English+II+H++Journalism+Blog+Assignment

EII Honors Journalism ﻿ : Blog Assignment Each quarter, you will need to develop and sustain a **“beat,”** a topic or subject that you commit to covering. The beat can be about almost anything, provided it has news value and is not overly narrow nor overly broad. > Obama presidency; environmental politics; youth violence; divorce; horror films; independent music; da Chicago Bears; Schiller Park; vampire literature; local high school sports; digital photography; technology/gadgets; leadership; Emo music; adolescent psychology; teen pregnancy; reality television; teenage driving; NASA; AIDS in Africa; etc. > Vampires; Paris Hilton (no celebrity worship); gossip; music; American Idol Your beat must interest you. You will read articles and surf the web site about this topic throughout the quarter. See below.
 * BEAT IT **
 * __ Beat Examples __
 * __ Beat Nonexamples __

**BLOG IT** Each week you will you need to complete a blog post via [|www.blogger.com].
 * It must **summarize** and **link to** three interesting and //credible// articles or resources concerning your beat
 * It must **analyze** or **evaluate** those sources and/or what/how they contribute to your understanding of the topic.

We will use your research for upcoming discussions and articles. The purpose of the beat/blog is to be constantly researching and reading nonfiction. We will go to the lab together the first couple of times, but after that, you’re on your own! This assignment is part of your independent reading grade. Thus, feel free to bring in materials related to your beat for SSR. However, to reach 400 pages for the quarter, you will need to supplement your reading with additional articles or novels of your own choosing.
 * SHARE IT **