Journalism

Contributing Teacher(s): Tonia Alvarez
Resources: Student computer lab, newsletter template, Inverted Pyramid (either large copy for board, or use on doc reader), Copy/Layout Rubric.

Standards Addressed:
== Content: Grammar: ==
 * GLE 0601.1.1 Demonstrate control of Standard English through the use of grammar, usage, and mechanics (punctuation, capitalization, and spelling)
 * 0601.1.4 Demonstrate the correct use of commas with appositives and appositive phrases.
 * 0601.1.5 Spell correctly high frequency words, commonly misspelled words, and words commonly used in content specific vocabulary.
 * 0601.1.8 Identify and use appositives and appositive phrases.
 * GLE 0601.4.2 Gather relevant information from a variety of print, and electronic sources, as well as from direct observation, interviews and surveys.
 * 0601.4.10 Collect evidence in various ways
 * GLE 0601.4.3 Make distinctions about credibility, reliability, consistency, strengths and limitations of resources, including information gathered from web sites.
 * 0601.4.17 Understand the differences among quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing.
 * 0601.4.18 Quote, paraphrase, or summarize text, ideas or other information taken from print and electronic sources.

ISTE Technology:
Technology Operations and Concepts
 * Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students select and use applications effectively and productively.

===Introduction/Problem: TW show students an article from a newspaper and tell them that they are going write a news feature article and put it in a newspaper template. TW point out justification and how the layout person made the article fit the space provided. This will also teach students to be concise in their writing if they are confined to a limited space. ===

===Procedures: Teacher should choose one of the following to use for a sample news story: event students are studying in Social Studies, story from their ELA class, or a scientific discovery, or even allow one or two students act out an event and take notes about what happened on the document reader or board. Using this information, TW model pulling the appropriate information (5 Ws and How) and listing it on the outside of the inverted pyramid. TW model writing a headline first. TW model how to take the information gathered and make a one sentence summary of the event. TW then write the rest of the article using the think aloud strategy. TW make sure (with students' help) that there are no spelling or grammar errors, since that will affect the size of the article and the way it fits into the provided space. TW then show students how to get to the desired template. TW model the steps to making the article fit in the space, paying attention to justification and how words are split at the end of a line. TW explain that they are to do the same thing with a real even, something that happened to them over the weekend, or an historical event. TW then give students the Copy/Layout Rubric and explain each component. As students are working, TW monitor and assist. ===

Assessment/Rubric: Copy/Layout Rubric
===Enrichment/Reteaching: For students who know how or want to try, they may attempt to add a graphic with a caption (no full names allowed). For students who have difficulty with the writing, TW work one on one or in a small group by isolating the 5 Ws and turning that into a sentence. Teacher may offer a sentence template for struggling writers. For layout problems, TW either assign a buddy to the student having trouble or work with students in a small group. ===