Current Event Assignment
It is very import for people to know and understand the events that are happening locally, nationally, and globally. This assignment consists of accessing a news article pertaining to the federal government and to analyze the article. The source must be less than one week old from the time of submission. Acceptable sources are: The Dallas Morning News, NPR, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNBC, MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, and The Economist.
The purposes of this assignment are:
1. to increase your ability to research current events in government,
2. to increase your understanding of a particular area of government,
3. to connect concepts you are learning in class material with real-world issues.
You are to include the following criteria in your assignment:
1. Article title and source-
a. Using the MLA style of citation, where did you get the article?
b. You must include the article in a format so that it can be retrieved:
1) If you are using an internet source, include the url so it can be accessed.
2) If you are not using an internet source, cut out, photocopy, or print the article, then scan or attach it.
2. Summary-
Briefly and in your own words, summarize the content of the article.
3. Connection-
Connect the article to one or more concepts we have covered in class.
a. Define the concept(s) that you state the article connects to.
b. Describe how the article illustrates the concept(s).
4. Viewpoints-
Identify the different perspectives that could be present in, or affected by, what is included in your article. Think about our discussion of changing demographics. What might apply here?
5. Reaction-
Take a position on the issue contained in the article.
a. What ideas, positions, or assumptions do you want to challenge?
b. What do you agree with and why?
Write your paper in paragraph form using good sentence structure with proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Write the paper in your own words. If you need to use a short quote, cite properly. The paper should be one to two pages in length, double- spaced, one inch margins, and 12-inch point font. It should be turned in via eCampus.
This is not a critique of whether the article is good or bad. This assignment is to make a connection to the classroom material and to explore the different sides of the issue.