Karin's ESL PartyLand
News on the World Wide Web

Part One: USA Today Online
http://www.usatoday.com/

This is the web site for the newspaper USA Today.  Go to the above address and answer the following questions:

  1. What are the main headlines for today?  What are these stories about?
  2. What are the sections for USA Today? 
  3. Click on "News."  With your partner, select one of the top stories.  Read the story together.  Then, discuss these questions: Who is it about?  Where is it from?  What happened?  When did this happen?  How?   Why did this happen?  What is your opinion on this event?
  4. Take a few minutes to explore the web site.  You can answer polls, look at charts, and skim through some other stories.

Part Two: Web Wombat
http://www.webwombat.com.au/intercom/newsprs/usatable.htm

This is a site where you can find links to hundreds of US newspapers.  Go to the above address.

  1. Select a state from the list.
  2. Visit at least three newspapers from your state.
  3. What are the main stories?  Write the headlines from your three newspapers.  Take a couple of minutes to skim each story.  What type of news does each story focus on?  (For example, is it a business story, a local story, a science/technology story?)  With your partner, discuss how the newspapers are different.

Part Three: The News and Current Events Discussion Forum at Karin's ESL PartyLand
http://www.eslpartyland.com/dtsnews.htm/

Visit the discussion board on The News and Current Events at Karin's ESL PartyLand.  You can read messages from other students from around the world.  You should post a new message or a response. 

Part Four: CNN Interactive
http://www.otan.dni.us/webfarm/cnn/education/education.html

This is a special CNN news site for students.  Go to the above address.

  1. Click on "More Stories."
  2. Take a few minutes to see what types of stories you can read about here.
  3. With you partner, choose ONE of these stories.
  4. Do the "Vocabulary" exercise first.
  5. Read the "Edited Text."
  6. Next, complete the exercises in "Select a Word," "Multiple Choice," "Sequencing," and "Conclusions."
  7. After this, you can read the full length text.
  8. Finally, go to "Show and Tell."  Discuss the question with your partner.  Then, see what other students said about this topic.  Post your own response.

Part Five: Extra Things to Do

  1. Go to http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/quizzes/9801/mr-headlines.html to take a quiz on newspaper headlines.  With your partner, discuss what you think each story is about.
  2. Go to http://lc.ust.hk/~sac/advice/L2.htm to get some advice about listening to the news.
  3. Go to  http://www.real.com/realguide/index.html and listen to news from around the world.
  4. Go to http://www.voa.gov/ and listen to more news.

In-Class Assignment

Send your teacher an e-mail. 
In your e-mail, tell the following:

  1. What was the main story you read at USA Today?
  2. What state did you choose at Web Wombat?
  3. What article did you read at CNN Interactive?
  4. What was one interesting thing you learned from today's lesson?