Current Event Controversies in Government

Ms. Elshakhs - U.S. Government

Objective: Examine controversial governmental issues from more than one perspective

Project Explanation (100 points):Each group will research a current controversy and teach a full class period on that issue. Students must give equal time to opposing views on the issue. Students will give a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation describing the controversy in detail, and then lead 20 minutes of class activities and/or discussion on the topic. Students will also create a wiki page for their project. Students will receive group grades, unless they request individual grades in advance. For individual grades, students must submit a written record of group responsibilities, which shows an equitable division of work.

1. PowerPoint Requirements: (60 points)Presentations must be balanced, rather than biased.Your Powerpoint presentation MUST be 20 minutes long. Significant grade reductions will be taken for shorter presentations. All group members must take part in creating and delivering the presentation.The Powerpoint is DUE the FRIDAY BEFORE you present in class.You will be assessed using Conestoga's Oral Presentation Matrix (25 pts)in addition to content requirements (35 pts):

o Introduction & History: Use a good introduction that frames the issue clearly. Next, explain the history & background on the issue. Include relevant Supreme Court Decisions, legislation and laws, applicable international law (if any), etc.

o Federalism: How does the issue differ state by state? Map out for us the varying laws in different states.

o Pro and Con Explanations: Present several major arguments on BOTH sides of the issue

o Interest Groups: Summarize the positions of two opposing interest groups. If you choose good, reputable interest groups, their websites will lead you to much of your valuable research.

o Evidence / Statistics: Explain research that has been used to support each side of issue (e.g. charts/graphs)Include in-text citations for sources of charts, graphs, statistics on the Powerpoint slides containing those statistics..

o Recent Developments: Give us the most up-to-date information and breaking news. Has any legislation recently been proposed? Are various states enacting different laws on the issue? Any recent court decisions? Recent controversies?

o Public Opinion Polls: Explain at least one recent public opinion poll on the issue. Some helpful websites are and in-text citations for the source of the polls on the Powerpoint slide.

o Political Parties: Summarize the positions of three political parties on the issue.

o Videos, pictures, political cartoons, etc:Use some of these to enhance your project.Again, these must be balanced and represent opposing views. You should limit video clips to no more than 6 minutes of your presentation time. You will be able to show youtube.com videos at school by uploading them to your wiki page, since I will be logged in when you are presenting.

o PowerPoints tips: PowerPoints are summaries. They should not be in paragraph form and should never be read word-for-word. You should only use key words and talking points on your slides. Commit the rest to memory, or use note cards. Eye contact and memorization are important for your oral presentation grade, so Practice, Practice, Practice!.Do NOT use a font smaller than 24-point.

2. Class Discussion Requirements: (20 points – 20 minutes in length) You will lead some participatory class activities and/or a class discussion on the issue. Come prepared with several open-ended questions to prompt discussion. COMMON GROUND: At some point during the discussion, you must propose possible compromises to encourage students to find common ground on the issue.

3. Wiki Page (20 points) Wiki pages are valuable tools for group projects, because they enable students to work together without being in the same place. You can chat online with group members, post research links and documents for your group members to see, and even edit each other's work online. Your Wiki Page is DUE the FRIDAY BEFORE you present!It must include the following information:

  • Links to Opposing Views articles: Find two opposing editorial articles on the issue, and post links at the top of your wiki page. Make sure the links are clearly labeled "Opposing Views Articles", so your classmates can easily find them on your page.These must be uploaded by 2:30pm on the Friday before you present.(Note: Be careful if you are using articles from Conestoga databases! Those links expire after a few days, so you should copy and paste those articles into a word doc, and upload the word docs to your wiki page.)
  • Your Power Point presentation: Be sure to also email a copy of your PowerPoint to me OR save a copy on your student account, so that you have a backup ready, in case the wiki upload did not work.
  • Wiki pages should be used to communicate with group members. You could post links to research that you want to share with your group members, or post comments online. Each group member is required to make at least 2 CONTENT-BASED postings on the wiki page.
  • Bibliography (10 points) Be sure to cite all your sources correctlyin MLA format. There is a minimum of 8 sources. Wikipedia may not be used as one of your first 8 sources.

Topics & Due Dates:(Remember, WIKI pages are DUE the FRIDAY BEFORE your presentation.)

Feb. 27: Death Penalty
March 5: Gun ControlOther Possible Ideas?:

March 12:Natural Gas Drilling (Fracking) Stop Online Piracy Act
March 19: Gay MarriageDetention without Trial

March 26: Tea Party vs. Occupy Wall StreetFor Profit Prisons

April 9: Citizens United vs. FEC (campaign finance) Healthcare or Medicare Reform

April 16:Job Creation (R’s vs. D’s)Social Security Reform

April 23: Foreign Policy (pick a country)

RESOURCES ON THE

CHS STUDENT RESEARCH GUIDE:

* Opposing Viewpoints

* SIRS Researcher

* CQ Researcher

* Facts.com

Some Resources for Public Opinion Polls: