Informed Citizenship Project
This semester-long project is designed to expose you to contemporary issues and the various ways these issues are portrayed in media. In addition to analyzing the articles, you will learn how to make connections beyond the literal.
Weeks 1-4: News You Can Use
Part I: Once a week, post an article that interests you in the Google Classroom stream.
Week One: Due Jan. 13 Week Three: Due Jan. 27
Week Two: Due Jan. 20 Week Four: Due Feb. 3
Potential News Resources
New York Times Room for Debate Newseum The Atlantic
CNN Student News Student News Daily The New Yorker
PBS Newshour Extra New York Times Google “news about…”
NewsELA BBC News
Upload the link (print article or video) and write a brief rationale for your choice of article.
Potential Questions for Response: Why is the content important? What does it mean to you, to the school, to the community, to the world? Is the writing particularly effective or ineffective? Does the content connect to an issue you are studying in another subject in school? (You do not have to answer all these questions; they are just to give you some ideas of how to respond.)
Part II: Once a week, post a substantive comment in response to another person's article. Avoid merely writing "good job" or "I agree" messages.
Weeks 1-4: News You Can Use
Part I: Once a week, post an article that interests you in the Google Classroom stream.
Week One: Due Jan. 13 Week Three: Due Jan. 27
Week Two: Due Jan. 20 Week Four: Due Feb. 3
Potential News Resources
New York Times Room for Debate Newseum The Atlantic
CNN Student News Student News Daily The New Yorker
PBS Newshour Extra New York Times Google “news about…”
NewsELA BBC News
Upload the link (print article or video) and write a brief rationale for your choice of article.
Potential Questions for Response: Why is the content important? What does it mean to you, to the school, to the community, to the world? Is the writing particularly effective or ineffective? Does the content connect to an issue you are studying in another subject in school? (You do not have to answer all these questions; they are just to give you some ideas of how to respond.)
Part II: Once a week, post a substantive comment in response to another person's article. Avoid merely writing "good job" or "I agree" messages.
Weeks 5-11: What’s Your Issue?
Choose an important or interesting issue you would like to follow for the next four weeks. Create a page on the Student Presentation Weebly, a Pinterest board, or blog of your choice on which you will post your articles. Once a week, post an article and a brief analysis of the content: how the new information relates to/builds upon your previous knowledge of the topic, why this information might be important to know, how the writer covers the topic, etc. Week Five: Due Feb. 10 Week Eight: Due Mar. 2 Week Six: Due Feb. 17 Week Nine: Due Mar. 9 Week Seven: Due Feb. 24 Week Ten: Due Mar. 16
Synthesis Writing: Read through the blogs from the other block and choose one for which you'll write a synthesis essay.
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Weeks 11-14: Join Writer’s Fan/"Fan" Club
Follow a columnist/writer/author who writes weekly/regularly. Each week, choose an article he or she has written follow the same procedure above. Add a page to your Weebly site entitled "Writer Analysis". Link to an article each week and provide commentary on the content and/or style of writing Lists of syndicated columnists can be found online including at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_syndicated_columnists Several columnists are published in the Messenger-Inquirer each week as well: Leonard Pitts Cal Thomas Robert Samuelson Bill Moyers Catherine Rampell Kathleen Parker Thomas Sowell Ruth Marcus Robert Reich Byron York Week Eleven: Due Mar. 30 Week Thirteen: Due Apr. 20 Week Twelve: Due Apr. 13 Week Fourteen: Due Apr. 27 |
Week 15: Show What You Know
Choose ONE: Either (1) select your issue and write an analysis of the topic’s treatment in the media or (2) select your columnist’s collection and write an analysis of the author’s writing style, choice of topics, unique characteristics, etc. Include paraphrasing and direct quotations in your analysis. Create a brief presentation to deliver to the class. Presentation will need an accompanying poster/chart paper with important information and key words to display for Gallery Walk Presentation. Due May 4
Choose ONE: Either (1) select your issue and write an analysis of the topic’s treatment in the media or (2) select your columnist’s collection and write an analysis of the author’s writing style, choice of topics, unique characteristics, etc. Include paraphrasing and direct quotations in your analysis. Create a brief presentation to deliver to the class. Presentation will need an accompanying poster/chart paper with important information and key words to display for Gallery Walk Presentation. Due May 4