Mass Media and Newspaper
Unit by Design
Legend: T= Topic, M = Motivator, C = Lesson Content, HO = Handout, A = Assessment
| State Standard | LA: Complete pieces for a
variety of audiences. Technology: Use presentation software to design, create and import information for a variety of presentations. |
| Monday | T: Introduction to mass
media M: Read passage from the giver and have students think about what it would be like to live in a utilitarian society. C: Introduction to Mass Media PowerPoint. Discuss each of 9 media and have students give examples HO: Handout view of PowerPoint for students to take notes A: None |
| Tuesday | T: Introduction to Mass Media M: Review 9 types of mass media C: Finish PowerPoint and go over discussion questions. Have students begin writing assignment HO: Editorial Staff Positions. Go over and talk about application process. A: PowerPoint questions graded 20 points |
| Wednesday | T: History of Mass Media M: If you could claim ownership (and royalties) for one discovery in mass media, what would it be and why? C: Hand out timeline project and go over steps and grading HO: Timeline Project |
| Thursday | T: History of Mass Media C: Finish Timeline Project |
| Friday | T: History of Mass Media C: Timeline Project Presentations A: 60 points |
Week 2 (Back to top)
| State Standard | LA: Conform to appropriate
formats in writing. Technology: Select and use word processing. |
| Monday | T: Mass Media M: None C: Who Want to Be A Millionaire Review Game (2 teams - divide by last name) HO: Treats for winner A: Participation |
| Tuesday | T: Mass Media M: None C: Quiz #1 over History of Mass Media A: 70 points |
| Wednesday | T: Newspaper - Introduction M: Ask "How many of you read the newspaper everyday? Why or why not? What would make it more appealing to you?. Explain. In this unit you will design the perfect newspaper for teens. C: Lecture/discussion: newspaper basics: mechanical, sizes, picas, columns, 4 basic elements. Application for editorial positions due. HO: Newspaper Design Handbook pages 16 and 22 Newspaper publication and deadline dates. |
| Thursday | T: Newspaper - Writing M: Review terms from yesterday with small candy prizes C: Lecture/Discussion: Correct style-months, courtesy titles, time and date, sports, numbers, courses, states, degrees, abbreviations. Edit short article and go over changes. HO: Stylebook handout. A: Edit short article in word processing-NG |
| Friday | T: Newspaper - Writing M: Hollywood Squares PowerPoint on styles C: Ask "What is the last really good news story you remember reading" What Makes a great news story? Go over handout and apply to prepared story. Write story on word processing. HO: Dirty Dozen Elements of Standard News Story. News story for rewrite. |
Week 3 (Back to top)
| State Standard | LA: Conform to appropriate
formats in writing. Proofread and edit stories for accuracy and content, for correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. |
| Monday | T: Newspaper - Writing M: None C: Continue writing news article, have peers review work after 20 minutes. Peer needs to sign off on paper and write comments. Final revisions and turn in. HO: Newspaper History article and worksheet. A: News story rewrite. 20 points |
| Tuesday | T: Newspaper Writing C: Dani from Beacon guest speaker to talk about school newspaper layout, deadlines, style, etc. A: Participation in discussion |
| Wednesday | T: Newspaper Layout M: Show examples from Design book (pg. 4/5) - historical front pages to today. Discuss C: Lecture/Discussion over current trends (pages 6/7). Go over terminology page 14/15. HO: Newspaper Design book pages 6, 7, 14, 15 A: Small group participation: discuss and report "What will the future newspaper be like" (remember it may not be on paper). Refer to 12 for prompts and answers. |
| Thursday | T: Newspaper Layout M: Show samples of irregular type (happy type saying "Baby Dies In Fire", etc. C: and discuss the mood a typeface sets. HO: Basic Typography. Handouts page 19, 20,21 A: Have students get on computers and type a 2 line sentence in 18 point type, change to comic sans, BF Italic. Then expand the width under format. Turn in to check understanding. |
| Friday | T: Newspaper Layout M: Give students sample photos and talk about the emotions associated with each. (pg. 28/29). C: Headlines: Lecture and discussion. Design book page 23-25. Photos: Pg. 29 basic shapes. Make 2 copies of photos on pages 28/29 and have 2 students write headlines. Compare and critique results based on criteria from page 23. HO: Pages 23,24,29 A: Participation |
Week 4 (Back to top)
| State Standard | LA: Conform to appropriate formats in writing. |
| Monday | T: Newspaper Layout M: Show pig in bulldozer (pg. 30) and poll emotional reactions. Ask "what is going on here?" C: HO pages30-31. What's cutline for pig photo and ago over pages. HO: Page 30-31 A: Each students writes a cutline for the same photo...choose from Friday lesson and discuss based on pg. 31 criteria. |
