Page 161 - Jostens Yearbook_Adviser Guide

DON’T SKIP THIS

BUILDING A STORY

Name__________________________________
The writing process for traditional copy is STEP 1: What’s your page TOPIC?_____________________________________________________________

STEP 2: What are some QUESTIONS that come to mind when you think of this topic?
extensive. To write stories well, students need Note: These are not necessarily interview questions, these are pieces of information that you want to know to move the direction of the story.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD STORY
___________________________________________________________________________________
to brainstorm, write, revise and edit—each step ___________________________________________________________________________________ WORKFLOW: DRAFTING 7.4
___________________________________________________________________________________
often having a its own set of sub-steps that STEP 3: What’s your story ANGLE?______________________________________________________
REPORT A STORY ABOUT A REAL PERSON. DON’T WALLOW IN THE OBVIOUS.
Note: Angle is the point or theme of the story. Why are we telling this story? If your answer is simply “to inform,” then you need to explore other angles.
First and foremost, yearbook staffers are journalists. It’s their job to record the stories of the school visually and verbally. In addition
___________________________________________________________________________________
to including quick reads and secondary “spin-off” coverage such as quote boxes, lists and timelines, they must balance alternative
add to the complexity of the work. Streamlining ___________________________________________________________________________________
copy and traditional reporting so they tell the reader something new.
It’s not enough to replace narratives with quick quotes, checklists, factoids and maps. In order to tell the stories of the year, yearbook
journalists must find the story, interview the most authoritative sources for the story, re-create the action and emotion that is a part
the writing process becomes essential in a ___________________________________________________________________________________ AND REVISION
of the story, and capture the drama to involve the reader.
STEP 4: Who can you INTERVIEW (choose three people)? Why did you choose them?
And how to do you find the “authoritative source?” Well, of all those involved, who is the one person for whom the experience is
profoundly important? Rather than focusing Key Club goals, for example, note how this writer focused on one member and how the
club’s monthly project, visiting a nursing home, affected her.
middle school program. It can be challenging ___________________________________________________________________________________
Alone in the shredded back seat of the old yellow school bus, senior Nicole Moore cries, her tears trickling down her
___________________________________________________________________________________
cheeks, onto her brick red Jansport backpack. She holds a white lace handkerchief. It had belonged to her grandmother,
who died two years ago.
to prioritize which steps to abbreviate. ___________________________________________________________________________________
“Visiting the nursing home is always so difficult because it reminds me of my grandmother,” Nicole says. She and 12 other
Key Club members spend at least one afternoon per month at The Hillsdale Retirement Center, where for two or three
hours they serve refreshments, chat, sometimes play checkers or dominoes. Nicole works the room like a pro, pouring tea,
However, brainstorming is not one of them. The STEP 5: What types of SECONDARY COVERAGE can you include? What other stories will you tell?
serving cookies and making small talk with the old folks.
Note: Secondary coverage includes polls, surveys, Q&A or any of our thematic modules.

But she reserves most of her time for one special friend.
___________________________________________________________________________________
“I met Mrs. (Anna) Segretti on my first visit to the center and we had an immediate connection,” Nicole says. “Her husband
brainstorming and Building a Story steps help ___________________________________________________________________________________ Writing is a process. And with student publications, writing
died in World War II and she raised four children alone, working as a nurse. She put her children through college and then
went to college herself. She’s lived the most amazing life.”
Nicole often brushes her friend’s hair, which has gone gray now but retains enough hint of auburn to suggest that years
___________________________________________________________________________________
students find the best possible story. A story that STEP 6: Write the lead to the story: ______________________________________________________ And she listens to me, lets me tell her
ago she must have been striking. Today, Mrs. Segretti resembles a very old Holly Hunter.
“She likes to tell me about her children, how proud she is of them,” Nicole says. “
about my problems. I talk to her about my parents, about boys. I tell her things I can’t tell anyone else. She reminds me so instruction includes communicating the system for taking a piece
much of my grandmother.” With that, her eyes swell and glisten, and she turns away.
lacks strong editing but has a compelling angle, ___________________________________________________________________________________
REMEMBER, A GOOD STORY…
___________________________________________________________________________________
■ Tells readers something they didn’t know
has more appeal than a well-written story full ___________________________________________________________________________________ of writing from start to finish, through multiple drafts and revision
■ Reveals humanity, personality
___________________________________________________________________________________
■ Captures powerful moments
of clichés. ■ Explains what it means and relying on classmates for commentary and feedback.
© 2018 by Jostens, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
■ Appeals to emotions and senses
■ Has tone, pace and voice
—Guest Author, Bobby Hawthorne, author of The Radical Write writing text
IN A MINUTE © 2018 by Jostens, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Creating a workflow process helps students maintain focus with
achievable milestones. They don’t need to tackle the perfect story on
their first draft, but rather they should aim to produce a researched
BRAINSTORMING ACTIVITIES CONTENT BRAINSTORMING piece of writing with an original angle that incorporates information

In the topic boxes below, brainstorm at least one story idea that would interest the students at our school. Enter an idea in at least 16 of the boxes for full credit. gained from interviews. From there, the workflow process functions

NEW OR DIFFERENT AT OUR SCHOOL NEWS IN OUR TOWN WORLD NEWS
What is unique about this year? What is unique
A current event that impacts the students in
What is happening at other schools or in our city?
When tight for time, brainstorming activities might about us? our schools like a funnel, each edit focusing more and more on a specific and
be used in lieu of a research phase. attainable goal, until the piece of writing has little left to critique.

