Newspaper Percents

Materials: the front page of a newspaper and two other pages; ruler; calculator

Work in a group of two or three.

Procedure for the Activity

Step 1 Make or print out a table like the one below for the front page of the newspaper.
Step 2 Measure the dimensions of the entire page. Measure the dimensions of the four margins. Measure each photograph. Measure just the printed portion of each article. Don’t include the headline, captions for photographs, or spaces between articles. Put the dimensions in the correct cells in the row labeled Dimensions.

FRONT PAGE	Entire Page	Margins	Photographs	Articles	Advertisements	Other
Dimensions		Top: Bottom: Sides:	Photo 1: Photo 2: etc.	Article 1: Article 2: etc.	Ad 1: Ad 2: etc.
Areas		Top: Bottom: Sides:	Photo 1: Photo 2: etc.	Article 1: Article 2: etc.	Ad 1: Ad 2: etc.
Total Areas
Percent of Entire Page

Step 3 Find the area of the entire page, each margin, each photograph, each article, and each advertisement. Place the areas in the correct cells in the row labeled Areas.
Step 4 Find the total area occupied by margins, by photographs, by articles, and by advertisements. Place the total areas in the correct cells in the row labeled Total Areas.
Step 5 Find the percent of the entire page occupied by margins, by photographs, by articles, and by advertisements. Place the total areas in the correct cells in the row labeled Percent of Entire Page.
Step 6 Find the percent of the entire page that is occupied by other items; for example, space between articles and pictures and the headlines. Place the percent in the final cell of the row labeled Percent of Entire Page (the column labeled Other).
Step 7 Select at least two other pages of the newspaper. Repeat Steps 1–6 for each page.

Wrapping Up the Activity

Write a paragraph comparing the percent of the page occupied by margins, photographs, articles, and advertisements for the pages of the newspaper that you used. Include how the front page differs from the other pages of the newspaper.