U.S. Government Current Event Assignment Government and politics are not static subjects- players, policies and procedures change over time. As students of government, it is important to stay abreast of news that relates to our fields of study and could help us to become participative citizens. Be careful with your selection, make sure that you choose an article that you will actually be able to provide analysis of. Students may be required to share their findings with the class in an informal presentation, but are asked to hand in a formal typed write up satisfying the criteria listed below.
Point Value
Article selection 10 -the piece you choose is appropriate in length and content
-the selection relates well to US government and politics
- no sports or celebrity news unless it relates DIRECTLY to gov.
-article is a published piece associated with a news source
- no blog entries. They can be informative but are not subject to the same fact checking as formal news sources.
Bullet list of ten pieces of factual or inferential information 10 -what did you learn from the article?
-what could you infer from the information?
-these bullets must be in YOUR words
An analysis of how the article relates to the study of politics,
looking for a minimum of three relationships. 20
-use political language/concepts/models -shows relationship of phenomenon -reference specific topics covered in class -discusses cause and effect
-minimum 6-8 sentence paragraph
News sources should be academic in nature. All news sources are acceptable; local, national, and international materials are fine. If you are unsure as to the quality of the sources consult your instructor. Suggested print media include but are not limited to: The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the Economist, Newsweek, Mother Jones, The Utne Reader, . On-line news media is a little more subject to credibility tests; they often tend to be too short and summarized to be great selection. The above print sources are available on-line; you may also try http://news.bbc.co.uk/, www.salon.com, or http://www.reuters.com/, http://www.rollcall.com/ . These are not limitations, just suggestions. If you are unsure if an article is appropriate, check with your instructor.