COURSE NUMBERS: YEARBOOK PRODUCTION I- 1746. YEARBOOK PRODUCTION II-1747. YEARBOOK PRODUCTION III-1748. INDEPENDENT STUDY JOURNALISM 1708.

Yearbook staff members operate like a small publishing house, focusing on historical preservation, graphic design, and project management.

Reporting & Documentation

• Event Coverage: Attending games, performances, and club meetings to document the school year as it happens.

• Interviewing: Gathering unique anecdotes and quotes from students and faculty to move beyond basic captions.

• Photography: Taking high-action sports shots, candid portraits, and group photos while managing lighting and composition.

Design & Production

• Layout Creation: Using software like Adobe InDesign or specialized web-based tools (e.g., Walsworth or Jostens) to design "spreads."

• Theming: Developing a cohesive visual and verbal "vibe" (colors, fonts, and slogans) that ties the entire book together.

• Copywriting: Writing headlines, feature stories, and captions that provide context for the photos.

Organization & Marketing

• Indexing: Ensuring every student’s name is spelled correctly and tagged on the pages where they appear.

• Sales & Advertising: Managing the "Business Side" by selling yearbooks and reaching out to local businesses for ad sponsorships.

• Deadline Management: Working against "ladder" schedules to ensure sections are sent to the printer on time.

• Photo Curation: Sorting through thousands of digital files to select the highest-quality images for publication.

COURSE NUMBERS: ADVANCED DIGITAL JOURNALISM I (ONLINE NEWSPAPER)- 1743. ADVANCED DIGITAL JOURNALISM II (ONLINE NEWSPAPER II)- 1744. ADVANCED DIGITAL JOURNALISM III (ONLINE NEWSPAPER III)- 1745. INDEPENDENT STUDY JOURNALISM 1708.

In an online newspaper class, students function like a digital newsroom, balancing journalistic ethics with modern multimedia skills. Here is a breakdown of their primary activities:

Content Creation & Reporting

• Pitching Stories: Proposing timely angles on school news, local events, or global trends during virtual editorial meetings.

• Conducting Interviews: Using video conferencing (Zoom/Teams) or email to gather quotes from sources and experts.

• Writing & Editing: Drafting articles ranging from hard news and op-eds to sports recaps and entertainment reviews.

• Fact-Checking: Verifying data, names, and dates to maintain the publication’s credibility.

Digital Production & Design

• Web Layout: Using Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress or SNO Sites to format articles for the web.

• Multimedia Integration: Producing or embedding podcasts, short-form videos, and interactive maps to enhance storytelling.

• Photojournalism: Capturing high-quality images or creating digital illustrations and infographics to accompany text.

Management & Strategy

• Social Media Management: Writing captions and creating graphics (e.g., via Canva) to promote stories on platforms like Instagram or X.

• SEO Optimization: Applying keywords and meta-descriptions to ensure stories are discoverable via search engines.

• Peer Review: Providing constructive feedback on classmates' drafts using collaborative tools like Google Docs.

• Analytics Tracking: Monitoring page views and engagement metrics to see which topics resonate most with the student body.

COURSE NUMBERS: 6731, 6741

IBC opportunity: AV II- Adobe Premiere Pro Industry Certification

In an AV (Audio/Video) Production class, students act as a film crew, mastering the technical and creative aspects of digital storytelling.

Pre-Production (Planning)

• Scriptwriting: Drafting screenplays, commercials, or news scripts using industry-standard formatting.

• Storyboarding: Sketching out visual sequences to plan camera angles, transitions, and movements.

• Production Design: Scouting locations, gathering props, and casting "talent" for shoots.

Production (The Shoot)

• Cinematography: Operating DSLR or cinema cameras, focusing on the "Rule of Thirds," depth of field, and framing.

• Lighting Design: Setting up three-point lighting schemes to control shadows and mood.

• Audio Capture: Using boom mics, lavaliers, and digital recorders to ensure crisp, clear dialogue and ambient sound.

• Directing: Managing the crew and talent on set to ensure the vision of the script is captured effectively.

Post-Production (Editing)

• Non-Linear Editing: Using software like Adobe Premiere Pro to cut footage and build a narrative.

• Sound Engineering: Mixing audio levels, adding Foley (sound effects), and layering background music.

• Motion Graphics: Creating titles, lower-thirds, and basic visual effects (VFX) to polish the final product.

• Color Grading: Adjusting the color and contrast of footage to create a consistent "look" or atmosphere.

In a high school journalism class, students move from being passive consumers of media to active, ethical creators. The focus is on finding the "truth" and communicating it effectively across various platforms.

Foundational Reporting Skills

• Defining News: Learning the "News Values" (Timeliness, Proximity, Conflict, etc.) to determine what stories are worth telling.

• The Inverted Pyramid: Mastering the structural art of placing the most critical information at the top of a story.

• Interviewing: Developing the "soft skills" to ask open-ended questions and build rapport with sources.

• Fact-Checking: Learning the rigors of verification to avoid libel and maintain public trust.

Journalistic Writing & Style

• AP Style: Adhering to the Associated Press Stylebook for consistent grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.

• Lead (Lede) Writing: Crafting compelling opening sentences that hook the reader while delivering the "5 W’s and H" (Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How).

• Feature Writing: Learning to write longer, more descriptive narrative pieces that focus on the "human interest" side of news.

• Opinion & Editorial: Understanding the difference between objective reporting and persuasive writing, including how to build an evidence-based argument.

Law, Ethics, and Literacy

• First Amendment Studies: Exploring the rights and limitations of student speech and the press.

• Media Literacy: Analyzing news sources for bias, "fake news," and logical fallacies.

• Journalistic Ethics: Navigating "gray areas" using the SPJ (Society of Professional Journalists) Code of Ethics.

Digital & Visual Literacy

• Caption Writing: Writing "cutlines" that provide context beyond what is visible in a photograph.

• Mobile Journalism: Using smartphones to capture high-quality audio, video, and photos for immediate digital publication.

• Headline Design: Creating "click-worthy" but honest headlines that perform well in search engines.