ENGLISH JOURNALISM. Board of Education

Transcription

1 ROBBINSVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION ENGLISH JOURNALISM Board of Education Mr. Michael Reca, President Mrs. Carol Boyne, Vice President Dr. Vincent Costanza Mrs. Shaina Ciaccio Mrs. Sharon DeVito Mrs. Florence Gange Mr. Thomas Halm, Jr. Mr. Matthew T. O Grady Mrs. Faith Silvestrov Dr. Steven J. Mayer, Superintendent Dr. Kathie Foster, Assistant Superintendent Curriculum Writing Committee Rebekah Territo BOARD OF EDUCATION INITIAL ADOPTION DATE: August 27, 2013

2 JOURNALISM This curriculum is designed as an elective for half year course. Classes are 87 minutes long, every other day. Course Philosophy Journalists and the craft of journalism have played an integral role in shaping American history. Media has often been the conduit of communication for social change, as freedom of press is an essential element to our democratic society. It is important for students to understand the role journalism has played and continues to play in our society. A successful journalist requires the knowledge of and adherence to a plethora of moral and ethical standards, which includes differentiating fact from opinion and truth from propaganda. Journalism is an art, which amongst other skills, requires the journalist to have knowledge in critical thinking, stylistic writing and the ability to entertain, inform, or persuade their readers. Journalists have the knowledge to determine what information is newsworthy and the skills to properly deliver it in writing. Course Description This course will provide students with the fundamentals of writing, with an emphasis on journalistic styles. They will be exposed to various techniques, vocabulary and skills all specific to the world of journalism. Students will be assessed through a variety of assignments, with a focus on writing and specific journalistic writing skills. Students will be expected to participate in journal writing, class discussions, group activities and individual projects. Content studies include, but are not limited to the study of ethics, contemporary challenges to the First Amendment and the investigation of the writing processes. Emphasis is also placed on the responsibilities journalists have to the public. Application of this information and approved techniques are an integral part of the course. Students with an interest in participating in school publications are encouraged to select Journalism. Common Core Standards As adopted in 2011 by the New Jersey Department of Education, this curriculum is aligned with the common core standards for English / Language Arts. The common core standards are aligned to each unit s Enduring Understandings. 2

3 Robbinsville High School JOURNALISM Curriculum Map UNIT #1: What is Journalism?/ The Importance of Freedom of Press TIME FRAME 3 Classes 3 Classes 4 Classes Enduring Understandings Journalism is its own genre and differs from other forms of mass communication. The history of journalism creates the foundation for contemporary news writing and reporting. The first amendment and past legal cases can impact a journalist s writing. Essential Questions 1. What is journalism and how does it differ from other forms of mass media? 2. How are current events directly and intricately tied to past events, decisions and other influences? 3. How does the first amendment guarantee freedom of speech and how do legal cases involving this amendment impact the field of journalism? Diagnostic (before) Journal Questionnaire Annotations Read & Share Assessments Formative (during) In-Class Response Discussion Focus Questions Research Fishbowl Summative (after) Performance Project Letter Writing Creative Project Speech Writing & Delivery UNIT#2: Ethics and the Responsibilities of Journalists TIME FRAME 3 Classes 3 Classes 3 Classes 2 Classes Enduring Understandings Journalists follow a code of ethics, which gives them credibility in the world of mass media. Moral and Ethical restrictions placed on journalists can affect what journalist put in writing. Media promotes civic literacy. Journalists have a responsibility to the public to present information that is morally and ethically sound. Essential Questions 1. What are ethics and how do they affect journalistic writing? 2. What are the major ethical and moral restrictions placed on journalist and how does it affect their writing? 3. How does a news organization engender trust in the public? 4. When is it acceptable for the media to act as a tool to assist the common good? 5. How do journalists serve as independent monitors of power in the mass media world? 6. How do journalists gain the trust of the public? 7. Why is it important to have a truthfully informed public? Diagnostic (before) Brainstorm Journal Survey Journal Group Analysis Assessments Formative (during) Group Work Discussion Class Document Focus Questions Scrapbook Summative (after) Reaction Paper Quiz Response Paper Role-Play Evaluation Essay 3

