Course Title: Middle School Journalism
State: FL
State Course Title: M/J Journalism 1
Sate Course Code: 1006000
State Standards: Career and Technical Education
Date of Standards: 2021
Percentage of Course Aligned: 85%
Title (a or b), if applicable, e.g. Game Design 1a
ELA.6.C.1.2: Write personal or fictional narratives using narrative techniques, precise words and phrases, and figurative language.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.6.C.1.3: Write and support a claim using logical reasoning, relevant evidence from sources, elaboration, and a logical organizational structure with varied transitions.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.6.C.1.4: Write expository texts to explain and/or analyze information from multiple sources, using a logical organizational structure, relevant elaboration, and varied transitions.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.6.C.1.5: Improve writing by planning, revising, and editing, considering feedback from adults and peers.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.6.C.2.1: Present information orally, in a logical sequence, using nonverbal cues, appropriate volume, clear pronunciation, and appropriate pacing.
ELA.6.C.3.1: Follow the rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling appropriate to grade level.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.6.C.4.1: Conduct research to answer a question, drawing on multiple reliable and valid sources, and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.6.C.5.1: Integrate diverse digital media to enhance audience engagement in oral or written tasks.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.6.C.5.2: Use digital tools to produce writing.
ELA.6.R.2.1: Explain how individual text sections and/or features convey meaning in texts.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.6.R.2.2: Analyze the central idea(s), implied or explicit, and its development throughout a text.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.6.R.2.3: Analyze authors’ purpose(s) in multiple accounts of the same event or topic.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.6.R.2.4: Track the development of an argument, identifying the types of reasoning used.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.6.R.3.1: Explain how figurative language contributes to tone and meaning in text(s).
ELA.6.R.3.2: Paraphrase content from grade-level texts.
ELA.6.R.3.3: Compare and contrast how authors from different time periods address the same or related topics.
ELA.6.R.3.4: Identify rhetorical appeals in a text.
ELA.6.V.1.1: Integrate academic vocabulary appropriate to grade level in speaking and writing.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.6.V.1.2: Apply knowledge of Greek and Latin roots and affixes to determine meanings of words and phrases in grade-level content.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.6.V.1.3: Apply knowledge of context clues, figurative language, word relationships, reference materials, and/or background knowledge to determine the connotative and denotative meaning of words and phrases, appropriate to grade level.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.K12.EE.1.1: Cite evidence to explain and justify reasoning.
ELA.K12.EE.2.1: Read and comprehend grade-level complex texts proficiently.
ELA.K12.EE.3.1: Make inferences to support comprehension.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.K12.EE.4.1: Use appropriate collaborative techniques and active listening skills when engaging in discussions in a variety of situations.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.K12.EE.5.1: Use the accepted rules governing a specific format to create quality work.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELA.K12.EE.6.1: Use appropriate voice and tone when speaking or writing.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELD.K12.ELL.LA.1: English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
ELD.K12.ELL.SI.1: English language learners communicate for social and instructional purposes within the school setting.
