Unit 4

Let the Pictures Tell the Story: Presenting a Point of View

Overview

To this point students have focused on straight news stories. In this unit they will turn their attention to articles that present a point of view (features and editorials). Students will also explore how images convey information and offer a unique view of news. In their final videotape visit to a daily newspaper, students will learn about the journalists who are responsible for the photographs, graphics, and artwork that make the news visually interesting. To close the unit, students will complete work on their class newspaper, writing additional articles and point-of-view pieces to supplement their stories on a local issue and using images to illustrate and enhance what they have written.

Learning Objectives

Through hands-on activities completed individually or cooperatively in pairs or small groups, students will

• explore feature writing and write a feature article of their own
• analyze methods of persuasive writing
• organize and write an editorial
• identify and evaluate supporting information in pre-existing stories and editorials and supply supporting information in their own writing
• interpret and create editorial cartoons
• choose images to enhance stories

Proficiencies

The proficiency testing outcomes emphasized in Unit 4 are:

Writing—Content and Language

Reading—Nonfiction and Everyday/Functional, Selection and use of appropriate reference sources and illustrative materials.


Overall Correlations