This iAdventure was created to help broadcast journalism teachers find new ways for students to come up with story ideas. Hopefully, this will help students create interesting story ideas, while also increasing their internet skills. This could be used in any multimedia or journalism class with students in grades 7-12. The idea is for students to actually use daily or weekly newspapers in their area. This helps students find stories that are newsworthy and relevant for their audience.

 If you would like your students to actually produce a story on videotape, this project only gives simple tips on script writing and does not explain camera basics or the editing process.  If you do have the students produce a video, you could have them work in partners.

Students could complete this project in 4-6 class periods (block) or you could make it last a lot longer depending on how much additional information you would like them to have.  The project discusses the differences between news and feature stories and also the different types of sports stories. It also explains what makes a story newsworthy, along with scholastic press law and legal issues. This project could center around an entire semester class, with you integrating various lessons in between.

Here are some things that students would need to be familiar with before completing the iAdventure:

camera work
broadcast writing
interviewing
editing

This iAdventure could be used by students new to broadcast journalism or for students who have been producing packages for years!

New Students:

Use it as the culminating project after studying the basic information in broadcast journalism.

Experienced Students:

Use it to "get out of a rut." Help your students create new and innovative stories for your news show.

 

Click on the link below to get a copy of the student worksheet.
Student worksheet

 

Curriculum Standards

The following Missouri standards will be met with this iAdventure.

Goal 1:2 students will conduct research to answer questions and evaluate information and ideas.

Goal 1:3 students will use technological tools and other resources to locate, select and organize information.

Goal 1:6 students will discover and evaluate patterns and relationships in information, ideas and structures.

Goal 2:1 students will plan and make written, oral and visual presentations for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Goal 2:3 students will exchange information, questions and ideas while recognizing the perspectives of others.

Goal 2:7 students will use technological tools to exchange information and ideas

Goal 4:1 students will explain reasoning and identify information used to support decisions.

Goal 4:4 students will recognize and practice honesty and integrity in academic work and in the workplace.

Goal 4:5 students will develop, monitor and revise plans of action to meet deadlines and accomplish goals.

CA1: students will gain knowledge in speaking and writing standard English (including grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling, capitalization)

CA5: students will gain knowledge in comprehending and evaluating the content and artistic aspects of oral and visual presentations

 

Resources Needed

You will need a set of computers to complete this project.  If you would like your students to actually produce a story on videotape, you will need to make sure you have the appropriate equipment. If you would like to expand on any of the ideas in this adventure, you will want additional resources on scholastic press law. I said before that you can get as much out of this project as you would like. For teachers wanting to expand the project, you will want to make sure you have other lessons and activities for the students to complete during the iAdventure. Again, the student handout is available on this page.

 

Assessment

I have included a scoring guide for the video package. Depending upon the level of your students and what they have been taught, you may need to adapt this. The student worksheet is also available on this page.

Click below to get a copy of the scoring guide.
Scoring guide

Acknowledgements

The iAdventure concept was developed in the Warrensburg, MO school district, as part of the "Learning with iAdventures" program. This program was funded by a Competitive Technology grant from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Provide a link here, like the following:

For more information on iAdventures, visit the iAdventure Home Page.