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Title Of Unit: School Student Newspaper

SUBJECT AREA GRADE LEVEL TIME TO COMPLETE
Language Arts Grades 3-6 6 weeks

AUTHOR'S NAME SCHOOL ADDRESS PHONE, E-MAIL
Patti Pond John Fuller Elementary
North Conway, NH 356-5381

WORKPLACE OR COMMUNITY CONTEXT
Students will creat a student similar in format to the local newspapers. They will collaborate with the local papers and community business to create articles, advertisement, and determine distribution.

THE PROJECT

OVERVIEW
Students will create a student newspaper integration skills from various areas of the curriculum. This would begin with an editor or publisher of a local paper speaking to the students about how to develop a paper. Students will follow the writing process to write articles for the paper. They will also conduct at least one survey of the school on one current issue and create a graph to display their results in the paper. Students will use their technology skills to enter their products into the computer. An advertising salesman from the local paper will speak to the students about sales and the role of advertising in supporting a paper. Students will sell advertisements to local business and calculate how the profits from their sales could support the cost of production. Finally, students will distribute their papers in the school and community.

ALIGNMENT WITH NEW HAMPSHIRE CURRICULUM FRAMEWORKS

FRAMEWORK HOW IT IS ADDRESSED IN YOUR PROJECT
Lang. Arts--Students will demonstrate the interest and ability to write effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences. Students will conduct research, interview, and follow the writing process to create articles using a variety of forms (i.e.: editorials, book reviews, interviews, sports reports, etc.) to be published in the paper.
Math-Students will recognize, develop and explore mathematical connections. Students will identify mathematical applications in social studies. Students will conduct a social studies survey chosen by the group and then create graphs, tables or maps to display their results in the paper. An example of a relevant study might be to survey what state each student in the school, or segment of the shcool was born in and display their results in a variety of manners. This area could also be connected to, or an extension of some area of the social studies curriculum that one of the classrooms is studying.
Math--Students will recognize, develop and explore mathematical connections. Use money in real world situations.
S.S.-Demonstrate the use of barter and money in everyday settings.
Students will sell advertisements and determine how the profits from their sales might support the cost of production of the paper.

TIMELINE

PROJECT OR SUPPORTING ACTIVITY	DESCRIPTION
Gueset speaker - editor or publisher of local paper.	Publisher of local paper will discuss with students the elements of developing a newspaper, the role of reporter, and the role of a newspaper in a community.
Prewriting: Brainstorming Session	Students will brainstorm ideas for the content of the paper and assignments will be made
Prewriting: Collection Information	Teacher will review interviewing techniques with students. Students will practice interviewing each other using a basic set of questions developed by the teacher. Students will then develop a list of who they may need to interview for their article and develop a list of interview questions for their interviews. Students will then conduct their interviews.
Prewriting: Collecting Information	Students will conduct any needed supporting research for their articles using library, internet, community resources.
Rough Draft, Revisions, Editing	Students will write their articles. Teacher will provide instruction in organization, adding clarity, using the 5 senses to write and using descriptive writing. Teacher will provide feedback through conferencing.
Adding a mathematical connection and graphics	Students will decide on a survey they wish as a group to conduct for the paper, the format for conducting the survey and for interpreting the results. They will then follow this process and vote on which graphic, chart, map or other graphic they wish to use in the paper.
Guest Speaker - Advertising manager of local paper	Advertising manager will speak to students about the role advertisement plays in the production of the paper, skills needed to sell advertisement, and how to determine customers and cost.
Determining cost of production	Students will, using simple mathematics, and given relevant data by teacher, determine the cost of production of the paper. Students will then project how much advertisement, at what costs, and how many issues will it take before the newspaper were to begin to make a profit. Students will consider what is reasonable to charge for the advertisement (based on researching what other school papers and local papers charge). Students will then give an oral presentation, using visuals, to pitch their plan for selling advertisement. Individual schools may chose to actually have students, who wish to, go out with advisors and sell advertisements. If they chose to do this, time should be given for students to practice this in a class setting.
Layout	Students with teacher will pull together all the elements of the paper and determine each piece is placed in the paper. Students will work collaboratively to determine the layout of the paper.
Class trip to Conway Daily Sun	Students will visit the local newspaper. They will explore all avenues of production from the people to the technology and equipment involved.
Distribution	Students will determine what the best sties for distribution would be and then distribute the papers.

PROJECT RESOURCES

Steve Eastman, The Mountain Ear
Adam Hirshan, Editor, The Conway Daily Sun
Bob Waters, Advertising Sales Manager, The Conway Daily Sun
Various community businesses willing to buy advertisement (If you chose to actually sell advertisements)
Various community businesses and sites willing to allow you to distribute you papers there (librairies, bookstores, nursing homes, Chamber of Commerce, etc.)
Technology needed: Computer lab with scanner, Pagemaker software is a good system to use, wide sheet printer and wide sheet printer paper (check local paper for sizes needed for production)

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
1. When do you plan to implement your project-based unit?
I have already implemented components of this project, producing a student newspaper. I haven't in the past incorporated the math component. I will be adding the advertising piece this year also. I will be implementing this project this fall as an enrichment program after school for grades 3-6. It will take my group longer to complete this project since we only meet once a week, but it could also ba a classroom project.

2.List the steps you need to take to implement your project-based unit. Include approximate meeting dates with your peers and your project-based learning consultant.
If you are starting this project for the first time you will need to find resources to purchase the technology needed before beginning. I was able to obtain funding for the technology from the PTA and School to Career, other avenues may be explored. Support must be obtained from the community also for speakers.

Mt. Washington Valley School-to-Career Coordinator
PO Box 1066 Conway, NH 03818 Phone/Fax: 603-447-2350

SUBJECT AREA	GRADE LEVEL	TIME TO COMPLETE
Language Arts	Grades 3-6	6 weeks

AUTHOR'S NAME	SCHOOL ADDRESS	PHONE, E-MAIL
Patti Pond	John Fuller Elementary North Conway, NH	356-5381

FRAMEWORK	HOW IT IS ADDRESSED IN YOUR PROJECT
Lang. Arts--Students will demonstrate the interest and ability to write effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences.	Students will conduct research, interview, and follow the writing process to create articles using a variety of forms (i.e.: editorials, book reviews, interviews, sports reports, etc.) to be published in the paper.
Math-Students will recognize, develop and explore mathematical connections. Students will identify mathematical applications in social studies.	Students will conduct a social studies survey chosen by the group and then create graphs, tables or maps to display their results in the paper. An example of a relevant study might be to survey what state each student in the school, or segment of the shcool was born in and display their results in a variety of manners. This area could also be connected to, or an extension of some area of the social studies curriculum that one of the classrooms is studying.
Math--Students will recognize, develop and explore mathematical connections. Use money in real world situations. S.S.-Demonstrate the use of barter and money in everyday settings.	Students will sell advertisements and determine how the profits from their sales might support the cost of production of the paper.