Wednesday, December 12 writing your own news stories

Shaken up A pair of earthquakes shook parts of Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Alabama and South Carolina early this morning.

Learning targets: I can introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences the claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

I can develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic.

I can conduct short  research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

Assignment: Your own news stories. Due by midnight midnight , Wednesday, December 19.  Any not posted by midnight will receive 50 points only.  

In class today: For today, I am asking you to make your selection and post on the blog. This goes in as a class participation grade. Use the format I wrote below.  There may be some overlapping, but let's talk about angles, so no one will have the exact same story.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE ALL YOUR PREP WORK DONE OUTSIDE OF CLASS TO ACTUALLY FINISH WRITING THE STORY ON NEXT TUESDAY  IN CLASS. ON THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND NEXT MONDAY WE  WILL BE LOOKING AT HEADLINES AND PARAPHRASING.

Topic choices below:  If you have 

another idea, post and, if there is a problem, I'll get back to 

you by tomorrow.   Post to the blog with

 your name and respond with the following:

______________ intends to write a news story on

 ___________________________. This topic is newsworthy 

because__________________________. To gather the 

information I will 1)____________________, 2) 

_________________ and 3)______________ (include 

details and specifics as to your planning). I intend to speak 

at least two people, recording specifically what they said, so as to use there words in my

 story.

Please see the list below for suggestions. You, of course, may augment and adjust the topics, and, as well, you may have your own ideas.  Please create a word document before you post, in case you have difficulties.

   After the suggestion list, there is a rubric, a general checklist for you and a couple of effective story examples.            

                See story model samples at the end of the blog.

Suggestions; this is in no way exhaustive.  Be creative.

parking woes

college application pressures

traffic tickets

body art

cliques

sports / teams at SOTA- this can be broken down into subtopics

volunteerism at SOTA- this can be broken down into subtopic

school security: morning scanning / during the day

riding the bus

lunch excursions

bumper stickers

measuring up to an older sibling

passing time in the hall

detention

Lock downs

electronics

personalizing a locker

part time jobs

tardy / absenteeism

hair styles: male / female

behind the scene: theatre / teching, etc

life as a middle schooler

senior economics

vending machines

fashion: male / female---choose an item

the reality of senior year (economic / social / frustrations / fears)

bullying

reading for "real life" 

cultural appropriation

culture and community

diversity

school as a safe environment

pros and cons of having a  middle school

triggers

politics at the dinner table

Check list:

Are the most important and recent facts first? 

Is the story accurate? Are the sources identified fully? 

Are the paragraphs short? 

Is the sentence structure varied in the story?

 Is the story neat and double-spaced so that it is easy to read?

Does your story flow? Did you use the transition/ quote formula?

 Did you use active voice?

Unbiased?  

At least one attributed quote?

headline? (we'll review this on Monday)

by line? (that's your name)

correct punctuation / grammar?

                                          

 Rubric for evaluating inverted pyramid stories

Ace reporter	Good	Fair	Poor
This story — so professional one would think it were cut from a professional news publication — convincingly demonstrates mastery of the inverted pyramid form by doing the following: ❍ with precision, arranges the key facts of the story from most important to least important ❍ relegates background information — information the writer could have known before the event — to a place below all new information ❍ is devoid of unattributed opinion ❍ artfully illustrates points with interesting, well-punctuated and well-attributed quotations; a transition is used to introduce each quotation. ❍ is a model of brevity, using few words to maximum effect. ❍ avoids passive voice except in the rare cases when it is merited ❍  shows few, if any, errors in the conventions of written English	This solid inverted pyramid story, while not as impressive as that written by the Ace Reporter, consistently does most or all of the following: ❍ arranges the key facts of the story from most important to least important ❍ generally relegates background information — information the writer could have known before the event — to a place below all new information ❍ is devoid of unattributed opinion ❍ illustrates points with interesting, well-punctuated and well-attributed quotations; a transition is used to introduce each quotation ❍ is for the most part concise ❍ generally avoids passive voice except in the rare cases when it is merited ❍  shows few, if any, errors in the conventions of written English.	This story suggests general awareness of the requirements for an inverted pyramid story, but does not suggest great prowess in meeting those requirements. This lead does much or all of the following:   ❍ unconvincingly arranges the facts of the story from most important to least important ❍ in some cases, fails to keep background information in its place at the bottom of the story ❍ may include minor unattributed opinion ❍ sometimes illustrates points with quotations but may do so awkwardly and without adequate transitions or ❍ shows too little attention to the need for brevity ❍ may slip into passive voice ❍  shows some errors in the conventions of written English.	These story doesn’t meaningfully address the assignment. This lead does much or all of the following: ❍ either does not have all the basic facts or shows clear errors in organizing them from most to least important ❍ fails to keep background information in its place at the bottom of the story ❍ is bereft of meaningful, supportive quotations; may fail to introduce quotations at all ❍ includes significant unattributed opinion ❍ noticeable over-use of the passive voice ❍ is wordy ❍  shows multiple errors in the conventions of written English. (Note: The fact that a person is speaking to students is not in and of itself newsworthy; stories should focus on what a person says, not the fact that he/she has spoken.)