4 UNIT #3: Organizing an Article TIME FRAME 5 Classes 3 Classes 4 Classes Enduring Understandings The style of a page, headlines and captions provide necessary information to the reader. Different leads pertain to different writing styles and evoke different responses from the reader. Organization is extremely important in effective journalistic writing. Essential Questions 1. What are the different parts of an article? 2. How does a headline entice a reader? 3. What are the rules to writing headlines and/or captions? 4. How do you write a lead and why is your choice of lead important? 5. What are the different ways to organize the information in an article? Diagnostic (before) Pre-Test Journal Matching Pre- Quiz Journal Identify Similarities & Differences Assessments Formative (during) Scavenger Hunt Group Discussion Group Work Annotations Think, Pair, Share Summative (after) Quiz Create a Scavenger Hunt Revise & Edit Write Leads Photo Project Hard News Article UNIT #4: The Writing Process TIME FRAME 3 Classes 3 Classes 4 Classes Enduring Understandings Journalists follow a writing process in order to effectively communicate with the public. Skilled journalists can determine the newsworthiness of events and can make that information accessible, understandable and thought-provoking for a target audience. Effective and credible writing requires factual accuracy, proper grammar and intriguing language skills. Essential Questions 1. What methods of brainstorming and planning are necessary for effective news writing? 2. What is the most effective way of revising and editing a piece of writing? 3. What stories are newsworthy and what stories are worth disregarding? 4. How does knowledge of audience affect writing style? 5. Why is a variety of sources more effective than a single source? 6. How can writing skills and the use of intriguing language change meaning and credibility? Diagnostic (before) Board/Chart Responses Pre-Test Journal Brainstorm Graphic Organizer Assessments Formative (during) Practice & Share Editing Research Class Discussion Focus Questions Create Headlines Web Quest Summative (after) Event Article Self-Edit Project Critical - Thinking Response Paper Role-Play Controversial Article Community Article 4

5 UNIT #5: The Feature/ Profile Article TIME FRAME 3 Classes 3 Classes 4 Classes Enduring Understandings The interview is an essential part of feature / profile writing. A well crafted feature article can work to inform, persuade, and transform. Profile feature articles engage readers on a more personal level. Essential Questions 1. How do we create effective interview questions? 2. How do we effectively conduct an interview? 3. What does a feature article look like and how does it differ from an essay or a news article? 4. How can we write it in a way that will attract, engage and inform our readers? 5. How does a writer get beyond basic facts and events to write about people in a captivating yet concise way? 6. What elements and details make for an interesting profile? Diagnostic (before) Partner Interviews Identify Similarities & Differences Journal Focus Questions Brainstorming Assessments Formative (during) Reverse Interviews Guided Questions Group Brainstorm Class Discussion Partner Work Summative (after) Celebrity Interview Project Profile Article Feature Article Support Paper UNIT #6: Opinion Writing TIME FRAME 4 Classes 4 Classes 3Classes Enduring Understandings There are specific rules and procedures to follow when writing an opinion piece. Opinion writing provides the personality and edge that news reporting does not. There are several distinct types of opinion writing. Essential Questions 1. What is the difference between opinion writing and other news articles? 2. What does a journalist have to do to make sure his/her opinion piece is properly written? 3. Why is it important for newspapers/magazines to include an opinion section? 4. What is the difference between a column, editorial and a review? Diagnostic (before) Journal Label & Discuss Interviews Brainstorm Pre-Test Assessments Formative (during) Read & Discuss Graphic Organizer Web Quest Role-play Survey Summative (after) Local Opinion Piece Advice Column Editorial Review Debate 5

6 Robbinsville Public Schools Unit #: 1 What is Journalism?/ The Importance of Freedom of Press Enduring Understandings Essential Questions Journalism is its own genre and differs from other forms of mass 1. What is journalism and how does it differ from other forms of mass communication. media? The history of journalism creates the foundation for contemporary news 2. How are current events, directly and intricately tied to past events, decisions writing and reporting. and other influences? The first amendment and past legal cases can impact a journalist s writing. 3. How does the first amendment guarantee freedom of speech and how do legal cases involving this amendment impact the field of journalism? CCSS RI W W SL RI RI RI W W W Enduring Understanding * Journalism is its own genre and differs from other forms of mass communication. * The history of journalism creates the foundation for contemporary news writing and reporting. Essential Question What is journalism and how does it differ from other forms of mass media? How are current events, directly and intricately tied to past events, decisions and other influences? Content, Themes, Concepts, Skills Unit Theme Journalism as a genre Content & Concepts Journalism, Freedom, Freedom of Speech, Mass Media, News, US Constitution, First Amendment, Partisan Press, Petty Press, Yellow Journalism, Documentary, Various legal cases Teaching Strategies Do Now Discussion, Lecture Guided Notes Group Work Presentations Popcorn Reading Media Research Fishbowl Instructional Resources Journalism Definitions Teacher Notes Internet Article US Constitution Documentary Internet/ Library Assessment Strategies PRE Journal Entry: Create a personal definition of the following terms: Journalism, Freedom of Speech, Mass Media DURING - In small groups students will create mission statements using key terms such as Journalism, Freedom, Speech, etc. POST - Divide students into teams and collect odd or questionable news stories from a variety of outlets. Teams will present their findings, explaining why each is or isn t journalism. PRE -Read Chasing the News: Mark Twain s Inkwell to Blogger s Slippers.Choose three powerful quotes from the article and either agree or disagree with them. Support your responses. PRE Complete a questionnaire focusing on the first Amendment and Journalism. Discuss DURING - Watch the documentary Control Room and take notes on the issues presented. Discuss. POST - Choose one famous journalist and write a letter to the curators of the Newseum in NYC explaining how they had an impact on society, gov t, etc and how the first amendment allowed him/her to do their work properly and professionally. 6

