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Beyond the Cave Syllabus 2015-2016 Summerville High School
Instructor: Brianna Willis Courses Taught: ERWC, English 12, English II, and Journalism
“Journalism can never be silent: that is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.”
-Henry Anatole Grunwald
BEYOND THE CAVE: Course description and guidelines
Course Description The major purpose of this year-long course is to prepare students for the literacy and writing demands of journalism. Through a sequence of two semesters, students in this course will develop advanced proficiencies in journalism, ranging from feature writing to news. The cornerstone of the course- the assignment template- presents a process for helping students understand the ethics and law of journalism first before delving into the process of creating their own Summerville High School newspaper. During the beginning of the first semester, they will examine the history of journalism, the ethics that are essential in journalism, the process of examining news, how to interview properly, and how to establish a purpose and follow through with the writing, editing, and revising process of different articles. The course will provide instruction in writing methods and documentation conventions, which follow the Associated Press Stylebook rules. While learning a new style of writing, students will follow local, national, and global press and critique newspapers and magazines on a weekly basis, so as to continually improve their own writing and learn what is effective and ineffective when writing for journalism. Students will be expected to increase their awareness of the rhetorical strategies employed by writers from a variety of genres, and to apply those strategies in their own writing. Aside from studying the ethics of journalism, students will identify their strengths, identifying a genre that suits their writing style: news, sports, feature, column, opinion, review, photography. By the end of the first trimester, students will be expected to differentiate between the different journalistic genres and identify the essential components of each one. Once students understand the ethics of the press and how to write for each genre, they will decide which beat they will cover for the newspaper. Each week, they will be assigned one article, where they will have to conduct interviews from a variety of sources, write under pressure in class, work through three drafts (or more), and complete a final draft that can be published. Students will continue to analyze and critique others’ writing from a variety of sources: The New York Times, New Yorker, Time Magazine, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Union Democrat, and the SF Chronicle. Aside from learning to write as a journalist, students will learn how to organize and fund their own school newspaper (both online and print). Students who master the writing process—along with the other components of journalism: interview, ethics, law, and editing—will graduate to Advanced Journalism second semester to write for Beyond the Cave—the Summerville Union High School newspaper. All students will be expected to submit at least one article each month to the newspaper. If the editorial staff feels it is ready for publication, the staff will work with the student to get it ready for print. Required Materials: Elements of Style by Strunk and White Associated Press Stylebook Inside Reporting: A Practical Guide to the Craft of Journalism by Tim Harrower
The New York Times, New Yorker, Time Magazine, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Union Democrat, and the SF Chronicle
Learning Objectives:
● Read newspapers and magazines ● Write one article per publication, depending on genre ● Master the editing process while self-evaluating and peer-evaluating articles ● Learn the different genres of journalistic writing:
o News o Feature o Reviews o Opinion o Column o Sports o Entertainment
● Study the history of the press ● Research journalism law ● Examine ethical lapses in modern journalism ● Exam biases in writing ● Critique articles from a variety of different sources ● Learn how to distinguish between credible and invalid sources ● Establish the criteria of a proper interview ● Learn to write under pressure ● Learn how to give and take constructive criticism ● Learn to be objective ● Critically evaluate information and think - and ask- difficult questions ● Begin to learn the semantics of Serif—layout design ● Identify the modes of persuasive and fallacies in stories (biases) ● Master the art of writing accurate news articles ● Learn how to use The Associated Press Stylebook for proper formatting of articles
Writing Expectations:
1. Students will continually improve their writing through in-class, timed writing assignments and
process articles. They will learn how to effectively organize their ideas, support their theses, and revise their work while writing multiple drafts of the different genres of journalism. Both teachers and students will provide feedback so that students can write well-developed, quality final drafts that include high-level, appropriate vocabulary and a variety of sentence structures. Every assignment is critical in the development of becoming a great writer. Therefore, continual editing and feedback will play an important role in the class.
