Due:
Weight: The Article is worth 20% of your final grade/80 points. The Presentation is worth 5% of your final grade/20 points.

Submission Checklist:

1. Grading Template

2. Article: Headline; subheadline; byline; columnar format; captioned illustrations; extended lead; engine; body (use of subheads; attributed interviews; attributed documentary evidence, etc.); ending

3. Presentation Outline: Topic Selection; Writing Process; Barriers: Changes; Follow-up

4. Bibliography

5. Sample Article.

6. Peer review--5% of your final grade/20 points.

Description: This article is based on a topic of interest to you and to the readership of the publication you have selected as the venue for this piece. The topic can be an extension of the news story you covered, or the newsletter article you wrote. You could do a personality profile, a sports story, a how-to, a travel piece, etc. It is extremely important to address the questions of "why do YOU care?", and "why should your READER care?"

Length: Approximately 2,000 words.

References: Your assigned text, the AP style manual, and any other writing guides which you find helpful.

Components:

The article--format this piece as a newspaper article in column form, complete with headline and subheadline and illustrations.

Illustration: photograph, table, chart, pull out quotations, etc.

Presentation outline. The presentation must be between 5-7 minutes. It's up to each of you to practice and hone your presentations so they stay within the time limits. The outline will show me that you've worked to edit your presentation to stay within the time limit. Follow the full-sentence outline format you used in your beginning public speaking class. The presentation is worth an additional 5% of your final grade.

Visual Aid: You must use a visual aid when making your presentation. A flip chart, poster or transparency (something visible from the back of the room) will work well. Do NOT use a distributed aid.

Bibliography: This is for my benefit and would not be considered part of the article itself. It should be a separate document. I want to see where you obtained your information, so this should include all interviews, published AND unpublished sources of written information, and any other references you might have incorporated (web sites, etc.). Use AP style.

Structure: Four parts–the lead, the engine, the body, and the ending.

I. Generally, the lead is described as the Extended Lead. Its primary function is to get the reader's attention. It can take a number of different forms, but for this assignment consider the three listed here.

A. Put a face on the issue. Focus on a person whose experience illustrates for the reader what the story concerns. Facts, figures, and statistics will follow, but will be made more meaningful in connection to the personalization approach. Another way of doing this is to offer a personal anecdote–a story in which the featured individual's story connects with the theme of the article.

B. Depict the person. Character profiles begin with leads that show the person in a scene or setting. The writer casts the person in ACTION in order to show readers aspects of the featured individual's character, background, or way of life. It is important in depicting the individual to write very descriptively. This is an opportunity to use slang and dialect, dialogue, and other more creative writing strategies. However, should slang be included, it must be used with respect.

C. Illuminate the Extraordinary with the Ordinary. Basic descriptions and familiar comparisons allow readers to imagine a place or event they have never been or experienced and probably will never see. Offer comparisons and contrasts between everyday occurrences and highly unique experiences or places to illuminate the extraordinary.

II. The second part of the feature is given many different names: the engine, the fat paragraph, the snapper, the nut paragraph, the capsule statement or the why paragraph. Its function is to serve as a transition paragraph taking the reader from the lead to the body of the article. It is in this paragraph (or paragraphs) where the writer reveals what the story is really about, establishes a plot and theme, and makes the story's point clear. It puts the story in some context for the reader.

III. The main part of the article is the body. It is in this section of the article where the writer develops the theme introduced in the extended lead and transitional paragraphs. The following list represents suggestions for how to accomplish this development.

A. Use Relevant Facts, Anecdotes, Quotations and Visuals.

B. Reconstruct the scene. Place "gold coins" along the path of the story. The "gold coins" are rewards for the reader–they may be a series of scenes or mini narratives containing facts and information about the subject. These details can come from interviews or firsthand observations.

C. Create a Character Profile. This entails providing background facts about the subject (which might involve a brief history told through personal recollections, quotations, anecdotes), scenes allowing readers to see a person in action, to hear that person speak to the writer, friends, family, co-workers, and strangers.

D. Use Lists to Highlight Statistics and Other Data. Make sure you set off statistics or other data with typographical elements such as a list with bullets.

IV. The Ending. The ending should tie everything together, bringing readers to a satisfying conclusion. It might include a striking quotation or a poignant or ironic observation. It should drive home the theme, brining the story full circle, or leave readers with something to ponder or imagine.

Grading standards:

Have all the components been satisfied?
Is the piece grammatical?
Is the piece accurate and factual?
Is the writing engaging and interesting?
Does the writer use language well and creatively?
Does the reader have answers to questions posed in the piece?
Does the headline, subhead, and illustration fit thematically with the piece?