7 RI RI W W W W W S SL S *The first amendment and past legal cases can impact a journalist s writing. How does the first amendment guarantee freedom of speech and how do legal cases involving this amendment impact the field of journalism? Skills -Create Mission statements -Analyze news stories -Recognize the role of media & journalism -Understand and analyze the First Amendment -Letter Writing -Create and Present a Power Point or Prezi -Annotating -Research -Speech Writing Speech Delivery Pre-Reading Annotating Research Discussion Newspapers Internet / Library Persuasive Speech Notes PRE -Examine several articles in various newspapers looking for and highlighting articles that would not be printed in a society without free press. DURING - Research famous journalists focusing on their contributions to the craft and how the first amendment protected their writing. Fishbowl discussion. POST Bring in articles that would not be published without freedom of press. Explain or discuss each controversial issue found in the articles. POST Complete & Deliver a persuasive speech defending a case. 7

8 Suggestions on how to differentiate this unit: *Students with individual learning styles can be assisted through adjustments in assessment standards, one-to one teacher support, additional testing time, and use of visual and auditory teaching methods. *A wide variety of assessments and strategies complement the individual learning experience. CONTENT PROCESS PRODUCT ADDITIONAL SCAFFOLDS ENRICHMENT ON LEVEL NOT ON LEVEL YET Research a few cases involving incidents nationally where freedom of press rights were violated and present findings to the class. Research a few cases involving incidents in New Jersey where freedom of press rights were violated and present findings to the class. Do an in-depth study of one case where freedom of press rights were violated and present findings to the class. Research and create a timeline showing the changes in journalism. Research and create a graphic organizer detailing the differences between journalism now and journalism 50 years ago. Complete a teacher supplied graphic organizer highlighting major changes in journalism over 50 years. Persuasive Speech Students will deliver their speech to the class using only notes on note cards. Persuasive Speech Students may deliver their speech using their actual speech at a podium. Persuasive Speech Students may record their speech ahead of time and the teacher will watch and grade this recorded performance. Create a webpage dedicated to famous journalists, highlighting their contributions to the craft. Create a memoir book of famous journalists outlining their major contributions to the craft. Research one journalist and highlight their contributions to the craft. ADDITIONAL LEVELS For additional enrichment have students can have a classroom debate on any of their research. For additional support the teacher can provided partially completed graphic organizers. Persuasive Speech For additional options students can turn their speech into a song or poem and perform it as such. Students can come up with their own project, focusing on famous journalists 8

9 Enduring Understandings Journalists follow a code of ethics, which gives them credibility in the world of mass media. Moral and Ethical restrictions placed on journalists can affect what journalist put in writing. Media promotes civic literacy. Journalists have a responsibility to the public to present information that is morally and ethically sound Robbinsville Public Schools Unit # 2: Ethics and the Responsibilities of Journalists Essential Questions 1. What are ethics and how do they affect journalistic writing? 2. What are the major ethical and moral restrictions placed on journalist and how does it affect their writing? 3. How does a news organization engender trust in the public? 4. When is it acceptable for the media to act as a tool to assist the common good? 5. How do journalists serve as independent monitors of power in the mass media world? 6. How do journalists gain the trust of the public? 7. Why is it important to have a truthfully informed public? CCSS RI RI W W W W W W S Enduring Understanding * Journalists follow a code of ethics, which gives them credibility in the world of mass media. Essential Question What are ethics and how do they affect journalistic writing? Content, Themes, Concepts, Skills Unit Theme Responsibilities in Journalism Content & Concepts Ethics, libel, democracy, credibility, composite characters, prior restraint, right of reply, slander, objectivity, defamation, sentry, fair comment Teaching Strategies Brainstorming Journal Discussion Guided Notes / Prezi Brainstorming Fishbowl Group Work Review Game Instructional Resources US Constitution Notes on Democracy Various Codes of Ethics Various Cases focusing on Ethics in Journalism Assessment Strategies PRE- Have students brainstorm a list of ethics they feel they follow in their own lives. Discuss. PRE Journal prompt: The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. What does this mean? What is the significance of a free press in a democratic society? Allow time to share answers. DURING - As a class, brainstorm a list of situations, actions or events where freedom of the press may be attacked or restricted due to other compelling interests. 1. Divide students into groups. Provide each group with copies of codes of ethics from various media organizations. 2.Students will be briefly examine these codes and prepare for a fishbowl discussion. Ask students to share what elements stood out from these codes. Write key words and ideas on the board for reference. 3. Complete a fishbowl discussion on journalism ethics. DURING Students will create individual codes of ethics for their classroom then can come together to create one classroom document. POST Students will review various journalism cases where ethics were compromised. They will write a reaction paper on one of these issues. POST- Ethics Quiz 9

