Not a member of the JEA listserv? Then you are missing useful material that can help you improve vocabulary (a strong vocabulary is the number one predictor of college success), headline writing, and even typography. But never fear. I will keep an eye on the list for you. Below are some examples you can use:
Vocabulary passages from the New York Times, courtesy of Bob Greenman (former Brooklyn adviser who taught with the Times as his only textbook):
The resurgent Republicans have learned nothing from the economic crisis, except that doing everything they can to undermine Mr. Obama is a winning political strategy. Tax cuts and deregulation are still the alpha and omega of their economic vision. (Paul Krugman) 10/24/10 Jack comment: The phrase is not just about a recent movie about wolves. In the Greek alphabet, in which the New Testament was written, alpha is the first letter and omega is the last. In the Book of Revelation, God says, “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last,” meaning that God remains from the beginning to the end of time. So this is a way to discuss literary allusions and a common American idiom.
Among the various large, charismatic and visibly winterized mammals that one might choose as a mascot for life in the Arctic belt, polar bears are, let’s face it, too hackneyed, reindeer too Rudolph, caribou too Sarah Palin's target practice, and woolly mammoths too extinct.
There’s a better choice, though few may have heard of it. According to Arctic biologists,
the quintessential example of megafaunal fortitude in the face of really bad weather is the musk ox, or Ovibos moschatus, a blocky, short-legged, highly social ungulate with distinctively curved horns and long hair that looks like shag carpeting circa 1975. (Natalie Angier) 12/13/10. Jack comment: Natalie Angier is one of our finest science writers, and her work can be found in almost every AP Language textbook. The vocabulary word is important, but my favorite phrase is “megafaunal fortitude,” which is, of course, an example of alliteration, but also includes a word that looks made up. Word thinks this should be two words, but I found it online as a scientific term.
Border collies are working dogs. They have a reputation for smartness, and they are highly motivated. They are bred to herd sheep indefatigably all day long. Absent that task, they must be given something else to do or they go stir crazy. (Nicholas Wade) 1/17/11 Jack comment: We often discourage adverbs, but this one seems just right. Note that the final two sentences are both in passive voice, which was chosen to emphasize the collies, not their human breeders and trainers.
It is a quandary that parents of disabled children grapple with early and often: What is the right balance between teaching them self-sufficiency and making sure they have the special accommodations they need? (Jeremy W. Peters) 12/27/10 Jack comment: Beyond the vocabulary word, this sentence features a rhetorical question that will lead into the body of the story.
A pair of triplet constructions:
WASHINGTON — President Obama challenged Americans on Tuesday night to unleash their creative spirit, set aside their partisan differences and come together around a common goal of outcompeting other nations in a rapidly shifting global economy. (Sheryl Gay Stolberg) 1/26/11
Daniel Bell, the writer, editor, sociologist and teacher who over seven decades came to epitomize the engaged intellectual as he struggled to reveal the past, comprehend the present and anticipate the future, died on Tuesday at his home in Cambridge, Mass. He was 91. (Michael T. Kaufman) 1/26/11 Jack comment: The use of triplets in descriptions provides a natural rhythm for writers. In both of these examples, the triplets stay parallel by keeping the verbs in the same tense.
Two Links that may prompt some localized coverage:
1. If you have not read about the study that found certain types of testing is superior to other forms of studying, check out http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/science/21memory.html?_r=1
Here’s why this study is good for scholastic journalism: Whereas much traditional education consists of delivery of information, followed by gaps in time before the “big test,” most publications and electronic media “test” regularly, with monthly, weekly, even daily, repetition of skills. Just as basketball coaches have their teams begin each practice with layup drills, even though the players have long acquired this skill, so do journalism “coaches” insist on regular practice of the fundamentals: concise language, correct style, attractive leads, etc. We don’t spend a lot of time “studying” journalism – we DO journalism.
2. Your students are watching the new MTV scripted series “Skins,” but as is normal with shows that contain “bad behavior” without obvious bad results, this show is quite controversial. Get ahead of the conversation by starting with http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/business/media/24carr.html and then be sure to watch an episode or two.
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