8th Grade Current Events Assignment



8th Grade Current Events Assignment

The weekly project for the 2nd marking period will be a current events assignment. Each week, 3 students will present a meaningful current event to the class. Each student will be required to present 1-2 times during the marking period. For this assignment, you will create a 1 page report about your current event and you will come up with some activity that will get the class involved. Presentations will generally take place every Friday.

Requirements for the written portion

1.) Get your topic approved by me the Monday before you present. Failure to gain approval that Monday will result in a loss of points.

2.) Construct a 1 page (or more) paper about your topic.

3.) The paper needs to be written in Word’s default setting (1 inch margins), 12 point Times New Roman Font, and double spaced.

4.) The paper should include 5 paragraphs. The first paragraph should be an opening where you briefly summarize your article, one paragraph which discusses the importance of the topic, one paragraph that discusses the event’s impact on both the U.S. and the world, one paragraph which discusses how this event affects you or your family, and a conclusion paragraph where you summarize your main points and the significance of the event.

5.) At the top of your page include your name and the title of the article and nothing more. For example:

Mr. Kirk The Iraq War

6.) Indent your paragraphs. Spelling, grammar, and conventions count. Also, attach your article to your paper.

Requirements for the class activity:

1.) You will make a 10 minute presentation

2.) You will give a brief (1-2 minute summary of your article).

3.) After your summary, you will have the class engage in some kind of activity that extends learning in relation to your current event (extend their understanding of the issues and ethical principals surrounding the event not JUST the event itself). For example, you can have them work in groups to discuss the impact of the event and come up with a solution, you can have them debate your issue with one another, you could have them create something that extends their learning of the issues involved with your topic, you can create a Smart Board activity that engages the class, or any other creative activity you can think of. Essentially, you are becoming a teacher for this activity and teaching your event and the ethical, moral, and social aspects relating to that event to the class

*Note* This part of the assignment is not merely a summary and review of your current event. This means, you should not just ask students summarizing questions. You need to extend and enhance their learning in regards to your event.

The more creative your activity, the better your grade will be. Although you can have them fill out a worksheet or answer some questions, this is not very creative. Think of ways to either enhance these activities or come up with more creative ideas.

Current Events Rubric

|10-9 Points |8-7 Points. |6-5 Points |4-3 Points |2-1 Points |0 Points |

|Paper is correct |Paper is correct |Paper is not at least|Paper is shorter than|Paper is shorter than|Paper was not |

|length. All |length. All |1 page in length. 1 |a page. 2 paragraph |a page. 3 paragraph |attempted or is |

|paragraphs contain |paragraphs contain |paragraph requirement|requirements are not |requirements are not |missing the majority |

|required information.|required information.|is not present or not|present or not fully |present or not fully |of elements. |

|Analytical and |Analytical and |fully explored. |explored. Analytical |explored. Analytical | |

|critical thinking are|critical thinking are|Analytical and |and critical thinking|and critical thinking| |

|extremely evident. |evident in regards to|critical thinking are|are not very evident.|are not evident. | |

|Paper is extremely |some questions. Paper|lacking. Paper is |Paper lacks |Paper is not creative| |

|creative and thought |is creative and |somewhat creative and|creativity and |and provokes no deep | |

|provoking. No |provokes some thought|provokes a little |provokes no real |thinking from the | |

|mistakes in regards |from the reader. No |thought from the |thinking from the |reader. More than 6 | |

|to grammar or |more than 2 |reader. No more than |reader. No more than |grammatical or | |

|conventions. Article |grammatical or |4 grammatical or |6 grammatical or |convention errors. | |

|attached. |convention errors. |convention errors. |convention errors. |Article not attached.| |

| |Article attached. |Article not attached |Article not attached.| | |

|10-9 Points |8-7 Points |6-5 Points |4-3 Points |2-1 Points |0 Points |

|Presentation is |Presentation is 8-9 |Presentation is 6-7 |Presentation is 4-5 |Presentation is 2-3 |Presentation is less |

|required length. |minutes in length. |minutes long. |minutes in length. |minutes in length. |than 3 minutes in |

|Presenter takes |Presenter takes |Presenter does not |Presenter does not |Presenter does not |length or presenter |

|presentation very |presentation |take some of |take most of |take presentation |did not include the |

|seriously. It is |seriously for the |presentation |presentation |seriously. Presenter |majority of |

|extremely apparent |most part. It is |seriously. It is not |seriously. It is not |is not prepared for |requirements in |

|presenter prepared |apparent presenter |very apparent |apparent that |presentation. |his/her presentation.|

|for presentation. |prepared for |presenter prepared |presenter prepared |Presenter reads from | |

|Presenter does not |presentation. |for presentation. |for presentation. |card or paper for | |

|read from paper or |Presenter does not |Presenter reads from |Presenter reads from |whole presentation. | |

|card. Class is |read from paper or |paper or card for |paper or card for |Class is not engaged | |

|engaged and activity |card for the most |much of the |most of the |and does not | |

|is extremely |part. Class is |presentation. Class |presentation. Class |understand the event.| |

|creative. Class |engaged but activity |is not fully engaged |engagement is |Activity is not | |

|understands the |is not extremely |and/or activity is |lacking. Activity is|creative. | |

|event. |creative. Class |not extremely |not very creative. | | |

| |understands the event|creative. Some class|Many students seem to| | |

| |somewhat. |members are confused |not understand the | | |

| | |about event. |event. | | |

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