Sunday, February 5, 2023

What is our Discovery Humanities Class???


The Discover Program is a natural foundation leading to the Concentrations Upper School

Our Discovery Program is designed for our seventh and eighth-grade students who wish to pursue their passions. The courses in the Discovery program contain a rigorous collection of content designed to allow highly motivated learners to select a path to either discover STEM or discover Humanities further.

In 2021-2022, the pilot year, throughout the first semester, students will take a deep dive into each course along their chosen path. During the second semester, students will engage in a culminating project of their own design focused on an interest discovered during their coursework. These projects, completed in partnership with community members and Discovery teachers, will give students real-world practice in research, written, and spoken expression all while learning more about topics that inspire them. Students will be expected to present in a Spring Consortium toward the end of the school year.  Discovery is a year long program that provides students with deeper understanding and enrichment where gifted standards are embedded throughout. This program allows our Middle School students to think about possible Concentrations in Upper School. 

At the end of the school year 2022, we decided to make this class go from good to great. We did our research and met with administration and pitched the idea of being a program that was a feeder class to the Journalism Track in our Upper School. We wanted to model our class after The Andalusian and The Yearbook.

The Andalusian: Editor in Chiefs: RJ Hosay and Merrell Webster
Cailyn Callaway, Faculty Sponsor

For students interested in sharing ideas with like-minded lovers of the written word, a club to produce creative writing in a variety of genres. This club publishes the Andalusian, the newspaper that covers issues from school activities to world news.  Grades 9-12. More information can be found here: https://maclayandalusian.com/

 

The Yearbook: Can be found here, https://www.maclay.org/parents/upper-school-links/clubs/yearbook

 

Our Class is made up of these 3 components with 3 teachers specializing in gifted curriculum for this class trajectory on the Journalism Track.

1 COMMUNITY OUTREACH THROUGH ARTS

COTA challenges students to examine their community and its needs, then address those needs through arts initiatives. Students will learn how art promotes communication between cultures, preserves history, changes people’s opinions, and how it preserves the feelings of a culture. Students will collaborate to understand how art impacts communities. 

2 COMMUNICATION STUDIES
This course focuses on learning the elements of journalism, public speaking, and interpersonal communication. Students who are interested in developing a podcast or YouTube channel can explore researching, writing, editing, and recording their own informative content. Every student will be responsible for working with a team to brainstorm ideas for stories, research, conduct interviews, write copy, and edit copy. 

3 CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS
This writing enrichment course is designed to provide students with additional instruction and writing experience. Each student is encouraged to try new techniques and experiment with developing a personal voice in writing as they learn to think and read like writers and, in so doing, are exposed to writing as a culture. The course intends to spark students’ creative passions.

Journalism and Graphic Design Concentration

Faculty Sponsor for this is Mrs. Mayer

Throughout modern history, people have depended on the media to spread the word about events and people of interest to the general public. Journalism introduces students to the world of the print and online media. Law, ethics, and the history of journalism will complement the major units of study: reporting, writing, editing, photography, advertising and design. In addition, students will have the opportunity to use computer-aided publishing tools and other hands-on production tools as well as modern photo techniques.

CORE REQUIREMENTS
Required Courses with B Average:
Journalism I
Art Appreciation or Digital Photography
Two Sequential Years in Journalism: Newspaper, Journalism: Yearbook, or Video Production*
*Video Production would require a capstone project (prior review and approval by teacher and Board of Review**)

BOARD OF REVIEW MEMBERS
Upper School Director
Dean of Academics
Department Chairs for English & Language Arts and Visual Arts
Journalism, Video, and Graphic Art Teachers

GOALS FOR CONCENTRATION
Certification in Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop
Apprenticeships, Internships, and Partnerships

Journalism I
Offered: During Flex

This course can serve as the prerequisite to Newspaper Production or Yearbook Production and is required for the Journalism Core Concentration.

Students will meet once a week for 80 minutes on the first FLEX of each week [see schedule at the end of the policy sheet]. Because we are only meeting once a week, it is very important that you make this class a priority. Please make every effort to attend class. More than three absences could void your credit. If you cannot attend class, it will be up to you to make up the work missed that day. At the completion of the course, elective credit will also be earned.

 

You can tell we have thought this class through and set a high standard for our students.

 

Our website is: https://maclayinthemiddle.org/

It is a work in progress…under construction.


Now that you have the backstory. Lets talk about our class!

This is Mrs. Kutter and this meme looks like it is straight out of the show the Office on TV, am I right?
This is how we roll. Yes, this was our parent flyer at the parent meeting in the fall of 2021.
Teaching our kids to be proficient in Canva.
We are all learning InDesign together.

Meet our teachers. We are all very different but let me tell you what - (as my mama used to say), We "GHaw" and get each other. I love my B days. Bdays are a hard lift but with these teachers it is always a super cool fun lift for me and the students.

Below is Dr. O. We shall explain the tambourine at a later date =)

We have a student designed logo. We chose a compass theme as we are always navigating. Each day in middle school is a journey!

Yes, we started an Instagram account so everyone could see the engaging topics we are learning about in our class.

Dr. O has an intern this semester, Ms. Tysinger. She fits right in with our CrAzY!
Never a dull moment in our class.

Here is our Policy Sheet details:

2022-2023 Path to Discover Humanities

Instructors:   

Ø  Dr. Overstreet-MS 

Ø  Mrs. Daniel-Room MS

Ø  Ms. Kutter- Room MS 

Location:

We will meet in MS.

