CURRENT EVENTS DIRECTIONS

Once a month I will assign current events homework in social studies class. You will have two possible assignments. One will be a current events topic of your choice. The other will be a topic I chose for you.

Although sports are important factors in society and world cultures, we will not be using sports related articles as current events.

If I assign a topic of your choice, you may choose any international, national, or local news article you find interesting, except for sports or local crimes. You must use one legitimate source of information such as the newspaper, an article you find on the internet under a news website (with your parent’s permission), a magazine such as National Geographic, Time or Newsweek, or a TV news program, such as the evening news.

IMPORTANT: Please rotate your source types throughout the year. For example, if you used the internet in September, you must use the newspaper or a magazine or a TV program in October.


Detailed Procedure

Choose your current events article. The article should be at least three paragraphs long. Please avoid using sports-related articles, or stories about local crimes.

1.  Cut out the article.

2.  Glue the article into your social studies notebook.

3.  At the top of the second page, write your source, including the following information:

Date of article

Name of magazine, newspaper, TV show, etc.

Name of author

Page numbers of article

4. On the second page, below the source listing, write a summary of the article using your own words. This should be at least two full paragraphs each consisting of 5-7 sentences. Try to answer the following: who, what, when, where, how, why?

5.  Write a second ‘opinion’ paragraph, answering the following questions:

a.  Why did you choose the article?

b. Was the article interesting to you?

c.  How did the article make you feel? Does what you read make you angry? sad? happy? annoyed? scared?

d.  Did you change your opinion after reading the article?

e.  What would you do to change the situation?

6.  Optional: Ask a parent to read the article and include a quote indicating his/her reaction to the article at the end of your second paragraph. This is worth 5 points of extra credit!

Current Events Rubric MONTH ______TOPIC ______

Completed on time

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5

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Your article is attached to one page of your marble notebook with the source clearly visible or written under the article. You rotated your source, using the internet as a source only once every 3-4 months.
Your source included:
Name of source, date of article, page number, author of article. This includes internet articles.
Note: If one of your sources is from a TV or radio news program, list the date, time, station and reporter’s name.
/ 10 /

You included a one paragraph summary in your own words, with all important details included such as: who, what, where, how, why? You used proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

/ 10 /
You included a one paragraph personal reaction (your opinion) indicating a clear understanding of the topic. You used proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
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10

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You included the opinion of one of your parents, or another adult (optional). /

Extra Credit

5

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Your work is neatly written and your two paragraphs are neatly glued into your marble notebook. /

10

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TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS /

50

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