| Tuesday | T: Newspaper Layout M: In groups, give each group a brown bag filled with identical items. Give them 10 minutes to create the perfect puppet to give to an elementary school student - they have to use everything in the bag. Have them present their creations and defend their design. Relate this to newspaper layout - you have a set amount of information to fit into a publication. There are general rules (like the face of a puppet), but there is room for creativity. C: Discussion - drawing a dummy pages 32,33, 27 (putting text in columns) and 34, 35 HO: Pages 27, 32-35 A: Have students choose a page from the Argus or Beacon and have them begin dummy on pg. 36 layout paper. (10 points) |
| Wednesday | T: Newspaper Layout M: Show photos pages page 54 and ask them which is more appealing. Talk about dominant photo. Show photos on pg. 55 and ask which two you would pick to be dominant, and as a second photo. Answer on pg. 55 C: Continue/finish newspaper layout dummies (turn in with sample) A: (15 points) |
| Thursday | T: Newspaper Layout and
Design C: Discuss the fact that only 9% of teens read a newspaper daily. What could you do to change this? Go over newspaper design project and rubric HO: Project and rubric, full page dummy sheets, magazines and articles for sample stories. |
| Friday | T: Newspaper Layout and
Design C: Continue working on teen newspaper layout. |
Week 5 (Back to top)
| State Standard | LA: Publish completed
pieces for a variety of audiences Technology: Use desktop publishing software to design, create, import images. |
| Monday | T: Newspaper Layout and
Design C: Continue working on teen newspaper layout. |
| Tuesday | T: Newspaper Layout and
Design C: Continue working on teen newspaper layout. |
| Wednesday | T: Newspaper Layout and
Design C: Peer evaluation checklist in pairs and make final changes HO: Checklist A: 10 points |
| Thursday | T: Newspaper Layout and
Design C: Finish newspaper projects and present. A: Graded 100 points |
| Friday | T: Newspaper:
Technology C: Practice using digital camera, downloading and PowerPoint via scavenger hunt activity. Break into two groups. HO: 2 digital cameras and Scavenger hunt handout/grading rubric |
Week 6 (Back to top)
| State Standard | Technology: Use presentation and multimedia software to design, create images for presentation. |
| Monday | T: Newspaper: Technology C: Continue newspaper scavenger hunt and make PowerPoint |
| Tuesday | T: Newspaper Technology C: Finish PowerPoint and present A: Graded 50 points |
| Wednesday | T: Newspaper layout and
design C: Review for quiz using review game. Teams with highest score winning. A: Participation |
| Thursday | T: Newspaper layout and
design C: Quiz #2 72 points |
| Friday | T: Mass Media C: Catch up day. HO: Hand out mass media viewing habits log and have students being recording on Saturday. |
Week 7 (Back to top)
| State Standard | Language Arts Indicator 3: analyze
how historical context influences the form, style, and point-of-view of a
written work. analyze how a literary selection presents a view or comment on life and supports or contradicts contemporary views. |
| Monday | T: Newspaper History M: Students will be show a clip from the movie “The Scarlet Letter” and given a brief history of the events leading up to the scene. We’ll then hold a class discussion about human rights and American constitutional rights. They will then be asked “How would you feel if you were jailed for printing your opinion?”. After class discussion, students will be told that many of predecessors of modern day newspapers found just such a fate. C: PowerPoint on Newspaper History. Students should take notes HO: None A: NG |
| Tuesday | T: Newspaper History M: None C: Video "History of Newspaper" Students should take notes HO: None A: |
| Wednesday | T: Newspaper History M: TBA C: Go over handout and worksheet answers from Newspaper History in US. HO: None A: G- 21 points |
| Thursday | T: Newspaper History M: Introduction to Chat Room C: Log on to msn.com chatroom and debate the following statement "The Newspaper is the greatest invention in history" Assign sides if necessary. A: Participation (10 points) |
| Friday | T: Newspaper History M: None C: Review using Jeopardy PowerPoint A: None |
Week 8 (Back to top)
| State Standard | Language Arts Indicator 3: analyze
how historical context influences the form, style, and point-of-view of a
written work. analyze how a literary selection presents a view or comment on life and supports or contradicts contemporary views. Technology: Use presentation and multimedia software to design, create images for presentation. |
| Monday | T: Newspaper Surveys M: Think pair share, possible graphs and questions we can use for the Bulletin C: Using viewing habits log, complete Excel spreadsheets and graphs. HO: Spreadsheet sample |
| Tuesday | T: Newspaper Surveys M: None C: Have students finish graphs and turn in. Create one survey that can be used in the Bulletin this year. HO: NA A: G-35 points |
| Wednesday | T: Newspaper C: Quiz #3 - Newspaper History A: G-72 points |
| Thursday | T: Advertising Unit M: C: HO: A: |
| Friday | T: M: C: HO: A: |
