• Course Description

    Magazine Journalistic Writing II is a learner lab in which students create The Kirkwood Pioneer under the guidance of an adviser. Students learn design and photographic composition skills. Emphasis is placed on such writing skills as clarity, sentence variety, syntax and journalistic style rules. Students are expected to edit copy and design.  Students will work with each other to develop layouts and create and gather all elements necessary for spread: photographs, captions, graphics, copy and ethics consistent with responsible journalism.  Students are also required to sell advertising.  At least 15 after-school hours are required of students each month.

    Students taking this course for honors credit will be responsible for leading a staff of their peers as they produce The Kirkwood Pioneer, the school yearbook. As editors, students will be expected to serve as role models for their staff members. They will oversee teams of students producing various pages and elements of the yearbook, including writing, photography, art, graphic design and advertising. Each member will be responsible for some aspect of production.  Furthermore, student editors can expect to spend approximately 30 hours a month outside of class independently and/or during publication deadlines.

    Grade Level(s): 10th-12th Grades

    Course-Level Scope & Sequence (Units &/or Skills)

    Course Level Objectives

    • Students will demonstrate the ability to write journalistically for magazines/yearbooks.
      • Write concise and clear copy with news and feature angles
      • Organize ideas and information
      • Develop captions and headlines of various lengths and styles
      • Synthesize information
      • Devise brief, graphic alternative ways to present copy to the reader
    • Students will demonstrate the ability to design a magazine/yearbook which attracts readers.
      • Design effective sports, student life, academics, people and organization sections
      • Organize layouts and information
      • Design captions and headlines of various lengths and styles
      • Synthesize information
      • Devise brief, graphic means for presenting information to the reader
    • Students will demonstrate an understanding of photo composition.
      • Discern effective photographic techniques as they relate to student life, academic, sports, clubs, and portaits
      • Synthesize information
    • Students will demonstrate a knowledge of how to practice journalistic rights and responsibilities.
      • Discriminate and conclude the merits of court cases involving the written press
      • Organize ideas and information
      • Support the attributes of responsible journalism
    • Students will demonstrate comprehensive usage of applicable software.
      • Execute the functions necessary to complete software/application tasks as they relate to complex text and/or design elements.

    Date Last Revised/Approved: 2010