What's included
8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentHomework
1-2 hours per week. Each week learners will have to come up with article ideas and execute those ideas for the virtual student newspaper.Assessment
Feedback will be given to every learner on their article ideas and written submissions each week. If the learner or their parent/guardian would like grades to be given, that can be arranged as well.Grading
includedClass Experience
US Grade 8 - 11
In this course, learners will have designated days for certain aspects of the newspaper process while being socially distant and virtual. Each week will follow the same pattern- 1. Mondays, a new video will be available discussing the journalism style of the week (news, feature, sports, opinion/editorial, review) as well as stylistic changes, tips, and tricks for writing successful articles. 2. Wednesdays, the class will have its 'pitch' meeting. The instructor will post asking about the students' plans for what they think they want to write about, offer feedback, and learners will interact with each other to provide ideas and constructive criticism. 3. Thursdays and Fridays the instructor will be available with quick responses to messages and there is potential for a Zoom meeting to discuss ideas. The instructor can also act as a practice interview source so learners can sharpen interview skills. 4. The following Monday articles will be due via Word document or Google document and the instructor will review them as the editor in chief of the newspaper. If students want to take the feedback and resubmit them a second time, they may. In the first five weeks of the course, there will be an assigned section of the newspaper the learners will write in. In the last 2 weeks, learners will be able to choose what type of article they want to write. The course will be available for an extra week in case there is any work to be made up. The course will also include weekly discussion threads where learners can update on their progress and connect with the class and instructor. The instructor may also provide relevant articles in prominent newspapers online for the learners to study and inform their own writing style.
Learning Goals
Learners will sharpen their writing skills while working on a deadline, creating new work each week, and connecting with a new style of writing.
Syllabus
8 Lessons
over 8 WeeksLesson 1:
Intro to News Writing
Learners will learn how to write news articles, as well as learn tips and tricks for citing information and conducting interviews.
Lesson 2:
Intro to Feature Writing
Learners will use their skills from week 1 to pivot to the "features" section of the newspaper.
Lesson 3:
Intro to Sports Writing
Learners will learn how to write effective sports articles.
Lesson 4:
Intro to Reviews
Learners will learn how to write reviews, as well as how to convey opinions effectively, persuasively, and factually.
Other Details
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
- Google Documents or Microsoft Word
Teacher expertise and credentials
Hello everyone! My name is Abbie! I finished my master's degree in library science from Drexel University in September 2023; I also hold a BA in English and journalism from the University of Delaware; some of my favorite coursework outside of my major were classes in other forms of writing, literature, art history, performing arts, and social sciences. When I am not in class, you can find me reading anything I can get my hands on and watching LOTS of Netflix. I look forward to talking to you all more!
Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$7
weekly or $50 for all content8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 14 learners
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Ages: 13-18