Writings #3 and #4: Be Biased, Be Objective

Directions regarding your writing, due Wednesday at the beginning of class:

1. Reread the three articles about the Australian boy who fed the crocodile illegally: CROCODILE BOY which we discussed in class.

2. NEWS ARTICLE 1A: Write your own, 200-word article that is as free of bias as possible. (See the third “crocodile article” for an example.)

3. NEWS ARTICLE 1B: Write your own, 200-word article that is slanted (positive or negative) about the same event. You may choose to take article 1A and “pack it” with adjectives, adverbs, opinions, etc.

4. Post both stories, when they’re finished, on your blog. Label your articles as “Unbiased” and “Biased.”

Due: Wednesday, 30 September 09.

I will check Wednesday morning to see that you have posted your two articles.

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HERE ARE TWO ARTICLES written by Sarabeth F. last year. This may help you understand better how to structure your biased and objective articles.

Students Collect an Inestimable Number of Pens [1B--biased]
September 26, 2008 - Students from I-- went to a free college fair at the prodigious H-- Hotel, and amassed pens and "goodies" from almost every booth.

The ink-starved pupils raided the overstuffed H-- Hotel Ballroom, only to go on a pen thieving spree, taking pens, key chains, chocolate, and brochures from virtually every booth. The atmosphere was galvanic and apprehensive, and the students took advantage of it. Of the 70 schools represented, a good majority had something confiscated by the quick-handed students. Since the fair was already packed out and college reps were incapable of inhibiting the thefts, the I-- students had a field day taking every pen and chocolate in sight. Some students were even reported to have taken several pens from a single table. Mrs. S--, the rowdy crowd's only chaperone, stated, "I'm not sure if we'll do it again. The traffic was horrendous. In addition, it was so crowded..." While the pens and goodies were technically free, it remains to be seen if any of the students will be contacted on account of excessive pen thievery.

28 Students from IGA Attend International College Fair [1A--objective]
September 26, 2008 - High school students from I-- attended the annual free college fair at the H--Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey.

Seventy different universities had booths at the event, and several hundred students attended in order to find out more about the universities, talk to college reps, and acquire brochures and pens. Of the students who attended the event, 66% said it helped them in thinking regarding going to university. Of those asked if they appreciated the brochures, pens, and knickknacks, 80% answered in the affirmative. "The experience was profitable because it encouraged our high school students to think about going to university... [but] it was so crowded, it was hard for students to spend any quality time with the college reps." said Mrs. S--, one of the group's chaperones. The event seemed overall to be profitable for the students, most of whom hope to go to a university somewhere outside Turkey. The students finished up around 8:30pm, and were seen leaving for I--on a service bus outside the hotel.

--Mrs. S.

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text (c) pjfs 2009.