Basic Writing and Reporting

Margaret “Peggy” Ligner
Coronado High School
El Paso, Texas

Rationale
The purpose of this first unit of lesson plans is to teach those students ways to write in the journalistic style. Many students who enter the program do not have sufficient background in ethics or journalistic writing skills. These lessons should assist students to write in journalistic style, to understand the importance of editing, and to understand and formulate specific ethics and diversity policies. In addition, these plans should help students in their quest to produce the best possible newspaper for the students and staff at the school as well as those in the community.

Overview: This unit is to teach basics or writing and reporting. By teaching this unit before the first issue it is hoped that writing and reporting will be improved. In addition, there will be an introduction to the beat system, and a chance for students to have a hand in determining coverage the monthly paper.Lesson One

Title: Styles of Writing and Reporting Specifics (time frame-four days)

Activities

Activity 1

• Have random students read “How to Write and/or How Not to Write” handout aloud. Each student reads one part after the teacher introduces the paper by reading the first two paragraphs.
• After students read handout, open a discussion about why students think reporting is important. They can refer to things brought up during the course of the lesson.

Activity 2

• Have students work up 10 questions to ask the principal regarding new school rules or dress code changes for the year. They will turn in the questions at the beginning of class tomorrow.

Activity 3

• Teacher will review the questions and make suggestions to students. The students will redo their questions and be prepared for a visit from the principal during the next class. The principal will give a 10 to 15 minute speech to the class. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a press conference with the principal after the prepared speech.

Activity 4

• Students will use notes taken during the principal’s visit and write stories

Assessment

Questions will be reviewed by the teacher then returned, in addition students actions during the press conference with the principal will be assessed. Final assessment will be the story written about the principal’s press conference.

Recommended Readings & Sources

• “How to Write and/or How Not to Write”
• “The Radical Write” by Bobby Hawthorne
• Bio of principal
• Principal’s letter to parents about the new school year

Lesson Two

Title: The Beat System

Rationale

Begin by discussing the beat system. Explain how the system helps reporters to do a better job at reporting.

Activity

• Break students into groups of four or five and have them brainstorm ideas for beats to cover. The groups should explain why they believe each beat is important. Make sure that each group has a scribe who is writing down the ideas and reasons for assigning each beat.
• After 10 to 15 minutes have each group present their suggested beats. The teacher or a student editor can write beats on the board as groups present.
• Now pass out copies which list all sports, departments, clubs on campus, ask the students to go over those for a few minutes and see if they need to add any beats to the list. Often a school business agent or student activity director has such a list already prepared.
• Next, students need to sign up to cover beats. If a teacher has beginning journalism and/or other publication staffs, students in each of the classes can cover beats. This should lower the number of beats each student must cover, giving the student more time to dedicate to their beat. Once the group has decided on beats assign students regular beats to cover.

Assessment: Students will turn in beat checks weekly or every other week, they are also responsible for placing upcoming events on the calendar and arranging for coverage and photos. Base final assessment on beat checks and coverage over the course of the year.

Recommended Reading

• List of clubs and sports
• List of academic areas
• Old yearbooks
• Old school newspapers
• Local daily newspaper

Lesson Three

Title: How to determine coverage and minimum standards.

Activities

• Go over the concepts in the papers and then break students into study to work on a content mission statement for the paper and a minimum standards list for staffers.
• Groups will turn in their suggested mission statements and minimum standards. The last 20 minutes of class will end with the presentation of Wanda Cash’s “Math for reporters and copy editors.” Staffers will also get instruction about the importance of credibility and correct facts and quotes.

Assessment

The adviser and editors will go over the papers at lunch or after school. The next day the editor(s) and adviser will present the newspaper mission statement and minimum standards statement compiled from the group lists to the class.

Lesson Four

Title: The Importance of Editing

Activities

• Go over the handout aloud in class, covering the seven different rules of diplomacy listed in the handout. Discuss the importance of editing referring to the credibility and factual error discussion from lesson three.
• Go on to handout on “Tips on Writing about Other Cultures and Life-Styles.” Again go over the handout in class and encourage discussion and questions. Ask students if they can see how this might be important to them as student reporters.
• Break students into groups and have them come up with a way to edit stories for the school newspaper and yearbook. The students must discuss methods for checking information, grammar and spelling errors.

Assessment
Each group turns in a sequence of how to edit stories for the publication that will help to ensure that there will be few errors of any kind in the publications.