12 October 2016

Today students worked on revising their peer profiles. Some students used class time to complete interviews; others worked on transcription and revision. Outside interviews should be completed over the long weekend. A complete revision is due on 17 October.

10 October 2016

We began class by reading an excerpt from photojournalist Brian Shih's book The Black Panthers: Portraits from an Unfinished Revolution. Mr. Shih will be visiting Grant High School on 11 October, and students in Grant Magazine and the Intro to Grant Mag class have the opportunity of attending a lecture during which Shih will discuss the book.

Students then reviewed the first drafts of their profiles, getting feedback from mentors. Many students needed to review the Ten Steps to a Great Story that were introduced at the beginning of the unit: skipping steps results in incomplete work. A second draft of the story is due on 17 October.

6 October 2016

Today students had class time to work on their peer profiles. First drafts were turned in at the end of the class period. Students will receive feedback next week.

4 October 2016

Today students learned some tips for transcribing their interviews and organizing their notes. Then, students were given the class period to work on transcribing and drafting their profile stories. Students also did additional interviews with their partners if needed.

30 September 2016

Today students learned about the basics of AP style, which they will use as they move into journalistic writing. We read the profile "Wilson's Track" and discussed the writer's use of direct and indirect quotes to develop the piece. We discussed places where the writer went beyond telling and used evidence to show the qualities of the article's subject. After critiquing the piece, students received their Peer Profile assignment. The next two class sessions will be devoted to transcription and writing. The first complete draft of the Peer Profile will be due at the end of class on Thursday, 6 October.

28 September 2016

Today students turned in their budget lines so that mentors could provide them with feedback. With their partners, students were assigned a New York Times Magazine from this past year to read through. With the partner they are profiling, they were asked to identify five stories in the magazine that piqued their interest from the standpoint of a reader, a writer, or a reporter; they were asked to identify one story in the issue that they want to share with the class at a future session. Students then received written and oral feedback about the budget lines they had produced.

26 September 2016

Today students took a look at two different budget lines, one for a profile about senior Emma Findling, and one for an upcoming news profile about attendance coordinator Lee Orr; we then read the story that was generated about Emma Findling, discussing where there was overlap between the budget line and the ultimate profile, and where reporting ultimately led in different directions. Students were assigned the task of composing a complete budget line for the peer profile they are working on. The the budget line is due at the beginning of our next session.

22 September 2016

Students today broke into groups and conducted a pitch session with mentors, working toward developing the thread of the peer profile they're beginning to report. We read a feature profile about GHS graduate Shayla Noil, again identifying the shifts from section to section of the story and discussing the interview techniques the writer had to employ to craft such a personal and impactful story. Students had time with their profile focus and were encouraged to begin scheduling outside interviews.

20 September 2016

Today students viewed a New York Times Op-Doc, "Gnarly in Pink," and we discussed how the videographers employed the feature profile structure to tell the story of a group of skateboarding girls. We discussed how visual elements could function in the place of writing to create a similar effect in terms of storytelling.

Students then had time to interview the peer they have been assigned to work with as we move toward the Peer Feature Profile.

16 September 2016

Today students were introduced to the essential elements of a feature profile--the lede, the nut graf, the step-back, the come-to-present, and the kicker. We analyzed a recent feature profile about teacher Branic Howard, identifying each element of that profile and discussing the ways the writer provided "markers" in the text to signal shifts from section to section. We discussed how a thread was developed to establish connections between each segment of the story.

14 September 2016

Today Grant Magazine mentors demonstrated both a good and a bad interview for the class.  Students had the opportunity to discuss what went well and what didn't go well in the interviews. Afterwards, students were introduced to the 10 steps to a great story handout and mentors led them through what each step means and how it is put into place when writing a story.

12 September 2016

Today students began class by discussing key moments from what they had watched so far in Spotlight. They then finished watching the film and discussed the challenges that the Boston Globe reporters faced and the approaches they used to build their story.

8 September 2016

Today students reviewed the Boston Globe article "Church allowed abuse by priest for years" and began viewing the film Spotlight. 

6 September 2016

Today students read the Boston Globe article "Church allowed abuse by priest for years," thinking through the lenses of readers, writers, and reporters. We discussed our observations about the piece from those points of view in preparation for our viewing of the film Spotlight, which we will begin next time.

1 September 2016

Today students learned about the course overview, learned more about specific types of articles that are included in the magazine, and received the Letter of Introduction assignment, which is due at the beginning of the next class.

30 August 2016

Today students met Dave Austin, the advisor for Grant Magazine, and learned about the commitments, responsibilities, and goals of the magazine staff. Students engaged in community-building activities and spent time in small groups learning about specific features of the magazine.

Welcome to Intro to Grant Magazine!

In this class, you'll work with your mentors and classmates to develop your voice as a journalist and your perspective on the world of telling true, impactful, thought-provoking and well-researched stories. We will write profiles, features, editorials, reviews; we will develop interviewing skills, inquiry strategies, and persistent curiosity. We will collaborate and learn from one another, pushing one another to become stronger through each activity. Your mentors and I cannot wait to get started.