Greensburg Community School Corporation
Curriculum
10-12/Journalism/1080
Prepared by
Mrs. Nichole Haub
July 13, 2006
Greensburg Community Schools
Mission Statement
The mission of the Greensburg Community School Corporation is to provide and promote lifelong learning through its commitment to quality educational programs that prepare the students to be effective, successful, and responsible citizens. This is to be accomplished in a financially prudent manner.
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Narrative Description
Journalism is a one-semester course for selected sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have demonstrated high aptitude in writing and/or design. These selected students will best uphold the integrity and high standards of the staff of the high school publications. Students will receive hands-on experience in all areas of the publication process and will have the opportunity to have their work published in the Tower Tree Yearbook.
10-12/Journalism/1080
Course Concepts and Generalizations
1. Students will learn the basics of photography and will have a clear understanding of how to take a quality photograph.
2. Students will learn how to conduct a thorough interview and will realize the necessity for conducting this type of interview.
3. Students will analyze the journalism writing process and will write articles that follow this process.
4. Students will understand the different elements used in layout design and will create designs that illustrate these elements.
5. Students will understand the importance of copy editing.
6. Students will become competent staff members who will play key roles in publishing the Tower Tree Yearbook.
7. Students will develop an overall understanding of the variety of job positions offered in journalism.
8. Students will be able to understand and experience the ways in which journalism enriches life.
9. Students will be able to appreciate and understand journalism and its relationship to culture and human experience.
10. Students will acquire journalism writing skills for the purpose of writing articles for the Tower Tree Yearbook.
11. Students will acquire journalism layout design skills for the purpose of designing pages for the Tower Tree Yearbook.
12. Students will engage in a writing process that includes prewriting, drafting, peer sharing, revising, editing, and publishing.
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Units of Study
UNITS/AREA OF STUDY LENGTH OF TIME
1. The Yearbook (Teamwork and Responsibility) 1 day
2. Advertising 1 week
3. Finances/Campaign/Distribution 2 days
4. Brainstorming (Content, Coverage, Concept, Production) 1 week
5. Photography 2 weeks
6. Interviewing/Reporting 2 weeks
7. Writing 2 weeks
8. Headlines/Typography 2 weeks
9. Captions/Editing 2 weeks
10. Layout Design/Graphics 5 weeks
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Unit Plan 1
The Yearbook (Teamwork and Responsibility)
Individual Learner Objectives
1. Students will define the role of the yearbook in the school environment.
2. Students will identify the functions of a yearbook.
3. Students will recognize the most effective ways to report the story of a school year.
4. Students will recognize the importance of audience and readers’ expectations.
5. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for effective leadership at all levels of an organization.
6. Students will recognize the value of self knowledge, awareness and clear communication in effective leadership.
7. Students will recognize the value of consistency, goal setting and feedback in effective leadership.
8. Students will recognize the value of a positive, open-minded attitude in effective leadership.
9. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for applying ethical and legal considerations to planning, storytelling, and production.
10. Students will identify the rights and responsibilities (fairness, accuracy and good taste) provided by the First Amendment and scholastic-specific court decisions.
11. Students will recognize libel as a type of unprotected speech and how to avoid it.
12. Students will recognize the restrictions that copyright and trademark protection may place on the publication of material belonging to others.
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Subject Outline
A. Staff
1. Different roles on a staff
2. Staff data sheet
3. Staff contract
B. Goals/Objectives
1. Personal
2. Staff
3. Working together as a team
C. Responsibilities as a journalist
1. Legal issues
2. Supreme Court cases
D. The Yearbook
1. How yearbooks have changed over the years
2. Different functions yearbooks serve
3. What makes up a yearbook?
4. Who make up the audience? (primary/secondary)
Learner Activities
1. Everyone on the yearbook staff is a leader. Students will discuss the different leadership roles that make up a staff and when these roles will come into place.
2. Students will generate realistic goals for themselves, as well as for the staff.
3. Students will be given real-world yearbook scenarios and will work together as a team discussing and deciding as a team how to handle the situations.
4. Students will receive a presentation discussing the important legal responsibilities that a journalist has. The presentation will include discussing important Supreme Court cases that are pertinent to today’s journalists.
