Unit Plan Project EDUC 232: Secondary Methods Professor Hodgkinson December 14, 2011

Elise Taylor

Subject: Journalism I: Introduction to Journalism Unit: Interviewing Skills Name: Elise Taylor Grade: 9th-11th Age Group: 14-17 years old Time Frame: Two Weeks Learner Needs Over the course of the journalism class, students have already become familiar with a brief history of journalism, and are now learning newswriting and reporting basics. The interviewing unit fits within the newswriting and reporting basics stage of the class. By now, students should be able to define news and what makes something newsworthy. They should understand the essential characteristics and expectations of a journalist, as well as the different genres that encompass journalism. We have discussed style and structure, format, fact vs. fiction, news leads, the Five Ws in reporting, and inverted pyramid structure. This brings us to the interviewing unit, where we will cover the basics of the interview process, watch videos that show what a good interview should look like, and demonstrate this knowledge by completing interview-focused assignments. Students will already be familiar with the 6+1 Traits of Writing-based rubric with which I will use to summatively assess papers. Learning Preferences Students in this class are looking to gain more independence from the structured class schedule. They still need and appreciate guidance from an instructor, but hunger for more room to breath when it comes to working on assignments. The foundation of journalism greatly accommodates differentiation in the classroom, as assignments--although typically centered around one genre--greatly vary in content, process, product, and environment. With this in mind, it is possible for students to take one designated theme and choose the subject matter of assignments based on their own interests. Students range in age from 14 years old to 17 years old. They are generally quite interested in visual media and relate well to everyday-themed subject matter. It is essential to engage their interests by incorporating relevant news and pop culture into my lessons. Group Characteristics Any student with a disability will need to meet with me and discuss options and methods of accommodation. In order to cater to various learning styles, I plan to include numerous tools and a variety of media in my class. I will also make sure to emphasize student interest when developing my assignments and tasks. Students will almost always be given freedom to choose their topic and subject matter for writing assignments

Learning Goals The overall purpose for teaching this unit is for students to recognize the power of observation in journalism and to learn how to make meaning from their observations. This unit will also help students develop their conversation skills through the art of interviewing. High school students are often uncomfortable with talking to/interviewing people they do not know. Therefore, this unit aims at easing the apprehensions students feel while building their confidence when conversing with others. The assignments and tasks included will serve as valuable preparation for advanced journalism assignments at school, but will act as greater preparation for developing crucial speech and social skills for life outside of the classroom. The enduring understanding I hope students gain from this unit is the successful development and improvement of speech and social skills. Interviewing is a necessary skill to have as a journalist, but being able to approach others with confidence and purpose is a valuable life skill. By focusing on interviewing as an entire unit, students get the ability to practice public speaking skills, engage in critical thinking and analyzing, determine meaning from observations, and understand the power of different forms of verbal and nonverbal communication. Essential Questions Related to Interviewing: 1. How do the observations we make affect our lives as a society? 2. Why do we tell other peoples stories? 3. What does it mean to effectively communicate? Related to Journalism: 1. What makes something newsworthy? 2. What is good writing? 3. What makes a good journalist? Alignment with Standards Taken from the Iowa Core English Language Arts standards (Page 54): Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences of events b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description,

reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters c. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole. d. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or character. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative. Learning Objectives State what learners will KNOW and BE ABLE TO DO at the conclusion of your instructional unit. Each learning objective should start with Students will: Students will know: 1. We distinguish value from the purposes of our lives 2. We use observations to make sense of the world and people around us Students will be able to: 1. Observe their surroundings critically and analytically 2. Infer meaning through observation 3. Construct meaningful conversations to obtain information Consider writing cognitive, affective and psychomotor objectives. Unit Scope and Sequence The outline of my unit is focused on grasping interview basics first, watching these basics be put into action by watching videos of professional interviews, and finally, putting these skills to use through personal experience. The main assignments to determine student comprehension are the partner profile and personality profile assignments. *The attached calendar provides a general overview of the unit* Day One: We will go over the basics of interviewing in a PowerPoint presentation. Students are expected to take notes and will be given a handout of the lecture. Day Two: We will take a look at two video clips, both with differing style, purpose, and tone. Students will analyze the differences of these interviews by critically analyzing key elements of observation. They will use their knowledge to work in pairs and groups.