Course Description:

The Path to Discover Humanities Program is designed for our seventh and eighth grade students who wish to pursue their passions and develop journalism, writing, and art skills. The program contains a rigorous collection of content designed to allow highly motivated learners to select a path to discover humanities further. Throughout the year, students will take a deep dive into elective courses that will enable them to create a Humanities Literary Magazine publication each semester. This publication will be in partnership with Maclay community members and Discovery teachers, will give students real world practice in research, written, and spoken expression, layout and design, and photography all while learning more about topics that inspire them. Students will be expected to produce, design, and publish a double page spread in two Humanities Literary Magazine publications as well as create content for a Discovery Humanities website.

Course Objectives:

Ø  Students will examine their community and its needs, then address those needs through arts initiatives.

Ø  Students will learn how art promotes communication between cultures, preserves history, changes people’s opinions, and how it preserves the feelings of a culture.

Ø  Students will collaborate to understand how art impacts communities.

Ø  Students will learn the elements of journalism, public speaking, and interpersonal communication.

Ø  Students will learn how to appropriately use design elements to create a layout that is visually appealing and effectively communicates ideas to the reader.

Ø  Students will learn various graphic elements (typography, photographs, white space,

Ø  copy, and elements of art) to enhance the readability and attractiveness of the layout.

Ø  Students will learn how to effectively use photographic techniques.

Ø  Students will demonstrate knowledge of ethical behavior when preparing a publication.

Ø  Students will use appropriate journalistic writing styles to write for a variety of purposes.

Ø  Students will conduct interviews and research to obtain accurate information.

Ø  Students will support the writing with appropriate attribution.

Ø  Students will use clear, precise language in writing.

Required Materials:

Ø  Binder with tabs and writing utensils

Ø  Charged laptop

Grading:

Ø  Every semester students will have four summative grades and multiple formative grades.

Ø  Students are responsible for communicating with teachers when absent and completing and submitting all missed assignments.

Ø  Late formative assignments will be deducted one letter grade per day they are late. Late summative assignments will be deducted half a letter grade per day they are late.

Letter Grade 

18-Point Scale 

Percentage Equivalent  

A+ 

18 

98-100 

17 

93-97 

A- 

16 

90-92 

B+ 

15 

88-89 

14 

83-87 

B- 

13 

80-82 

C+ 

12 

78-79 

11 

73-77 

C- 

10 

70-72 

D+ 

68-69 

63-67 

D- 

60-62 

40-59 

F- 

0-39 

No work turned in 

Classroom Expectations:

Ø  This course will incorporate classroom discussion, involvement, and student engagement. Students will need to participate in every class. Students are responsible for all classroom assignments and should communicate with teachers to create a plan for making up any missed work. During classroom activities, students should be respectful of everyone in the class. Students should enter every activity with a positive attitude and an open mind.

Honor Code

Ø  Please refer to the Maclay student handbook for the honor policy.

Yearly Plan

22-23 Path to Discover Humanities

Kutter, Daniel, Overstreet

 

Standards/Learning Objectives

·         Standard 1 – LAYOUT AND DESIGN: The student demonstrates the ability to design a layout for a publication. This includes the knowledge of design elements, graphic elements, and typography.

·         Standard 2 – ETHICS AND LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES: The student demonstrates an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of a free press.

·         Standard 3 – ONLINE PUBLICATION STANDARD: The student demonstrates the ability to publish online. Online publication of student journalistic work will follow the same CSMA standards as for the print and broadcast media.

·         Standard 4 – PHOTOJOURNALISM ETHICS AND LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES: The student demonstrates an understanding of the ethical and legal rights and responsibilities of taking and preparing photographs for publication and video for broadcast. This includes still photos, video imaging, photo illustrations, and computer imaging. A news photo or broadcast image is an historical record. It is the responsibility of the student press photographer or videographer to depict reality.

·         Standard 5 – PHOTOGRAPHY: The student demonstrates the ability to produce photos for a publication.

·         Standard 6 – WRITING: The student demonstrates the ability to write for a journalistic publication. This includes the knowledge of appropriate style, interviewing techniques, consideration of potential audience and purposes for writing, researching information from a variety of sources, and using the conventions of writing (e.g. grammar, punctuation, spelling).

 

Students:

30 max

Budget

o   $2,000

Grading/Assignments:

o   Summative:

o   Self-Portrait

o   2-Page Spread Pitch (

§  Graphic art

§  Photo

§  Piece of Writing

§  Tone, Theme, Elements of Layout

§  Interview

§  Advertisement

o   Draft of 2-Page Spread

o   Final Two Page Spread

o   Formative:

Timeline/Flow

o   Contact Day – policy sheet; get kids excited

o   First week

o   Look at example publications and identify 6 elements and discuss why they liked it

o   Set up binder

o   Get on InDesign

o   First assignment: create Portrait of You brochure about yourself

o   Semester 1 Goals: title, designing logo, pitching ideas

Ideas

·         Each student is responsible for double-page cohesive spread that involves art and writing

·         Content ideas: interviews with new teachers, media reviews, articles, book picks, creative writing, polls, opinion pieces, comics

·         2 print publications a year (one per semester)

·         Work journal in binder with key that have choices about what to do if finish task

·         Have publication party when done with publication

·         Week before November is last week we can do content (Nov 18) in order to get magazine printed 

We will be posting more on this class this month, so stay tuned. Follow us on Instagram @maclayingthemiddle

Yall know me, thanks for stopping by, 1969
Give me a shout if you want more information.
Drop me a comment and I will follow up

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