5. Students will receive a PowerPoint presentation outlining the major key concepts.
6. Students will research one of the Supreme Court cases (Hazelwood School District vs. Kuhlmeier) and write a one-page report on the ruling.
7. Students will visit many web sites that offer legal advice/help for student journalists.
8. Students will receive numerous handouts, including “Team Yearbook”, “Staff Data Sheet”, “Staff Contract”, “Goal Tending”, “Drama in real life”, and “A legal briefing.”
9. Students will discuss how yearbooks have changed over the years, the different functions that a yearbook serves, and what/who makes up a yearbook.
Technology Fusion
Students will be using the Journalism Department computers.
Evaluation
Students will take a unit quiz to evaluate their understanding of concepts presented in the yearbook unit.
Resources
Handouts accumulated by the journalism adviser.
Jostens 123 Student Yearbook Guide (pages 6-23)
Internet
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Unit Plan 2
Advertising
Individual Learner Objectives
1. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for selling and designing advertising.
2. Students will identify the strategies of an organized advertising campaign.
3. Students will recognize the strategies of a businesslike approach to selling advertising.
4. Students will identify content elements and design principles important in creating advertising that interests readers and satisfies advertisers.
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Subject Outline
A. Importance of ad sales
1. Part of revenue for book
B. Different types of ads
1. Business
2. Senior
3. Friendship
4. Club
C. How to sell an ad
1. Cost/size
2. Filling out the contract
3. Tips to remember
D. Designing the ad
1. Last years design
2. Drawing up new ad
Learner Activities
1. Students will see a budget worksheet for the current year so they are aware of the importance of selling ads to pay for the book.
2. Students will receive a presentation on the different types of ads that are created to fit a certain groups needs.
3. Students will receive a presentation on the various sizes and costs for each ad.
4. Students will receive instructions on how to fill out an ad contract and practice filling out a contract on their own.
5. Students will be given a list of ads they are to try and sell.
6. Students will look through old yearbooks, as well as magazines to get ideas for ads.
7. Students will create a mock-up ad, demonstrating what a business ad might look like for a potential business not already advertising in the yearbook.
8. Students will try selling their mock-up ad to the adviser, while using the same professional manner they would with a potential client.
9. Students will receive a PowerPoint presentation outlining the major key concepts.
10. Students will receive handouts, including “Tips to remember in selling ads” and “Ad designs to go legal.”
11. Students will sell assigned ads.
Evaluation
Students will take a unit quiz to evaluate their understanding of concepts presented in the advertising unit. Students will also be evaluated on their mock-up ad drawing and by their method used to sell the ad to the adviser. A big portion of the students’ grade will come from their ad sales to local businesses.
Resources
Handouts accumulated by the journalism adviser.
Jostens 123 Student Yearbook Guide (pages 142-147)
Yearbooks
Magazines
Ad contracts
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Unit Plan 3
Finances/Campaign/Distribution
Individual Learner Objectives
1. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for maintaining complete and accurate financial records.
2. Students will identify the key elements of a business plan.
3. Students will identify the factors important in accurately estimating yearly expenses.
4. Students will identify key factors in projecting yearly income.
5. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for conducting a successful yearbook sales campaign.
6. Students will identify tactics for appealing to customers and overcoming objections to buying the product.
7. Students will identify marketing strategies for communicating the features and benefits of the yearbook product.
8. Students will identify the key factors of an effective sales campaign, identifying and communicating with potential buyers and keeping complete and accurate records.
9. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for distribution of the yearbook product.
10. Students will recognize the key elements in a carefully planned distribution.
11. Students will recognize factors important for creating the distribution event.
12. Students will identify strategies for using distribution as an opportunity for recognizing the efforts of the yearbook staff.
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Subject Outline
A. Finances
1. Sales plan
2. Paying for the book
a. Ad sales
b. Book sales
c. Fundraisers
3. Planning the budget
B. Yearbook Campaign
1. Reader survey
a. What readers want?
