Draft a lesson plan that develops student's abilities to "identify and develop story ideas for print and online publications." The students are upper-level college students.
Lesson Plan: "Identifying and Developing Story Ideas for Print and Online Publications"
Objective: Students will be able to identify and develop story ideas for print and online publications by the end of the lesson.
Materials:
- Handouts on brainstorming techniques and story idea development
- Writing prompts
- Access to current news and publications
Procedure:
Introduction (10 minutes): Review the importance of finding and developing story ideas for print and online publications. Discuss the role of a journalist in identifying and reporting on relevant and interesting stories.
Brainstorming Techniques (15 minutes): Provide students with handouts on brainstorming techniques and have them practice different methods in small groups. Encourage them to think outside of the box and consider different perspectives.
Writing Prompts (20 minutes): Give students a list of writing prompts related to current events and have them come up with potential story ideas based on each prompt. Encourage them to think about the angle and focus of each story.
Research and Development (40 minutes): Have students research current news and publications to find inspiration for story ideas. Provide them with access to a variety of sources, such as newspapers, magazines, and online news websites. Have students develop one or two story ideas they find interesting, including an angle and a focus.
Sharing and Feedback (20 minutes): Have students share their developed story ideas with the class and provide feedback on each other's ideas. Encourage them to think about how they could pitch their story to an editor or publication.
Conclusion (10 minutes): Summarize the importance of finding and developing story ideas, and discuss how the skills learned in this lesson can be applied to future writing and journalism assignments.
Assessment:
- Students will turn in a written proposal for one of the story ideas they developed during class.
- Students will participate in class discussions and provide feedback on their peers' story ideas.
- Students will receive a grade on their written proposal based on the quality of their ideas, writing, and research.
Note: This is a basic lesson plan structure and it could be adjusted according to the class time, student's prior knowledge, and the instructor's preference.