Inside BERKS business

The iBb program allows educators to experience five days in the business world in order to better understand local employment and business practices. This increases awareness for preparing students for careers while proving relevant experiences to enrich instruction.

3247 FRIEDENSBURG ROAD OLEY, PA 19547 PHONE: 610-987-4100, EXT. 4308 FAX: 610-987-4240 MR. DAN MARKS, PRINCIPAL

Ms. Christine Cooper: English Language Arts teacher for Grade 8 OLEY VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL

BUSINESS EXPERIENCE SUMMARY

This hands-on experience has enhanced my learning as an educator and will be worthwhile in helping my students understand their future in the business world. My time with The Reading Eagle has given me new insight into Berks County, news reporting and the experiences of local people.

Educational Skill Requirements: Reports & Editors hold a Bachelor’s Degree or higher in

Journalism, Communications or English

Reporters & Editors

Salary & Benefits Entry level positions begin in the low $30,000 and rise with experience, education and talent. Benefits include, but are not limited to, paid travel, meeting people from all walks of life and following personal interests.

Berks Country Editor, Garry Lenton, says, “The talent and dedication of the staff in the newsroom and the company’s commitment to the local community are The Reading Eagle’s greatest assets.”

Technology Utilized: In addition to print products, The Reading Eagle uses its website and social media to engage readers. Software includes Microsoft Word, OpenOffice Calc, PhotoShop, InDesign, Illustrator, Freehand, Access, etc.

Greatest Challenged & How it is Addressed

“Maintaining a strong print product is important because that is what produces the most revenue. Online news sites have yet to prove they can support a newsroom. We are developing new, targeted print products and have a group of employees out in the community selling the value of our local news coverage,” says Lenton.

Synthesis of Skills Students Need:

Education, commitment,

curiosity, communication skills, honesty, integrity and compassion.

Summary

Working with editor, Garry Lenton and journalist, Jamie Klein for The Reading Eagle has been a fulfilling and fun experience. I was able to participate in day-to-day life with two outstanding professionals, while attending meetings, observing interviews and participating in fieldwork. I was even given the privilege of writing a few articles. I would encourage anybody interested in this program to get involved. I would do it over again in a heartbeat!

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Curriculum Connections

Academic and Work Standards Addressed Standard Area - CC.1.2: Reading Informational Text: Students read, understand, and respond to informational text – with emphasis on comprehension, making connections among ideas and between texts with focus on textual evidence. Standard - CC.1.2.8.C: Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events. Assessment Anchor - E08.B-V.4: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use Standard - CC.1.2.8.J: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Standard - CC.1.2.8.L: Read and comprehend literary non-fiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently. Standard - CC.1.3.8.B: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences, conclusions, and/or generalizations drawn from the text. Standard - CC.1.3.8.E: Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style. Assessment Anchor - E08.A-V.4: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use Standard - CC.1.3.8.K: Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.

There are many connections that can made with my time with The Reading Eagle. One such connection is with our story, “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O’Henry.

Students will create a newspaper article based on the disappearance of Red Chief in O’Henry’s story. SWBAT 1. Create a newspaper

article using Pages on their Macs.

2. Create title and byline. 3. Implement visuals. 4. Write description. 5. Summarize conflict in

the story. 6. Use examples from the

text.

Materials Needed: 1. This is a cumulative

project after the story is read, discussed, and analyzed.

2. Pages program on the Mac.

3. Copies of The Reading Eagle.

Procedure: 1. Look at various articles in the newspaper. Pay particular attention to

any kidnappings and investigations and how the newspaper handles such articles.

2. Share my summer experience with The Reading Eagle. 3. Discuss various newspapers terms such as : angle, assignment, AP style, byline, beat, column, copy editor, copyediting, dummy, dateline, editor, edition, gutter, headline, layout, press, source, subhead, and yellow journalism. 4. Students are to imagine they are given an assignment from their publisher. They are to write on the return of Red Chief from his kidnappers Sam and Bill. 5. Students write a rough draft of the article. 6. Students make a hard copy layout of how they will set up the article on

the computer. This will include: pictures, captions, byline, headline, article.

7. Students will have an editor proofread their work.

8. Students will create their article on Pages on their Macbook Pros. 9. Students will have 3 editors proofread their work and give suggestions. 10. Students will make a finished copy. 11. Students will share their article with the class. 12. Projects will be displayed. 13. Newspaper terms with their definitions are tested.

Another assignment we will use is the Noun Newspaper Hunt. We will also do this with other parts of speech.

Noun Newspaper Hunt Students will choice 2 articles from the newspapers and cut them out. Scissors on the shelf next to the window. Write full name on both articles, clearly. Students will highlight all common nouns within the articles using yellow highlighters (on the counter). Students will highlight all proper nouns within the article using orange or pink highlighters. Students will underline all concrete nouns. Abstract nouns Students will circle Write a two-paragraph summary about each article and staple the articles to them.