2. How to promote the book
a. Target audiences
3. Methods used to sell the book
a. Point of purchase (posters, banners, etc.)
b. Direct mail (newsletter)
c. Personal reminders (announcements, postcards)
d. Flyers (locker, car)
e. Video (after Channel One)
4. Dates to sell
5. Outside sales (businesses)
C. Distribution
1. Separating books
2. Distribution event
Learner Activities
1. Students will look over the budget and generate a sales plan that will pay for the book.
2. Students will distribute a reader survey, tabulate the results and plan the book accordingly.
3. Students will come up with the best methods to promote the yearbook by getting the audience to notice it and put this plan into action.
4. Students will discuss the target audiences and the types of advertising and tactics that influence their buying decisions.
5. Students will plan and utilize various methods of selling the book.
6. Students will plan the beginning and end dates for marketing and selling the book.
7. Students will try and sell to community members, as well as local businesses.
8. Students will plan and host a distribution event when the books come in.
9. Students will receive a PowerPoint presentation outlining the major key concepts.
10. Students will receive numerous handouts, including “Yearbook, Inc.”, “What do you mean, you don’t want a yearbook?”, and “Reading questions.”
11. Students will sell yearbooks.
Evaluation
Students will take a unit quiz to evaluate their understanding of concepts presented in the advertising unit. Students will also be evaluated based on the planning and hosting of the distribution event. A big portion of the students’ grade will come from their book sales.
Resources
Handouts accumulated by the journalism adviser.
Jostens 123 Student Yearbook Guide (pages 130-141 and 148-153)
Materials for distribution event
Yearbook receipt books
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Unit Plan 4
Brainstorming (Content, Coverage, Concept, Production)
Individual Learner Objectives
1. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for generating ideas.
2. Students will recognize the value of collective brainstorming to develop a complete set of ideas for all aspects of the yearbook.
3. Students will identify and apply the steps in the brainstorming process.
4. Students will identify specific brainstorming techniques and strategies.
5. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for developing content with verbal and visual elements.
6. Students will identify a variety of effective verbal formats for developing content.
7. Students will identify effective visual elements for developing content.
8. Students will identify effective strategies for making decisions about content.
9. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for planning and placing content in the yearbook.
10. Students will identify the factors that determine effective coverage.
11. Students will recognize traditional and unique section approaches to organizing activities, events and issues (student life, academics, clubs, sports and people).
12. Students will recognize the organizational and management contribution of a systematic ladder diagram.
13. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for preparing the yearbook for plant production.
14. Students will recognize the ways that technology increases page creation and submission options.
15. Students will recognize the procedures for submission of photos.
16. Students will identify methods for effective and efficient proofing of pages and quick return to the printer.
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Subject Outline
A. Brainstorming
1. Process
2. Strategies
a. Ball toss
b. Sticky notes
c. The mall
B. Content
1. Verbal
a. Headlines
b. Feature stories
c. Quick reads/Infographs
d. captions
2. Visual
a. Photographs
C. Coverage
1. Different sections presented in yearbook
a. Student life
b. Academics
c. Sports
d. Clubs
e. People
f. Ads
2. Organization
a. Chronological
b. Blended
c. Traditional
3. Ladder
a. Multiples
b. Signatures
D. Concept
1. Theme
E. Production
1. Page creation and submission options
2. Deadlines
3. Proofs
Learner Activities
1. Students will work in groups and individually brainstorming many different concepts and ideas dealing with the planning of the yearbook.
2. Students will try and use different approaches to brainstorming.
3. Students will look at and discuss what makes up the verbal and visual content of a yearbook.
4. Students will study magazines, newspapers, clothing, mail, food labels, etc. for creative approaches to presenting verbal content.
5. Given the content, students will plan a verbal and visual piece.
6. Students will receive a presentation on the coverage in a yearbook. The focus will be on the different sections, the organization, and the use of a ladder.
7. Students will learn to observe every detail while walking the halls of the school, recording sights, sounds, and smells while generating story and photo ideas.
8. Students will plan and create a mini yearbook, coming up with a theme, cover, title page, opening/closing, and division pages. Students need to incorporate the theme throughout.
9. Students will be introduced to the different methods used in creating a yearbook.
10. Students will learn how to prepare pages to send off to the plant and how to handle them when they return as a proof.
