Journalism Lesson Plan

Overview:Cell phones and the Internet are a great way to communicate, but what if these methods become part of a pattern of abuse? A survey Liz Claiborne Inc. commissioned indicates this isn’t unusual. In fact the Teen Research Unlimited (TRU) study of teens from 13 – 18 showed an alarming number of teens are involved in relationships that include control, threats and humiliation. For instance, one in three teens reported receiving up to 30 text messages an hour from a partner trying to find out where they are and what they are doing. The student also showed parents are often unaware of what is happening.

Suggested time allotment: 2 –3 days for research online and in periodicals for background, brainstorming in a “maestro group” about the various stories, statistics and information a package about such abuse could contain, then an additional one to two weeks to research, interview, survey and write the articles, develop the infographics and other visuals.

Objectives

Students will:

1. Research dating abuse, particularly as it affects teens in general and specifically when technology like cells phones and the Internet is involved.
2. Form a maestro team of reporters, photographers, graphics artists and page designers to put together all the information in a way that tells a compelling story to the readers.
3. Survey students in your school about the abuse situation. Be sure to choose questions that are not “leading.” In other words, be sure those who write the questions don’t appear to ASSUME there is an abuse problem in the school. (See links below for guidelines for creating surveys.)
4. Find local experts to interview who can say what is available in your community to help combat abusive relationships.
4. Continue to work as a team to put together the package.

Standards: National Council of Teachers of English and International Reading Association Standards for English Language Arts
4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written and visual language (e.g.,conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
8. Students use a variety of technological and informational resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
12. Students use spoken, written and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion and the exchange of information).

Resources and materials:
Web sites with information:
• Read about the survey Liz Claiborne Inc. commissioned. The link below gives a summary of the results, but at the bottom that is another link to the complete survey.
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• The entire Love Is Not Abuse site is filled with statistics, suggested actions and ways to contact experts.
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• T.E.A.R. — Teens Experiencing Abusive Relationships — is an organization by and for teens with the goal of preventing dating violence through education. Its Web site also has a wide range of useful information.
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• To get help for writing a survey, the Web site for the Encyclopedia of Educational Technology, includes “Types of Survey Questions”
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• To figure out what the numbers mean, “former geek” and now researcher Robert Giles explains in simple terms:
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• Learn how to work as a team to put together several stories, sidebars and visuals.“Perfect Harmony,” a description of Buck Ryan’s Maestro Concept, is part of the American Copy Editors Society 2002 conference coverage, by Kim Eggerton, copy editor at The Columbus Dispatch.
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