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Course Title: Journalism I
Course Title: Journalism I
Grade Placement: 9-12
Credit: 1 unit
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Journalism covers essential components and characteristics of newspaper journalistic writing including news stories, features, editorials, and headlines. This course will also stress the techniques of observation, interviewing, reporting, and ethics in the media. In addition, proofreading, editing, and print layout will be covered. Students interested in eventually joining the school newspaper staff and/or yearbook staff should take this course.
SUPPLIES:
Something to write with (pencil or pen with blue/black black ink)
Something to write on (composition, Spiral or three-ring binder with paper)
ONE of the following: Kleenex, Copy Paper or Lysol Spray.
TEKS: Journalism starts on Page 42 of the linked PDF
ASSESSMENT:
Students will be assessed according to weekly assignments, quizzes, projects, class discussions, presentations and other activities. Students who satisfactorily meet established course objectives and standards will be deemed proficient. While the course offers students many different way to demonstrate their proficiency, the success of each student's learning experience will be determined by the student's own actions. I will provide guidance, support and resources and an essential learning community where students can thrive; students must provide hard work, accountability and a willingness to think critically about complex topics.
Students will be assessed with a variety of methods in the following areas:
Activities: Projects, presentations, assignments and worksheets will be selected by the student or assigned by me and turned in for evaluation. While most will be in-class, students may always choose to finish an assignment at home if additional time is needed. The majority of grades, both minor and major) come from the area.
Writing: Students will write, revise and edit several types of stories. Rubrics will be used to assess writing, and available to student when writing is assigned.
Tests/Quizzes
Discussion and Socratic Seminars: Because journalism is such an interesting aspect of our daily lives and learning about journalism requires more thinking than memorization, discussion and seminars are important parts of class. The more students think out loud in class and the more they voice their opinion in informal class discussions, the better they perform in class.
COURSE OVERVIEW:
Unit 1: Why journalism and news matters
Students learn why news in important for a democratic society. They also learn what their role is as a news literacy consumer and how that role has changed over time.
What is News
Why News Matters
History of the Press
The Changing American Newsroom
Unit 2: Law
Overview of the First Amendment
Press Freedom
Libel, Copyright and Invasion of Privacy
Introduction to Student Press Law Cases
Unit 3: Ethics
Students will understand the ethical standards that guide the journalism industry.
Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics
Navigating Ethical Situations
FAB Journalism (Fair, Accurate, Balanced)
Unit 4: News Gathering
Students will learn how journalists decide to pursue stories, and they will start to examine the way journalistic research works.
Unit 5: Interviewing and Fact-Finding
Students are introduced to how interviews are conducted and will practice interviewing each other.
Interviewing Basics
Fact-Finding and Observation
Interview Practice
Unit 6: Writing
Students are introduced to the fundamentals of journalistic writing and start creating their own articles.
Basic News Leads
Newswriting Structure
Choosing the right source
Writing Different Types of News Stories
Unit 7: Editing
Students learn the AP style and editing for revision.
Why AP Style Matters
Copy Editing Tools
Editing for AP Style
Unit 8: News vs. Feature and other UIL Writing formats
This unit helps prepare students interested in UIL Academic Journalism competition in the spring
Feature Writing (UIL Format)
Headline Writing (UIL Format)
Opinion Writing (UIL Format)
Unit 9: Intro to Yearbook
This unit examines the purpose of a yearbook, as well as basics like the theme package, caption writing, and basic design.
Unit 10: Intro to Photojournalism & Visual Storytelling*
Students examine visual storytelling through photojournalism and multimedia. Students will learn photography techniques, caption writing, and the role of images in enhancing a story.
Unit 11: Intro to Broadcast Journalism*
This unit introduces broadcast journalism, including writing for television, live reporting, and producing short video segments. Students will practice on-camera delivery, voiceovers, and editing.
*Time Permitting
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