11. Students will plan out their section ladder.
12. Students will become familiar with the toolbar palette for PageMaker.
13. Students will receive a PowerPoint presentation outlining the major key concepts.
14. Students will receive numerous handouts, including “Good, better, best”, “You never know until you ask”, “Turn brainstorms into idea thunderstorms”, “Shopping for ideas”, “In a flash”, “Creative brainstorming”, “Reading questions”, “Verbal clip file”, “Planning Ahead: Content/Verbal”, “Planning Ahead: Content/Visual”, “Coverage around the clock”, “Take a hike”, “Planning Ahead: Good to go theme ideas”, “Planning Ahead: Concept”, “Getting into the swing of themes”, “Sounds like a theme to me”, “Planning Ahead: Idea Through Production” and “YearTech and PageMaker.”
Technology Fusion
Students will be using the Journalism Department’s computers.
Evaluation
Students will take a unit quiz to evaluate their understanding of concepts presented in the advertising unit. Students will also be evaluated on their mini yearbook design and their planned section ladder.
Resources
Handouts accumulated by the journalism adviser.
Jostens 123 Student Yearbook Guide (pages 24-55)
Yearbooks, magazines, newspapers, clothing, food labels, etc.
Ladder
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Unit Plan 5
Photography
Individual Learner Objectives
1. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for planning, shooting and editing photographs.
2. Students will identify planning and organizational strategies to guarantee complete coverage, strong content and organized production.
3. Students will identify skills important in photo editing.
4. Students will recognize the different types of camera equipment and film options.
5. Students will understand, practice and learn skills essential in photojournalism.
6. Students will recognize strategies for incorporating photographs into the yearbook for the strongest storytelling effect.
7. Students will identify strategies used in photocomposition.
8. Students will identify factors that contribute to the technical quality of photographs.
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Subject Outline
A. Types of cameras
1. Single Lens Reflex (SLR)
2. Point-And-Shoot
3. Single-use
4. Digital
B. Photo editing
1. Selection
2. Cropping
3. Sizing
4. Design
C. Photojournalism
1. Composition
2. Technique
D. Quality
Learner Activities
1. Students will receive presentations on using the different types of cameras.
2. Students will be encouraged to practice using each of the cameras.
3. Students will receive a presentation on the selection, cropping, and sizing of photos.
4. Students will receive a presentation on the different methods of composition and the variety of techniques used.
5. Students will practice all of these techniques.
6. Students will walk through the building and enter classrooms so they many practice what they’ve learned.
7. Students will complete a photo scavenger hunt in teams so they practice getting a wide variety of shots.
8. Students will be shown examples of proofs that illustrate the different approaches and techniques they are learning.
9. Students will carry a camera with them for an entire day at school and take only photojournalistic shots.
10. Using their best photo, they will complete a photo check-up sheet and critique their photo.
11. Students will cut out magazine pictures that demonstrate the rules they’ve learned and been practicing.
12. Students will receive a PowerPoint presentation outlining the major key concepts.
13. Students will receive numerous handouts, including “Reading questions”, “Snap into action!”, “Photo check-up”, “Yearbook photography tips” and “Good camera practices.”
Technology Fusion
Students will be using the Journalism Department’s photography equipment.
Evaluation
Students will take a unit quiz to evaluate their understanding of concepts presented in the advertising unit. Students will also be evaluated as a group for their scavenger hunt. Students will also use their best photo to be graded for a photo contest between the students.
Resources
Handouts accumulated by the journalism adviser.
Jostens 123 Student Yearbook Guide (pages 86-97)
Magazines
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Unit Plan 6
Interviewing/Reporting
Individual Learner Objectives
1. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for reporting.
2. Students will identify and master information gathering skills, recognizing the importance of first person observation, conducting research and interviewing sources as vital techniques.
3. Students will identify options for researching background material and conducting original research for use as facts and figures in stories.
4. Students will recognize the guidelines for preparing questions and for interviewing sources as well as using interview information in stories.
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Subject Outline
A. Interview preparation
1. Observe
2. Research
3. Knowledge on interviewee
4. Prepared questions
B. Conducting an interview
1. Types of questions
a. Open-ended
b. Closed-ended
c. Follow-up
2. Note taking
3. Leading the interviewee
Learner Activities
1. Students will be presented with material that will prepare them with interviewing skills.
2. Students will come up with a list of questions, both open and closed ended, to ask the journalism adviser.
3. Students will practice their note taking skills as they will interview the adviser using the list of questions they came up with.
