English 1.1 lesson 4 in 2023-24

• English
• HBO
• Studiejaar 1

Continuing our ascent: lesson 4

English year 1 term 1

Your final product

1. Final press release including 1 image = summative

2. Written reflection about the writing process = appendix (bijlage)

• Upload in Gradework
  
• Deadlines:  
• chance 1 = 1 November 2023
  
• chance 2 = 6 December 2023

So, no Instagram page / Canva.  

Forget about that.

Homework for today

1. Go to Moodle and find the blog "How to Create a Riveting Press Release".  
2. Read blog "How to Create a Riveting Press Release".  
3. Continue answering the 5W questions. 
4. Complete the Diagnostic Test and bring to class with you next week.
5. Unit 23: Read the theory and complete ex. 1 and 2.

THIS BLOG JUST GIVES more INSIDER INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO WRITE A GOOD (RIVETING) PRESS RELEASE.

WE MUST STRESS THAT THEY WRITE THE PRESS RELEASE IN THE 3RD PERSON and MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT THEY WRITE IN A NEUTRAL WAY. 

Lesson goals

Students will 

1. strengthen their feedback giving & receiving skills 

2. gain insight into vocabulary to apply to their written work. 

3. have obtained all of the necessary information to

complete their press release accordingly.

in SHL

Students will strengthen their feedback giving skills (point 1), students will strengthen their feedback receiving skills (point 2), and students will have obtained all of the necessary information to complete their press release accordingly (points 1-3).

Self-evaluation Spiderweb

Fill in Self-evaluation Spiderweb

Include your self-analysis in your written self-reflection for the final assignment on Gradework.

Include in your Self-Reflection.

Today

1. Revised press release 
2. Grammar practice - Perfect Tenses 
3. Self-evaluation Spiderweb 2
4. Insight into words (vocabulary) to use
5. Further instructions for writing your summative (final) press release

in SHL

1. Peer feedback review (led by students)

2. Expert feedback (done synchronously with the peer feedback/delivered separately)

3. Directions for press release/summative (final) assignment

Revised Press Release

1. Take the Press Release written in the last lesson
2. Revise and rework until it arrives at a C1 level 
3. Review the checklist of necessary components of a press release 

Tools: Editor, Grammarly, Write & Improve

Finished? Share your knowledge with other groups 

in SHL

1. Peer feedback review (led by students)

2. Expert feedback (done synchronously with the peer feedback/delivered separately)

3. Directions for press release/summative (final) assignment

Introduce Template Formats

Go to Moodle / English / Course documents and find:

1. Press Release BLANK template required to use
2. English Final Assignment template with TOC (Table of Content/Inhoudsopgave) required to use

Download them onto your device.

I want to stress students to follow this format for the so that teachers (hopefully) get a uniform, similar layout from each student.

This is what you need to include in your Press Release.

In journalism, the inverted pyramid refers to a story structure where the most important information (or what might even be considered the conclusion) is presented first. 

The who, what, when, where and why appear at the start of a story, followed by supporting details and background information. 

This writing style is different than, for example, academic writing, where an abstract may summarize the main findings, but the content typically focuses first on the details, leading to the conclusion which appears at the end of the article.

The name “inverted pyramid” comes from picturing the broad facts at the top of the story, followed by smaller and smaller details, like a triangle balanced on one corner.

How long should the press release be?

1. 1000 words
2. No limit
3. 350 words
4. 500 words

+/- 10%

True or false: press releases should be written in the third person voice

1. True
2. False

The tone should be objective/neutral and not informal/overly exaggerated.

And written in the third person.

First person singular and plural are: I/we me/us my/ours mine/ours.

Second-person singular or second-person plural: you

Third person singular and plural are: he/she/it they him/her/it them his/her/hers/its their/theirs

True or false: press releases should be written with an enthusiastic tone.

1. True
2. False

The tone should be objective/neutral and not informal/overly exaggerated.

And written in the third person.

What makes a strong press release headline (title)?

• concise
• catchy (uses alliteration) 
• no buzzwords, jargon or filler language
• try to be interesting without losing integrity

What is some basic information needed for a press release?

Very bottom of the triangle, in the bottom tip of the triangle.

Contact info: company name, address, press contact name, phone number, Email, website, IG....

End of the day, for whom do you write your press release?

1. the journalists
2. your boss
3. yourself
4. the reader

The reader, your audience

Think about your audience and put yourself in their shoes. 

How does your news announcement make someone who might not be familiar with Tourism Board think or feel?

Which verbs are synonyms for "introduce"?

1. present, launch, unveil
2. launch, berth, fasten
3. make, present, loosen
4. present, give, offer

introduce, present, launch, unveil

are useful vocabulary!

What should come at the end of the press release?

Boilerplate:  A short description of the company/organization.   One or 2 sentences maximum.

Rate your confidence in writing a press release

😒🙁😐🙂😃

The final assignment

 Now that you have practiced writing in class you are ready to start writing the final press release. For your graded summative assignment, you will write a press release. You are writing the press release on behalf of the tourism board in Rotterdam, Amsterdam or Haarlem (depending on your own location). The participants will create their own Instagram page dedicated to promoting (sustainable) tourism to their chosen district in Rotterdam, Amsterdam or Haarlem. Just like you have been preparing in project 1.1, you will be focusing on the “Instagrammability” of a district in Rotterdam, Amsterdam or Haarlem, only this time your focus is on writing an effective press release.

 So, the final products which you will upload into Gradework are:

1. An Instagram page with the text (and images) for your Press Release

2. A Word document with the identical text as the Instagram page for your Press Release

Self-evaluation Spiderweb

Fill in Self-evaluation Spiderweb

Include your self-analysis in your written self-reflection for the final assignment on Gradework.

Include in your Self-Reflection.

Homework

1. Work on your draft version of your press release.
2. Watch video How to Write a Press Release and stop watching at 2.50.  Go to next slide or to Moodle for link.

   3.  Unit 24: Read the theory and complete exercise 1.

Video: How to Write a Press Release

Find video link on Moodle.  

You can stop watching at 2.50.