So You Want to
Be a Copy Editor?

Brief Description

Students explore what a copy editor does and take a copyediting test.

Objectives

Students practice spelling as they learn about the skills and knowledge necessary for a career in journalism.

Keywords

spelling, career, journalism

Materials Needed

• print and/or online resources about journalism, such as
  American Copy Editors Society
  Poynter Institute
• an online or printed copy of a copy editing test such as
  Dow Jones Newspaper Fund editing exercise, 1998
  Dow Jones Newspaper Fund editing exercise, 2004
  Editing Guidelines
• a variety of reference materials, such as a dictionary, a thesaurus, an almanac, and a copyediting style guide.

Lesson Plan

• Invite students to explore a variety of print and online resources about journalism, including sites such as the American Copy Editors Society and the Poynter Institute.
• Brainstorm a list of skills and knowledge that a person might need for a career in journalism. Ask: Which of the subjects that you study at school would help a journalist? How would those subjects be helpful?
• Have students complete one of the copyediting tests available online, such as
  Dow Jones Newspaper Fund editing exercise, 1998
  Dow Jones Newspaper Fund editing exercise, 2004
  Editing Guidelines.
• If desired, substitute your class spelling words for the words on the test selected.
• Encourage students use a variety of reference works to check their answers.

Assessment

Evaluate students on their participation in class discussions and their performance on the spelling sections of the copyediting test used.

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted By

Linda Starr

National Standards

Language Arts:
  NL-ENG.K-12.3
  NL-ENG.K-12.6