Course Plan: Journalism 20
Unity Composite High School
2016-17
Ms. R. Weber
Aims and Goals:
The K-12 aim of the Saskatchewan English language arts curricula is to help students understand and appreciate language, and to use it confidently and competently in a variety of situations for learning, communication, work, life, and personal satisfaction.
General Course Objectives:
The students will:
- recognize and appreciate the changing role of journalism in contemporary society and in their personal lives
- recognize and explore the ways in which print, broadcast and other electronic media create and present a message
- recognize and create the various forms, conventions, and styles of journalistic writing and representation
- recognize the attributes of quality journalism and the legal, ethical, and moral issues which confront the free press
- develop the speaking, listening, reading, writing, viewing, and representing skills needed to create various print publications, broadcast productions and ejournalism productions
Outline and Time Frame of Content:
Module One: Print Journalism
Purpose: To introduce the basic processes and issues involved in writing for print media.
Time: 35 hours – September – mid October
Major Summative Tasks: Newspaper Article, Editorial, Review, Concept and Term Exams
Module Two: Electronic Journalism
Purpose: To apply the understanding of print journalism to one of the electronic media: television, radio or the internet
Time: 25 Hours – mid October – end of November
Major Summative Tasks:Photojournalism, Blogs, Video Interviews, Concept and Term Exams
Module Three: On Assignment
Purpose: To explore an area of journalism in more depth through an inquiry project.
Time: 29 hours – December and January
Major Summative Tasks:Coverage of Provincial Boys 1A Volleyball Championships – this will be an inquiry project based on an area of choice and strength AND completion of a GRASP involving the choice of form to cover a topic of interest.
Assessment:
Throughout the course, foundational objectives will be assessed in both a formative (for feedback only) and summative (for reporting of grades) manner. An overall percentage mark will be issued based on assessment of various summative tasks which could include projects, exams, oral discussion work, and other assignments.
All summative tasks must be completed and submitted in order to obtain a credit for Journalism 20. Students who are absent for summative assessments are required to make arrangements for them to be completed at a later date.
Final exams may be written in accordance with the school and division guidelines. The final exam is an opportunity for students to be reassessed on outcomes that were not met in previous assessments. Therefore, students who have obtained a minimum of 75% on all summative tasks will not be required to write the final exam, subject to the discretion of the teacher.
Methods of Obtaining Additional Help/Assignment Policy
Student will receive a rubric for each assignment so that they are clear as to the expectations. It is important to read, reread and check this rubric many times as you work on your assignment so that you know that you are hitting the “target” and mastering the various objectives.
Deadlines matter. All work will be collected on assignment due dates, whether complete or not. An assessment will be made. Students who wish to resubmit work will have to attend a learning intervention session at noon or after school to be eligible for reassessment. Reassessments may involve doing an alternate assignment or project.
Students who are late in completing summative assessments will be subject to the UCHS School Based Intervention Plan: The teacher will notify the parents of assessments to be completed and will require that the student attend at scheduled learning intervention time which could happen in learning lab, at noon hour or after school. The intervention will continue until the student has completed the work.
Differentiated Instruction:
Recognizing that students vary in their readiness, learner profiles and interests, there will be differentiation with regard to content, product and process. The aim is to facilitate deeper understanding by incorporating activities that target the six facets of understanding: explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy and self-knowledge.
Classroom Expectations and Consequences (Discipline Cycle):
Be Respectful
-Practice listening skills in class discussions group work
-Be open to the opinions of others
-Treat technology and other equipment with care
-Offer feedback and suggestions to classmates in a sensitive manner
Be Responsible
-Complete all assignments
-Take on their share of work in group assignments
-Observe copyright laws
-Attend class on time
-Bring materials to class
-Be discerning in their choice and use of research materials
-Observe journalistic ethics, as communicated in this class
- Choose to learn
-Take an active part in self-directed inquiry learning
-Incorporate media literacy skills and web 2.0 technologies
-Become intelligent consumers an producers of news
-Cells phones usage in the classroom is for educational purposes only. If cell phones are brought to the classroom they are to be placed in a designated container and only removed with permission of the supervising staff member.
-Cell phones, iPods/Pads and MP3 Players are not to be brought into rooms in which tests or exams are to be written.
Communication
-Our google classroom will be used to distribute and hand in assignments. (class code:7ed8xk). If you download the google classroom app, you can access this content from your phone or tablet as well.
-If you have questions outside of school hours, you or your parents can email me at .
Journalism 202016-171