Riggio Current Events Project

Current Events Project

The examination of current events is an important component of World History. It is beneficial to study the past in order to gain background information to help understand the present, but it is also important to look at modern issues and conflicts. During this project, you will take an in-depth look at a current issue that you find interesting or meaningful. After you select a topic, you will track that subject and look for newspaper or magazine articles to analyze.

Choose a topic of personal interest. It must be of national or international importance and broad enough that you will be able to find up-to-date information. Some suggestions include (But are NOT limited to)…

- International Conflict such as the Israeli-Arab struggle, the aftermath of the war in Iraq, or the civil war in the Congo

- Global Issues such as AIDS or terrorism

- Medical Issues such as cloning, new cancer treatments or Stem Cell Research

- Environmental Issues such as global warming & the Kyoto Protocol. (Severe Weather such as the Cyclone in Myanmar)

- Human Rights Abuses and Genocide

-Military Dictatorships

Introduction: Explain why you selected your topic and discuss background information (1 page typed, ds)

Research: Find at least 5 relevant articles that are connected to your topic. You may find the online newspaper sites very useful (Yahoo World News gives great international coverage of important events). All articles must be dated.  Depending upon your topic, you may be able to find two different articles about the same event, but written from different points of view. For example, CNN might offer a different interpretation of a suicide bombing in Iraq than would Al Jazeera. You may wish to include a political cartoon.

 

Summary: Title each Summary with the title of your article.  Then, write a summary of each article incorporating “who (POV), what, where, when, and why and a paragraph that outlines your thoughts. I am very interested in reading your personal opinions. You may choose to make connections to other similar events or issues (1-2 pages typed, ds per article).

Bibliography:  You must create a bibliography with all proper citations for your articles.  Your Bibliography should be alphabetically ordered.  I do NOT want the articles!!

Conclusion: After you have completed your five articles, write your conclusion. This should include your final thoughts and reflections. Discuss whether or not you increased your knowledge on this topic or changed your original perceptions. You may wish to offer recommendations or suggestions if appropriate (1 page typed, ds)


 Mrs. Hatcher recommends the following resources located in the VRC:

• Facts.com Issues & Controversies
• Facts.com World News Digest (See Special Collection for Political Cartoons)
• SIRS Researcher (includes World Conflicts)

Mr. McAuliffe & Cowan ~ AP Literature & Composition

Research Paper    A.P. Literature & Composition

Assignment.  Find a topic that derives from something we have studied this year. Choose a major work or an author we have read, a novelist, playwright, or short story writer.  Or choose a poem or poet we have studied.  Consider literary theories, such as New Criticism, Reader Response, New Historicism, etc. The topic should be suitable for a 5-7 page research paper using a minimum of three legitimate outside sources.  Your paper must follow MLA guidelines for manuscript format and citation conventions. 

 

Getting Started.  Begin with a *school-sponsored site (e.g. Bloom or Gale Group) or begin with a book.   *Your school Librarian, Mrs. Hatcher, will provide an overview of the information resources available as well as instruction on a preliminary works cited page using Noodletools. 

The subject should be one that you are interested in.  It may be one that you have already thought about (e.g., female characters in Hamlet), or it may be a question you have not yet considered (e.g., How much did Dylan Thomas and Elizabeth Bishop use “closed form” in their poetry?)

Read pages 2179-2184 in your textbook.  This will give you an overview of what this kind of paper entails.  It also addresses important issues like internet reliability and plagiarism.

See Class Handout Section of this blog for sample topics and additional information on this assignment.