Current Events…



HUS Government Name_____________________

Mrs. Gardner

Honors Government Current Events….Current Issues

Our government is not just a story of institutions and court cases, it is a story of everyday people caught up in rapidly changing situations. The decisions they make affect the United States, Pennsylvania, Berwyn, and YOU!

Today’s current issues become tomorrow’s history.

I remember sitting where you are and following current events such as:

• Clinton’s inauguration

• 9/11

• President G. W. Bush saying, “ Axis of Evil”

• Columbine

Last year’s students were witnesses to:

• The dropping out of many Republican presidential candidates including: Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum

• The continued struggle of the US economy

• Occupy Wall Street protestors set up camps in many cities.

• European debt crisis in Greece and other countries. Will the Euro survive as it now stands?

• The US Supreme Court declares many parts of Obama’s healthcare reform constitutional (citing Congress’ power to tax)

• Romney winning the Republican presidential nomination. Will he win in November?

Following current events is important because:

➢ It allows you to relate political science theory to what is happening in the real world

➢ It allows you to see how decision makers make decisions in the real world, often with insufficient information and under unbelievable pressure

➢ It allows you to see politicians and policy makers as PEOPLE not tv caricatures.

OVER

What do I want you to do?

12 minute time cap/presentation.

1. 3 students will sign up to present current events on a specific Friday, each will bring in a story or issue to discuss. You may sign up for a specific topic in advance. If you don’t pick one in advance you risk someone else taking your topic. In this case, you will have to create a new current event.

2. The current event article must be turned in two days before (Wednesday) to receive my preapproval. If you do not have the article on-time, you will lose 2 points. If someone is absent on the day of the presentation, s/he will do their make-up the next week with the next group if time allows. The same is true if you are unprepared, with a 20% penalty.

3. During your PRESENTATION you will:

a. Briefly discuss the who, what, where, when, and why of the issue. Give us a thorough understanding the background, issues and any controversy your event covers. This must be a minimum of FOUR minutes for full credit.

b. Your opinion. This should be about 2 minutes in length.

c. Prepare a minimum of two discussion questions to the class. I

suggest you prepare a third question in case one of your other two

flops.

d.Video clip is optional, don’t exceed 12 min time cap for total presentation

4. At the conclusion of the presentation, you MUST hand in a

* Copy of your news article(s). Often times its best to use 2-3 articles.

* A written (preferably typed) summary of the event, class discussion questions and your opinion. Preparation is key to a good presentation! Doing your prep work will help to ensure a good result! 12 font, times new roman, double spaced please(

5. For example, let’s say you were discussing the approval by the Senate Judiciary Committee of Justice Sonja Sotomayor’s nomination for Supreme Court Justice. You might say the following:

a. “The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nomination of Justice Sotomayor to the Supreme Court by a 13 to 6 vote yesterday. The vote was along party lines…the only Republican Senator to vote for her was South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. Her nomination is expected to go the full Senate in the next two weeks and it appears that she will be approved by the Senate.”

b. “I don’t understand why more Senators didn’t vote for her. She seems to be completely qualified. After all, she has 17 years as a federal Appeals court judge! Is everything in Washington always about partisan politics? Why can’t politicians set aside their personal political beliefs and vote for the person?”

c. “My question for the class is, should a person’s race or ethnicity be considered by the President when considering who to nominate for a Supreme Court position?”

d. “I also brought along this video of her getting sworn in by the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. Watch it and tell me what you think of the swearing in procedure.”

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