2. Each writing assignment will be accompanied by a grading rubric. The expectations will be clear
from the onset and anchor articles (example student/professional articles) will be created to help students visualize what a professional article should look like. During workshops, students will discuss the critical elements of well-developed writing and will use 6-point rubrics that will help students assess effective critical writing. Please review each rubric carefully and check your essays before submitting them. All edited, rough drafts must be attached to ALL process articles and must follow AP format.
3. In-class articles will also have attached rubrics. Students will be graded using these rubrics and will receive feedback as to the grade earned. They will have the opportunity to edit their work and turn in completed, final drafts. This will help them become more experienced writers and is an excellent way to prepare for the publication in the spring.
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Regular Attendance: Be here and be on time! When you are not, it has a negative impact on your participation in the class and on your grade. I will follow the Summerville policy regarding tardies. When a member of the staff is late or not present, it can have a detrimental impact on meeting a deadline, creating a negative tone, making errors in print, and/or putting the pressure on another staff member to complete a task not originally assigned to him or her. Extenuating circumstances arise; if you know you will be absent or absolutely cannot meet a deadline, please—please—always contact Ms. Willis and your managing editor so alternative arrangements can be made. Homework: Much of the homework is comprised of seeking interviews, taking photos, polishing articles, communicating with editorial staff, and working on layout. This is an elective course and I understand that students are involved in many activities and are taking seven other courses; therefore, they have the tools and technology necessary to get much of their work completed in class. As with any newsroom, if a staff works well together, with a common goal and the plan to reach—and exceed—said goal, they will work efficiently under a deadline. The tone of the staff and their effectiveness in managing time well together will decide how much homework they will have outside of class. I am confident this years’ group will do a phenomenal job creating a newsroom culture that fosters time management, organization, communication, and success.
Breakdown of Assignments and Grades: During the first trimester, students will be graded on article critiques, written and verbal responses to articles and broadcasts, Subtext discussions on ethical components of journalism, quizzes on AP Stylebook and BTC Rules and Regulations, and their own written articles. The rest of the year, students will complete the following assignments as they spend most of their time creating and publishing the print and online SHS newspaper:
§ BTC: Theme Coverage—organizing ideas for next publication (to Melissa—editor-in-chief) § BTC: Monthly Story Idea Sheet—organizing ideas for next publication (to Ms. Willis—managing editor) § BTC: Coverage Assignment Form—while the next publication is being drafted (to Leian—managing editor) § BTC: Self-Evaluation/Contribution Inventory—after publication is sent to the printing press (to Ms. Willis)
*All of these worksheets comprise 20% of your semester grade. Please note however, they are also a component of your final portfolio. Failing to complete them when due will result in a lower grade on your portfolio.
§ Word Requirement—all students are asked to write in this class; in fact, for each publication, students are expected to write 300 words (minimum). This includes: articles, captions, shorter photo stories, headlines, letters to companies (advertising), editorials, opinion pieces, and sidebars with data/statistics/ pertinent information. *By the end of each semester, students are expected to write at least one of the following types of stories: news, sports, or feature—no shorter than 800 words.
