Publications Writing

Daily Assignments and Activities

Publications Writing Week 1: September 7-9

Tuesday

Welcome to Publications Writing!

Here are some of the notes and handouts from today.

Course Description and Outline

Tatanka K-W-L.

Writer Information Sheet

Due tomorrow:

1. Your Summer Yearbook assignment.

If you want to see examples of this assignment from students from previous years, take a look at the following links. Keep in mind that these are one of many right ways to do this assignment. Yours can and should be unique and fit your writing style.

Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

Sample 4

***

As a class, we focused on the concept of theme today.

Publications Writing Notes: Day 1 – Theme

You took a look at a variety of books from around the state and country; public schools, private schools, middle schools, and high schools. The books had different standards of quality, but they all had one thing in common: Theme. You broke down the theme and presented it to the class. Your knowledge went toward helping you think about the homework for tonight.

Wednesday

The first thing we did today was sign up for four deadlines worth of stories.  You’ll be assigned all your stories by tomorrow at the latest. I’m hoping to be able to post the stories tonight.

We then workshopped your Summer Yearbook Theme assignments aloud in small groups. We read aloud frequently in this class, and there will never be an opportunity to “pass” on reading. Each small group will pick one member to read aloud to the entire class.

Once everyone has read, you will be working on creating a front and back cover for your Summer Yearbook. You will be graded on creativity, clarity, and the ability to portray the theme in an appropriate, attractive way. Your cover should reflect the theme of your book clearly. You will need to finish your cover by the middle of the block tomorrow.

Take a look at these examples from last year.

If we had time, we got in to small groups with editors and working on getting your questions from our KWL sheet answered.

Your homework for tonight is to fill out the GWEN sheet that was in your Deadline Folder.

PW: Term 3, Days 2-4

Today, we’re starting our Promotions Unit.

Our goal: Sell 400 books in two months. Can we do it?

We’re going to start this by reading The Day the Yearbook Died from Print Magazine.

After that, we’ll have a short class discussion before breaking into groups for the rest of the week. We’ll talk about advertising strategies, message consistency, word-of-mouth efforts, whole class projects. Everyone will have duties that are a part of our whole-group effort.

On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, you’ll be in small groups designing an individual poster and ad campaign. The best two campaigns, as voted on by the class, will be put into action as a part of our quarter-long effort.

We’ll have to have this all decided by the end of class on Friday or the beginning of the hour on Monday.

Good luck.

PW: Term 3 – Day 1

We really need to finish up Proofs and Indexing mistakes today. This is our first priority.

I don’t think we’re going to get to the Promotions Unit until tomorrow.

Term 2: Final Week

Deadline 4 Breakdown:

Photo Orders Due: Wednesday, February 3
3 Interviews/1 Observation: Wednesday, February 10
6 Interviews/1 Observation: Wednesday, February 17
Rough Draft: Friday, February 19
Final Draft: Friday, February 26
Worknight: Wednesday, March 3
Complete: Friday, March 5

Tuesday:

We’ll start the hour with a Team Building Activity.

Today you’ll get on computers, take your ideas from Friday, and start turning them into an actual spread on InDesign. The editors will be available to help you if you have any software questions.

Homework: Yearbook Deadline Evaluation

Wednesday:

Due today: Yearbook Deadline Evaluation

Finish your layouts and present them to the class.

Thursday:

Team Building Activity

Deadline 4 Story Starter

Friday:

To be decided.

Worknight!

Worknight Checklist

Make sure that these are printed out, filled out, and turn it in by the end of worknight.

Learning and Fun survey

Please take this survey. You are the best.
Follow this link, please.

PW: Term 2, Days 27-29

Due Wednesday: Your computer layout. We’ll talk about how to send those on Wednesday at the start of class.

Due Wednesday: Your final draft.

Monday:

I read through all drafts, graded them, and graded the feedback you left classmates. Overall, I’m not thrilled with the quality of the work that was done and the percentage of you who left feedback for classmates.

There’s a ton of work that has to be done on your drafts to make them redable and appropriate for the yearbook. You’ve got to do that work by Wednesday.

Tuesday:

Work day.