10 RI RI RI W W * Moral and Ethical restrictions placed on journalists can affect what journalist put in writing. What are the major ethical and moral restrictions placed on journalist and how does it affect their writing? How does a news organization engender trust in the public? Skills -Brainstorming -Fishbowl -Create Codes of ethics -Understand and analyze ethics in journalism -Reaction Paper -Research - Response Paper -Revising & Editing -Role-play Survey Reading & Annotating Guided Questions Ethical Issues for Journalists TIME Article Article Quotes PRE Students will answer a survey that focuses on several ethical issues faced by journalists. Discuss answers. DURING - Read an article about a legal case in which two reporters are being legally compelled to turn over their notes regarding a confidential source. (Provide background information) As a class, read and discuss the article Time Inc. Decides to Hand Over Notes of Reporter Facing Prison. Give students focus questions to answer. DURING- In groups, create an alternative ending to this story...how should the case have been handled? POST -. Write a 1 page paper responding to one or more quotations from the article. POST 1 Page paper - Provide your own feelings about Time magazine s decision to provide documents revealing confidential sources to a grand jury. RI S SL * Media promotes civic literacy. When is it acceptable for the media to act as a tool to assist the common good? How do journalists serve as independent monitors of power in the mass media world? Journal Guided Reading Pair and Share Group Work Notes: Media in our society Various Biased Articles Current Political Issues PRE Students should write in their journal about what they feel the medias role is in our society. If they had to write a full page job description what would they say under responsibilities? DURING - Students will read several articles and circle words that connote judgment and/or bias and then rewrite the article using a better more objective angel. DURING students will purposely write articles with bias then correct each others work POST Students will participate in a role-playing scenario. They will host a diner party and discuss current political issues. Each person will be given a personality and differing opinions. The host will have to guide the conversation so that all sides are heard, yet challenge them to voice as much information as possible. 10

11 RI RI W W W W SL * Journalists have a responsibility to the public to present information that is morally and ethically sound, and free of bias. How do journalists gain the trust of the public? Why is it important to have a truthfully informed public? Round Table Annotation Guided Notes Proper Grammar Prezi or Power Point Various Political Scandals Internet and/or Magazines and/or Newspapers Notes: Media language PRE- Students will consider and assess a variety of scenarios involving political scandals. In a class discussion or group set up they will analyze each case and discuss newsworthiness and its overall importance to the public. DURING Each student will create a scrapbook of media coverage focusing on one issue for one week. Students will highlight, analyze and dissect at least five items of coverage and present their findings to the class. POST Students will read at least three articles on the same topic and write a short essay evaluating the bias (or lack thereof) in each. They should also discuss and analyze the author s use of language. 11

12 Suggestions on how to differentiate this unit: *Students with individual learning styles can be assisted through adjustments in assessment standards, one-to one teacher support, additional testing time, and use of visual and auditory teaching methods. *A wide variety of assessments and strategies complement the individual learning experience. CONTENT PROCESS PRODUCT ADDITIONAL SCAFFOLDS ENRICHMENT.Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the expectations of journalists and/or codes of ethics in America as opposed to other countries. Create a fill-in-the-blank worksheet for multiple codes of ethics. Role-Play Create the character personalities do the research for all current event topics. Research and evaluate current trends in journalism and create a job description for different types of journalists ON LEVEL Research the expectations of journalists and/or codes of ethics for journalists in several other countries and report findings to the class Create a fill-in-the-blank code of ethics for one facet of journalism. Role-Play Brainstorm ideas for character personalities and research some current event topics. Create help wanted ads for different facets of journalism, focusing on just the most important criteria for each one. NOT ON LEVEL YET ADDITIONAL LEVELS Research the expectations of journalists and/or codes of ethics for journalism in one other country and report findings to the class. For additional support, students can work in pairs. Complete a teacher generated fill-in-the-blank work sheet for different codes of ethics. Students should share their fill-in-the-blank work sheets with the class and complete each others work. Role-Play Match teacher prepared character personalities with teacher prepared current event topics. Role-Play For additional support, the teacher can serve as the host and guide the conversation. The teacher can also allow students to prepare note cards. Research and evaluate current trends in one facet of journalism (sports journalism, editorial writing, etc) and create an in-depth job description for that facet. Provide students with access to a list of databases and information on current trends in journalism to aid in research. 12

