Name: ______

11th Grade Honors World History

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.

At the end of the course, you will be turning in your Current Event Log for a final grade with a one (1) page analysis paper 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 one (1”) inch binder
  • 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.
  2. Try to focus on with an international theme (anything outside North America)
  3. Sorry…The Daily Show,The Colbert Report, or other TV sources do not count.
  4. Try to avoid editorials, blogs, weather section, or sports pages / magazines
  5. Read the article and get a feel for the story or issue it is talking about.
  6. Complete a write-up of the article using the assigned format
  7. Glue the article to the back of or staple the article to the write up neatly(typed or neatly hand-written)
  8. Participate in in-class discussions of current news stories both from peers and Mr. H and be prepared for end of week pop quizzes.
  9. Keep the article in your current events notebook or binder for class discussion / collection at the end of the semester.

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

What goes into the final analysis paper for my Log?

  • The final part of this assignment will be the creation of a formal, one (1) page, typed analysis paper, which will help to sum up your Log and also to try to make some more concrete connections to the material we have discussed in class.

The formal for this formal, one (1) page, typed analysis paper is presented below:

Name of Student
Course
Teacher
Due Date
Title of Paper
  • Paragraph #1
  • (Introduction to the Assignment)
  • Purpose of the Assignment
  • Requirements for the Assignment
  • News sources / other materials used
  • Paragraph #2
  • (Overview of the “big” news stories of the semester)
  • Were there any themes or common characteristics between your news stories or were they a diverse mix of topics?
  • What were the “top five” big news stories of the semester in your opinion?
  • Why were they so important or newsworthy, in your opinion?
  • How did these news stories affect the world around us or how did they affect your community directly?
  • Paragraph #3
  • (Drawing Conclusions)
  • How would you sum up the news overall for the semester? (Positive, negative, etc.) Explain why.
  • 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?
  • 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.)
  • 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.
  • How do you think this project has helped you to become a better student of politics and how the American government works? Why or why not.

How will my articles be graded?

  • At the end of the semester, your current events journals will be collected and graded according to the following rubric. Those grades will then be added to the total points for the course. Your entries will also be checked for completion each week:
  • Each week = 20 total points
  • Typical month = 80 total points
  • The rubric that will be used to grade your Log at the end of the semester is planned on looking like the rubric below:

Task Description /
Points Received
/ Points Possible
Format – Writing:
  • All format requirements are followed as listed above
  • All entries are organized in the binding of a notebook or folder
/ 30 points
Opinion / Original Thought:
  • Original ideas are presented in thoughtful and intelligent manner with format requirements present
  • A formal one (1) page, typed analysis paper of your Log is included
/ 40 points
Neatness / Presentation:
  • Articles are included with the write-up on the back
  • Neatly typed or handwritten on white paper or with the assigned template.
  • Analysis paper are typed with Time New Roman, 12 point font, double-spaced, one inch margins (1”)
  • Devoid of spelling / grammatical mistakes
/ 30 points
Totals: / 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 / Website
The Associated Press Online
*(Yahoo, Google, etc.)
BBC News Online
CNN.com
ABC News Online
CBS News Online
Reuters.com
World News.com
MSNBC
USA Today.com
Times Magazine Online
The New York Time
Fox News.com /
RSS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME











*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!!!

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