Sample Assignments
Remembering 9/11
Around September 11, I share two videos with the students. The first video, "Running Toward Danger," shows how videographers and television stations handled the attacks on September 11, 2001. The second video, "Witness to History," showcases the photographers who captured images on that terrifying day. Both are very powerful pieces, and I will discuss with the students the impact journalists had on that day. Since the students were not born in 2001, I will explain to them how most of their thoughts, visions and feelings about 9/11 are based on what courageous journalists captured that day. As one photojournalist said when someone asked him why he was taking pictures of the chaos, he said, "We have to remember this day. We have to remember this day."
"Running Toward Danger"
"Witness to History"
Peer and Family Member Features - Rough and Final Draft (150 points)
The students conduct interviews, write rough drafts, and design final drafts for their first and second official writing assignment: a peer interview and story, and a family interview and story. They write strong questions, conduct interviews, and write rough drafts. The rough drafts are worth 50 points.
They make revisions and improve their writing based on my suggestions. I provide them with a video tutorial I produced for beginning inDesign as well as written steps. We discuss headline writing as a class, and students then apply their knowledge as they write a headline, byline, and flow their rough draft copy into Adobe inDesign.
The final draft is worth 100 points.
I share with them an award-winning feature written by a student from Blue Valley High School - click here.
Headline Writing Exercise - 119 points
Students also work on headline writing exercises. They are given four stories (provided by Kansas Scholastic Press Association) and they write four headlines based on strict requirements (length, font, size, etc.). That assignment is worth 119 points (see rubric on web site). They have class time to work on the headline writing exercises.
Adobe Photoshop CC (140 points) and Adobe inDesign CC
Students create several projects in Adobe Photoshop, learning about layers, paint away color, COBs (cut out backgrounds), and text usage. The students utilize those skills when they produce a magazine layout in Adobe inDesign. They incorporate a few Photoshop techniques, as well as demonstrate their knowledge of inDesign capabilities. They learn about inDesign through tutorials created by me and assigned by me. (I have attached some below.)
inDesign tutorials
What is inDesign?
Working with inDesign Tools
Working with inDesign Frames
Creating a Newsletter in inDesign
Creating a Letterhead in inDesign
Alignment in inDesign
Check out some results under "Student Work" tab.
Remembering 9/11
Around September 11, I share two videos with the students. The first video, "Running Toward Danger," shows how videographers and television stations handled the attacks on September 11, 2001. The second video, "Witness to History," showcases the photographers who captured images on that terrifying day. Both are very powerful pieces, and I will discuss with the students the impact journalists had on that day. Since the students were not born in 2001, I will explain to them how most of their thoughts, visions and feelings about 9/11 are based on what courageous journalists captured that day. As one photojournalist said when someone asked him why he was taking pictures of the chaos, he said, "We have to remember this day. We have to remember this day."
"Running Toward Danger"
"Witness to History"
Peer and Family Member Features - Rough and Final Draft (150 points)
The students conduct interviews, write rough drafts, and design final drafts for their first and second official writing assignment: a peer interview and story, and a family interview and story. They write strong questions, conduct interviews, and write rough drafts. The rough drafts are worth 50 points.
They make revisions and improve their writing based on my suggestions. I provide them with a video tutorial I produced for beginning inDesign as well as written steps. We discuss headline writing as a class, and students then apply their knowledge as they write a headline, byline, and flow their rough draft copy into Adobe inDesign.
The final draft is worth 100 points.
I share with them an award-winning feature written by a student from Blue Valley High School - click here.
Headline Writing Exercise - 119 points
Students also work on headline writing exercises. They are given four stories (provided by Kansas Scholastic Press Association) and they write four headlines based on strict requirements (length, font, size, etc.). That assignment is worth 119 points (see rubric on web site). They have class time to work on the headline writing exercises.
Adobe Photoshop CC (140 points) and Adobe inDesign CC
Students create several projects in Adobe Photoshop, learning about layers, paint away color, COBs (cut out backgrounds), and text usage. The students utilize those skills when they produce a magazine layout in Adobe inDesign. They incorporate a few Photoshop techniques, as well as demonstrate their knowledge of inDesign capabilities. They learn about inDesign through tutorials created by me and assigned by me. (I have attached some below.)
inDesign tutorials
What is inDesign?
Working with inDesign Tools
Working with inDesign Frames
Creating a Newsletter in inDesign
Creating a Letterhead in inDesign
Alignment in inDesign
Check out some results under "Student Work" tab.