5-20-09 Feature Story Pre-Production

For reading time today, here are some possible feature story topic ideas: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=114419

Your assignment by tomorrow is to provide a theme statement which states exactly what your feature story will focus on. Your theme statement should clearly answer the “so what” question. Why is this important (or interesting) to your audience? You should also include five of the best questions that you would need to ask to report it, and five of the best sources you would contact. These sources should be named, not general groups of people.

Sample:
Theme Statement: The Flu is causing a rise in absenteeism at Central. This impacts students and teachers as it disrupts lesson plans and class time must be made up.

Sources: Ms. Steffner, principal; Mrs. Miller, school nurse; Mr. Rossi, Athletic Director; Victor Smith, student who had the flu; Mrs. O’Hara, teacher

Questions: How severely has HC been hit by the flu? What is the schools policy in dealing with this? What is the best way to avoid contacting the disease? How has this affected classroom activities? How has this affected extracurricular activities?

Copy and paste this to your blog:

1. Theme Statement:

Sources:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

5-15-09 News Stories

For reading time, read The Turnip.

Work on your news stories today (gather interviews, write, research, etc.).

Your story is due before you come to class on Monday.

5-14-09 News Peer Reviews

For reading time: http://www.pulitzer.org/awards/2009

You will read two of your classmates' leads today and post a peer review on your blog.

1. LEAD AND BACKUP: Does the story begin with one long sentence that answers most of the 5Ws and H without going into detail? What questions are left unanswered? Are they answered in the second paragraph? Are more details provided (names, more specific places, times)? What questions do you still have after the first two paragraphs or what do you most want to know? How could this section be improved?


Once you have finished the peer reviews, you can start collecting information and interviews for your story. The entire 600 word news story will also be assessed on the following qualities:

2. LEAD QUOTE: Does the author present a good quote by the fourth paragraph? Does it help answer one of the questions you have as a reader or does it address one of the major concerns many readers might have Are full quotes used and are they introduced, punctuated, and attributed correctly? How might this section be improved?

3. ORGANIZATION: Does the story answer questions as they occur to the reader? Are all of the important questions answered in the first 250 words (or five paragraphs)? As a reader, what do you most want to know next (after 250)? Answer first as a student in the school and next as a parent. What material would you suggest be moved higher in the story?

4. BACKGROUND/IMPACT: Is background and/or impact provided somewhere in the story? Where might this be added or improved upon?

5. ATTRIBUTION & ACCURACY: Is all of the information, that is not common knowledge or observed by the reporter, properly attributed? Is it correct and are the names spelled correctly? Where should attribution be added or corrections be made? Are there any instances where the writer's opinion is present?

5-13-09 Interviewing/Begin News Story

For reading time: http://dir.yahoo.com/Education/K_12/Newspapers/Individual_School_Papers/

We will continue taking interviewing notes.

Your assignment for tomorrow is to have your lead and backup (first two paragraphs) completed:

LEAD AND BACKUP: Does the story begin with one long sentence that answers most of the 5Ws and H without going into detail? What questions are left unanswered? Are they answered in the second paragraph? Are more details provided (names, more specific places, times)?

We will do peer edits in class on Thursday.

Your finished story will be due on Monday at the beginning of the hour. The story must be at least 600 words in length. You must have three interviews for your story.

5-12-09 Interviewing

For reading time: Go to: http://www.newsu.org/

We'll take notes on interviewing.

We'll register at NewsU (it's free). Then we'll start the online learning tutorial on interviewing.

Interviewing:
http://www.newsu.org/Angel/section/default.asp?format=course&id=nu_interview04

Be a Reporter:
http://www.newsu.org/Angel/section/default.asp?format=course&id=knight_reportgame08

Handling Trauma:
http://www.newsu.org/Angel/section/default.asp?format=course&id=dart_trauma05

Beyond the Inverted Pyramid:
http://www.newsu.org/Angel/section/default.asp?format=course&id=nwsu_asf07

Writer's Workbench:
http://www.newsu.org/Angel/section/default.asp?format=course&id=nu_workbench05

5-11-09 News Story/Interviewing

For reading time today: http://www.cbc.ca/news/

Interviewing activities:

Name__________________________ Date_____________________

Directions: Carefully read all of the parts of the test before doing anything. Good Luck!!

