Current Event for December Due: December 18 th , 2015
Language Arts
Students will present a short current events speech to the class. This activity promotes social awareness of events happening locally, regionally, nationally, and globally, as well as strengthens skills in writing, reading comprehension, reading fluency, speaking and critical thinking. These assignments will be graded using the attached rubric.
Students must submit the research form the morning of the due date and speeches will be presented that day. Students will be able to use their research form as a guide when presenting their speech to the class. Speeches should last for approximately
2-4 minutes.
The students will be learning how to research in class, which will guide them with the completion of this current event task. All topics MUST be age appropriate. See me if you have any questions.
Possible sources include magazines, newspapers, and Internet articles. Please use the provided web sites, or ask for parent permission. Articles MUST be current (past year).
Websites: www.timeforkids.com www.dogonews.com www.nationalgeographic.com
Rubric: ITEM POINTS
Research form completed neatly on a separate sheet of paper , or typed and turned in on time.
5
Numbers 1-5: Fill in with correct information. Source should include the full name of the magazine, newspaper, etc, as well as the ENTIRE URL(Internet address) if found on the Internet
10
Number 6: Has appropriate, meaningful vocabulary words from the source and have been defined in the same context as used in the source.
15
Number 7: Summary paragraph contains 8 or more sentences that explain WHO,
WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY/HOW, and tell about the MAIN IDEA of the current event.
Number 8: Response paragraph contains 5 or more sentences that describe your reaction to the article in your own words .
25
10
Number 9: Picture relates to your event and adds visual value to your speech. 5
Speech contains all of the information from the summary/response on your Research
Form.
Speech is 2-4 minutes in length
8
2
Speaker has good posture while presenting, maintains eye contact with audience, and uses a clear speaking voice that can be heard by the entire audience.
10
TOTAL POINTS ____/90

1. Student Name:
Current Events
~ Research Form Format
2. Title of article:
3. Source of article:
4. Author of article:
5. Date of article:
6. Three vocabulary words with definitions that are appropriate to the article:
1. :
2. :
3. :
7. Summary paragraph (8+ sentences that summarize the article in your own words):
HINTS: Make sure your summary paragraph explains WHO, WHAT,
WHERE, WHEN, WHY/HOW, and that you tell about the MAIN THEME of the current event.
8. Response paragraph (5+ sentences that describe your reaction to the article in your own words):
HINT: When I read this article I thought about......... Reading this article made me remember a time when....... This article made me feel....... After reading about this event, I am concerned about the future because........ This article gives me hope for the future because......
9.
Print or draw a picture related to your current event that can be shown to the class when you give your speech.
****REMEMBER: This form must be completed on a separate piece of paper OR typed.*******

EXAMPLE OF A CURRENT EVENT CAN BE FOUND BELOW:
Student Name: Joan Smith
Title of article: "Too Much Rain Hits the Northeast"
Source: New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com
Author: Jeff Doe
Date of article: 9-10-04
3 Vocabulary words:
1. Torrential: An abundance of something, usually refers to water
2. Inundated: to cover with or as if with a flood
3. Humidity: the amount of atmospheric moisture
Summary Paragraph Sample:
 The article writes about flooding in the northeast.
There is too much rain and the land is inundated.
According to one expert, "The water table in many areas is much higher than it has been in past years." This means good things for the farmers. It is a bad thing because the water has no where to go and the roads get flooded. Some houses were washed away in the floods. According to an eyewitness during the last storm, "People were not driving through the streets, they were in boats, paddling their way to other houses." While rain is usually good for the land, this rain needs to stop so that the ground can absorb the water that has already fallen and people can "get their lives back in order." This article was informational in that it described what can happen to people and the land when there is too much rain.
Brief Sample of a Response Paragraph
When I read this article I became alarmed and frightened thinking about how powerful
Mother Nature can be. This article gave me hope for the future of our national food supply because the farmers got much needed rain. I know that there have been terrible droughts in that area in previous years, causing the loss of many food crops. On the other hand, I am also worried that this type of flooding may be a sign of changing weather patterns that scientists have predicted will occur with global warming. I hope that the citizens
…