Thursday, April 14, 2011

14 April investigative reporting project






Please check Monday's blog for details on this assignment.

However, here is a summary and checklist for the individual parts of your investigative reporting project.


Due Friday April 29: individual lists of the 12 sites that you have incorporated into your reseach.

Due Friday April 29: individual article that is incorporated into the larger group newsletter. This is graded on content, syntax, spelling and grammar.


Due Tuesday May 3: prezi presentations. Although there is only one per group, each person will contribute to the whole. It should be organized like a paper and incorporate the ideas presented in your group newsletter. However, you may include brief video clips, added photos, excerpts from your articles. Practice this ahead. This is a group writing grade. One for all.

Due Tuesday May 3: your newsletter. At least one article from each member of the group should be included, as well as photos and a graph or statistic. This is a group grade. One for all.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: Prezi presentations.


Friday: grade your partners. This too will count in the writing category.



NOTE THAT THIS FRIDAY, May 6, IS THE LAST DAY OF THE MARKING PERIOD; so what has not been turned in is a 0. Also, as always, 10 points off per day late for each of the above assignments.



Use your class time productively.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Tuesday 12 April investigative journalism project

Please read over yesterday's blog carefully. By the end of the day, I need your group and your topic choice. Please post on yesterday, Monday's, blog. No duplicates within a class.

This is a research project. You should be reading at least a dozen articles to compose your part of the project.

To ensure quality research and eschew an editorial aspect, everyone is required to list the 12 sources that they used to put together his article. This will be collected on Friday 29 April.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Tuesday April 11, 2011 investigative reporting


Investigative Reporting Project. In groups of two or three (maximum), your team will choose an investigative topic of national or local interest to report on. Each group member will equally contribute articles from a different angle or issue that is related to the overall topic. Your group will then organize their articles into a minimum two-page spread complete with headlines, photos, graphs, and statistics or information boxes. Lastly, the groups will complete a six to seven minute Prezi presentation that documents their findings and share it with the class. Summary: Prezi Presentation: Only one prezi account is needed per group, although each person will work on the final product. This should consist of primarily images and selected, minimal words that from your report. As in a good Power Point presentation, you are the speaker and the technology supports you. (Group Grade- if you are not available on the day of the presentation, but your contributed material is, you will recive a 70 for this part) Printed Material: your group will hand in the your report that includes a minimum of one article for each member of the group, an equal number of photos and one item of statistical chart or graph. (group grade)

Printed Material: separately hand in your personal article that you contributed to the paper. (individual grade based upon grammar, punctuation, style and content)

Grading each other: In order to promote work equitablity, each member of the group will grade the other (s). This will go in the 40% category. I will distribute the rubic. FOR TUESDAY: PLEASE POST YOUR GROUP AND TOPIC CHOICE (no duplicates within a class) Below are some ideas. Talk to me if you have something else in mind. Possible investigative reporting topics Surveillance issues: 1.airports, 2. traffic, 3. schools, 4. national borders, 5. satellite technology 6. Homeland Security 7. Head coverings for women 8. Interrogation techniques (www.us-government-torture.com) 9. Disaster Funds- Katarina? 10. Bullying 11. Gang stalking /covert harassment 12. Space weapons ((microwave, electromagnetic, radio frequency, acoustic, infrasound, laser) 13. Condom distribution in schools 14. Experimentation on human subjects using various electronic devices and weaponry 15. feral animals in Monroe County 16. HIV and Monroe County 17. Hospital care – there are numerous angles here. 18. Poverty pimps: Nonprofit organizations seem happy and good from the outside, but from the inside, they can prove devious. 19. Jail occupancy 20. racial achievement gap 21. violent crime in Monroe County 22. Paying for an election 23. clinical drug trials 24. juvenile justice in Monroe County 24. local terrorism preparedness 25. prostitution in Monroe County 25. Food safety 26. Global Warming 27. College athletes and academics 28. nuclear energy 29. Fraking 30. coal as energy 31. alternative fuels 32. cost of flying 33. medical research 34. obesity 35 international sex trafficking 36 race and the media 37 charter schools 38. car safety

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Monday 4 April Tabloid project


Due today by the close of class: your response to the 4 articles from the 4 tabloids. See previous blog for details. SEND IT TO ME OR PRINT.


Due Thursday 7 April: you personal tabloid. It should follow the correct format for writing a lead (who, what, when, where and how), a headline and quotes. You also need a picture.

Please put these on your thumb drive and be prepared to share on Friday.


SEND ME YOUR COPY BY THE END OF CLASS THURSDAY TO GET FULL CREDIT.