Middle-School Journalism: Tell Your Story
Unit Name(s)
Unit 4: Organizing Information Lessons 2, 3
Investigating how to write soft news stories; assignment calls for writing one up about a school football game that includes a narrative of the game and quotes that reflect human interest elements drawn from interviews
Critical Thinking 3; Project 2; Discussion 2
Unit 4: Organizing Information Lessons 4, 5
Exploring different techniques for organizing information to be used in writing a news story; assignment calls for writing a news story that first calls on different facts to be ranked in order of importance
Critical Thinking 4, 5; Project 1
Unit 1: What is Journalism? Lessons 2, 3
Unit 7: Editing an Article or Newscast Lessons 2, 3, 4
Comparing and explaining different news formats, such as print, broadcast or internet, and charting examples of advantages and disadvantages of each
Examining the steps to performing a macro edit, addressing bigger issues in story content, and micro edits, or correcting grammar or spelling errors, following format, etc. as well as storyboarding newscast edits
Project 1
Projects 1, 2, 3
Unit 7: Editing an Article or Newscast Lesson 4
Addressing common writing mistakes to be addressed during an edit, including misspellings, improper pronoun use, punctuation errors (such as missing commas), and more
Critical Thinking 6; Projects 1, 2; Discussion 1
Unit 3: Gathering Information Lessons 2, 3, 4, 5
Unit 9: Media and Society Project
Learning and practicing effective ways to write effective interview questions and locate sources who will elicit the best stories and most thorough data
Critical Thinking 3, 4, 5; Project 1
Unit 6: Preparing a Newscast Project
Unit 2: Analyzing Media Lessons 4, 5
This assignment calls for students to research a bit more about yellow journalism with online examples from the past and then to look up some current news stories and rewrite the headlines in a yellow journalist style
Project 2
Unit 2: Analyzing Media Activity
Unit 1: What is Journalism? Activity
Typing up a an hour-long newscast block that includes news on a range of local stories, with time slotted for commercial breaks
Analyzing news articles for clues to determine an author's viewpoint or bias as well as separate fact from opinion
By using techniques learned in the unit, students will analyze a news article and report on the Five Ws and One H (who, what, where, when, why, how).
Researching different versions of the same news story and analyzing at least three articles to compare differences and benefits of reading varied sources
Project 1
Critical Thinking 2, 3, 5; Project 1
Project 2
Project 2
Unit 3: Gathering Information Lessons 3, 4, 5
Writing out a plan for conducting an investigative journalism assignment, including sources to be used, how information will be gathered, and any possible obstacles to obtaining this story
Critical Thinking 5; Project 2
Unit 9: Media and Society Project
Unit 10: A History of Journalism Lessons 1, 2
The assignment calls for students to find a local news story and then use that material to write a blog post
Comparing the ways news was delivered via newsreels in the early to mid-20th century and how TV newscast stories are delivered today
Project 1
Each unit includes flashcards with vocabulary terms that define key topics and terms covered in the lessons so that students are better able to complete their assessment exercises
Project 2
Critical Thinking questions; Projects; Discussion questions
Unit 2: Analyzing Media Lessons 1- 5
Unit 6: Preparing a Newscast Project
Unit 1: What is Journalism? Project
Unit 4: Organizing Information Project
Examining the role of tone in a news article; determining bias by examining an author's word choices; analyzing articles for background information to better determine effectiveness and professionalism
Practicing proper citation formats for images, videos, and quotes
After reading a newspaper article, students are to find an online story about the same topic and compare it, analyzing the differences
Writing a news article based on effective use of a list of provided facts and details
Critical Thinking 3, 5; Projects 1, 2
Project 2
Project 2
Unit 2: Analyzing Media Lesson 2
Unit 5: Writing an Article Lessons 2, 3, 4
Discussing and comparing viewpoints on the most important factors that make a story newsworthy (proximity, human interest, conflict, etc.)
Project 1
Critical Thinking 1; Discussion 1
Unit 5: Writing an Article Lesson 4
Understanding and identifying the different parts of an article, such as headline, lead paragraph, explanation, etc., and how to best incorporate these when writing a story
Critical Thinking 3, 4, 5; Project 1
Determining the differences between active and passive voice and practicing rewriting passive paragraphs into more effective active ones
Project 2
Unit 10: A History of Journalism Project
Assignment calls for students to create a timeline that includes spots for at least 10 notable people or events with brief written explanations of each
Project 1
8: Media, Law, and Ethics Project
Writing up a code of ethics that would be an appropriate guide for the school newspaper reporters to follow
Project 1
Comments
Standard Rating (Fully Met / Partially Met / Not Met)
Fully Met Fully Met Fully Met
Aside from discussions, there are no assignments that call for oral presentations Not Met Fully Met
Fully Met
Fully Met
Fully Met
Fully Met
Fully Met
Fully Met
Though overall tone is discussed, figurative language terms are not identified / defined
Fully Met
Not Met
Fully Met
Fully Met
Not Met
Fully Met
Not Met