Title
Looking Beyond the Story
Description
This lesson helps students better understand how graphics and alternative story forms enhance and improve storytelling by taking a deeper look at The Daily Breeze’s coverage of Centinela Valley schools chief Jose Fernandez.
Objectives
- Students will identify how alternative story forms are used in everyday places.
- Students will brainstorm, research and sketch alternative story form ideas that could improve the Centinela Valley school superintendent story.
- Students will create a detailed, well-researched, factual and accurate alternative story form as per the project assignment instructions.
Common Core State Standards
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.1 | Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2 | Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4 | Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. |
| CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.5 | Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. |
Length
2-4 class periods
Materials / resources
Classroom textbook
Classroom environment (bulletin boards, posters, etc.)
Newspapers, magazines and yearbooks
Slideshow: Daily Breeze Design
Handout: Alternative Story Forms
Lesson step-by-step
- Before Teaching:
- Review the lesson slideshow and the handout to get a feel for how it is written and organized.
- Be sure to read the story that is linked within the body of the slideshow. The story is quite long, but it is good. You’ll need to know the background information to finish the lesson.
- Be sure you read/understand the assignment ahead of time – make any changes or adjustments you see necessary.
- Instruction (approximately 60 minutes)
- Walk students through the slideshow. There are a few self-discovery points within it that serve as mini-activities.
- Assignment (approximately 2-3 days)
- Review the Daily Breeze assignment (housed within the instructional slideshow) answering any questions students may have.
- Review the alternative story forms handout.
- Students begin assignment research.
- Students must have sketches approved by teacher.
- Students begin final Alt Story Form design.
- Students submit final designs for grading — the Daily Breeze Design rubric for assessment.
Differentiation
As outlined in the assignment description, there are three components everyone must complete. Then the fourth component has two options: 1) the assignment can be hand-drawn, or 2) the assignment can be completed using InDesign or Illustrator.