Title & Date of News Article, and Name of Journalist

Name: Date:

What’s Happening in Our World?

Each week, find and read a current event news article. There are links on our class website if you would like to find something online, otherwise go through your local newspaper. Then complete a written response, this can be typed or handwritten. The written response needs to be set up as follows:

Title & Date of News Article, and name of journalist

Summary of article

indented, written in 6-9 complete sentences using your own words and proper paragraph formatting

Unanswered Questions

write down 3 questions you have after reading the article

Multiple Perspectives

in 3-4 sentences, write about how you feel about the people or events from the article
Why do you think people need to be aware of this?

Big Ideas

using no more than 3 words, write what you believe the “Big Idea” of the article to be

October 24th, 2016

Dear Parents,

We will be starting a current events segment in our class. Current events are included in the Social Studies curriculum as a way to stay connected to our local community, as well as distant communities. This will also give students the opportunity to work on their writing and public speaking skills.

Students are to complete one current event activity every two weeks. The first activity will be due on Friday, October 28th, the second one will be due on Friday, November 18th, and then every 2 weeks after that.

During the following weeks, students will be chosen at random to present their current event article to the class. Therefore it is important your child completes the assignment by the due date, and takes responsibility for their Current Events duotang.

Please look at and discuss headlines events with your child. They are free to choose an article or topic that interests them. Please skim through the newspaper with your child or surf credible news websites to gather your current event. On the classroom website, under “links”, you will find kid-friendly news websites. When using an article, have the students cut it out, or print it, and include it in the current events duotang. If they are unable to print it, include the website URL on the assignment.

This is a great way for students to stay connected, and learn about what is happening in the world they live in. Please see the attached assignment guideline, as well as the rubric. If you have any questions, please email me at or send me a message on Bloomz.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olak

REQUIREMENTS
Title of the article is the title of your summary. Put the title in quotations.
Skip a line between the title and summary
Your summary must be 6-9 sentences written in your OWN words
Capitalize proper nouns and sentence beginnings. Use correct spelling and grammar
The full URL address (http:www….) must be listed for articles found online, articles found in the paper must be cut out
Event must have taken place no more than two weeks before current event is due
Do not choose any articles related to: car crashes, murders, sports, or entertainment news. Choose articles related to the environment, politics, society, or economy.
Put the article into your Current Events duotang, have the duotang at school because you never know which day you will be presenting
REQUIREMENTS
Title of the article is the title of your summary. Put the title in quotations.
Skip a line between the title and summary
Your summary must be 6-9 sentences written in your OWN words
Capitalize proper nouns and sentence beginnings. Use correct spelling and grammar
The full URL address (http:www….) must be listed for articles found online, articles found in the paper must be cut out
Event must have taken place no more than two weeks before current event is due
Do not choose any articles related to: car crashes, murders, sports, or entertainment news. Choose articles related to the environment, politics, society, or economy.
Put the article into your Current Events duotang, have the duotang at school because you never know which day you will be presenting
REQUIREMENTS
Title of the article is the title of your summary. Put the title in quotations.
Skip a line between the title and summary
Your summary must be 6-9 sentences written in your OWN words
Capitalize proper nouns and sentence beginnings. Use correct spelling and grammar
The full URL address (http:www….) must be listed for articles found online, articles found in the paper must be cut out
Event must have taken place no more than two weeks before current event is due
Do not choose any articles related to: car crashes, murders, sports, or entertainment news. Choose articles related to the environment, politics, society, or economy.
Put the article into your Current Events duotang, have the duotang at school because you never know which day you will be presenting

5th Grade Oral Presentation Rubric

1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Non-Verbal Skills / Eye Contact / Student reads with no eye contact / Student occasionally uses eye contact, but still reads most of presentation / Student maintains eye contact with the audience during most of the presentation / Speech is memorized and notes are hardly, if at all, used
Posture / Slumps or leans during presentation / Sways or fidgets during much of presentation / Occasionally sways or fidgets, but stands up straight with both feet on the ground most of the time / Stands up straight and still with both feet on the ground
Vocal Skills / Enthusiasm / Shows absolutely no interest in the topic / Shows some interest in the topic / Shows positive feelings about the topic presented / Demonstrates strong positive feelings about the topic during the entire presentation
Elocution / Student mumbles, incorrectly pronounces terms, and speaks too quietly for students in the back of class to hear / Student’s voice is low-medium, incorrectly pronounces some terms, audience still has some difficulty hearing presentation / Student’s voice is clear and pronounces most words correctly. Most audience members can easily hear the presentation. / Student uses a clear voice and correct, precise pronunciation of terms so that all audience members can hear presentation
Content / Time Frame / Presentation is less than minimum time / Presentation falls within required time frame
Organization / Audience cannot understand presentation because there is no sequence of information / Audience has some difficulty following presentation because student jumps around / Students presents information in a logical sequence which audience can follow / Student has a good hook and presents information in logical, interesting sequence which audience can easily follow
Subject Knowledge / Student does not appear to have a grasp of information; cannot answer questions about subject / Student is comfortable with information, but is only able to answer simple questions / Student is at ease with information and answers questions satisfactorily, but fails to elaborate / Student demonstrates full knowledge (more than required) and can answer and elaborate on most/all questions asked