INTERVIEWS PERSONALITY PROFILES UNEXPECTED MAN ON THE STREET FUN FACTS
THEME
In-depth questions that would yield In-depth story idea about a student, player or A story idea that people won’t expect Survey or poll ideas
Quick opinion questions to ask students on a specific
Text that ties our theme to our student experience
interesting answers school adult subject
Using a collaborative online writing program like Google Docs
1. BRAINSTORMING HANDOUT: Students get allows advisers to automate the workflow process. In Google Docs,
15-20 topics having to do with school,
TRENDS
A unique look at a sports-related topic or experience
A unique look at club activities
What is popular this year? SPORTS CLUB NEWS students may view their classmates’ work as editor or in comment
FEATURES CLASSES SOCIAL MEDIA
area or world events and then think of Feature story ideas Projects, concepts, traditions What are people talking about? view. With clear guidelines for each edit, students can access

story options in each category. yearbook copy from any computer with an internet connection and
© 2018 by Jostens, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
appropriately critique their classmates’ work.
COOL! LISTEN/WATCH PLACES
Fun things students do outside of school Popular music, movies or shows Locations where students are found
2. STICKY NOTE STRATEGY: A whole 7 COVERAGE 2 .4
class brainstorming activity in which MINUTE The Sticky Note Strategy While each staff’s workflow process will depend on the amount
STARTER
of total production time, a suggested workflow process might
students try to come up with before, OBJECTIVES
Ó 2018 by Jostens, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
STEP 1 | LEARN include the following steps:
during, and after story ideas for a Students will understand that they are creating a product that should be appealing to the entire school. As
such, the yearbook must present topics in new and fresh ways while covering a wide range of students.
STEP 2 | PRACTICE
given topic. Individual plus whole-class Students will brainstorm new ways to cover topics using sticky notes: 1. Page assignment given to student or student team by adviser.
» Select and announce a topic that will be covered in the yearbook.
» 1 Minute: divide staff into teams. Teams should receive about 10 sticky notes.
» 2 Minutes: each group will brainstorm Before, During and After angles for covering the topic, Together, the team members complete the Build a Story
brainstorming helps students narrow » 2 Minutes: as a large group, organize sticky notes by Before, During and After, placing sticky
writing each one on a sticky note.
notes in two columns for each: verbal ideas and visual ideas.
» 2 Minutes: assign specific students to cover the best topics that were brainstormed, emphasizing worksheet mentioned in the previous section.
the wide field of ideas into a few EXTEND: event dates and deadline dates.
» Discuss ideas and add missing elements/angles.
choice selections. » Brainstorm even more specific coverage ideas. 2. One team member is assigned or volunteers to be the story
» Brainstorm for multiple topics.
» Brainstorm alternative coverage ideas like infographics, question & answer, polls, surveys, fill-in-
the-blanks, etc.
STEP 3 | USE writer and begins researching the topic and interviewing
Students will use the information learned to contribute complete and balanced coverage for the
current yearbook.
3. WRITE IT DOWN: Students first list all Students will understand that brainstorming can yield fresh ideas on a variety of topics and should the students.
be done often.
21ST CENTURY SKILLS
the things they know about the topic. In this lesson, students must think critically about how to cover yearbook topics so they appeal to a wide 3. Research is shared with the team who decides on the direction
range of students. This process requires clear and respectful communication amongst team members.
Then they list the things they don’t COMMON CORE ISTE ISTE STANDARDS of the story and page. The page designer and/or other team
STATE STANDARDS
1A: Apply existing knowledge to generate
ELA-Literacy.SL.9-12.1, CCRA.SL.1 new ideas.
know. Finally, they list the things they Initiate and participate effectively in a range 2B: Communicate ideas effectively using a members may offer feedback to the writer prior to first draft.
variety of media.
of collaborative discussions.
ELA-Literacy.SL.9-12.1d 2D: Contribute to project teams to produce
Respond thoughtfully to diverse original works.
want to know. Generally, a story idea perspectives. 4B: Plan and manage activities to develop The story plan is submitted to the adviser for approval. If the
a solution or complete a project.
or angle can be found in one of those Do you have an idea for a 7-Minute Starter? Email us at 7-Minutestarters@jostens.com angle of the story is either too limiting or too broad, the adviser
three areas. 14-0603 should offer suggestions and alternatives.
WRITING 161