1. Plan It

A. Bring a newspaper from home. List the different sections of the newspaper.

B. Survey four people. The survey should include a person from each of these age groups: under 30, 30 ­ 60, and over 60. Ask these people to name their three favorite newspaper sections.

Our planning completed

2. Put It Together

A. Organize your data. Find the fraction of total responses for each section.

• Use a sheet of paper to represent each page, or use the Newspaper Results chart here on Education Place.
• Decide on the column width and length of your newspaper.
• Example: Use two 3-in. by 10-in. columns per page.

3. Wrap It Up

A. Decide on the column length. Decide how many column inches to allow for each section.

• Find the total column inches in your six-page newspaper:
  Inches per column x columns per page x number of pages = total column inches.
  For example: 10 x 2 x 6 = 120 in.
• Find the column inches for each section by multiplying the total number of inches by the section's fraction:
  For example, International News:
  120 x 3/36 = 10 in. (1/2 page)

B. How many pages will each section have? Block the space based on your results. Write a title for each section.

Our layout completed

4. Discuss Your Results

• Did you meet the objectives listed in Keep In Mind?
• How well did you use fractions in your calculations?
• Did the space distribution layout reflect your survey?
• How clear and complete are the data on your chart?
• Did your group share responsibilities well?
• Which section took more of the total space in your newspaper than in a real paper?
• Which section took less space?

Review completed