Wednesday:

Update your drafts and make sure they’re final. I’ll read them over break and give feedback if you’d like to improve it.

Also, you’ll export your layouts as .jpg files and send them to me.

PW: Term 2, Days 22-26

Being gone three days this week is like a nightmare for me. I hate being gone. So, do your best today, because you’re awesome.

Here’s the plan for the week. Monday and Tuesday of this week look a lot like Monday and Tuesday from last week, because we’re actually going to get around to doing those things this time around.

Monday:

Today, you’re going to finally start transferring your layout from paper to InDesign. You can pick either you basic layout or advanced layout. It doesn’t matter which one you pick, so go with what you’re comfortable with. The editors are around to help you today.

Plus, I’ve made a video that will walk you through the first steps of these things today. If you’re using a Mac, please find out how to connect to your server to save your layout. Other students can teach you this.  Watch the video below for how to get started.

Your layout needs to be based on the Basic Layout Checklist

Today, just concentrate on getting the basics of your layout started. Don’t place pictures or text – just make the boxes.

Make sure you return your computer and plug it in before class gets over.

Tuesday:

Today, work on placing pictures and filling your spread’s copy blocks with content. Watch the video below for how to place and work with pictures and text.

Wednesday:

Due today: 6 interviews and 2 observations.

You’ll need to fill out both of the evaluation forms below and hand your interviews in at the start of the block. I’ll grade your interviews and return them to you as soon as I can while you get started on your stories.

Interview and Observation Self Evaluation – Part 1

Interview and Observation Self Evaluation – Part 1

Thursday:

You have the block to work on your stories. The Rough Draft is due on Friday.

Friday:

HOMEWORK FOR THE WEEKEND: Leave feedback on FOUR stories on Google Docs.

By the end of the block, you need to:

1. Share your document with your editors, Minnie, and McCallum

2. Put your draft in the Yearbook Writers Folder.

3. Fill out your Yearbook Rough Draft Evaluation 2009-2010 and put it in your folder.

Have a great weekend!

All students

Use this list to check the names in the index. Look closely.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/a/bhmschools.org/ccc?key=0AjscT8qEXSr5dEgwQTM2NmVxQS1KWGZHZEdCeWMtR3c&hl=en

PW: Term 2, Days 17-21

Deadline 2 Finalizing Document – Must be filled out on Monday.

We are also moving on to Deadline 3 this week. Here’s how it’s going to break down from start to finish:

• Here’s the complete Deadline Calendar
• Photo Orders: Thursday, December 10
  
• 6 Interviews and 2 Observations: Wednesday, December 16
  
• Rough Draft: Friday, December 18
  
• Final Draft: Monday, January 4
• Caption Writing: Monday and Tuesday, January 4-5
• Worknight: Wednesday, January 6
• Final Deadline: Friday, January 8
• Bruce: Monday, January 11
• Index Flowed: Tuesday, January 12
• Name checking and final corrections: Wednesday, January 13
• Final Proofing: Thursday, January 14
• Shipped to Dallas: Friday, January 15

Monday: Bruce is here today, so we won’t be able to work much on spreads. Some of you had specific things to do with the spreads that you had to finish today. Those are the only people who should be working on spreads today.

Instead of spreads, we’re going to move along in our InDesign unit and transfer your basic layouts to the computer. We’ll have the Mac Carts so everyone will be able to follow along.

Homework for tonight: Yearbook Deadline Evaluation

Tuesday: After Bruce’s visit, we will be double-checking indexing all names on spreads and flowing the index in order to check names before shipping.

After that, you’ll continue the layout that you started yesterday.

Wednesday: We will do our final proof-reading of our pages and make any corrections that weren’t made with names.

Thursday:

*Photo Orders are Due Today* We will also have the Mac Lab to enter in Photo Orders on the Computer. You’ll also fill out paper order forms and get them to photographers today.

Today is the team-reading phase and final correction time. You’ll read three other spreads and make any corrections you need at that point.

Any left over time will be spent working on layouts.

Friday: Editors will ship your spreads. You will not be able to make any changes to your spreads on Friday.

We will finish advanced layouts on the computer today, and you will officially be layout experts at this point.

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