13 Enduring Understandings The style of a page, headlines and captions provide necessary information to the reader. Different leads pertain to different writing styles and evoke different responses from the reader. Organization is extremely important in effective journalistic writing. Robbinsville Public Schools Unit #3: Organizing an Article Essential Questions 1. What are the different parts of an article? 2. How does a headline entice a reader? 3. What are the rules to writing headlines and/or captions? 4. How do you write a lead and why is your choice of lead important? 5. What are the different ways to organize the information in an article? CCSS RI RI W W W SL SL Enduring Understanding *The style of a page, headlines and captions provide necessary information to the reader. Essential Question What are the different parts of an article? How does a headline entice a reader? Content, Themes, Concepts, Skills Unit Theme Organization Content & Concepts Attribution, Deck, Masthead, headline, caption, nutgraf, lead, (5w s, quote, narrative, direct, indirect, question) justifier, byline, cutline, copy, dateline, end note, follow-up, gutter, jump line, kicker, sidebar, Inverted Pyramid. Storytelling or Narrative Structure Teaching Strategies Graphic Organizer Online Web Quest Review Game Quiz Journal / Discussion Headline Notes Prezi or Power Point Instructional Resources Various Articles Vocabulary Guided Notes Real Headlines Intriguing Articles& Headlines Assessment Strategies PRE- Students will be given strips of pieces of articles. They must decide which vocabulary word they belong next to. They should be able to attempt explain why. DURING-Scavenger Hunt: Students will learn the different sections of the newspaper after completing an online scavenger hunt and labeling a blank newspaper article page. POST- Parts Quiz POST Students will create their own parts Scavenger hunt. Encourage creativity. PRE-Journal Entry: Give students several headlines and ask them whether or not they would read the articles that follow. DURING Students will be given several articles without headlines. They will be asked to read each article and create original headlines. DURING- Students will be provided real headlines. In groups, using the dos and don't of headline writing they will determine which of the headlines are strong and which are not. They will argue which headlines are strong and which are poor. Each group will choose one headline to read and briefly discuss the mistakes made or the highlights. Revising & Editing Various Humorous Headlines POST- In their groups, students will revisit their articles from the pre-assessment and revise each headline. 13

14 RI W S *Different leads pertain to different writing styles and evoke different responses from the reader. What are the rules to writing headlines and/or captions? How do you write a lead and why is your choice of lead important? Skills -Create a Scavenger hunt - Identify mistakes -Personal Article Writing -Write an effective lead -Write effective captions -Compose an article based off of a picture and caption -Revise & Edit -Annotation -Analyze Articles -Critical thinking -Group Work -Write using the inverted pyramid style. Graphic Organizer Group Critiques Journal Lecture/ Notes Review Game Teacher Model Notes on Headlines and Captions File Photos School & Community Access Lead Notes & Vocabulary Various Magazines Articles with missing leads PRE- Students will try to match random pictures with their correct captions. For each picture they will analyze the choices the author made. DURING- Using a collection of old file photos, have students write captions for the pictures. Have them work in groups of two or three to collaborate on this. Then, have them read the captions aloud to the class as they show the class the picture and do group critiques of the captions. POST- Students will make a picture book of random events around their school and community. Each picture must be accompanied by a powerful caption. POST-Students will choose two pictures and write an article to accompany each picture. PRE- Journal Entry: Describe what you did for the hour prior to arriving to class. Discuss each student s answers and the details they included. DURING- Students will be given a magazine and post it notes. They will have to label all the leads found in the magazine with their proper name (quote, 5w s, etc). They will then choose three articles and explain why the lead was appropriate for that article. POST- Leads Quiz POST Students will be given articles with their leads missing. They will have to write the leads for each article. POST Students will be given random photos and they will have to create leads for a story they believe would accompany each photo. 14

15 RI RI W W W W W W W S *Organization is extremely important in effective journalistic writing. What are the different ways to organize the information in an article? Popcorn Reading Group Work Group Discussion Partner Work Think, Pair, Share Focus Questions Structured News Stories Teacher Notes Various Newspapers or Magazines Fairy Tale You Tube Clips PRE- Students will examine two news stories. One should use the inverted pyramid structure and one should use the storytelling structure. (a search on Tsunami, 9-11 or another large scale disaster should bring up several stories to choose from). In partners, they should first note any similarities within the articles. Next, the students should write down all the differences between the articles. They should specifically be looking for stylistic differences such as: order, narration, word choice. Discuss as a class. DURING-Copy a few stories from the newspaper that are told through the inverted pyramid style. Cut the articles up by paragraphs and give the students the articles in pieces. Have the students piece together the articles in the inverted pyramid structure. When they are finished: 1. Compare the students' final products with the actual article as it was written 2. Discuss the order and included details with regards to the pyramid style. DURING-Students will write using the inverted pyramid style. In partners students will read a well known fairytale. class (Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood,etc). The students must take down the details of the events and then write a news story in the inverted pyramid structure. POST- Students will watch various news stories from Youtube. They will choose one and complete an article that would accompany that news story. POST Students should choose a current issue in their school or community and write an article using both the inverted pyramid style of writing and the narrative style of writing. 15

16 Suggestions on how to differentiate this unit: *Students with individual learning styles can be assisted through adjustments in assessment standards, one-to one teacher support, additional testing time, and use of visual and auditory teaching methods. *A wide variety of assessments and strategies complement the individual learning experience. CONTENT PROCESS PRODUCT ADDITIONAL SCAFFOLDS ENRICHMENT ON LEVEL Create an original quiz game for the parts of an article. Create a quiz game based off of a given format. They can choose the format. (Jeopardy, Millionaire, etc.) Have students write observation leads for several challenging controversial photos. Have students write observation leads from childhood action photos he or she has at home. Students should research several events that have taken place in school or in the community and create a lead for each event. Students should keep a journal of what they did every day for a week and create proper leads for an article that would be written about each day. Research famous American journalists a make a scrapbook of several of their most powerful pieces and analyze, headlines, leads and style of each article. Research one famous American journalist a make a scrapbook of several of his/her most powerful pieces and analyze headlines, leads and style of each article. NOT ON LEVEL YET Teacher will provide the rules and format of the quiz game and students will fill in the necessary information. Provide students with a matching game, where they have to match the proper lead to the proper photo. The teacher will provide a brief description of several events occurring in school and in the community. Students will create leads for a few events of their choice The teacher will provide several powerful pieces by one journalist. Students will analyze headlines, leads and style of each article. ADDITIONAL LEVELS For additional support, students can work in small groups to complete the project News clips can be used to enhance this assessment. Students can choose to work with a partner to record school events together, and eventually write leads for each event. Extend research to other countries. 16

