Student as Investigative Journalist

The purpose of the Student Reporter's Notebook is to engage the students in an entertaining way and provide them with elementary writing resources. Teachers should read the notebook before distributing to students. Students can use the notebook to identify story ideas, track down potential sources and model their stories after industry standard-bearers.

The notebook is designed for one student to use. If necessary or appropriate, students can collaborate on stories or the class as a whole could act as an investigative reporting team. In the latter case, classroom discussions could identify what questions should be asked of which sources and what angles should be pursued. Each individual student is then responsible for writing a story. This approach likely would teach an ancillary lesson about point of view, as students with the same basic background material produce different stories.

The Student Reporter's Notebook is based partially on the curriculum and partially on the contents of a typical press kit. The sections are:

• Introduction
• Press Pass
• Sample Interview Questions
• Story Tips
• Sample Articles
• Reference Guide
• Production Note

In the notebook, the students are greeted by an animated cartoon pencil named Ace Escribo, a.k.a. 'Scoop', who acts as a guide and mentor. Scoop explains each section of the Student Reporter's Notebook.

Click here to order your GET IT Leader's Packet.