Newsela
Newsela brings the world’s top news stories to one convenient platform, that has interesting articles from every field. Topics include current events, myths, legends, literature, science, etc. Updated content is available on a daily basis with stories from a wide range of sources across the globe. All of the articles are available in five levels, ranging from 3rd to 12th grade.
A neat feature is that each leveled text can also incorporate a quiz, tailored to the article, with a writing prompt that asks students to respond to what they have read.
Teachers can utilize the option to access and manage student’s assignments, view individual or class results, track progress toward the Common Core State Standards or Next Generation Science Standards.
Newsela is a great resource of nonfiction for students and the inclusion of adjustable levels gives Newsela an edge over its competitors. Also, customized quizzes and structured writing prompts are an asset to teachers. The assessment features offer a flexible and rich path for students to demonstrate learning & reading skills. Additionally, a built-in dictionary, an in-line translator and audio support, offer a great user experience.
Newsela Essentials, highlights news stories, and subject-specific subscription packages for four subjects: ELA, Social Studies, Science, and SEL.
Teacher’s Account Creation
Instructors can easily create Newsela accounts. Go to the official website of Newsela which is https://newsela.com/
●On the home page click on the “Join Now” button from the top right-hand corner. On the next page select “Educator” as an option.
● Enter your email credentials, if teachers have a school email address preferably use that.
●Once all questions are answered Newsela will send a verification email to cross verify the email ID. Just click on the email link to activate your account.
Create Classes
After the creation of the account and its activation, teachers can create classes in Newsela.
To create a classroom :
● Select the option “Classes” from the upper right-hand corner, then click “Settings” from the drop-down menu, and then select the “Classes” tab.
● Click on the “Create a Class” option.
● Enter the name of a class, its grade, and subject name. Once information is entered click on “Create Class” from the bottom of the opened window.
Create Student Accounts
Students can easily join Newsela to read articles and to complete writing responses and annotations. Students can create an account by signing in with a username and password. To do so, take the following steps:
● Go to the official website of Newsela which is https://newsela.com/.
● Click on the option of “Join Now”.
● Select the option that “I’m a student”
● Enter the class code provided by your teacher.
● When prompted, enter username, password and other account related information.
Addition of Students to Classes
Instructors can add students to their Newsela classes. To get started :
● Go to the “Students” tab by clicking on your initials from the upper right hand corner, then click on “Settings”, and then the “Students” tab.
● Select the class in which instructors want to add students and then click on the option of “Add Students”.
● There are two options:
○ Class Link: There are three dots on the right-hand side of your class under the “More” column. Click and select ‘Add Students’. This will bring the link to access the class. Copy the URL and share it with your students. Once students access the URL, it will take them to the class.
○ Class Code: On Newsela students can click on their name from the upper right-hand corner. Under the class section of their account page, students can enter the Class Code and click “Add a Class.”
● To confirm if students have joined the class, go to the “Students” tab. Under each class name, instructors can see the list of students who have joined the class.
Assignment Basics
Instructors can assign individual or groups of articles to their students. Students can see assigned articles or assignments on their Newsela homepage. Students go to an article at Newsela and can complete the following actions:
● Read the article.
● Take a quiz.
● Highlight and annotate text.● Submit a writing response.
Teachers can also customize any Newsela assigned assignments with Class Instructions, Annotations, Writing Prompts, etc.
If you want to learn more about the Newsela platform features, get updates or further help, you can always visit the Newsela help center at https://support.newsela.com/