*30% of a student’s grade depends upon the fulfillment of this expectation
§ Personal Portfolio: Due the day of finals each semester *The portfolio makes up 50% of your final grade
Grading: Earning an “A” in our class is completely dependent upon the hard work and dedication of each of our students. Being prepared to learn and work above and beyond our “normal” expectations will result in an excellent grade. “Above and beyond” means studying the materials outside of class, continually working on the writing process, rewriting articles, retaking tests, playing an integral role in groups work, and earning “A’s” on our summative assessments as well as our end of the semester cumulative projects. For each project and essay, students will receive grading rubrics to ensure that the expectations are clear. They will also receive anchor papers (model stories) so they can see what an excellent article looks like. Grades are computed on a weighted point system. Grades will be posted online frequently throughout the semester. *However, please note, the end-of-term portfolio is truly the determining factor as to how well they will do overall. Their grade may change drastically at the end of the semester based on the quality of their portfolios. Please see attached portfolio instructions and expectations. Grading will be broken down as follows: 100% - 90% = A 89% - 80% = B 79% - 70% = C 69% - 60% = D 59% - 0% = F Integrity/Plagiarism Policy: Cheating will not be tolerated under any circumstances. I consider plagiarism of any kind to be cheating (from any source including another student, tutor, or parent). Unless an assignment is specifically designed for partners, you are expected to do your own work. Students are encouraged to seek help with proofreading or editing; however, plagiarism is unacceptable and will result in a zero on the assignment. There are two types of plagiarism: 1) inaccurate or incomplete citation of sources (unintentional plagiarism) and 2) a deliberate act of copying another’s work (intentional plagiarism). Both types of plagiarism are unacceptable and will result in equal consequences, so please cite your sources carefully. If a student is caught plagiarizing, he or she will receive a zero on the assignment. If a student is caught making up a source or a quote, he or she will receive a zero on the assignment and will be asked to leave the BTC staff. Story and Publication Due Dates: All publications due by 4:00 p.m. on the due date
Publication Month
Article (final draft) Due Date
Time: Always by midnight
Copy Editing Due Date & Time: end of class period
Publication Due Date & Time (Layout)
October September September October 5 by 4:00 p.m. November October October November 3 by 4:00 p.m. December December December December 7 by 4:00 p.m. January January January January 12 by 4:00 p.m. February January January February 4 by 4:00 p.m. March February February March 1 by 4:00 p.m. April March March April 4 by 4:00 p.m. May April April May 5 by 4:00 p.m. Senior Edition May May May 23 by 4:00 p.m.
Editorial Staff: Editor-in-Chief Melissa Hart Managing Editor Leian Dinatale Assistant Editor Kara Wessel Layout Editor Deitrich Bader Social Media Editor Lauren Adams Copy/Style Editor Claire Schermeister Photography Editor Devon Groff Chief Business Officer Sarah Boyer
Maestro Groups: For each edition, students will work in small groups (assigned by publication page numbers) so as to successfully complete each page of the eight-page publication. Your group will complete Maestro Group Planning Handouts for each publication and a leader will be assigned to manage each group (group decides). Journalism Education Association/ National Scholastic Press Association Spring Conference: April 14-17 The past two years, our staff attended this conference and gleaned so much from it. Two years ago, the conference was in San Diego; last year, it was held in Denver. This next year, the conference is in Los Angeles. The overall cost is exhaustive and all funds must come from the program and staff members. Therefore, fundraising events are crucial to attend. The criteria for this year’s conference is as follows:
§ Staff member must solicit two ads from local businesses (letters are provided) § Staff member attend at least one outside meeting per month (Friday night or Sunday) § Staff member must have a 90% attendance rate in class (Semester I and Trimesters IV & V) § Staff member must sale at least five tickets for the annual banquet (largest fundraiser of the
year) My Contact Information Email: [email protected] Website: http://teacherweb.com/CA/SummervilleHighSchool/Willis/apt1.aspx
*Any homework (if applicable), daily assignments, writing prompts, and essential questions will be posted each week. If a student misses a day of class, they are to check the website, email me, or call a student for makeup work.
Phone: 209.928.4228 ext. 270 Conferences: I am available before and after school for parent/teacher or student/teacher conferences. Please feel free to email, call, or stop by my classroom (601) to discuss your student’s progress.
Journalism Course Syllabus 2015-2016 Summerville High School
Instructor: Brianna Willis Courses Taught: ERWC (English 12), English II, and Journalism
Signed Syllabus Agreement Print student’s name: ________________________ Date: _____________ Period: _____________ Please sign and return this agreement, which is your first graded assignment. Also, please hold onto the syllabus to refer to throughout the year if you have specific questions or need to review the expectations. I look forward to having you (parent/guardian—your student) in class this yearJ I, _______________________, have read and understand the expectations, rules, policies, and parent/guardian signature procedures outlined in the attached syllabus. I also understand how to contact Ms. Willis
throughout the year if I need to communicate my student’s needs or have other concerns
regarding the course, grades, instruction, and/or expectations.
I, _______________________, have read and understand the above-stated expectations student signature and will uphold the rules and policies in journalism—those outlined in the attached syllabus.
