Susan W. Smith’s seventh-grade English/language arts class at Lockhart Schools just finished studying a unit about newspapers in their text books. Smith contacted The Union Daily Times to request a reporter to speak to the class on Friday and this reporter gladly obliged.

As a part of their assignment, students were asked to try their own hands at journalism by forming groups and writing stories. After completing pre-writing work such as research and interviews, the seventh-graders worked together to complete several stories to be featured on a page in the Union Daily Times.

After a presentation in which the students learned about the interview and writing processes, students enjoyed a question and answer session.

The students had prepared lots of thoughtful questions to ask, in addition to some last-minute questions that arose during the presentation. “What is the hardest part of your job?” “How do you come up with what to write about?” “What is your dream job?”

The class displayed exceptional behavior and enthusiasm about the subject matter.

The project has proven successful for Smith’s class, as well as the Union Daily Times. Enough interest was created within the school that other teachers have begun to inquire about arranging visits for their own classrooms.

You can see all of the students' handiwork in the Saturday, Sept. 4, edition of The Times on Page 6 and right here on The Times Web site under "Special Sections" on the homepage.