MelissaKim

9thGradeELA
Scriptwriting
Purpose:Thepurposeofthislessonplanistoteachstudentsthebasicconceptsof
broadcastscriptwriting.ThisistopreparestudentsforagroupprojectthatisdueinMay.
Thegroupprojectrequiresstudentstoproduceavideonewscastthatis69minutesin
length,whichexplainsandillustrateshowsignificanteventsandthemesfromapast
decade(1950s,1960s,1970s,1980s,1990s)continuetoimpacttheirlivestoday.The
scriptwritingwillfocusonlearningnewsbroadcastterminologyaswellashowto
preparestudentsforbasicscriptwriting.
Objectives:
UnderstandtheelementsofanewssegmentbycompletingaNewsSegment
outline.
PrepareforwritinganewscastscriptbycompletingaScriptTemplate.
CommonCoreStateStandards:
W910.1
Writenarrativestodeveloprealorimaginedexperiencesusingeffectivetechnique,well
chosendetails,andwellstructuredeventsequences.
GLOs:
1. QualityProducer:Theabilitytorecognizeandproducequalityperformanceand
qualityproducts
2. ComplexThinker:Theabilitytodemonstratecriticalthinkingandproblemsolving

HawaiiStateTeacherStandards:
1. LearnerDevelopmentA,B,C
2. LearningDifferencesB,D,E
3. LearningEnvironmentsA,B,F,G
4. ContentKnowledgeA
5. ApplicationofContentA,B,E
6. PlanningforInstructionA,C
7. InstructionalStrategiesA,B,D
Assessments:
FormativeAssessment:WritingPromptStudentswilldetermineanevent,theme,or
influentialfigurethatwasprominentintheirassigneddecade.Theywillthenfollowthe
writingpromptsabouttheirchosentopic.
Materials/SetUp:

Students:NewsSegmentTemplate,ScriptTemplate
Teacher:NewsSegmentTemplate,ScriptTemplate
DigitalResources:Chromebook,DigitalProjector,ScriptwritingGoogleDocument,
GoogleClassroom,YouTubevideoofPearlHarborStudentNewscast
Procedures:
A.Introduction
RemindstudentsoftheDecadesProjectrequirements.
WritingPrompt

Writedownonesignificanteventthathappenedinyourdecade.

Howwouldyoushowthateventinanewscast?Howwouldyouinclude
thateventinyournewscast?
B.Developmental
Introducethethreenewscasttermstousethroughoutthelesson
o Newssegment,scene,shot
o WatchanexampleofaStudentNewscastontheBombingofPearlHarbor
o UsetheexampletofillouttheNewsSegmentOutline
o DiscussbrieflytheconnectionbetweentheNewsSegmentOutlineandtheScript
template
C.Concluding
Afterbothoutlinesarecompleted,studentswillbegiventheoptiontoworkon
theirNewsSegmentoutlineorworkontheirSongAnalysis,whichisdueat3:00
p.m.today.
Adaptations/Extensions:
Period4
Lowengagement/Offtaskstudents:Students2and19oftenrefusetowork.Student19
openlygoesonhiscellphoneandevenwhenpromptedandtoldexplicitlywhattodo,he
doesnotdowork.Student3rarelyparticipatesinclassbutwhenpromptedenoughshe
willdominimalwork.InoticethatStudent2wontmakeanefforttoevengether
materials,whichisoneofthereasonsshedoesntdowork.Ioftenjustgethermaterials
forherandurgehertodotasksthatwillmakethemostimpactonhergrades.Last
quarter,shehadnodesiretoengageinthelesson.However,thisunitfocusesonpoetry
andshehasmadegreatstridesincompletingtheworkaswellasrespondingpositivelyto
myformativequestionsasIcirculatetheclass.Iremindstudent19periodicallyinclass
tofocus,butitistonoavail.Itisclearhehashisownagenda,butImakeitapointto
alwayshavematerialthatwillhelphimwiththetaskifhechoosestodoit.Sofar,hehas
completedalloftheassignmentsthistermexceptforthree.Thequalitywaspoorforthe
mostpart,butheisnotfailingmyclasscurrently.Ifeelthatalthoughhemaynotenjoy

