English 2 - Journalism Mitch Martin: mmartin@naperville203.org

Transcription

1 Mission English 2 - Journalism Mitch Martin: mmartin@naperville203.org To educate students to be self-directed learners, collaborative workers, complex thinkers, quality producers, and community contributors Course Description English 2 is the required 10 th grade Communication Arts course in District 203. It is a year-long course in which reading, writing, speaking, and listening instruction is employed to help students become better consumers and users of language. In addition, English 2 was designed to help students meet the Common Core State Standards for Reading Literature, Reading Informational Text, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language. These standards will be taught and assessed throughout the year. The journalism track of English 2 will accomplish all of the previously mentioned objectives, but with a focus on journalistic principles, reading materials, and both written and multimedia assignments. We will learn to find information and communicate it quickly, accurately and clearly. We will examine the purpose and effect of print versus multimedia conduits on the reader. English 2 will teach students the skills necessary to be college and career ready by the time they graduate high school. These skills will then be transferrable to other language-related tasks students may encounter across the curriculum and in their adult lives. Skills specific to journalism will directly prepare students for positions on student-run school publications as well as personal social and multimedia publishing experiences. Units of Study In each unit, students will engage in the following activities to help them master the standards and skills: Read and respond to one extended text Read and respond to articles from print and digital publications and/or excerpts from book-length works of journalism Read and respond to pieces of short fiction, criticism and academic essays Produce pieces writing in a variety of journalism formats, as well as traditional narrative and analytical forms Present at least one speaking event Prepare and present a research project delivered in a journalistic/multimedia format Here is an overview of each unit. For specific details including guiding questions and priority standards, please refer to the Honors English 2: Journalism Unit Guide at the end of this syllabus. Semester 1: The Fundamentals of Journalism Unit I: Examining How Authors Craft Prose and Arguments *Big Idea: Authors make purposeful choices to construct meaning.* Fiction/novel study *Big Idea: Journalists make judgments based on news values to convey information. * What is news? Interviewing and news gathering News writing AP Style

2 Unit II: Semester II: Unit III: Unit IV: Examining Literary Genres and Works of Nonfiction *Big Idea: Readers learn how to investigate different modes and genres with different lenses.* Long-form journalistic nonfiction study *Big Idea: Journalists strive to emphasize the personal stories behind news events while upholding a professional code of ethics.* Feature writing First Amendment study Student press law and journalistic ethics The Profession of Journalism Examining Different Perspectives *Big Idea: Different perspectives and points of view impact the meaning of a text.* World literature study *Big Idea: Journalists select the most appropriate medium to deliver opinions and convey information.* Opinion/editorial writing Team/in-depth reporting Multimedia reporting Social media etiquette and journalistic usage Crafting Prose and Arguments *Big Idea: Authors construct arguments with purpose.* Nonfiction study Creative nonfiction writing Persuasive speaking *Big Idea: Journalists prioritize events through their choices in covering them.* Review writing Media analysis: coverage, bias and spin Grading: Your course grade will reflect what you have learned, not what you have completed! Category Breakdown for Semester Grade: 90% Coursework 10% Quarterly District Benchmark Assessments Course Grade Each unit/standard is assigned a particular percentage. Writing 50% Reading 30% Speaking and Listening 20% Within each unit, summative and formative sections are weighted as follows: 100% Summative; 0% Formative Formative assessments are informal assessments during the learning process to improve student achievement. These count for 0 points. These are often considered practice activities. Feedback will be given, and each assignment will be listed in the grade book but not for points that count toward the

3 overall grade. A letter grade or comment may be be posted to indicate whether or not the completion of the assignment has occurred and whether or not that completed assignment has demonstrated mastery of the skill being practiced. Examples of formative assessments include daily homework, reading quizzes, short written responses, rough drafts, etc. Summative assessments summarize the development of learners at a particular time and gauge student learning relative to content standards. These assessments will be graded and count for 100% of the grade. Examples of summative assessments are story assignments (news, features, etc.), major papers, projects, presentations, tests, etc. On time performance is a standard in journalism classes. Late summative assessments will be deducted 10 percent for each day past the deadline. The final exam is comprised of district-wide Benchmark Assessments given at the end of every unit of study. Four benchmark assessments will be administered throughout the year. Each semester, the grades on the two benchmark assessments will be combined to make up the final exam grade. Reassessment Policy Criteria for reassessment on selected writing assignments: 1. Story/piece is turned in on time. 2. All relevant formative work (including rough draft) is completed on time. 3. Student must decide within two days of paper pass-back that he or she will rewrite the story/piece. 4. The student must meet with the teacher outside of class. 5. A new due date will be agreed upon by teacher and student between one and two weeks from pass-back date. 6. Student can receive no higher than an 80% on reassessments. 7. Timed writing aren t re-assessed. Academic Integrity Students are expected to demonstrate a high degree of academic integrity in all of their classes at NNHS. Students should neither give nor receive unauthorized help on any assignment. Teachers will clearly articulate when collaboration is acceptable. In addition, all work should be original. Students are not allowed to turn in work that was originally produced for another class. In addition, plagiarism (taking credit for words and/or ideas that are not your own) will not be tolerated. You must do your own work! Please talk to your teacher if you have questions about source citation or paraphrasing. Journalistic writing places a primary emphasis on the use and attribution of sources, so the use of unattributed sources will not be tolerated. To help you avoid documentation errors and assess originality, all major papers and essays must be submitted either to Turnitin.com, or via a class Canvas site set up to run a paper through Turnitin.com. All incidents of cheating, unauthorized collaboration, and plagiarism will be handled according to the Academic Integrity Policy described in the student planner This is a serious issue; please communicate questions and concerns to your teacher when they arise.

4 English II- Journalism Unit guide Unit I:Examining How Authors Craft Prose and Arguments *Big Idea: Authors make purposeful choices to construct meaning.* What does it mean to read critically and formulate an analysis of a text? How do authors develop central ideas within a text? How do authors craft prose? How do authors construct coherent arguments? How do authors choices impact a text? Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone). Analyze how an author s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9 10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. o Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. o Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text. o Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. Unit II: Examining Literary Genres and Works of Nonfiction *Big Idea: Readers learn how to investigate different modes and genres with different lenses.* What does it mean to read critically and formulate an analysis of a text? How do authors develop central ideas within a text? Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9 10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. o Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase when writing. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.

5 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper). Determine an author s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose. Unit III: Examining Different Perspectives *Big Idea: Different perspectives and points of view impact the meaning of a text.* How are different ideas, themes, and concepts presented in different mediums? How do writers synthesize multiple perspectives? Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. Unit IV: Crafting Prose and Arguments *Big Idea: Authors construct arguments with purpose.* How do authors construct coherent arguments? How do I respond to an author s argument and evaluate its impact? How do I express myself in diverse writing formats and prose settings? How can I use complex materials and specialized sources to conduct research? How do I evaluate the quality and usefulness of a source? Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source. Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.