Mr. Jacobs' 5th Period Journalism class consists of 7th and 8th Graders in Lawrence GATE/Highly GATE Magnet Program.

 

Enduring Understandings in Journalism: 

Middle school journalists wield power, which must be balanced with responsibility and ethics. Middle school journalism reflects the real experiences of professional journalists and comes with the same responsibilities to be fair, accurate, unbiased, and ethical. Journalists identify purpose and audience for selecting article type. Journalists capture readers’ attention through topic, lead, headlines, design, and art. Journalists internalize writing process from pre-writing to publication. Journalists use technology to gather and present information. Journalists improve by setting goals and working toward them, aided by the creation of a portfolio. Journalists produce and distribute a quality student newspaper.

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Standards with Objectives: 

Reading for Information and Understanding:

The student accesses a variety of print and non-print sources and extracts relevant information and concepts from them. 

The student combines this new information with prior knowledge. 

Reading for Critical Analysis and Evaluation 

The student develops a critical stance as to the accuracy, relevance, quality and merit of a text and the ideas and information that it conveys. 

Range and Versatility in Writing and Speaking: 

The student selects the appropriate article type or genre for her/his purpose and makes effective use of the conventions of the format for that article type. 

The student uses the appropriate format to communicate his position on information, issues, or ideas. 

 

Collaboration and Reflection:

The student describes the process used to produce the work, including collaboration. 

The student recognizes achievements and sets specific, realistic goals for improvement. 

The student works with other staff members to mirror the real-world editorial board. 

 

Mechanics and Conventions of Speech and Print: 

The student applies rules of grammar, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, citation and other conventions to written/spoken work. 

The student uses appropriate technological tools and organizational frameworks for written/spoken work. 

The student adheres to the journalistic ethical and legal codes of conduct.