thesubject,thelearningtasksaredesignedtobemanageable,whichmotivateshimtodo
thework.
StrugglingStudents:Student6isforthemostpartattentive,buthehasdifficultymaking
connectionsandunderstandingconcepts.ItypicallyvisithimfirstwhenIammonitoring
studentprogress.Ioftenusehimasmymarkerformovingontothenexttask.
Period6
Students1,6,10,15,21:LowSkill
ThesestudentsallreceivedaDoralowCinthepreviousquarter.Withthe
exceptionofStudent21,thesestudentsarecurrentlynotkeepingupwiththeworkand
havenotdemonstratedunderstandingofpreviouslessons.IhaveobservedthatifIwant
themtocompletelearningtasks,Ihavetowalkthemthroughthelessonstepbystep.This
isnotaproblemwhenstudentsaremotivatedtowork.Students1,6,and15oftenhave
nodesiretoworkandrefusetoworkevenwhenprompted.Becausethesestudents
typicallystrugglewiththelesson,Ialwayshaveanoutlineorposttipsonthescreento
helpthembetterunderstandthecontentofthelessonorinstructionstolearningtasks.
ManagementConsiderations:
Period4
Distractions/Disruptions:Students1,3,4,9,10,15,and16,oftentalkaloudaboutoff
topicsubjects.Theyarealsopronetochattingwithotherstudents(especiallyacrossthe
room)duringinstruction.Iuseverbalcuestoregaintheirattention.Oftencallingthemby
namehelpsthemrefocus.Thisclassisalsonotafraidtoaskwhywearedoingcertain
thingsoreventoexpresstheirdislikeofcertainactivities.Ialwaysaddresstheseissues
respectfully,butItrytoalwaysexplainmyreasoningforactivitiesasIintroducethemso
thatstudentsknowwhyIamexpectingthemtodoit.
Student19istheonlystudentwhoIhavetakenacellphoneawayfrom.Heblatantly
disregardstheclassroompoliciesandoftendistractsthosehesitsnear.Hisassignedseat
innearthebackdoor,whichminimizesthenumberofpeoplehesitsnear.Hedoessit
nexttostudent13,whoallowshimselftobedistracted.Sometimesthispaircauses
distractionstothewholeclass.Whenthisoccurs,IfocusmyenergyonStudent13who
usuallystopstheinappropriatebehavior.
Asawhole,thisclassdoesnotliketodoanythingthatisnotgraded.Inotherperiods,
studentsenjoyhavingdiscussionsorlessonstofurthertheirunderstandingofatopic.
However,thisperiodwilloftenonlybemotivatedifthetaskisgraded.Evenatthatpoint,
studentsmaynotbewillingtoworkiftheywouldratherbedoingsomethingelse.Ihave
adjustedmylessonsaswellasmybehaviormanagementpolicytocreatesmallerand
shorterlearningtasksthatstudentsfindmoremanageable.Also,Itellstudentsexplicitly
whattodosothattheyknowthatbytheendoftheperiod,Iexpectthemtohavedonea

certainamountofthings.Iminimizegroupworkbecausestudentswilltakethis
opportunitytotalkamongsttheirgroupmembers.Whentheydothis,ataskthatshould
onlytakefiveminutescantakeuptotwentyminutes.
Period6
WiththenewClassroomPolicies&Proceduresinplace,thedistractionsduetoelectronic
deviceshavedramaticallylessened.Therearesomestudents,suchasStudents1,4,6,10,
and15,whoneedtoberemindedperiodically.Accordingtomypolicy,Iwillgive
studentsonewarning.Iwilltakeawayanyelectronicdevicesonthesecondwarning.In
thisperiod,Ihavenothadtotakeanyaway.
Duringinstruction,thereisalotoftalkingbetweenstudentsacrosstheclassroom.These
interruptionsoccuratanytimeinthelesson,includingwhenIamspeaking.Iwillusea
verbalcuesuchasEyesupfront,earsopenandremainsilentuntilIhavetheclassfull
attention.
Particularly,students1,6,7,15,arenotsuccessfultogetherandoftentalkamongst
themselvesduringinstruction.Theseatingchartisadaptedsothatthesefourstudentsare
notnexttooneanother,buttheyareallinseatsthatIhaveeasyaccessto.IfIaminthe
middleofspeakingandastudentorgroupofstudentsisnotpayingattention,Iwillgo
andstandbythatstudentwhilestilldeliveringmylesson.Iftheydonottakenotice,Iwill
speaksoftlybutfirmlythattheyneedtostopthatbehaviorandreturnimmediatelytothe
lesson.Inoticethatattimes,theentireclassisrowdyorboisterous.Ifoundthatpacing
theaislesinsilenceworkstogettheirattention.Often,oneortwostudentswillnoticeme
andtelltheirclassmatestoquietdown.Iamalsodevelopingmyteachervoice,which
mosteffectivelyworkswhenitissilent!Whentheclassistoonoisy,Iwillstop
instructionandoftenminimizethescreenontheprojector.Studentswillcatchonquickly
thatIamawareoftheirbehaviorandtypicallydesist.
Thisclassperiodisdirectlyafterlunch.Somestudentshaveastrongdesiretocontinue
theirlunchbehaviorintotheclasstimewhereasotherscompletelycheckout.Students
needtobeengagedimmediatelyoncethebellrings.Astheyentertheclassroom,Iwill
alertstudentstowhattheyneedforthedayandthenimmediatelygointothefirsttask.

Name________________________________ Decade__________

News Segment Transcript

Synopsis

Setting
Characters:

Dialogue:
Introduce the story:

Body:

Conclusion:

Scriptwriting Template
Storyboard #

Notes

Subject/S
egment

Title:
Scene:
Shot:
Setting:
Characters:
Dialogue, Stage Direction, Camera Direction:
Camera Direction
Character 1
Dialogue

Camera Direction
Character 2
(Stage Direction)
Dialogue