Newsela: Daily news at the just-right reading level for you

Newsela provides users with a library of news articles that they can search, and each article includes a post-reading quiz users can complete. To begin, users must login as a teacher or student. If users login as a student without a class, they can browse articles from the app’s main screen. They can also tap the “Lined” button on the top right of the screen, which lets them sort articles by category (War & Peace, Science, Kids, Money, Law, Health, Arts, and Sports), grade level (grades 2-12), and reading standard. When selecting an article, users can tap the different identifiers on the search page and then the “Apply” button on the top right of the screen. The app will then report the list of articles that meet the search criteria. For each article found, users can read its headline, view a picture that represents the article, and see the date it was published. To read the article, users must tap it, and they will then be able to access the text, and the app reports the article’s readability as a Lexile score. When users finish reading the article, they can tap the “Light bulb” button on the bottom of the screen to access the quiz. Each quiz is multiple choice, and users complete it by selecting a response that best answers the question. When users complete the quiz, the app shows them their results.

Please Note: If users login as a teacher, they can build a class, select articles for their students to read, and monitor their scores. Teachers will be assigned a class code they must share with their students, so students have access to the materials they selected. In addition, this app links back to the Newsela website (https://newsela.com/), and the website includes additional features such as text sets. The Newsela app and website also connect directly to the Binder app, so teachers can create more detailed assignments for students to complete.

Instructional Ideas

1. As a bell ringer activity, teachers can have students select an article from this app, read the article, complete the post-reading quiz, and email their teacher a screenshot of their quiz results. Teachers can also have students complete a 3-2-1 exercise after reading the article. To do so, students will identify three facts or opinions they found in the article, two questions they have about the article, and a one-sentence summary. The 3-2-1 can be emailed to the teacher along with the quiz results.
2. Teachers can have students search for two articles about the same topic. After finding and reading each article, students can complete a Venn diagram where they compare and contrast the article. Students can then compose a constructed response, where they explain the similarities and differences they found in the articles. To create the Venn diagram, students can use the Venn Diagram
3. After students read an article, they can create an illustration that represents the its main point(s). Students can compose a brief rationale that explains the illustration’s central meaning. Students can create their illustration using an Artwork Production app and their rationale using an Office app. Students can share their work by emailing it to their teacher or posting it to a class website.
4. After students have read and answered multiple articles and quizzes in this app, teachers can have students select articles from the newspaper, read them, and then create a post-reading quiz that models the ones found in this app. Students can then share their article with a classmate. The classmate will read the article and then complete the quiz. Afterwards, the student who created the quiz will review the other student’s answers. The two students will discuss the correct and incorrect answers. Once each student has read, answered, and discussed the answers to the questions, the pair will split and partner with new classmates.
5. Teachers can have students create annotated bibliographies using this app. To do so, students can enter keywords into the search box. Next, students will review the articles they found and select 3-5 articles. (Teachers can modify the exact number of articles based on their expectation.) For each article, students will have to create a correct citation for it (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.) and a short summary. Students can create their annotated bibliography using an Office app, and they can email it to their teacher.

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