Problem-Base Learning Lesson - Student Instructions
Welcome to your PBL project. During the course of this project your group will learn about journalism law, ethics, student press rights, and First Ammendment rights. Each group will develop the following based upon the problem you are presented with.
Assignments
- A list of hunches and hypothesis that will guide your research
- Two briefs on learning issues. Briefs should be 3-5 pages in length and must include a citation page of sources.
- One concept map that displays your groups approach to the problem.
- One timeline and individual assignment chart for the group.
- One rough draft of the groups solution. Include the solution criteria checklist.
- One final draft of the groups solution.
- Peer assessments.
The Problem
Bill Daly is a senior at USA High School. He is the editor of the student newspaper. One of his reporters just came to him with a story about drugs at USA High School. In the story, the reporter implicates several students of drug trafficking and even a parent of a student for supplying illegal drugs for sale. The reporter has four collaborating sources, but they are anonymous.
Bill is on a deadline and has to decide if he should print the story. He has seven days to decide what to do.
I. Assignment One - Develop of a list of hunches and hypothesis based on the problem.
Example Hunches and Hypothesis
1. Drugs are a problem at USA High School
2. There are many students buying and selling drugs on campus
3. Many students know where to buy the drugs
II. Assignment Two - Learning Issues
Choose at least two learning issues related to the problem and complete a 3-5 page brief on each issue. Start thinking about your groups solution to the problem and center your research around the issues that will support your solution.
1. What is the policy at USA High School- Do they follow precedence set by the Tinker v. Demoines case or the Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier case?
2. Who has managing editor and publisher power at USA High School- Does the advisor or principal have the final say?
3. What does the Student Press Law center say about a case like this?
4. What is the appropriate use of sources- Investigate anonymous and named sources and their validity?
5. Investigate power of the press issues.
6. Investigate journalism ethics and civic responsibility.
7. Investigate the student journalist protection laws.
III. Assignment Three - Concept Map
Your group will design a concept map organizing your research and the "map" to your solution.
IV. Information Search Tips
A. Interview USA High School journalism advisor and principal.
B. Research Tinker v. Desmoines and Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier.
C. Visit the Student Press Law Center website.
D. Interview a lawyer with past experience in student press law.
E. Research similar cases through past newspaper articles.
V. Inquiry and Investigation Tips
Sources
A. Student Press Law Center - http://www.splc.org/
B. USA High School Journalism Advisor and Principal
C. Student Press Rights
D. National Scholastic Press Association - http://www.studentpress.org/nspa/
VI. Assignment Four - Each group must turn in a timeline and individual assignment chart for the project.
VII. Assignment Five and Six - Solution
Each group must turn in a rough draft and a final solution to the problem. Below are questions and ideas that will help you formulate your solution.
What hypothesis seems to be the most sound?
A. Print the story
B. Do not print the story
C. Rewrite the storyThe problem to be resolved is whether or not Bill Daly should print the article as it stands without named sources.
Solution Building
A. Students craft solutions in groups
B. Solution Criteria – See PBL solution criteria checklist
C. The problem should be resolved through researching student press law, interviews with the school principal and advisor on school policy, and researching precedent cases.
D. The solutions will provide several different opinions on how to resolve the issue based on the information gathered. Possible solutions could be to print the story as it is, to not print the story at all, or to rewrite the story using named sources or a different angle to provide the same or reasonable impact.
Ethical issues that may arise
A. Validity of anonymous sources
B. First Amendment rights for the student press
C. Censorship
D. A journalists responsibility to report the news
E. The difference between fact and opinion
F. Credibility of sources
G. Ethical reporting
Include discussions of the following
1. Tinker v. Desmoines (prior review)
2. Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (student press rights)
3. Viable sources
4. High school press policy
5. Censorship
6. Libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity
Consider Alternative Outcome Criteria
1. If the sources were not anonymous
2. If the school policy had been different
3. If the Hazelwood decision did not apply
4. If you were the principal of the school in the scenarioVII.