How to Write For An Audience

Choose a Ranger Rick magazine. Read an article that is at least 6 pages long.

Answer these questions on another paper about the article’s audience:

1. Who will read this material?
2. How old are they?
3. How does the article grab their attention? (quote text, give example)
4. What are the main ideas the article told them?
5. How much do you think the readers already know?
6. What reasons or examples are appropriate?
7. Are any reasons or examples at too low or too high a level (give examples)?

Your task:

You are a science writer for a library story hour. You have a group of first grade students from the local school who is interested in the topic from Ranger Rick. Your task is to rewrite the article for the first grade students.

1. Answer these questions on another paper:
2. How will you capture a first graders attention?
3. What main ideas will you tell the first grade students in your article?
4. What do you think they already know? How will you help them recall what they already know?
5. What reasons or examples will you use that will help a first grade student understand?
6. Design a PowerPoint show as your first grade article:
7. Fold papers in half to form two slides per paper.
8. Write your new article for first grade students.
9. Include main ideas, examples, reasons, pictures.
10. Use consistent text features (titles, subheadings, graphics, captions, text, color)