English · Year 6

Active learning ideas

Feature Article Writing

Active learning works especially well for feature article writing because students need to experience the tension between facts and storytelling firsthand. Writing for real audiences—like peers in a press conference or classmates in a gallery walk—helps students see how journalistic techniques create meaning beyond the five Ws.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E6LY06
• AC9E6LA04

• 30–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 40 min · Whole Class

Simulation Game: The Press Conference

The teacher (or a student) plays a 'local hero' or 'expert'. The rest of the class acts as journalists, asking probing questions to get 'quotes' for their feature articles. They must then decide which quotes are the most impactful to include.

Differentiate how a 'hook' differs from a simple introduction.

Facilitation Tip

During the Press Conference simulation, assign roles like journalist, expert, and observer so students practice asking sharp questions that reveal human stories, not just surface details.

What to look for

Provide students with the opening paragraph of a feature article. Ask them to identify the 'hook' and explain in one sentence why it is effective. Collect responses to gauge understanding of engagement techniques.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Individual

Gallery Walk: The Hook Challenge

Students write three different 'hooks' for the same story (e.g., an anecdote, a shocking stat, and a question). They post them on the wall, and peers use 'dot voting' to choose the one that makes them want to read the most.

Explain the role of expert quotes in building an article's authority.

Facilitation Tip

For the Hook Challenge, limit responses to one sentence per student to force clarity and focus on the most gripping opening line.

What to look for

Students exchange drafts of their feature articles. Using a checklist, they identify at least two subheadings and one expert quote. They then provide one specific suggestion for improving the clarity or impact of either the subheadings or the quote.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Inquiry Circle
• 30 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Subheading Shuffle

Give groups a feature article with the subheadings removed. They must read the text and create their own catchy, informative subheadings that guide the reader through the different sections of the story.

Analyze how subheadings guide a reader through a complex topic.

Facilitation Tip

In Subheading Shuffle, ask students to present their revised subheadings aloud while others listen for logical flow and emotional impact before voting on the most effective sequence.

What to look for

Ask students to write down one local issue they learned about during the unit. Then, they should write one sentence explaining how an expert quote could strengthen an article about that issue.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by modeling how journalists transform dry facts into compelling narratives. Avoid starting with definitions—instead, immerse students in real feature articles so they can see techniques like hooks and subheadings in action. Research shows that students learn best when they analyze mentor texts before drafting their own, so provide high-quality examples and deconstruct them together.

Successful learning looks like students moving from listing facts to crafting engaging hooks, selecting meaningful subheadings, and weaving expert quotes that deepen their readers’ understanding of an issue. By the end, they should be able to explain why their article matters to the community, not just what happened.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Press Conference simulation, watch for students who treat the expert like a quiz show contestant.

  Pause the simulation after two questions to debrief: ask students to share the difference between factual questions and those that uncover stories or emotions from the expert.

• During the Hook Challenge, watch for students who use vague or overly dramatic openings without connection to the topic.

  Have students pair up to swap hook sentences and ask: ‘Does this make you want to keep reading, and does it clearly relate to the issue?’ If not, revise for specificity and curiosity.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Gallery Walk
• Inquiry Circle