17 Enduring Understandings Journalists follow a writing process in order to effectively communicate with the public. Skilled journalists can determine the newsworthiness of events and can make that information accessible, understandable and thought-provoking for a target audience. Effective and credible writing requires factual accuracy, proper grammar and intriguing language skills. CCSS RI W S Enduring Understanding * Journalists follow a writing process in order to effectively communicate with the public. Essential Question What methods of brainstorming and planning are necessary for effective news writing? What is the most effective way of revising and editing a piece of journalistic writing? Robbinsville Public Schools Unit #4: The Writing Process Content, Themes, Concepts, Skills Unit Theme Writing is a Process Content & Concepts Cornell Method, Shorthand, Hard news, editing, editing symbols, newsworthy (timely, proximity, prominence, controversy, innovation, novelty, impact, loss of life/property damage) Audience, angle, Various forms of media, Language and Grammar skills Teaching Strategies Listening for detail Discussion Lecture Guided Discussion Conferences Peer Revising & Editing Essential Questions 1. What methods of brainstorming and planning are necessary for effective news writing? 2. What is the most effective way of revising and editing a piece of writing? 3. What stories are newsworthy and what stories are worth disregarding? 4. How does knowledge of audience affect writing style? 5. Why is a variety of sources more effective than a single source? 6. How can writing skills and the use of intriguing language change meaning and credibility? Instructional Resources Cornell Method of Note-taking Shorthand Notes Video of sporting or other event Unedited News Articles Associated Press Style Guide Assessment Strategies PRE- The teacher will read a few stories out loud to students. Students will be asked to take notes on important facts and information from each story. Discuss as a group how each student took notes and what/why they wrote certain information down. DURING Students will watch minutes of a sports game or other event. While watching the game or event, students take notes, using the Cornell Method. Have the students share the notes they took. Have the class members give each other feedback. POST Students should go to a game or event being held at school, or in the community. As they watch, they must use the Cornell Method of note-taking. They must use these notes to create an article. PRE- Students will be given several unedited versions of news articles. They must mark up the papers using their own editing choices. Review and discuss the difficulty if everyone used their own editing language DURING Students will use the same articles and correct them using the proper editing symbols given to them. POST Students will edit several rough draft articles. POST Students will also use this skill to self-edit and peer-edit future articles. 17

18 RI RI RI W W SL *Skilled journalists can determine the newsworthiness of events and can make that information accessible, understandable and thoughtprovoking for a target audience. What stories are newsworthy and what stories are worth disregarding? How does knowledge of audience affect writing style? Skills -Effective brainstorming -Effective Planning -Organized Note taking -Critical Thinking -Personal Connections -Write an hard news article -Research -Analyze the newsworthiness of information -Group Work -Understand the importance of knowing your audience -Write an effective article on a local event Journal Graphic Organizer Journal Group Work Guided Instruction Venn Diagram Internet Newsworthy Guided Notes and Vocabulary Audience teacher notes Newspapers PRE- Journal Entry : What s the difference between news and information? Make a Venn diagram to chart answers, encouraging students to consider the similarities and differences between the two concepts. DURING Students will use a newspaper or go online to find examples of current news stories that incorporate the use each of the pre- learned newsworthy values. Students will discover that important news stories may have multiple news values. POST -Students will summarize a story they selected to represent a few of the newsworthy values. Use this activity to assess whether the students understand the values. Use why questions to promote reflective, critical thinking. PRE Journal Entry: What are the potential positive and negative consequences of news decisions that are based on the unique characteristics of the audience? Put students ideas, into two categories of positive and negative consequences. Encourage students to make a connection to their own experiences as consumers through online media, television, radio, and print media. DURING - In groups students are asked to pick the top three news stories for these different target audiences:*late-night TV viewers *People who live and work on the local army base * Busy working mothers and *Sports fans. Create headlines and be able to explain the newsworthiness of each article to each target audience. DURING- Students will be broken into groups and receive an article, each from a different section of the newspaper (Front Page, Opinion, Arts & Entertainment, Sports, Comics) and will answer questions concerning audience. Students will begin to understand how audience changes the way an article is written after all the groups share a different perspective on the same event. Role-Play Activity Prepared scenarios POST - Morning Meeting Simulation Instructions: In this role-playing activity, students act as editors and producers for a TV news show. After reading at least 15 choices they discuss which stories should be the 3 top stories for their broadcast. They must be prepared to offer a well-reasoned justification for their decisions using the newsworthy values to explain their choices. 18