4. Students will receive advice/constructive criticism from the adviser on how they could improve their interviewing skills.
5. Students will be given a photograph and will need to generate a list of 15 questions for the subject in the photo. Once completed, someone in class will “star” as the student in the photo and be interviewed.
6. Students will conduct a 15-minute interview with another student (not in the class) about the yearbook. After the interview, they will type a one-page summary of the interview.
7. Students will choose a story topic that is planned for the yearbook and research the topic prior to generating sample questions. Students will come up with questions and attach their research.
8. After completing the above activity, students will schedule and conduct and interview.
9. Students will interview five people who are involved with an event, carefully taking notes. Students will record quotes, facts, sights, and sensory details.
10. Students will practice rephrasing closed-ended questions so they become open-ended questions.
11. Students will be assigned beats. Each student will assigned to a certain number of teachers, club members, and sports members in which they will need to meet with monthly to find out what’s going on. The purpose of this assignment is to generate story ideas and picture opportunities for the Tower Tree Yearbook staff.
12. Students will receive a PowerPoint presentation outlining the major key concepts.
13. Students will receive numerous handouts, including “Questions and answers”, “The personal touch”, “Good question”, “Hit the halls” and “On Deadline: Reporting.”
Technology Fusion
Students are urged to use tape recorders when conducting interviews.
Evaluation
Students will take a unit quiz to evaluate their understanding of concepts presented in the advertising unit. Students will also be evaluated on their interviewing skills, as well as given points monthly for doing and handing in their assigned beats.
Resources
Handouts accumulated by the journalism adviser.
Jostens 123 Student Yearbook Guide (pages 56-61)
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Unit Plan 7
Writing
Individual Learner Objectives
1. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for writing stories.
2. Students will recognize the importance of notes in focusing and organizing a story.
3. Students will identify the variety of writing approaches for putting information in a human context including the quote-transition story and quick read collections.
4. Students will identify the traits of good writing essential in yearbook copy.
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Subject Outline
A. Notes
1. Organizing
B. Feature writing
1. Leads
2. Quotes
3. Transitions
4. Conclusions
5. Angles
C. Quick Reads
1. Figures
2. Facts
3. Opinions
4. Time
5. Interactive
D. News writing
1. Lead paragraph
2. Inverted pyramid
3. Five “W’s” and “H”
4. Attribution
5. Transitions
Learner Activities
1. Students will learn a color coding system for their notes and practice this system by using their notes from the interviewing unit.
2. Students will receive presentations on the different types of writing, which will include: feature, quick reads, and news.
3. Students will look through magazines, yearbooks, and newspapers for examples of the different forms of writing and will discuss why/how they are effective.
4. Students will practice writing leads for numerous articles and situations.
5. Students will practice writing for different audiences by taking different angles of the story.
6. Students will use their information from the interviewing unit in order to write a feature, quick read, and news story.
7. Students will receive a PowerPoint presentation outlining the major key concepts.
8. Students will receive numerous handouts, including “Show and tell”, “Hit the highlights”, “Take the lead!”, “On Deadline: Writing” and “The write stuff.”
Technology Fusion
Students will be using the Journalism Department’s computers for typing their assignments.
Evaluation
Students will take a unit quiz to evaluate their understanding of concepts presented in the advertising unit. Students will also be evaluated on each of the types of stories they write.
Resources
Handouts accumulated by the journalism adviser.
Jostens 123 Student Yearbook Guide (pages 62-67)
Magazines, newspapers, and yearbooks
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Unit Plan 8
Headlines/Typography
Individual Learner Objectives
1. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for writing headlines.
2. Students will identify the function and format of primary, secondary and subordinate headlines that contribute to reporting a story.
3. Students will recognize techniques for brainstorming and writing headlines.
4. Students will recognize techniques for making headlines visually appealing.
5. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for choosing and working with reader-friendly typography.
