Article Writing: Headlines and Leads

Active learning helps students grasp the purpose of headlines and leads by letting them experiment with words and structure. When students create and revise in real time, they quickly see how brevity and clarity hook readers rather than confuse them.

• Class 9
• English
• 4 activities
• 25 min–40 min

Learning Objectives

1. Design a compelling headline for a Class 9 adventure article targeting young readers, incorporating elements like strong verbs or intriguing questions.
2. Analyze the effectiveness of various lead paragraphs in hooking a reader by identifying how they address the 5Ws and H (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How).
3. Critique a given article's headline and lead paragraph for clarity, conciseness, and reader engagement, providing specific suggestions for improvement.
4. Synthesize information from a short narrative about an adventure to create a coherent headline and lead paragraph.

RAFT Writing

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Pairs: Headline Match-Up

Provide adventure story summaries. Pairs generate three headline options each, then match them to target audiences like thrill-seekers or families. Discuss and vote on the most effective one per pair.

Prepare & details

Design an effective headline that grabs the attention of a specific readership for an article.

Facilitation Tip: During Headline Match-Up, provide three headline styles on cards and ask pairs to match each headline to the correct article snippet, then justify their choice in one sentence.

Setup: Standard classroom arrangement; students work individually during writing phase and in structured pairs during peer-sharing. No rearrangement required.

Materials: Printable RAFT combination grid (one per student), Worked modelling example (displayed or distributed), Rubric aligned to board assessment criteria, Printable exit ticket for formative assessment

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

RAFT Writing

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Small Groups: Lead Critique Stations

Set up four stations with sample leads from adventure articles. Groups spend 7 minutes per station noting strengths, weaknesses, and improvements on sticky notes. Regroup to share findings.

Prepare & details

Explain the importance of a strong lead paragraph in article writing to hook the reader.

Facilitation Tip: At Lead Critique Stations, place a timer for two minutes per station so students focus on one criterion—hook, clarity, or suspense—before rotating.

Setup: Standard classroom arrangement; students work individually during writing phase and in structured pairs during peer-sharing. No rearrangement required.

Materials: Printable RAFT combination grid (one per student), Worked modelling example (displayed or distributed), Rubric aligned to board assessment criteria, Printable exit ticket for formative assessment

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

RAFT Writing

⏱ 30 min·Whole Class

Whole Class: Relay Article Start

Start with an adventure prompt on the board. First student writes a headline, passes to next for a lead paragraph, continuing until five elements complete. Class votes and refines.

Prepare & details

Critique various lead paragraphs for their effectiveness in introducing a topic.

Facilitation Tip: In Relay Article Start, give each team only three minutes per station to write the next sentence of the lead, forcing concise, purposeful choices.

Setup: Standard classroom arrangement; students work individually during writing phase and in structured pairs during peer-sharing. No rearrangement required.

Materials: Printable RAFT combination grid (one per student), Worked modelling example (displayed or distributed), Rubric aligned to board assessment criteria, Printable exit ticket for formative assessment

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

RAFT Writing

⏱ 35 min·Individual

Individual: Personal Lead Draft

Students recall a personal adventure and draft a lead paragraph. Swap with a partner for quick feedback on hook strength before revising.

Prepare & details

Design an effective headline that grabs the attention of a specific readership for an article.

Facilitation Tip: For Personal Lead Draft, circulate with red pens and ask each writer to underline the one detail that answers ‘when’ or ‘where’ to ensure completeness.

Setup: Standard classroom arrangement; students work individually during writing phase and in structured pairs during peer-sharing. No rearrangement required.

Materials: Printable RAFT combination grid (one per student), Worked modelling example (displayed or distributed), Rubric aligned to board assessment criteria, Printable exit ticket for formative assessment

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teachers often begin by modelling how a single fact can become multiple headline angles. Research shows students benefit from comparing weak and strong leads side-by-side, so always display two versions and ask the class to vote on which makes them curious. Avoid long lectures on theory; instead, use quick writes and peer talk to build intuition.

What to Expect

By the end of these activities, students will craft headlines that tease the story and leads that deliver the 5Ws in under four sentences. Their work will show awareness of audience and purpose, not just correctness.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Headline Match-Up, watch for students who select headlines that summarise the entire article instead of teasing key elements.

What to Teach Instead

Stop the pair after they match and ask, ‘Which three words in this headline will make a reader curious?’ to steer them toward brevity and intrigue.

Common Misconception

During Lead Critique Stations, watch for students who write leads that are descriptive but do not answer all 5Ws and H.

What to Teach Instead

At each station, have students circle the words that answer who, what, when, where, why, and how; if any circle is missing, they revise before moving on.

Common Misconception

During Relay Article Start, watch for teams that choose irrelevant or off-topic details for their lead sentences.

What to Teach Instead

After the third station, display the first paragraph and ask the class, ‘Which sentence feels out of place?’ to prompt collective reflection and redrafting.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Headline Match-Up, collect each pair’s two headline options and one lead paragraph. Use a simple rubric to score: headline appeal (1-3), lead completeness (1-3), and clarity of 5Ws (1-3).

Peer Assessment

During Lead Critique Stations, partners use a checklist to review each other’s lead: ‘hook present,’ ‘5Ws answered,’ ‘suspense created.’ They award one tick or cross per criterion and give one written tip.

Exit Ticket

After Relay Article Start, give students a sample headline and lead. Ask them to circle the technique used in the headline and write one sentence explaining why the lead paragraph succeeds or fails to hook the reader.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Invite students who finish early to rewrite their headline using a metaphor or alliteration and justify their choice in a footnote.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence starters for the lead such as ‘By 4 p.m. on Tuesday, a team of…’ to guide struggling writers.
• Deeper exploration: Ask students to research headlines from Indian adventure magazines and present one they find effective, explaining the technique used.

Key Vocabulary

Headline	The title of an article, designed to attract the reader's attention and give a brief idea of the content.
Lead Paragraph (or Lede)	The opening paragraph of an article that summarizes the most important information and aims to capture the reader's interest.
5Ws and H	The essential questions (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How) that a good lead paragraph should ideally answer or allude to.
Hook	A technique used in the lead paragraph to grab the reader's attention immediately and make them want to continue reading.
Readership	The specific group of people who are likely to read a particular publication or article.