Stories of The Year
Throughout December, I will be sharing my favorite activities to keep students engaged and focused on learning, while also celebrating the holiday season. One of my favorite assignments during December allows students to be an investigative journalist. I tell students TIME magazine has hired them to write 3 articles for their “Stories of The Year” feature to commemorate the 2017 year.
You can download this assignment with all the specific requirements here.
Students will write and publish articles on the “Story of the Year,” “Man of the Year,” and Woman of the Year” after conducting research. Students can research events in their school, community, state or world. Many students will research mainstream media, politics, and sports events. Be sure to remind them they can create stories about people in their own school and communities. Many of my students choose the custodian, principal, school resource officer, or cafeteria staff as their man or the woman of the year. They will take time to interview individuals in the school and use their quotes for the articles. I give people within the school and community the students’ articles after I grade them. These individuals always tell me how much the students’ articles encouraged and inspired them.
Every content and resource teacher should give students opportunities to practice researching and communicating ideas effectively. This assignment is one that any teacher can use to give students opportunities with these 21st-century skills. It also offers student voice and choice, which allows greater ownership and differentiates the assignment based on their interests. For social studies, I encourage students to think about the “impact” their event or person had on the society. It isn’t enough for a student to explain the surface details, they must explain the impact this event or person had.
You can also differentiate this assignment across multiple content areas using the following ideas.
Students may conduct their research on Google, magazines, newspapers, or by conducting surveys in their school or community. If you have access to technology, I suggest you use Flipboard for this assignment. Flipboard will allow you to create a customized search engine for your class. This will limit the students’ research to specific websites you would like them to use. Search Flipboard to find content on the topics and flip (or include) that content in your magazine. Students would then use your customized magazine to conduct their research. For example, a North Carolina teacher, Zach Marrow, created a magazine devoted to eighth-grade science standards called Science Class. This will give you an idea of what your students will see when conducting their research.
I like giving students options of how they will publish their magazines. Some students choose to draw their pictures and write their articles by hand. Others may use Microsoft Word or publisher. If students want to use technology to create their articles, I would use any of the following tools. All 5 are free, but they do require a sign up from students.
Glossi: Enables students to create professional, yet simple digital magazines.
Joomag: Enables students to create magazines. Allows students to draw shapes, write texts, add video and audio players.
Zinepal: Enables students to create an eBook or magazine from posts and articles of blogs.
Scoop It: Allows students and users to “Scoop” articles from the internet, write their own thoughts about it, and publish it online.
Scribd: Allows students to upload their own content and turn it into a magazine.
This activity provides opportunities for students to reflect on the events and people in their lives that impacted them the most during the past year. It’s a time to stop and be grateful for the wonderful people in schools, communities, and the world in general. It helps us appreciate all the good that happened during the past year. You will be amazed and inspired at what your students create if you allow them research and be creative.
