.

Complete:

present simple	We (to make) new attempts.
		The trench i s being defended by soldiers.
past simple	The enemy (to abduct) the journalist.
		A song has been sung by him.
past perfect	Police (to injure) the protesters.
future simple	Our battallion (to conquer) a few metres of land.
infinitive	to dig

The use of the tenses is the same as in the active voice.

handout

Complete:

present simple	We make (to make) new attempts.	New attempts are made.
present continuous	Soldiers are defending the trench.	The trench i s being defended by soldiers.
past simple	The enemy abducted (to abduct) the journalist.	The journalist was abducted by the enemy.
present perfect	He has sung a song.	A song has been sung by him.
past perfect	Police had injured (to injure) the protesters.	The protesters had been injured by police.
future simple	Our battallion will conquer (to conquer) a few metres of land.	A few metres of land will be conquered by our battallion.
infinitive	to dig	to be dug

p. 104

handout

Ex. 5-6-7-8-9

Prepare these exercises in your workbooks. 

Work in your team. 

Ask for a correction key when you have finished.

Ask for some extra exercises (handout) if you need more practice.

Ex. 10

You will get 2 newspaper articles. Compare the layout. 

WW1 article

21st century article

Ex. 10

You will get 2 newspaper articles. Compare the layout. 

WW1 article	21st century article
- no pictures	- pictures with a caption
- written in 2 columns	- no columns
	- a lead (a concise opening paragraph with the most important information)

Ex. 10

You will get 2 newspaper articles. Compare the layout. 

WW1 article: no pictures; written in 2 columns

21st century article: pictures with a caption, a lead (a concise opening paragraph with the most important information); no columns

Ex. 11

a Look at the structure of both articles. Which structural elements are present? --> match

	WW1 article	21st century article
title
lead
body
ending
pictures
prominent quotes

p. 94

WWI article

21st century article

both articles

neither

title

lead

body

ending

pictures

prominent quotes

Ex. 11

a Look at the structure of both articles. Which structural elements are present?

	WW1 article	21st century article
title	x	x
lead		x
body	x	x
ending
pictures		x
prominent quotes		x

p. 94

Ex. 11

b Take a closer look at the body of the articles to answer the topical questions.

	WW1 article	21st century article
Who? (subject)
Who? (object)
What?
When?
Where?
Where?

p. 95

Ex. 11

b Take a closer look at the body of the articles to answer the topical questions.

	WW1 article	21st century article
Who? (subject)	Germans	Al-Qaida militants
Who? (object)
What?
When?
Where?
Where?

Ex. 11

b Take a closer look at the body of the articles to answer the topical questions.

	WW1 article	21st century article
Who? (subject)	Germans	Al-Qaida militants
Who? (object)	British	5 UN workers
What?
When?
Where?
Where?

Ex. 11

b Take a closer look at the body of the articles to answer the topical questions.

	WW1 article	21st century article
Who? (subject)	Germans	Al-Qaida militants
Who? (object)	British	5 UN workers
What?	hospital ship was torpedoed	were abducted
When?
Where?
Where?

Ex. 11

b Take a closer look at the body of the articles to answer the topical questions.

	WW1 article	21st century article
Who? (subject)	Germans	Al-Qaida militants
Who? (object)	British	5 UN workers
What?	hospital ship was torpedoed	were abducted
When?	4 January	late on Friday
Where?
Where?

Ex. 11

b Take a closer look at the body of the articles to answer the topical questions.

	WW1 article	21st century article
Who? (subject)	Germans	Al-Qaida militants
Who? (object)	British	5 UN workers
What?	hospital ship was torpedoed	were abducted
When?	4 January	late on Friday
Where?	Bristol Channel	southern Yemen
Where?

Ex. 11

b Take a closer look at the body of the articles to answer the topical questions.

	WW1 article	21st century article
Who? (subject)	Germans	Al-Qaida militants
Who? (object)	British	5 UN workers
What?	hospital ship was torpedoed	were abducted
When?	4 January	late on Friday
Where?	Bristol Channel	southern Yemen
Where?	unknown	to swap prisoners for cash

p. 95

Ex. 11

c Think of an appropriate title for the WWI article.

Ex. 11

c Think of an appropriate title for the WWI article.

original title: Germans Torpedo British Hospital Ship Without Warning, 3 of 550 Aboard Lost

Ex. 12

Read the 2 articles in depth and compare the writing style and the language. --> Match!

	WW1 article	21st century article
Writing style details? accuracy? other sources?
Language complex/simple sentences? active/passive?)

p. 95

WWI article

21st century article

both articles

reporting facts without detail

inaccuracies

repetition

quoting other sources

elaborating on details

rather short and simple sentences

longer and more complex sentences

active and passive sentences

Ex. 12

Read the 2 articles in depth and compare the writing style and the language.

	WW1 article	21st century article
Writing style details? accuracy? other sources?	– reporting facts without detail – repetition – inaccuracy: ship from or to Gibraltar? – quoting other sources	– elaborating on the details – quoting other sources
Language complex/simple sentences? active/passive sentences?	– rather short and rather simple sentences – active and passive sentences	– longer and more complex sentences – more specific vocabulary – active and passive sentences

p. 95