Th Grade Government & Economics Current Events Log

[Pages:5]Name: _____________________________

11th Grade Government & Economics Current Events Log

The Assignment: ? Every Tuesday and Thursday, we will have an in-class discussion on current events going on in the world around us. Your task between those times will be to search national and international media outlets to find stories of global importance, complete a formal write-up of the article, and be prepared to present and discuss your article(s) with your peers in class. Video current events will also be discussed and posted online for study and a weekly current event quiz / practice assessment will be given on assigned Fridays.

At the end of the course, you will be turning in your Current Event Log with all articles and write-ups for a final grade with a final analysis project that will sum the news stories and connection you have made with these events during the course of the semester.

What materials will I need to complete this assignment? ? Three (3) prong folder or binder -OR- a Google Folder via Goggle Drive ? Local / national newspapers, magazines, or reliable Internet sites ? Glue or other adhesives

What do I have to do for this assignment? 1. You must locate a current news story from a legitimate news source that has some kind of global impact. ? Try to focus on with an political theme (anything relating to government or economics) ? Sorry...The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, or other TV sources do not count. ? Try to avoid editorials, blogs, weather section, or sports pages / magazines 2. Read the article and get a feel for the story or issue it is talking about. 3. Complete a write-up of the article using the assigned format 4. Glue the article to the back of or staple the article to the write up neatly (typed or neatly handwritten) 5. Participate in in-class discussions of current news stories both from peers and Mr. H and be prepared for end of week pop quizzes. 6. Keep the article in your current events notebook or binder for class discussion / collection at the end of the semester

1

What is the format for the current events articles? ? This template can be found on Mr. H's website under the "Current Event Log" tab

Your Name: ________________________ Block / Period: ________________________

Current Events Log

1) Source Information: Title of Article: _____________________________________ Author(s) name: _____________________________________ *Name of the Publication (Source): _____________________ Date of Publication: __________________________________

*If it was an Internet source, please include a link to you story (_____._____)

2) Theme of the Article (Can be more then one...):

-The Legislative Branch (Congress) - Political Parties - Economy / Taxation - Executive Branch (The President)

- Foreign Policy / International - The Judicial Branch (The Courts) - Local & State Government - The Constitution / Civil Rights

3) Do you think this source is unbiased?

Yes

No Undecided

Why? Explain.

4) Summarize the article, giving the reader the basic information of the problem, discover, or conflict (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How)

(One [1] paragraph ? 5-6 sentences minimal)

5) Give your own thoughts on the article's major issues: Why do you think we as Americans should know about this? How it might connect to a topic we have talked about in class? Is there a solution you think would help the situation? (One [1] paragraph ? 4 sentences minimal)

(Each journal entry should be no longer than one [1] page in length)

2

What goes into the final analysis project for my Log?

The final part of this assignment will be to create an interactive digital timeline using the site as a wrap up to your Log, which will help to sum it up and make some more concrete connections to the material we have discussed in class. Students should sign up for a free Sutori account using their Etown Google accounts

Finished timelines will have to be shared with Mr. H digitally prior to the Current Event Log's final due date. You can learn and experiment more with the Sutori site via the links on Mr. H's Current Event Log page.

Name of Student / Block

Title of Timeline

? Section #1 ? (Introduction to the Assignment)

o Purpose of the Assignment o Requirements for the Assignment o News sources / other materials used

? Section #2 ? (Overview of the "big" news stories of the semester)

o Were there any themes or common characteristics between your news stories or were they a diverse mix of topics?

o What were the "top three" big news stories of the semester in your opinion? o Why were they so important or newsworthy, in your opinion? o How did these news stories affect the world around us or how did they affect your community

directly?

? Section #3 ? (Drawing Conclusions)

o How would you sum up the news overall for the semester? (Positive, negative, etc.) Explain why.

o Do you think the news is presented in an appropriate fashion, without bias or spin? Explain why or why not? Explanations why or why not?

o What trends or themes did you see developing in the news this semester? (Emphasis on particular themes or issues like the environment, world hunger, terrorism, etc.)

o Where there any connections you made between one of your news stories and the material we discussed in class? If so, explain what and give an example.

o How do you think this project has helped you to become a better student of world history? Why or why not.

Students should include at least one (1) of the following in their Sutori timeline: ? An image caption ? A video caption ? A multiple choice caption ? A "Did You Know" caption 3

How will my articles be graded?

? Students will be given a monthly grade associated with their Current Event Log. A grading checklist will be made available via Google Classroom with specific comments related to a student's mission to allow for accountability and correcting problems before they get to become bigger issues. Students are encouraged not to procrastinate and to stay on top their responsibilities. o Monthly Current Event Log Grade = These checks are VOLUNTARY, but are strongly encouraged by all students so you don't look points at final collection

? At the end of the semester, your Current Events Log will be collected and graded according to the following rubric for a final project grade of a hundred (100) points:

Task Description

Format ? Writing: ? All format requirements are followed as listed in the CE Log requirements o Articles included o Neatly types / handwritten o Minimal spelling/ grammar issues ? All entries are organized in the binding of a notebook or folder OR- provided through a Google Doc Folder online ? The correct number of entries for the Log are included

Opinion / Original Thought: ? Original ideas are presented in thoughtful and intelligent manner with format requirements present ? Student met the requirement of being prepared / participatory in classroom discussions ? Student met required semester "check-ins" w/ Mr. H for feedback and suggestions.

Analysis ? Final Submission: ? Final analysis timeline via the Sutori site is provided and meets all the requirements laid out in the CE Log requirements o Followed assigned format o Addressed specific questions o Utilized specific multimedial requirements

Points Received

Points Possible

40 points

30 points 30 points

Totals:

4

100 points

Legitimate Internet News Sources

The following websites are some of the acceptable Internet sources when it comes to finding current events:

News Agency

The Associated Press Online *(Yahoo, Google, etc.) BBC News Online ABC News Online CBS News Online World MSNBC USA Times Magazine Online The New York Time Fox

Website

RSS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME



All of the news sites listed above are linked through Mr. H's Current Event Log site

*If you are a fan of Yahoo, Google, or AOL News, keep in mind that many of these stories are taken from other sites like the Associated Press, Reuters, BBC News, etc. Make sure that you cite the original news source the article is coming from, NOT YAHOO, GOOGLE, or AOL!!!

5

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download