In case you missed these curriculum, activity materials
During the last week or so, JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Commission released or assisted with the release of some important teaching and advising materials.
In case you missed them then, here are the links again:
• Lesson plans for Constitution Day, Sept. 17 (and links to plans from previous years).
• Links to essential information available on the commission site
• Information about Quill and Scroll’s The Principal’s Guide to Scholastic Journalism revision now active and online. The print version will be available Nov. 1.
• Talking Points for teachers to use The Principal’s guide to fight against prior review and for the educational value of scholastic journalism.
• A blog on the importance of FOIA use.
JEA and its Scholastic Press Rights Commission hope these materials will be informative and useful.
Read MoreThe decision to report: Because you can, does that mean you should?
Part of JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Commission’s Constitution Day lessons and activity package. The whole package can be seen here: http://jeasprc.org/constitution-day-2013-teaching-materials-and-lessons/
by Jeff Kocur
Objective: For students to explore ethical situations using the TUFF formula as described in the lesson. This unit focuses possible discussion points for inclusion in editorial policies.
Primary Common Core: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1
Secondary Common Core: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1b, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1d
Introduction: Start the class with the following hypothetical situation: “A student on staff has overheard his father (a police officer in a neighboring town) talking about pulling over your high school principal for suspicion of drunk driving. The staff member heard his father report that the principal was barely over the legal limit. And then would ask the following questions:
- How do you verify the accuracy of this? Is the father a reliable source? Where else could you get the info you needed?
- Does the community deserve to know if one of their leaders engages in this behavior?
- How much does the school board know about this?
- Does the fact that the infraction was just over the legal limit influence your decision?
- Whose interest should prevail in this instance?
- How do you negotiate what is fair here?
Accountability in journalism: What does it mean for student journalists?
Part of JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Commission’s Constitution Day lessons and activity package:
LESSON PLAN: Quick hits: questions for online discussion, inclusion in staff policies: The buzzword accountability. What does it mean?
In this lesson, students will discuss three questions:
• For what should journalists (commercial and scholastic) be accountable?
• How do we define accountable?
• How can we convince others this is the best definition?
The discussion will lead toward the development of positions and process for a staff manual
Summative evaluation tool: Student created product
Primary Common Core: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.5b
Secondary Common Core Standard(s) Addressed: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.4
21st Century Skills Incorporated: Critical thinking, collaboration
Supplies, Technology, Other Materials Needed: Handouts, software for desktop publishing (online or computer installed), examples of magazines, yearbooks and newspapers
Length of the Lesson: 45 minutes
Evaluation tools:
Appropriate for Grades: 9-12
Created by: John Bowen, MJE
Brief description of lesson:
In answering the questions, students will read this online article:
• Trustworthy journalism in a fact-checking-free world
http://craigconnects.org/2013/07/trustworthy-journalism-in-a-fact-checking-free-world.html#.UfGLjCOf7EM.twitter
They will also note this question from the article as a focal point of their work:
“Any news outlet that wants to succeed must be trustworthy, that is, accountable.”
Lesson details:
Break students into small groups and have the students discuss these questions:
• How would you define responsibility in terms of scholastic journalism?
• For what journalists be accountable?
• How should journalists define accountability?
• How should scholastic journalists define accountability?
The whole class will discussion each group’s definitions and positions and work to reach agreement.
As they do this, they will develop a position statement and a process to express the position for their staff manual.
Hints for points they could raise:
–relevance
–context
–perspective
–attribution
–ethics
–attribution
–accuracy
–truth
–facts
–diverse views
–complete
–thorough
–coherent
Read More
Using online legal resources
Part of JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Commission’s Constitution Day lessons and activity package:
by Chris Waugaman
Three primary Common Core state standards addressed
(see http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy )
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2a Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Brief goal/outcome statement: Intended to be a lesson for use after initial introduction lessons in Scholastic Press Law for journalism I students. Students should be familiar with the Hazelwood case before beginning lesson plan.
- Students will use their skills at gathering information and using online sources to guide them in times of legal uncertainty.
- Students will learn how to make critical decisions regarding their press rights by applying the case outcomes they learn in this lesson.
| • COMPREHENSION | • PRACTICE | •APPLICATION | • REFLECTION |
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Comparing sourcing, and verifying stories in print, digital media
Part of JEA’s Scholastic Press Rights Commission’s Constitution Day lessons and activity package:
3. Comparing sourcing, verifying stories in print, digital media
In this lesson, students will compare and contrast the need for sourcing in digital and print media and develop for each platform. Policies should be consistent with professional journalism standards and allow for coherent, accuracy, thorough and complete reporting and audience understanding.
Primary Common Core: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.8
Secondary Common Core Standard(s) Addressed: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.6
21st Century Skills Incorporated: Critical thinking, collaboration
Supplies, Technology, Other Materials Needed: Handouts, online resources and computer or tablet equipment
Length of the Lesson: 90 minutes
Evaluation tools: Student created product , task performance
Appropriate for Grades: 9-12
Created by: John Bowen, MJE
Brief description of lesson:
With student media considering either expanding their print media to include digital media platforms – or to replace it. Additionally, the perceived need for quick publication of information in a digital environment raises questions about time-tested practices of sourcing and verifying information before publication. This lesson can help address that process. The goal is to have students develop process and policy for use of sources and verification of information for print and digital media.
Lesson details:
Day 1: (and homework)
The first step in the process is to have students examine current thinking in the areas of sourcing and verifying for print and digital media. The teacher will divide the class into teams examining sourcing issues and verifying issues.
Introductory activity:
Have students examine the July 12, 2013 KTVU-TV hoax of the release of pilot names in the San Francisco airplane crash. Discuss the legal, ethical and journalistic issues involved, including:
• What verification steps should the station and any media outlet take before publishing or airing names?
• Is the rush to be first that important? What alternatives could there be/
• Should media outlets have policies in place for handling such questions? What would they look like?
• What should journalists do if they make such mistakes?