News-O-Matic delivers a daily selection of interactive news articles that teach students 21st century skills like critical thinking, media literacy and global awareness. Thousands of schools incorporate News-O-Matic articles into their curriculum. The content is available on all web and mobile devices, allowing students to learn anywhere and anytime!
Breaking News Stories
These world, sports and entertainment news stories are a great way to engage students in a variety of learning activities. Students can comment on the stories, seek additional information and decide if they want to continue reading.
Read to Me (RTM)
The RTM feature lets students hear each news story in authentic dialect, as if they were listening to it in the classroom. They can also listen to stories on demand through a podcast option.
Featuring more than 12,000 articles written in three different Lexile levels and in multiple languages, News-O-Matic is an educational resource for kids from preschool through eighth grade. The articles teach 21st-century skills and are correlated to state and national standards, empowering teachers to help their students reach their full potential!
Browse through text sets based on key topics in ELA, science, social studies and SEL. Each unit contains objectives and essential questions to guide instruction.
Search by standards to find articles correlated to specific standards and a preview of upcoming stories. Each article is also correlated to a Lexile level, making it easier for teachers to select the right level for their students.
Use the news outline sheet to get students familiar with the newspaper structure before having them write their own articles. This will help them develop writing, cooperation, and teamwork skills.
Newspaper Cut-lines
The lead paragraph should contain the most important information in your report. It should explain exactly what happened and why it is relevant to your audience. You should also include a quotation from an expert or witness in the article, so that readers can learn more about the subject.
Add any extra or surrounding information about the event or related topics to your lead and the tail paragraphs, including links for more information about the subject. Finally, include a quote from an expert in the final paragraph to sum up the story and suggest what may unfold next.
Identify the story’s theme: Is this an uncovered injustice or an ironic account? Does it focus on a local issue or a local milestone? A story about an organization that is bringing people together to create something new could be a local interest.
Be a good source of information: Do you have any personal knowledge of the subject matter? If so, do you know how to speak to the reporter in a way that will get them to understand your viewpoint? Give your report a face and voice by being calm, polite, and enthusiastic. Be sure to leave a call back number.
You should always be aware of the deadlines and schedule for your reporting assignment. You should make sure you give your reporter enough time to complete the story before your deadline. You should also be sure to answer all of your reporter’s questions. This is to ensure that they will be able to report the best news possible.
