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I have been trained to use several different C.R.I.S.S. strategies to help my students to become better note takers, to comprehend more of what they read, to learn to compare and contrast different topics and to figure out an author´s point of view. Here are some activities we have done in my classroom, using The News-Journal, that directly relate to the C.R.I.S.S. strategies:

1. Followed a newspaper issue through the entire week, each student picking his/her own topic on Monday. As the week progresses, students add an article to one of the squares on their poster board, along with a summary (5-6 sentences) about the article. Students decorate and divide (using markers) the poster board in any way they would like for presentation purposes. At the end of the week, we look at the progression of events and analyze what really went on. The result was that the students are able to more critically analyze an issue, staying more aware of it not only in the newspaper, but also on television.

2. Chosen a C.R.I.S.S. strategy to work with for the week. When students do current events daily, they first learn how to apply the strategy as we go through an example from the newspaper or a topic the students are acquainted with. The students then create booklets using the "foldables" method. The students have gotten much out of this because it helps them stay organized and at the same time learn a strategy to help them organize notes. One strategy that the students like to work with is cause and effect. The really neat thing is that I see the students use these strategies in their other classes when taking notes.

3. Used The News-Journal within the current events arena to understand an author´s viewpoint and audience. We use a C.R.I.S.S. strategy called R.A.F.T. (Role of writer, Audience, Format, and Topic plus a strong verb). I have noticed that students have become much more aware of propaganda within journalism, of how articles are designed for a specific audience and of why the format used is so important.

Debi Zacharias
6th Grade Gifted
Campbell Middle School

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