Overview and Rationale: Students have been writing shorter feature stories and personality profiles. This takes them into the next step of incorporating more sources and also research on a particular topic.
Goals for Understanding: Students will write a comprehensive in-depth report that demonstrates knowledge of locating sources, conducting interviews, feature lead writing and journalistic writing format and flow.
Essential Questions:
What does it take to blend multiple sources into one story that flows well?
Captures the essential who, what, when, where, why, and how
Provides interest for the reader
Proves newsworthiness of article
Clarity, focus, organization (50)
Clear central focus of the article
Organized using inverted pyramid
Writing is clear and coherent
Sentences and paragraphs transition logically
Leaves no unanswered questions
Support (50)
Uses well-chosen sources (both research and interviews)
Adequately present all sides
Info is properly attributed to interviews and outside sources.
Mechanics (20)
Uses full names and titles of quoted subjects (followed by last name only on subsequent quotations)
Proofread for minimal errors in conventions (spelling, grammar)
Journalistic Paragraphs
Deadline met w/ completed cover sheet (15)
Meets word count range (5) 600-1000 words
In-Depth Report You will be writing an in-depth report over your topic.
You will need to conduct two student interviews
Your story will be approximately 600-1000 words long, but be sure to keep journalistic style (shorter paragraphs and quote integration).
You must include cited facts from research.
It must have a headline, lead, body, and closing.
You must include one picture taken by you.
AP Style Citations Make sure when you're citing another article or pulling information from an outside source be sure to include the following information in the text of your article.
Name of author or write
Title of work
Date of Work
Where it was published
Example: In the article “Misuse of Trademark Names” published in the Los Angeles Times on August 20, 2014, CNN reporter John Smith states that there have been 3 times more lawsuits over product names since 2010 than in the previous three decades combined.