Summary
In this resource, students explore the elements of a quality news broadcast and work in teams to create and film their own school news segments. They learn about production roles, plan their stories, and choose editing software to produce their final newscasts. Finally, students evaluate their own and peers’ videos by providing constructive feedback to improve their work.
Essential Questions
What makes a news broadcast effective?
How can we create a compelling student newscast?
Learning Objectives
Students will identify key features of a high-quality news broadcast and understand what makes a story newsworthy.
Students will collaborate in production roles to plan, film, and edit a short news segment.
Students will evaluate their own and others’ newscasts using constructive feedback to improve their final products.
Snapshot
Engage
Students will look at the features of a high-quality news broadcast and begin thinking about what makes a story newsworthy in their own school.
Explore
Students will work in teams to film a short news segment about a school event and reflect on their experience.
Explain 1
Students will brainstorm and pitch ideas for their own newscast. Students will learn about the different production roles they will take on as they begin preparing to create a student news broadcast.
Extend 1
Students will plan the content and format of their newscast stories, organize into production teams, create a schedule with deadlines, and begin preparing to film their segments.
Explain 2
Students will review at least two editing programs to explore their features, and then choose the one they feel most confident using to edit their final newscast.
Extend 2
Students will begin editing their newscast segments using their chosen video editing program while other group members work on creating promotional.
Evaluate
Students will watch their own and other groups’ newscasts and provide specific, thoughtful feedback on strengths and areas for improvement.
Materials List
Activity Slides (attached)
Broadcast Breakdown (attached; one per student)
Newscast Story Planning Sheet (attached; one per group)
Sample Student Broadcast Script (attached; one per group)
Shot Size Graphic (attached; one per group)
Common Terms and Abbreviations (attached; one per group)
Video Editing Guide (attached; one per group)
Two Stars and a Wish (attached; one per student)
Engage
30 Minute(s)
Display slide 2 of the attached Activity Slides to introduce Broadcasting to students. Move to slides 3-4 to go over the essential question and the learning objective. Transition to slide 5. Put students into pairs and pass out Broadcast Breakdown handout. Navigate students to Student Network Television Broadcast Excellence Winners and allow students to select a video to watch. As students watch their chosen video they will answer the questions on their handout. When students complete the questions, ask students to share what they found.
Move to slide 6 and prompt students to think about what news is. Discuss what makes something “newsworthy” and brainstorm some things that are happening in your school that could be turned into news stories.
Explore
25 Minute(s)
Transition to slide 7 and introduce students to their Pop-up Challenge. Put students into groups of 4 and provide students with equipment to film their video. Instruct students that they need to make a 1-2 minute segment about something happening in the school. Give them 20 minutes to complete the assignment. Move to slide 8 and introduce students to the Collective Brain Dump strategy. Ask students to answer the questions about their experience filming their pop-up challenge.
Explain 1
30 Minute(s)
Move to slide 9 and facilitate a short reflection on the student-produced newscasts and their pop-up challenge. Ask students to identify:
What worked well - in both their production and the SNTs
Types of stories that stood out
What made those stories effective or engaging
What they would like to incorporate into their own production
Inform students that they will identify what they think students at their school would be interested in or what would make a good newscast based on what is happening around the school community during the time frame the newscast is produced (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.). Transition to slide 10 and facilitate a story pitch session using the Stand-Up Sit Down strategy. Give students a few minutes to brainstorm ideas and write down 2-3 story ideas. Have all students stand up. Each student will read their ideas one at a time. As an idea is read, write the idea down on the board for everyone to see. If a student’s peer shares a story that is listed on their paper, they will mark it off. Once a student has shared, or marked off, all of their story ideas on their paper, they will sit down. When all of your students are sitting, you know you have a complete list of the class’s news story ideas.
Lead a discussion about which ones will be included in the newscast. Help the class narrow the list to a manageable set of stories (3–5 is typical for a weekly student newscast). You may have to guide students to what are the most newsworthy stories if there are too many ideas for one newscast.
Move to slide 11. Tell the students that it takes many people doing different jobs to make a newscast successful. Show them the graphic(s) of what the job duties look like in action.
Producer: Oversees the entire production; coordinates team communication; ensures deadlines are met
Field Producer: Manages the technical aspects of recording; works with camera crew and talent during shoots.
Director: Manages the live recording of the newscast, may also be in charge of the rundown (order of the stories in the newcast) or switching between cameras during recording
Talent-Anchor: On-camera presenters behind the news desk reading stories on-air
Talent-Reporter: On camera reporter who gathers news on location of newsworthy events
Writers: Develop scripts based on selected stories
Camera Operators: Record video according to production plan
Editors: Assemble, cut, and polish video content
Audio (may be combined with editing): Monitor and adjust sound levels and mic quality in studio and the field
Graphics: Create lower thirds, titles, and visual elements
Display slide 12 and ask them what roles they are most interested in. Pass out the handout and ask them to write down their top three choices. Tell them that they will be doing all the jobs at some point, but you will do your best to give them one of their top three choices first.
Extend 1
30 Minute(s)
Pass out the Newscast Story Planning Sheet to gather information about each of the stories to be included in the newscast. Divide students into groups to tackle each story or work on them together as a class. Use slides 13-14 to guide students through developing their newscast story with their group. Pass out the Sample Student Broadcast Script for inspiration on how to write a script for student-produced broadcasts. Additionally, provide the Shot Size Graphic and the Common Terms and Abbreviations to assist students develop their script fully.
Transition to slide 15 and guide to establish a schedule for when things need to be done and the format of stories (e.g. voice-over, vosot, package, read by anchors, etc.). Write tasks and deadlines on the board with the students as you go over them. If necessary write student names next to each task.
Since the producer will be taking the lead on this since they are in charge of the newscast this week they are responsible for making sure deadlines are met.
Move to slide 16 and allow students to start planning and preparing to film the videos for their newscast.
Explain 2
15 Minute(s)
Move to slide 17 and distribute the Video Editing Guide. Let students know it includes tips that apply to many types of editing software. Review with students how to start a project, import clips, use the timeline, cut and arrange footage, and export the final product for the editing program you have available to you. The Video Editing Guide provides basic instructions for three of the most popular and well-known editing programs.
Extend 2
45 Minute(s)
Move to slide 18 and allow students time to begin editing their newscast segments. Remind students to use the Video Editing Guide as a reference as they work through their edits—importing clips, trimming footage, arranging the timeline, and exporting their final product. Once students have completed their segments instruct them to export the file so it can be merged with the other segments into one broadcast.
Only one or two students from each group may be directly involved in editing at a time. Assign the remaining group members to create promotional materials for their newscast such as posters, flyers, trailers, or social media posts.
Evaluate
20 Minute(s)
Move to slide 19 and introduce the instructional strategy Two Stars and a Wish. Let students know they will watch the whole broadcast together as a group.
After viewing the broadcast, students will write down two stars (things they thought were well done) and one wish (suggestion for improvement). Remind students to be thoughtful, kind, and specific with their feedback.
Once students are done with their Two Stars and a Wish students will reflect on the process of making a broadcast by answering questions on the back of the handout.
Follow-Up Activities
Research Rationale
Resources
Broadcast excellence. STN. (2025). https://www.studenttelevision.com/broadcast-excellence-winners-2025
K20 Center. (n.d.). Collective brain dump. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/111
K20 Center. (n.d.). When “Journalism Kids” Do Better: A Reassessment of Secondary and Postsecondary Achievement and Activities. Literature Review. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/literature-review/4897
K20 Center. (n.d.). Two stars and a wish. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/83
