NEWSROOM PROJECT

GUIDELINES FOR “NEWSROOM” PROJECT

PHASE 1 – RESEARCH (Put the following things in your on-line WRITING JOURNAL at classroom.google.com) (2 weeks)

1. Consider yourself a “reporter” who is trying to get the facts on a particular topic.  By now you have used your own curiosity to choose a topic.
2. Find at least 25 different facts about your topic (REMEMBER TO SAVE LINKS AND SOURCES because you’ll need to cite them on your FINAL-WRITE)
3. Gather and save graphics for your topic.  These would include:

1. photographs (which you can save from the internet)
2. charts, graphs, or diagrams (which you can save from the internet)

4. Find an interesting story/narrative which relates to your topic.
5. Think of question to ask an expert about your topic. Contact an EXPERT by email, direct-message, phone, getting from him/her the answer to your question(s).

PHASE 2 – PRE-WRITE DRAFTING (Put the following in your on-line WRITING JOURNAL after the gathering of facts) (1 week)

1. DEVELOP A THESIS STATEMENT FOR YOUR ARTICLE
2. Considering your thesis statement, write out the narrative that you plan to use to present the facts surrounding your thesis statement.  (Find a “hook” to lead your readers into your article/story.)
3. Select the most important facts you want to use and try (as best you can) to fit them naturally into your narrative/story.
4. Edit your work, ask Mr. Stephens and classmates to read and edit your work.

Phase 3 – FINAL-WRITE DRAFTING (which will be done a google-classroom form that Mr. Stephens will provide) (1 week)

1. Write your story as you want it to appear in magazine form
2. Make your citations at the end of the story