Humanities: English & History Ben Horwitz, Supervisor bhorwitz@rtnj.org 973.361.0808 x 6292 Journalism Club

Social Studies Sequence Grade 9 World History AP, Honors, A Electives for 9th Graders    Ethics – Honors (S) Philosophy – Honors (S) World Religions (S) Contemporary Issues – (S) (S)=Semester Grade 10 United States History I Honors, A, B Grade 11 United States History II AP, A, B Grade 12 Optional Electives

English Sequence Electives for 9th Graders Journalism I English I Honors, A, B Grade 10 English II Honors, A, B Electives for 9th Graders Journalism I    Public Speaking Theater Arts I Grade 11 English III AP, A, B Grade 12 English IV AP, A, B Transitional English, Learning Skills, and Academic Review Offered Grades 9-12

JOURNALISM I and II Mrs. Finnell

About Me This is my third year teaching at RHS and my eighth year as a teacher. Prior to teaching, I was a journalist. I’ve edited and/or published articles in over thirty magazines, newspapers, and books: Boston Magazine Chicken Soup for the Soul Condé Nast Sports for Women Bostonia/ BU Today New Jersey Monthly Skiing Magazine In my last journalism job, I traveled to and wrote articles on ski resorts around the world. It was a great gig…until I had children. So, I made the move to teaching. Today, I feel lucky to be able to teach journalism, a career I still hold dear.

My goals as a journalism teacher Convey the excitement of being a journalist: Students are “journos.” Editorial meetings take place in “the pit.” Students work “on deadline.” Improve students’ writing skills: Students learn a new way to tell stories…and how to organize their thoughts from most to least important, using traditional “pyramid structure.”

Goals cont. Get students published! An authentic writing experience. This year…30 articles published in TapintoRandolph and Ram-Page, the RHS newspaper. 30 more on deck. TAP articles are also posted on Facebook, where journos enjoy “likes” and comments from members of the Randolph community.

Goals cont. To help students understand world events: “Newsday Tuesday.” To help them interpret the news: What’s bias? What’s “fake versus real” news? To help in their college and career prep: Students graduate RHS as published writers. They can include this on their student “brag sheets” for guidance counselors and on college applications. For seniors, RHS offers journalism internships through Option II. Finally, students are well-prepared for college-level journalism classes.

Guest speakers Lisanne Renner, NY Times Allison Freeman, RHS PR Chris Manderioli, TAPintoRandolph

Journalism 1: Units of Study Breaking news Sports writing Feature writing Editorial writing Profile writing History of journalism Understanding bias and angle Media law and ethics The 24-hour news cycle Social media Citizen journalism

Skills gained Notetaking Interviewing News gathering Writing (all genres) Fact-checking Pitching (story ideas to editors) Global understanding of current events Historical perspective of the media Ability to interpret media bias In-depth understanding of the publication process. And so much more…

Journalism II: Units of Study Journalism Boot Camp (concept review) Writing Across the Discipline (niche writing) Citizen Journalism and Technology’s Impact Publication Design Broadcast Journalism Photography and Photojournalism From Pitching to Publication Electronic Journalism: Writing for the Digital World

Public Speaking & Theatre Arts Full year elective courses Fulfill performing arts graduation requirement Enhance public speaking skills Supportive, no-experience-necessary environment

Public Speaking Begin basic to combat nervousness Informative speeches Persuasive speeches Art of conversation Debate Poetry reading

Theater Arts I Begin basic to build an ensemble ethic Improvisation Monologues Scene work Design Directing Writing

Benefits Fulfills graduation requirement Demonstrates learning in a new way Builds confidence Builds comradery amongst peers Benefits

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