News story samples:

Birds migrating earlier as temperatures rise

MARKUS VAREAVUO

Birds have reached their summer breeding grounds on average about one day earlier per degree of increasing global temperatures, according to the research by Edinburgh University.

The study looked at hundreds of species across five continents.

It is hoped it will help scientists predict how different species may respond to future environmental change.

Reaching their summer breeding grounds at the wrong time - even by a few days - may cause birds to miss out on maximum availability of vital resources such as food and nesting places.

Late arrival to breeding grounds may, in turn, affect the timing of offspring hatching and their chances of survival.

Long-distance migrants, which are shown to be less responsive to rising temperatures, may suffer most as other birds gain advantage by arriving at breeding grounds ahead of them.

Flowering and breeding

Takuji Usui, of Edinburgh University's school of biological sciences, said: "Many plant and animal species are altering the timing of activities associated with the start of spring, such as flowering and breeding.

"Now we have detailed insights into how the timing of migration is changing and how this change varies across species.

"These insights may help us predict how well migratory birds keep up with changing conditions on their breeding grounds."

The study examined how various species, which take flight in response to cues such as changing seasonal temperatures and food availability, have altered their behaviour over time and with increasing temperatures.

The researchers examined records of migrating bird species dating back almost 300 years.

The study drew upon records from amateur enthusiasts and scientists, including notes from 19th-century American naturalist Henry David Thoreau.

Species that migrate huge distances - such as the swallow and pied flycatcher - and those with shorter migrations - such as the lapwing and pied wagtail - were included in the research.

The study, published in Journal of Animal Ecology, was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council.

First a polar bear petted a dog. Then a polar bear did what polar bears do: Ate a dog.

By Karin Brulliard

A video of an enormous polar bear in Canada gingerly patting a chained sled dog hit the Internet last week and quickly went viral. The Huffington Post lauded its “cuteness factor.” The man who shot the video praised the bear for showing “that kind of heart toward another animal.”

But reality soon intervened. Canada’s CBC News reported that officials had removed three polar bears from the same property in Churchill after one killed and ate another dog. The owner of the site, who raises the sled dogs, told the network that the slaughter had occurred on “the only day we didn’t feed the f—— bears, the only night we didn’t put anything out.”

The irony of the two incidents spawned commentary on the perils of the attributing human emotions to animals and imposing a moral code the creatures can’t possibly be expected to live up to. They also renewed anger at the owner of the site, Brian Ladoon, who has long been a target of animal rights activists and conservationists who decry his chaining of dogs and luring of polar bears for tourist photo-ops.

Tom Smith views it all from somewhere in between. Smith is a wildlife biologist and advisory scientist with Polar Bears International, and he has spent his career studying bears of all sorts — polar, grizzly and black. He chuckled when he viewed the “petting” video this week, which he didn’t exactly see as petting.

Bears have a sky-high “curiosity quotient” and tend to ask questions with their teeth and paws, which is why they sometimes tear up human campsites, he said. But he added that this is also a time of year when polar bears, which depend on sea ice for hunting seals, have essentially been starving for months.

“To me, it’s like it’s trying to see if the food’s ready or not,” Smith said, laughing. “It’s not surprising that it would try to explore this dog . . . but I guarantee if you left that bear there long enough, it would say, ‘I wonder what this dog tastes like?’ I’d be sorely disappointed in a bear that didn’t ultimately eat that dog.”