"Floyd Flapjacque" and the Newspaper

usually best for: Grades 5-12

How to ask the right questions! How to take notes!

This interactive workshop, which dovetails nicely with Social Studies chapter review, helps students hone those important educational skills while having fun in the process!

Using the newspaper, as well as Steve's alter ego, a Renaissance man named "Floyd Flapjacque," the students receive a "Nudging the Imagination" lesson in expository writing while also learning the differences between the three basic types of stories they’ll find in a newspaper – news, feature, column/editorial.

The students participate in a zany group interview of Floyd, a self-proclaimed certified genius who sky dives, owns an ant farm, has won a Betty Crocker Award and is a superstar baseball player.

When the interview has been concluded, one-third of the class will write the story up as a news story, one-third as a feature and one-third as a column/editorial -- slightly different ways of looking at the same material.

This workshop ties very effectively into the Social Studies curriculum, bringing the content to life in an “active learning” way. If you have studied George Washington, for instance, someone in the class becomes "George" and is interviewed by the class, leading to a story-writing assignment.

The development of a school newspaper was a brilliant facilitation from start to finish.
-- Marlene Gamba, Principal, Edgewood Highland Elementary, Cranston, RI 

This session can be performed in 45 minutes, though time can be added for a question-and-answer session revolving around Steve's former job as a sports writer, covering the Boston Red Sox for the Providence (RI) Journal.

For information regarding fees and availability, please contact Steve.