19 RI RI W W W *Effective and credible writing requires factual accuracy, proper grammar and intriguing language skills. Why are a variety of sources more effective than a single source? Brainstorming Journal Guided Instruction Online Game Graphic Organizers Teacher generated situations Teacher Notes Internet PRE- Students will brainstorm and Journal various situations in daily life where using different sources is necessary (Choosing a restaurant, buying a car, etc). Discuss. Create a classroom chart. DURING-Assign students to work in groups to play A Google a Day, a searching game where you try to find the answer to a complex search question. Have the students record different answers from different sources and analyze their credibility. Discuss student own reactions to the information found. POST- Students will be given a controversial or mysterious research topic (Is bigfoot real? Did OJ Simpson commit murder?) They will have to complete an article using a variety of sources. How can writing skills and the use of intriguing language change meaning and credibility? Teacher Model Station Work Guided Notes Research Topics Grammar Notes Commercials PRE- Students will be given poorly written articles. They will need to annotate each article clearly identifying problem areas. DURING- Record five or six storytelling commercials popular with students and show them to the class. Have the students take notes on all the relevant details and language that each commercial uses to make a point. Discuss how these details appeal to the audience. DURING- Students will be given articles with blank spaces in the middle of sentences throughout the entire article. Students will fill in the spaces to properly and effectively complete each sentence. Conferences Peer Revising & Editing Articles POST- Re-write an article from the pre-assessment. POST- Write an article describing something new in the community. 19

20 Suggestions on how to differentiate this unit: *Students with individual learning styles can be assisted through adjustments in assessment standards, one-to one teacher support, additional testing time, and use of visual and auditory teaching methods. *A wide variety of assessments and strategies complement the individual learning experience. CONTENT PROCESS PRODUCT ADDITIONAL SCAFFOLDS ENRICHMENT Research other methods of Note-taking and analyze where each method would best be used. Provide an example of original notes for each method. Create a detailed Web Quest that teaches how to find trusted sources. Students will interview several different people from different facets of society (school, government, age differences, etc) and analyze what news topics are current, newsworthy and appropriate for each audience. They will present their findings to the class in a format of their choice. Station boxes around the room, each containing an item. Students will move silently from one box to another, follow the directions at the box and list nouns, verbs and adjectives that describe what they smell, taste, touch or hear. They will complete intriguing paragraphs for each box. ON LEVEL Research one other method of Note-taking and analyze where it would best be used. Provide an example of original notes for this method. Teacher will provide detailed instructions and students will work in partners to create a Web Quest on how to find trusted sources. The teacher will assign specific people to interview and assign a specific format for the presentation. Students might be grouped, assigned a box and asked to combine their lists and write their paragraphs together NOT ON LEVEL YET The teacher will provide examples of several other Note-taking methods. The students will analyze where they would best be used and choose one to provide original notes for. Complete a Web Quest that teaches how to find trusted sources. The teacher will provide a guideline for the interview questions and specific instructions for the format of the presentation. Students might be grouped, assigned a box and asked to combine their lists and write a descriptive sentence or two on the blackboard for class discussion. ADDITIONAL LEVELS For further enrichment, students can create an original guide for journalists focusing on effective notetaking methods and their proper forums. Students can choose the type of project for relaying the information (Prezi, Game, Guided notes, etc.) For further enrichment students can expand their research to people in other countries. The teacher can vary the difficulty of the items in the boxes and tier the instructions at each box. 20

21 Enduring Understandings The interview is an essential part of feature / profile writing. A well crafted feature article can work to inform, persuade, and transform. Profile feature articles engage readers on a more personal level. Robbinsville Public Schools Unit #5: The Feature/ Profile Article Essential Questions 1. How do we create effective interview questions? 2. How do we effectively conduct an interview? 3. What does a feature article look like and how does it differ from an essay or a news article? 4. How can we write it in a way that will attract, engage and inform our readers? 5. How does a writer get beyond basic facts and events to write about people in a captivating yet concise way? 6. What elements and details make for an interesting profile? CCSS RI W W W W W SL SL S Enduring Understanding *The interview is an essential part of feature / profile writing. Essential Question How do we create effective interview questions? How do we effectively conduct an interview? Content, Themes, Concepts, Skills Unit Theme Feature / Profile Writing Content & Concepts Feature, Profile, Human Interest, transcribe, Interview, Types of Interview Questions (Open-ended, closed, leading, hypothetical, behavioral) Star Approach Teaching Strategies Think, Pair, Share Reverse Interview Small group activity Guided Questions Instructional Resources Interview Notes Various videos of famous interviews Arne Duncan Background information Article For Education Chief, Stimulus Means Power, Money and Risk Assessment Strategies PRE- Have students interview each other about their experiences in high school thus far. Discuss the questions they used and what information they gathered. Discuss possible article topics. DURING-Students will create questions and conduct and interview with a local community member or someone in their school community. DURING-Ask students if they know who Arne Duncan is and briefly explain his role as secretary of education. Then give students the, For Education Chief, Stimulus Means Power, Money and Risk, excerpted from the New York Times article. Divide students into pairs or small groups and have them engage in a reverse interview exercise, using the following prompts to guide them: 1. Identify the direct and indirect quotes, including partial quotes, from Mr. Duncan that appear in the passage. 2. Generate a list of questions you imagine the reporter asked to get these quotes. How do you think the reporter, Sam Dillon, got Mr. Duncan talking? How did Mr. Dillon get Mr. Duncan to provide the information and quotations? 21

