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=Welcome to the Bradford Wiki!=

Especially to our new journalists!

Here are your project deadlines for the third term:

Project I: Monday, March 2nd

Project II: Friday, March 27th

PS - Not completing projects can have a DEVASTATING effect on your grade, as can missing advisor deadlines and not putting your name on story ideas!

2008-2009 Project Menu
Choose a project from this menu to complete whenever a project is assigned. Each is worth 100 points. You may complete projects in any order you wish as long as you complete the one you choose by the deadline given in class. This menu will be updated quarterly.

Note: Once you've completed a project, you can't repeat it at a later date.

Spend some time browsing //The Onion// News website [|http://www.theonion.com.] Read articles that interest you, listen to radio news. Generally check it out. After reading widely, think of a school news topic to satirize. Write an article of between 300 and 500 words, following all of the conventions of news writing, in which you satirize this news. The more serious your tone, the more effective (and funny) your satire will be. Let's face it, school is ripe for the making fun of.
 * Project #1**

**Project #2**
Choose a reputable political columnist such as Maureen Dowd, David Brooks, or Thomas Friedman of the //New York Times//. Read two weeks worth of their columns online (NY Times columnists generally write twice per week. If you choose another columnist, read about four or five columns.) Using these as a model, write our own column on a current political topic. Note how these writers use facts to support their arguments AND assert their voices strongly in their writing. Aim for 500 words. Hand in to Ms. Brown and post to layout.

**Project #3**
Oftentimes, papers will publish an interesting photo without an accompanying story. These are often human interest sorts of things - a little girl flying a kite on a windy spring day, cars buried in the snow, a celebrity sighting... you get the idea. Borrow a camera and go for a walk around the high school. Take photos of whatever strikes you as having human interest. Choose five of your photos and write great captions, using the guidelines given in class. Hand in to Ms. Brown and post your photos and captions to layout. Perhaps we'll publish one someday!

**Project #4**
Blogs are back! Log on to the class Ning site. (http://bradfordstaff.ning.com/) Create a homepage (if you haven't already) and start a blog. Post five times about a topic you are passionate about. Be sure spelling and grammar are of the same high standards you would use in class. Last year's staff generated this list of goals for blog posts:

• Be open about biases • Follow your interests • Give insight into who YOU are • Express defined opinions – avoid abstract language • Develop your personal voice and style • Show personality • Link to other bloggers, photos, music, video, whatever! • Include photos • Shoot for concision – 2-3 paragraphs per post • Paragraph – Long blocks of text turn people off (Your paragraphs can be longer than ordinary journalistic, ones, however.) • Be aware that you are writing for a broad, international audience • Proofread and edit

**Project #5**
Personality profile. Using the interviewing guidelines you were given in class, choose and interview a subject who might not otherwise be covered in the paper - a custodian, secretary, parent, little sibling, random student. Use the responses to your interview to write a personality profile. See Ms. Brown for a model to emulate. Aim for 500 words. Hand your story into Ms. Brown and post to layout.