Wallingford Public Schools HIGH SCHOOL COURSE OUTLINE Course Title Journalism Course Number A 0153 Department English

							              Wallingford Public Schools - HIGH SCHOOL COURSE OUTLINE


Course Title: Journalism                                       Course Number: A 0153


Department: English                                            Grade(s): 9-12


Level(s): Academic                                             Credit: 1

Course Description
This course emphasizes the skills and knowledge required to produce a newspaper and
contributes to the production of the school’s newspaper. Students will conduct interviews, write
in a variety of journalistic forms, discuss editorial positions, and help produce and edit the
newspaper using desktop publishing. Business management skills, essential to the self-
sufficiency of a newspaper, will be emphasized. Students may also have opportunities to
explore a variety of journalistic fields, such as writing for the web and broadcast journalism.

Required Instructional Materials                               Completion/Revision Date

                                                                Adopted by Board of Education
                                                                      October 18, 2004



Mission Statement of the Curriculum Management Team
   The mission of Language Arts Curriculum Management Team is to ensure that all
   students develop a high level of proficiency and independence in reading, writing,
   speaking, listening, and viewing, enabling them to become lifelong, effective
   communicators in a culturally diverse society.


Enduring Understandings for the Course
   • Ethics are essential in journalism and life.
   • A free press is a founding principle of journalism and democracy.
   • Journalists write with different purposes in mind.
   • There is a process to gathering news.
   • People rely on a variety of resources to obtain information.
   • Listening and accurate note-taking skills are critical for learning, communicating, and
      writing accurate news articles.
   • People communicate through writing.
   • People communicate through pictures.
   • People communicate through speaking.
   • Visual materials enhance understanding.
   • Writing, editing, and revising are essential to effective journalism.
   • Written communication and proper grammar mechanics promote fluency of
      communication.



                                                                     Journalism Page 1 of 6
LEARNING STRAND

1.0 Legal and Ethical Considerations

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING(S)
  • Listening and accurate note-taking skills are critical for learning, communicating, and writing
     accurate news articles.
  • A free press is a founding principle of journalism and democracy.
  • Ethics are essential in journalism and life.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES The student will:            INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT MATERIALS
1.1 Understand First Amendment Rights.              • Student Press Law Center (www.splc.org)
1.2 Compare court decisions in regard to high       • NY Times self-study- Jayson Blair
    school journalism.                                Controversy
1.3 Examine ethical lapses in modern                • 60 Minutes report on Stephen Glass
    journalism.                                     • Shattered Glass (VHS/DVD)
1.4 Support articles with fair and balanced
    reporting.                                   SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
1.5 Evaluate the validity of sources to            • Class discussion
    authenticate research and answer               • Cooperative Learning
    generated questions.                           • Oral presentations
1.6 Examine conflicts of interest.
                                                   • Group projects
                                                   • Graphic organizers
                                                   • Response journals
                                                   • Conferencing
                                                   • Computer assisted instruction
                                                   • Research
                                                   • Independent reading
                                                   • Multimedia presentations

                                                 SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT METHODS
                                                   • Quizzes/ tests
                                                   • Writing journals
                                                   • Projects
                                                   • Oral or multimedia presentations
                                                   • Writing assignments
                                                   • Teacher observation group activity
                                                   • Portfolios
                                                   • Homework
                                                   • Participation
                                                   • Peer evaluation
                                                   • Self-evaluations
                                                   • Rubrics




                                                                    Journalism Page 2 of 6
LEARNING STRAND

2.0 Types of News Writing

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING(S)
  • Journalists write with different purposes in mind.
  • Written communication and proper grammar mechanics promote fluency of communication.
  • There is a process to gathering news.
  • Writing, editing, and revising are essential to effective journalism.
  • People communicate through words.
  • People communicate through pictures.
  • People communicate through speaking.
  • People rely on a variety of resources to obtain news information
  • Visual materials enhance understanding.
  • Listening and accurate note-taking skills are critical for learning, communicating, and writing
     accurate news articles.
  • Ethics are essential in journalism and life.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES – The student will:             INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT MATERIALS
2.1 Conduct research and interviews.
2.2 Generate questions.
2.3 Determine which sources are appropriate to      SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
    the task.                                         • Class discussion
2.4 Integrate and elaborate upon research in a        • Cooperative learning
    final product.                                    • Graphic organizers
2.5 Evaluate the validity of sources to               • Response journals
    authenticate research and answer                  • Conferencing
    questions generated.                              • Computer assisted instruction
2.6 Demonstrate accuracy in interviewing and          • Research
    note taking.
                                                      • Independent reading
2.7 Write/ compose in a variety of journalistic
    styles adhering to a deadline:
                                                    SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT METHODS
    • News
                                                      • Quizzes/ tests
    • Event articles
                                                      • Writing articles
    • Features
                                                      • Writing assignments
    • Sports
                                                      • Teacher observation group activity
    • Photojournalism
                                                      • Portfolios
    • Music or movie review
                                                      • Homework
    • Opinion/editorial
                                                      • Participation
2.7 Incorporate technology as a tool for writing.
                                                      • Peer evaluation
2.8 Adhere to standard forms of English
     grammar, spelling and mechanics.                 • Self-evaluations
2.9 Adhere to appropriate journalistic style and      • Rubrics
     styles specific to your newspaper.
2.10 Use language appropriate to purpose,
     audience, and task.




