Bell Ringer #4

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Written By Dave Davis

FOCUS

The ASB Bell Ringer exercises are quick, mini-lessons designed to jump start a class period

Category: Focus Statements

Materials: Pencil/pen and paper, or laptop/printer

Assignment: Write a focus statement to follow as you prepare to shoot a story about the event described below. Note: Think about a statement which will guide you as you produce a short, 60-second story.  

Tip: You should be able to write a one-sentence focus statement for any story you do. Otherwise, you need to narrow your focus.

Example of a BAD focus statement: “The debate team is interesting.”

Example of a GOOD focus statement: “Three varsity debaters are going to the regional tournament after winning their events at districts.”

Your Event: A tailgate party before the football game included hot dogs, face-painting, a lip-sync contest between the classes (seniors/juniors/sophs/frosh) which the juniors won, and a performance by the dance team. Over 250 students and fans attended.

Assignment Part Two: Now narrow your focus statement to just three words—subject-verb-object.

Example of shortened focus statement:  Debaters reach regionals.

Lesson: This exercise teaches students to develop narrow, shootable focus statements.

Dave Davis

Dave Davis started a Broadcast Journalism class at Hillcrest High School in the fall of 1989. Since then, the school's student-produced show, "HTV Magazine," has become one of the nation's most-honored high school broadcasts.

In an effort to provide valuable, useful, hands-on instruction to broadcast teachers from across the nation, Davis founded ASB Workshop in the summer of 2000. Since then, the week-long workshop has provided training for hundreds of high school and middle school teachers from 47 states, plus Mexico, England, South Korea, and Japan.

In the spring of 2009 he was named the Springfield (MO) Public Schools Teacher of the Year. He lives in Springfield with wife Martha, and has two daughters who live and work in the area.

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Bell Ringer #3