6. Students will recognize terminology associated with the use of type.
7. Students will recognize type as a design element related directly to content.
8. Students will identify factors important for type readability and visual appeal.
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Subject Outline
A. Headlines
1. Components
a. Primary
b. Secondary
c. Label
d. Subheadline
e. Specialty
2. Primary/Secondary
a. Kicker
b. Wicket
c. Hammer
d. Tripod
e. Original design
3. Writing
a. Present tense
b. Strong active verbs
c. Specific descriptive nouns
d. Article’s are omitted
e. A comma
f. Careful line breaks
4. Visual appeal
a. Larger display type
b. Blending of type
c. Lines and boxes
d. Spot color
e. Photos and art
f. Electronic enhancement
5. Style
a. All caps
b. Small caps
c. Caps and lower case
d. Sentence style
e. Lower case
B. Typography
1. Typefaces
a. Serif
b. Sans serif
c. Script
d. Decorative
2. Style
a. Point size
b. Leading
c. Capitalization
d. Type family
3. Type settings
a. Align left
b. Align right
c. Align center
d. Justified
Learner Activities
1. Students will receive presentations on the components of a headline, the different types of headlines, the writing of a headline, the visual appeal, and the style of a headline.
2. Students will look through yearbooks, magazines, etc. for creative headline treatments and discuss why they are creative.
3. Students will practice writing a variety of headlines using the process.
4. Students will be given a spread that has been reproduced without its headline and will come up with the headline.
5. Students will create a ransom note by using typography from magazines, trying to include as many of the typefaces, style, and type settings as possible.
6. Students will complete a portfolio of five headlines, five story presentations, and five caption styles that are attention-getting and appropriate for adaptation to a yearbook.
7. Students will pick the best treatment of each from their portfolio and sketch the layout.
8. Students will design headline treatments on the computer.
9. Students will receive a PowerPoint presentation outlining the major key concepts.
10. Students will receive numerous handouts, including “Magazine madness”, “Two heads are better than one”, “Heads up!”, “On Deadline: Headline Writing”, “What’s your type?”, “Hold type for ransom”, “Mix and match”, “Clip and create” and “Designer headline.”
Technology Fusion
Students will be using the Journalism Department’s computers.
Evaluation
Students will take a unit quiz to evaluate their understanding of concepts presented in the advertising unit. Students will also be evaluated on their approach to their ransom note and their portfolio.
Resources
Handouts accumulated by the journalism adviser.
Jostens 123 Student Yearbook Guide (pages 68-73 and 98-103)
Magazines and yearbooks
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Unit Plan 9
Captions/Editing
Individual Learner Objectives
1. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for writing captions for photographs.
2. Students will recognize the importance of a caption in developing the story started by the photograph.
3. Students will identify the content and structural approaches to caption writing.
4. Students will identify strategies for writing and designing a caption and its lead-in.
5. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for improving writing.
6. Students will recognize the value of editor and writer working together during the entire process of writing a story.
7. Students will recognize the importance of accuracy in establishing credibility in the yearbook.
8. Students will recognize the importance of editing for style and establishing consistency.
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Subject Outline
A. Captions
1. Content
a. Five “W’s” and “H”
b. Quotes
2. Format
a. Ident
b. Summary caption
c. Quote caption
d. Expanded caption
e. Group identification
f. Collective caption
3. Design
a. Lead-in
b. First sentence
c. Second sentence
B. Editing
1. Accuracy
a. Names
b. Facts
2. Grammar
a. Attribution
b. Titles
c. Identifications
d. Capitalization
e. Punctuation
f. Abbreviation
g. Spelling
h. Numbers
3. Style
a. Verbs
b. Nouns
c. Point of view
d. Paragraphs
4. Resources
a. Dictionary
b. Thesaurus
c. Associated Press Stylebook
Learner Activities
1. Students will receive presentations on the content, format, and design of captions.
2. Students will practice writing captions for each of the different sections of the yearbook.
3. Students will be given a photograph and asked to brainstorm for 15 possible lead-ins that could be used to start a caption.
4. Students will choose their best lead-in and write both a summary caption and expanded caption for the photo.
5. Students will be given two photos, along with information about each. They will write expanded captions for each photo by using a variety of writing techniques, such as common noun, adverb, and participle.
6. Students will be given a list of certain words that tend to get used over and over. They will brainstorm a list of five synonyms for each of the words.
