Introduction

It is 1956 and you are the only one at the newspaper who has managed to avoid catching the stomach virus going around.  As a result, it is left to you to make sure this week's edition of the paper is ready for the presses to keep the paper from having to close its doors.  It is the year in review issue and you don't want to make any mistakes nor do you want to disappoint the advertisers.

The topic of the paper this week is:

                What happened in history this year?

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• write 3 factual articles;
• write an editorial about either jury trials or the death penalty;
• have 2 illustrations;
• create the title of the newspaper; and
  
• demonstrate personal insight in your writing.

You should use Microsoft Publisher to create your newspaper.  Click on the newsletters file and pick a template for your newspaper or create your own.

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1. You are a newspaper reporter for a local paper.  Read the following handout about writing newspaper articles and pay attention to what is needed in a newspaper article.
   
2. It is imperative that you get the newspaper out with three factual feature stories about events that occurred in the year 1956 both in the United States and internationally.
3. Because the photographer is ill, you must also illustrate your newsletter with at least 2 illustrations.
4. You must come up with the name of your newspaper.  Try to be clever, remember it is 1956 and you are in New York.
5. As you have to be the Editor-in-chief as well, it is imperative that you write the editorial for this week's paper.  The editorial should be based on your opinions and views after doing some research on both jury trials and the death penalty.  You need only write one editorial on one of the two topics.
6. Add anything you think appropriate for your newspaper.  The items listed are the minimum requirements. 
   
7. Be creative!  Remember, you want to save the paper.
   

You will be graded on a 100 point scale.  The newspaper is worth a test grade.  Make sure you meet the minimum requirements set forth in "The Process."  Be sure to follow the directions and do your research.  The newspaper articles will be graded on how well they are written and how they follow journalistic guidelines.  Read the attachments!  Use them!

Hopefully, you have learned a bit about the events of 1956.  Those events shaped the thoughts and feelings of people who sat on juries like the one in Twelve Angry Men.  You should also have learned about jury trials and the death penalty in the state of New York.