JOURNALISM UNIT 3 OVERVIEW
INSTRUCTOR: Priscilla Lizasuain
UNIT NAME: Writing Profiles
UNIT DESCRIPTION: Students will learn the form and function personality profiles
LENGTH: 5 Weeks
DATA SOURCE
Pre-assessment: Exit ticket= What do you think makes a good personality profile?
ENDURING
Personality profiles help us reach a deeper understanding of an individual’s experiences.
UNDERSTANDINGS
Personality profiles also paint a specific and slanted image of an individual.
ESSENTIAL
What can an engaging and thought-provoking personality profile accomplish?
QUESTIONS
COMMON
RI 11-12: 1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
CORE STANDARDS
says explicitly
RI 11-12: 2 Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development
over the course of the text
RI 11-12: 5 Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or
her argument
W 11-12: 1 Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the
claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an
organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
W 11-12: 4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W 11-12: 5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, and
rewriting.
COLLEGE READINESS
CRS Reading 28-32 Main Ideas, Author’s Approach, Supporting Details
STANDARDS
-Infer the main idea of more challenging passages
-Understand the overall approach taken by an author
-Use details from different sections of some complex informational passages to support a
specific point or argument.
ILLINOIS STATE SEL
Unity=2A.5a: Demonstrate how to express understanding of those who hold different
STANDARDS
opinions.
Social Awareness= 2A.4a: Analyze similarities and differences between one's own and
others' perspectives.
CONTENT
Students can define and identify the different types of editorials
KNOWLEDGE
Students can evaluate the effectiveness of an editorial
ASSESSMENTS
Formative
Summative
Homework
 Bell-ringers
 Write a traditional
 Find example of
personality profile
personality profile
 Exit-tickets
using a rubric.
and identify the
 Read & annotate
parts of a profile.
articles

Beat interviews
 Answer text Read teacher
dependent
provided articles
questions on articles
and answer text Complete various
dependent
organizers
questions
 Profile outlines
TEXTS/RESOURCES
Inside Reporting: A Practical Guide to the Craft of Journalism
Journalism Today Workbook,
High School Journalism.org,
Various Articles,
www.thenewsliteracyproject.org,
High School Journalism: A Practical Guide.
Content Specific
Vocabulary
LEARNING
ACTIVITIES/SCHEDULE
Personality profile
Angle
Week 1: Traditional Editorials
Students will read tips for the perfect personality profile
Notes on personality profiles.
Video personality profile (Beyoncé), and “text” dependent questions
Read example personality profile and answer text dependent questions.
Week 2: Advice Columns
Choose topic for center spread and assign roles.
Students will watch excerpts from either Batman: The Dark Knight or the Avengers.
Students will choose a character to focus on, take notes, write quotes, and write a
personality profile.
As a class, we will peer review and workshop several student-written profiles.
Beat analysis
Week 3: (Only two days)
Students will read another example personality profile on an athlete and answer text
dependent questions.
Students will vote on which biography to watch.
Students will begin taking notes and write a personality profile based on the biography.
Week 4: Editorial Blogs
Finish biography profiles.
Tips on asking the right questions for a personality profile.
Students will chose a person to write a personality profile, and they will write an in-depth
rationale for their choice using guiding questions.
Students will draft questions for profile interview.
Quiz on personality profiles
Modifications
Week 5
Draft final personality profile.
Type
Peer review/workshop
Personality profile due
SPED & ELL Students
 Extended time as prescribed by individual student’s IEP
 Supplemental outlines and organizers
 One-on-one support
 Peer, paired support
ENRICHMENT
 Where an assignment calls for students to evaluate effectiveness, some students
will be asked to also include an analysis of the author’s approach.
 Responses will also have to be more extensive in their explanations.