22 RI RI W W W W W W W S *A well crafted feature article can work to inform, persuade, and transform. What does a feature article look like and how does it differ from an essay or a news article? Skills -Create interview questions -Prepare for interviews -Perform and Transcribe for interviews -Analyze articles -Research -Identify Feature and Profile attributes -Write Feature and Profile Articles -Revise & Edit Read with guided questions Annotation Think, Pair, Share Conferences Peer Revising & Editing Discussion with Classroom Chart Group Work Conferences Peer Revising & Editing Article The School of Hard Drives List of Celebrities Various Feature and Hard News Stories Newspaper and/or Magazines DURING - Read The School of Hard Drives, and use the discussion questions lead the class in a discussion about the interview. DURING- If possible, bring in a local celebrity (possibly a news anchor) for students to interview and record answers. Questions will be prepared prior to the interview. POST -Have students break into partners. Give each group a famous celebrity. Give each group a Celebrity interview worksheet. Students will pretend that they are going to interview a famous celebrity. They must create a focus or angle for their article then create the questions they would ask in order to obtain the information they need to write an article. They will then research the celebrity and answer the questions as if they were the celebrity. They should research past, interviews, articles, etc. POST Write profile articles from their previous interviews after lesson on profile articles. PRE-In groups, students will be given a feature story and a hard news story from a local large metro newspaper. They will be asked to read each story and discuss and list the differences and similarities. Then they will be asked to explain which story is a feature and contains a strong lead and thread. Each group will choose a spokesperson to explain to the class which story was a feature and what makes a strong feature article. DURING Students will get in small groups and look at the sports page (or any other section) of the local newspaper, concentrating on the stories that provide basic sports reporting. Pick five stories and write their titles in a table. Based upon what they learned from each story, students will brainstorm as a group until they come up with at least three ideas for a feature story (one of each type) that is based upon the basic story. DURING - Give students newspapers and magazines. Have them get into small groups. Tell them to assume the identity of someone from another culture visiting your city. Make a list from the feature articles you find who and what do they feature? How does the article inform you about the values of your culture? What types of feature articles are missing POST Students will write feature articles. Topics will be at the teacher s discretion. 22

23 How can we write in a way that will attract, engage and inform our readers? Guided Instruction Annotation Newspaper Focus Questions PRE - (Distribute newspapers) Student will choose two feature stories of interest and answer focus question such as: What was it about each story that caught your interest? Next, they will find other elements in at least one of the two stories that helped to hold your interest. Journal Entry: What might have prompted the reporter to write the story, or the editor to have assigned it at this particular time? Popcorn Read Think, Pair, Share Provocative News Story Outline Guidelines DURING -The teacher should choose a provocative news story from the newspaper and distribute it. Read this story and come up with 2-3 possible feature stories that it could generate. Write the answers. Discuss. Suggest others. DURING - With a partner, select one news story in today s paper and brainstorm to come up with suggestions for 3 possible feature stories that could be generated from it. Next, write an outline for the feature story that you would write. Keep in mind the elements that will attract, engage, and inform your readers. Feature Stories POST Each student will choose three more feature stories which you consider excellent and write a written explanation of your reasons. RI RI W W W W W W W SL *Profile feature articles engage readers on a more personal level. How does a writer get beyond basic facts and events to write about people in a captivating yet concise way? Brainstorming Class Discussion with Chart Station Work Popcorn Reading Discussion Questions Magazines Article Against All Odds. A Beautiful Life. PRE-Ask students to brainstorm all of the reasons a person might be featured in a news story. Reasons might include achieving or doing something important, being a celebrity or leader of current interest, creating controversy, dying, inventing new technology, starting a trend, etc. List ideas on the board and discuss. DURING -Ask students to think about the different formats for featuring a person in a news story. Have them form small groups to go through magazines. Have them note the number of articles they find that feature a person as well as the topic and type or format of each article. Discuss student answers DURING- Read out loud Against All Odds, A Beautiful Life, The columnist Peter Applebome pays tribute to the life of Maurice Mannion-Vanover, a young man from Montclair, N.J., whose brief life served as an example of resilience and grace in the face of adversity. Students will answer discussion question. Have students circle, highlight or underline words or phrases that offer insight into the life of Maurice Mannion- Vanover as they read. 23