7. Students will practice turning passive voice captions into active voice.
8. Students will edit sentences by using the AP Stylebook.
9. Students will rewrite captions from old yearbooks.
10. Students will receive a PowerPoint presentation outlining the major key concepts.
11. Students will receive numerous handouts, including “A big tease”, “Write to the point”, “Practice makes perfect”, “On Deadline: Caption Writing”, “The name game”, “Action!” and “Ya gotta have style.”
Evaluation
Students will take a unit quiz to evaluate their understanding of concepts presented in the advertising unit. Students will also be evaluated on their best written expanded caption.
Resources
Handouts accumulated by the journalism adviser.
Jostens 123 Student Yearbook Guide (pages 74-85)
Yearbooks
Dictionary, Thesaurus, AP Stylebook
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Unit Plan 10
Design/Graphics
Individual Learner Objectives
1. Students will understand, practice and learn basic skills for designing yearbook pages and spreads.
2. Students will identify the strategies used to enhance readability: dominance, eyeflow, contrast and hierarchy.
3. Students will identify strategies for combining verbal and visual elements for more complete storytelling.
4. Students will recognize the importance of the use of margin, gutter, column and grid guides for consistency and organization.
5. Students will understand, practice and learn principles of content-focused design.
6. Students will recognize the importance of dominance as an organizing element.
7. Students will recognize the importance of planned white space in adding unity, movement and emphasis to a design.
8. Students will recognize the value of a template as a plan for ensuring consistency.
9. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for a modular design approach.
10. Students will recognize the ways in which modular design expands coverage and design options.
11. Students will identify the layers and strategies important in a modular design approach.
12. Students will recognize the strategies used in creating unity in a modular design approach.
13. Students will understand, practice and learn skills for using graphics to enhance readability of content.
14. Students will recognize the graphic techniques that can effectively enhance readability.
15. Students will identify strategies for using graphic design to organize content and direct readers through a yearbook page or spread.
16. Students will identify tools and sources that impact graphic trends in yearbook design.
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Subject Outline
A. Design elements
1. Pictures
2. Copy
a. Stories
b. Captions
c. Headlines
3. Art/Illustrations
4. White space
a. Planned
b. Unplanned
5. Color
B. Design composition
1. Dominance
a. Dominant element
b. Eyeline
c. Secondary elements
2. Eyeflow
3. Contrast
a. Size
b. Format
c. Shape
d. Weight
e. Color
4. Hierarchy
C. Design guides
1. Margins
2. Gutter
3. Columns/Grids
4. Picas
D. Graphics
1. Technique
a. Spot color
b. Process color
c. Tints
d. Lines
e. White space
2. Trends
a. All color
b. Electronic tools
c. Sources
d. Adaptation
Learner Activities
1. Students will be given presentations on the design elements and composition.
2. Students will tear out at least 20 examples of catchy layout designs from magazines.
3. Students will study layout designs from old yearbooks and discuss how they could be improved upon.
4. Students will label the design elements and composition on a spread.
5. Students will draw numerous layout designs, working from the inside and working out.
6. Students will work alone to design a two-page spread for the Tower Tree Yearbook.
7. Students will combine their ideas to create layout designs which will be used for at least one section of the Tower Tree Yearbook.
8. Students will receive a PowerPoint presentation outlining the major key concepts.
9. Students will receive numerous handouts, including “A perfect match” and “Design elements.”
Technology Fusion
Students will use the Journalism Department’s computers to create two-page yearbook spreads. Students will be using various computers programs, including Microsoft Word, Adobe Illustrator, Type Twister, Photoshop, and PageMaker.
Evaluation
Students will take a unit quiz to evaluate their understanding of concepts presented in the advertising unit. Students will also be evaluated on spread designs (hand drawn and computer generated).
Resources
Handouts accumulated by the journalism adviser.
Jostens 123 Student Yearbook Guide (pages 104-127)
Magazines and yearbooks
Spread sheets
Greensburg Community Schools
10-12/Journalism/1080
Modifications
Modifications of instructional content in this course may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Modified pace
Modified homework assignments
Modified tests
Adaptive equipment
Use of Resource Staff
Other modifications as specified in a student’s IEP