                                                                    Journalism Page 3 of 6
LEARNING STRAND

3.0 Presentation and Layout

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING(S)
  • Written communication and proper grammar mechanics promote fluency of communication.
  • Writing, editing, and revising are essential to effective journalism.
  • People communicate through words.
  • People communicate through pictures.
  • People communicate through speaking.
  • Visual materials enhance understanding.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES – The student will:             INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT MATERIALS
3.1 Revise and edit their work and the work of
    their peers.
3.2 Use desktop publishing software.                SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
3.3 Transfer word documents to desktop                • Class discussion
    publishing software.                              • Cooperative learning
3.4 Recognize elements of message design.             • Oral presentation
3.5 Incorporate technology as a tool for writing.     • Group projects
3.6 Adhere to standard forms of English               • Graphic organizers
    grammar, spelling and mechanics.                  • Response journals
3.7 Adhere to appropriate journalistic style and      • Conferencing
    styles specific to your newspaper.
                                                      • Computer assisted instruction
3.8 Use language appropriate to purpose,
                                                      • Research
    audience, and task.
                                                      • Independent reading
                                                      • Multimedia presentations

                                                    SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT METHODS
                                                      • Quizzes/ tests
                                                      • Writing articles
                                                      • Projects
                                                      • Oral or multimedia presentations
                                                      • Writing assignments
                                                      • Teacher observation group activity
                                                      • Portfolios
                                                      • Homework
                                                      • Participation
                                                      • Peer evaluation
                                                      • Self-evaluations
                                                      • Rubrics




                                                                    Journalism Page 4 of 6
LEARNING STRAND

4.0 Business Management

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING(S)
  • Writing, editing, and revising are essential to effective journalism.
  • People communicate through words.
  • People communicate through pictures.
  • People communicate through speaking.
  • Visual materials enhance understanding.
  • Listening and accurate note-taking skills are critical for learning, communicating, and writing
     accurate news articles.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES – The student will:           INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT MATERIALS
4.1 Contact business persons to obtain
    advertisements for the newspaper.
4.2 Understand the importance of advertising
    funds to the function of an independent       SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
    student newspaper.                              • Class discussion
4.3 Design an advertisement using appropriate       • Cooperative learning
    message design.                                 • Conferencing
4.4 Incorporate technology as a desktop             • Research
    publishing tool.                                • Multimedia presentations
4.5 Review advertisements for accuracy.
4.6 Complete a written contract with an area
    businessperson.                               SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT METHODS
4.7 Compose a business letter and cover letter      • Projects
    using proper form.                              • Oral or multimedia presentations
4.8 Adhere to standard forms of English
                                                    • Writing assignments
    grammar, spelling and mechanics.
                                                    • Teacher observation group activity
4.9 Use language appropriate to purpose,
    audience, and task.                             • Portfolios
                                                    • Homework
                                                    • Participation
                                                    • Peer evaluation
                                                    • Self-evaluations
                                                    • Rubrics




                                                                    Journalism Page 5 of 6
LEARNING STRAND

5.0 Portfolio

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING(S)
  • Journalists write with different purposes in mind.
  • Written communication and proper grammar mechanics promote fluency of communication.
  • There is a process to gathering news.
  • Writing, editing, and revising are essential to effective journalism.
  • People communicate through words.
  • People communicate through pictures.
  • People communicate through speaking.
  • People rely on a variety of resources to obtain news information.
  • Visual materials enhance understanding.
  • Listening and accurate note-taking skills are critical for learning, communicating, and writing
     accurate news articles.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES – The student will:             INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT MATERIALS
5.1 Collect examples of their work in a portfolio
    • News
    • Features                                      SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
    • Sports                                          • Response journals
    • Photojournalism                                 • Conferencing
    • Music or movie review                           • Computer assisted instruction
    • Opinion/editorial                               • Oral presentation
5.2 Evaluate and track their learning through         • Multimedia presentations
    the use of a portfolio.
5.3 Compare their work with the work of others.     SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT METHODS
5.4 Write about their work and the work of            • Self evaluation
    others.                                           • Rubric
5.5 Distinguish important assignments and             • Writing
    choose exemplar work.                             • Oral presentation
5.6 Work in cooperative groups to                     • Portfolio
     • Discuss work
     • Draw conclusions
     • Respect others’ work and opinions
5.7 Identify the unique and shared qualities of
    each other’s work.
5.8 Clarify understanding of work by identifying
    inconsistencies and ambiguities.
5.9 Develop challenging goals.
5.10 Adhere to standard forms of English
    grammar, spelling and mechanics.
5.11 Use language appropriate to purpose,
    audience, and task.




                                                                    Journalism Page 6 of 6