1. Write today's date--month-day-year in the top right hand corner of your test paper.

2. Write the answer to the following multiplication problem directly underneath the date on your test paper: 6 X 5 = ?

3. Write the name of the month that begins with the letter "D" in the top left hand corner of your test paper.

4. Add 15 to the answer you got in part #2, and write this new total directly underneath your answer for part #3.

5. In the lower left hand corner of your test paper, write the names of your favorite singer and your favorite group.

6. Just above your answer to part #5, write "This test is very easy."

7. In the lower right hand corner of your test paper, draw a rectangle and inside the rectangle draw a five pointed star. The size of these drawings is not important.

8. Directly above your answer to part #7, draw a row of three small circles. Once again, size is not important.

9. Write the name of the first president of the United States on the back of your test paper anywhere you choose. If you don't know who this is, write your own name instead.

10. Write the name of any country that begins with the letter "I" directly underneath you answer to part #2.

11. Take the number of dwarfs in the Snow White story and add it to the number of bears in the Goldilocks story. Divide by 2. Write this total in the approximate center of your test paper. Stand up and say, "I am better than the evil witch. Ha ha ha."

12. Think of a number between 1 and 50. Double that number. Add 20. Add 6. Subtract 17. Subtract 9. Divide by 2. Write this number on your test paper directly underneath your answer to part #11.

13. Now that you have carefully read all of the parts so far, and you have not carried out any of the actual work, skip the next 2 parts and go back and only complete part #3.

14. The name of the first president of the United States is George Washington. He was president from 1789 until 1797. Add the 2 dates together to see if the total is less than 5000.

15. You should not be reading the end of the exam before the beginning of the exam, but now that you are here, you have just wasted some of the time you may need to complete the test.



Listening Activities
1. Following directions handout.
2. Who is the best listener you know? What makes them a good listener?
3. Partner purposely doesn't pay attention and is a bad listener.
4. Ask a queston followed by silence. What happened? (Dotson's non-question question). We have two ears and one mouth for a reason.
5. Ask multiple questions.
6. Ask very long question.
7. Confirm their answer and use the non question.

5-8-09 Interviewing

For reading time today, visit: http://www.poynteronline.org/

Quiz on News, Law and Ethics?

Post to your blog the answers to the scavenger hunt.

1. Go to http://www.newsu.org/default.aspx?
2. Register with NewsU
3. Click on Hot Courses #3, The Interview

5-7-09 Collecting Information

For reading time: http://www.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/05/07/murdoch.web.content/index.html

1. We will take a quiz on journalism, newsworthiness, law, and ethics.

Next we are beginning a unit on gathering information. We will use these skills to add content to our Voices of Hope stories.

Find the following information. Use your knowledge of news sources. You may work alone or with a partner. Identify the source (where you found the information) and provide attribution (who gave you the information) for each item. Give first and last names of the people you are asked to name and those who provide the information. You must spell each name correctly!

Ground rules:
• Be polite and patient
• Do not disrupt classes in session
• Do not overwhelm the office staff. They are busy, too!
• If you wish to speak to someone in a cluster office, knock before entering.

1. Who will be the new superintendent of district 196?
2. How many teachers are absent from school today? Who are they?
3. Who is the president of our school board? How many are on the board?
4. What date is graduation this year?
5. Who are the newest faculty members?
6. Who is the tallest person at our school?
7. What does DECA stand for?
8. How many home football games were played this season?
9. Who are the student council officers?
10. Where do you find accurate spelling of a student’s name? Grade level?
11. How many students have enrolled at EVHS this year?
12. Who is the head custodian?
13. Who advises the Yearbook?
14. Where is the district office located? (city & street name)
15. Who are the administrators (in addition to Dr. Peterson) and what are their duties?
16. Who advises the chess club?
17. Name the captain(s) of the girls’ soccer team?
18. Who manages the cafeteria?
19. Who are the librarians?
20. How many students are taking AP tests this year?

5-5-09 Law & Ethics

For reading time today: http://www.thesun.co.uk/

We will finish our discussion about law and ethics today.

You should expect a quiz on this material later this week.

5-4-09 Ethics and Law

For reading time today, visit the National Enquirer

We will continue taking notes on journalism law and ethics.

At the end of the hour, we will take another online assessment at https://www.splc.org/hspresslawtest/