#HISTORYHAPPENS ASSIGNMENT!
DO NOT LOSE THIS PACKET!
SOCIAL STUDIES 7 Mr. Austin & Co. 2015-2016
YOUR MISSION:
To read about and then report on recent developments in the study of history (all KINDS of history) in order to better understand the idea that “history happens.”
REQUIREMENTS:
- You will be required to find, read, and respond to a news article about a recent development in the study of history taken from a newspaper, magazine, or online news or history news source, following the requirements outlined in this packet and using the strategies discussed and demonstrated in class.
- Possible topics and samples will be discussed and presented in class.
- At least ONE #HistoryHappens submission will be required during each trimester. Each will be worth 30 points. You will usually have a minimum of two weeks between the assignment date and the due date.
The PROCESS:
- You need to find a current history-related news article for each #HistoryHappens assignment. You must print the article out if you find it online, or cut it out if you find it in a newspaper or magazine (get permission before cutting up someone else's reading material, please). Make sure you have the entire article. We will discuss how and where to locate articles in class. Websites to use in searching for articles will be posted on our class web page.
- Read the article thoroughly. Look up any vocabulary you don't understand.
- Highlight the information in the article that you think you will need for a summary of your article. We will discuss how to do this in class.
- Construct a paragraph-long summary of the article along with a one paragraph reaction to what you read. This writing can be hand written in INK or you may a) submit as a Google Doc (recommended), or b) word process your work and print it out. Be sure your written work has the assigned heading.
- If you do your work on your Chromebook or computer, you MUST double-space your work. The entire document needs to be double-spaced.
- SHARE your completed writing as a Google Doc with us. SUBMIT your highlighted article so it can be checked against your writing. Be sure your article has your name and your period letter written CLEARLY across the top of the first page.
- If you print out your writing, or if you write your piece by hand, staple your article to the written summary. Make sure you have the entire article.
- NO submissions will be accepted for grading unless the entire printed article is submitted!
THE FORMAT:
Follow this format for your submission:
After the heading, include the following in this order:
- Title of the article, in quotes. Ex.: "Bar mitzvah remembers a boy lost more than 70 years ago"
- The date that the article was published or posted.
- The source of the article, underlined or italicized. Example: The Philadelphia Inquirer
- Location: Where did the event take place? Ex.: Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, United States.
- Surrounding states, countries, or physical features: What are the surrounding states or countries? Ex.: New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Lake Erie, Delaware River.
- Continent: On what continent did the event take place? Ex.: North America.
- Paragraph #1: Brief summary (five to eight sentences) of the facts of the story, based on your high-lighting. Be sure ideas are expressed in your own words. Write a paragraph-long summary of the article. Your summary should contain the most important information in your article, based on your highlighting. After reading it, any reader should have a clear understanding of what’s going on in this story.
- Paragraph #2: Express your reactions to this piece (five sentences minimum). How did you feel when you read it? What are your responses to what you feel about what is being presented and discussed in this article? Go into some detail here.
Paragraphs must be constructed using grammatically correct sentences, and as always, spelling counts.
Types of stories to AVOID:
- Avoid opinion pieces and advertisements that look like news stories. If you’re not sure what you’re looking at, ASK.
- Avoid posts on blogs or personal web pages. If you’re not sure what you’re looking at, ASK.
- For your first assignment, we will be checking in with you to make sure you have selected an appropriate story. After that, you can always ask to have your story checked before starting in on the assignment (recommended).
Types of stories to seek out:
- Look for stories that are taking place in the regions/countries around the world that we’ve been discussing or that we will discuss in class.
- Depending on what you’ve been reading, either for Reading class or independently, find stories that you can somehow relate or connect to those subjects or location. You can use that “connection” as your personal response to the story. You can also look for stories that somehow connect to your other school subjects.
- Find stories that connect to things you’re interested in (like, say dinosaurs!), subjects you’ve already learned about in Social Studies (so you already have some background on the topic), stories that somehow connect to your own family heritage, or stories that just allow you to get your History Geek on.
THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT: Thirty point assignments are like quiz grades. Failing to submit a Current Event on time can have the same effect as getting a ZERO on a quiz.
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