Day Three: Students will watch MTVs Lady Gaga: Inside the Outside, an hourlong video of the songstress. Students will be taking notes of their observations and will write a reflection based on their findings Day Four: This begins the first experience taking on the role of interviewer. Students will work on developing questions and will gain practice asking these questions to a partner in class. Day Five: Students will be given the entire class period to write the partner profile based on the information gathered from the last class period. Students will be encouraged to work with me if they have any questions or need assistance. Day Six: This day begins the final assignment for the unit: the personality profile. Students are expected to go by themselves and interview a school faculty member or schoolmate with whom they are unfamiliar. The purpose for interviewing these people is so students have the ability to work on the project during class. Students will be given an ample amount of class time to accomplish their interviews and work on starting their profile in class. Day Seven: Students will be given the entire class period to write their personality profiles and complete any follow-up steps necessary. They are encouraged to come to me for assistance or with any questions. This also gives students time to work on their reflection assignment. Day Eight: The personality profile is due today, along with the reflection. Students will begin a new unit. Formative and Summative Assessments For this unit, I plan to assess students mainly through the use of formative assessment, with the partner profile and personality profile assignments being the only major summative assessments. During this unit, students will be taking a lot of notes and making a lot of observations. These will act as my most essential guide when determining my unit plan. I also want to have students practice thinking about scenarios they may encounter and how they will react in specific settings. Worksheets will act as a guide so students are clear about what to look for when watching videos in class. The personality profile and partner profile assignments will be used as summative assessments to determine how well they interviewed their subjects. While evaluating these papers, it should be clear that students have demonstrated their understanding of good interview questions and an effort to do background research as it relates to(and most often leads to) good reporting and writing. List of Assessment Tools: 1. 2. 3. 4. Notes from video clips (Formative) Group posters (Formative) Observation and Inquiry (Formative) Exit slips (Summative, Formative)

5. Scenario answers (Formative) 6. Worksheets (Formative) 7. Reflections (Formative) 8. Teacher interview (Formative) 9. List of completed questions (Formative, Summative) 10. Follow-up questions provided (Formative, Summative) 11. Partner profile assignment (Summative) 12. Rubric standards for partner profile (Summative) 13. Class interview list (Formative) 14. Individual interview lists (Formative) 15. One-on-one meeting for personality profile interview (Formative) 16. Interview notes and additional materials (Formative) 17. Personality profile (Summative) 18. Final reflection (Formative) 19. Rubric standards for personality profile (Summative) Supplemental Materials/Resources used Supplemental Materials: HandoutsInterview Basics PowerPoint, 21-Question framework model YouTube Video ClipsOprah MTVs Lady Gaga: Inside the Outside interview Directions for partner profile Directions for personality profile 6+1 Traits of Writing-based rubric *Formative assessments listed above Resources: Paper/notebook, writing utensils, recording device, large poster-size paper, markers, computers, Microsoft Word (PowerPoint) software, InFocus projector, Internet access, YouTube, handouts (Interview Basics PowerPoint, 21-Question framework model) directions for profile assignments, Interview worksheet, television

Reflection While developing this unit, I came across obstacles but found the overall planning process to be a very enjoyable and beneficial learning experience. Over the course of the semester, Ive come to realize that Im much less overwhelmed when planning a unit than I was when I started the education program. I have a better understanding of how time-consuming yet important it is to pay attention to the details. I like having the opportunity to practice writing learning objectives and establishing purposes for lessons, and more importantly, making connections to the big picture. Although I chose to design my unit using a more traditional, standard framework, I very much appreciate the new outlook I gained by studying and practicing the Understanding by Design framework. Personally, I find it much easier for me to work through the process of creating a unit by explaining it rather than using bullet pointsits as if Im talking about the dynamics to myself, which helps me better comprehend the details. Because of this, using a standard framework to create the interviewing unit plan made it a much better process. Im still very eager and enthusiastic to gain more practice with the Understanding by Design framework, however. I chose to design a unit based on the subject matter I know best, but interviewing is something Ive had little practice with while receiving my masters degree. Because of this, I decided it would be a great opportunity to refresh my memory. I plan to teach journalism, and appreciate how journalism lends itself to being a valuable interdisciplinary subject (speech, literature, writing, etc.). The key components of journalism translate well into life outside the classroom. These become enduring understandings, which are the most valuable concepts to learn in the K-12 setting and beyond. Interviewing is a skill that requires a lot of self-knowledge and self-confidence. Its an invaluable thing to know and be able to do, while teaching students how to behave professionally and appropriately. I wanted to incorporate these aspects into my lesson and create activities that focused mainly around enduring life-skill concepts: observation and meaning-making, critical analysis, professional conduct, etc. I also felt it would be most intriguing to teach students how to adopt these skills by showing

them through videos. Teenagers are highly visual learners, and its important to use this as an advantage when planning lessons. I did encounter some difficulties while creating the unit plan. For instance, it became slightly challenging to make sure my objectives and learning goals were consistent from lesson to lesson, and that lesson goals were consistent with overall unit goals. In order to help make sense of the learning goals and objectives I wanted to include, I added essential questions as they pertained to the lesson plans, not just the unit. I also struggled a bit with generating ideas for lessons. I wanted to create a successful lesson that held learning goals in high regard but was still fun and engaging. High school students can be hard to engage, but based on experience, I know that most react well to watching videos. If this unit were to be used in a real classroom setting, I would most enjoy reviewing the notes of observations people made. Effective communication is one of the most essential components of life, and it would be fun to see students make the connection between effective communication and deduced meaning.