Current Event Assignment
For this assignment you are to write at least five paragraphs in MLA format: (Doublespaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, header on the left, last name and page number in
top right).
• You are to find and read at least two articles about one topic to use as SOURCES. You
can search through Google, but WIKIPEDIA is not allowed as a source. Good places to
start searching are at the bottom of the page.
• Once you read the articles, you are to demonstrate complete understanding of the
event. You are to use your own words at all times. If you paraphrase or use a direct
quote, you must include parenthetical citation (in-text citation).
Tentative Schedule
1/11 Mon: Lab for research
Tues: Brainstorm/Outline, begin RD
Wed: Finish RD, begin self-edit
Thurs: RD Check and peer edit
Fri: Lab to type Final Draft
Mon: MLK Day (No School)
Tues: Essay due to turnitin.com or
emailed to me by 1:00pm
For your outline, follow these guidelines:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Introduction
What is the event? What happened? Explain in detail and answer all of the 5 Ws and How questions.
Body paragraph 1
Give some history behind your event. What are some factors that may have led up to this event? Think about who or what
is involved (a company, a country, individuals), etc.
Body Paragraph 2
Explain the two sides that people can take. One side agrees….. One side disagrees… What are their reasons?
Body Paragraph 3
Write a paragraph about why this event is important. Who will it impact? You will have to think about this. What will
happen? You will have to think about everyone involved, what their role is, and what they might have to do to change
things. Who will be impacted by this event?
Conclusion
Summarize the important details from your essay as a whole. Why is this significant enough to be written about or why
should we be aware of this event?
• You must include a work cited page. It be the last page of your essay. For help, go to the link below. You must have at least two
sources on your work cited page. Remember, if you use ANY information from a website, you must put it on your reference page.
You will also include in your essay as an in-text citation.
Good places to find topics and articles:
News ELA: https://newsela.com/
Time Topics from the NY Times- http://www.nytimes.com/pages/topics/index.html
National News: http://www.cnn.com/ ; http://www.foxnews.com/
Local News Websites: http://newsok.com/ ; http://www.news9.com/ ; http://kfor.com/
Sports News: http://espn.go.com/espn/latestnews ; http://bleacherreport.com/
AFN Europe, The Atlantic, BBC News, Daily Mail, The Economist, The Guardian, National Public Radio, USA Today, U. S. News
& World Report, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post
MLA Format and Citation Help: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ ; http://www.easybib.com/
Citation Example for an online article:
Bradner, Eric. "Emotional Obama Calls for 'sense of urgency' to Fight Gun Violence." CNN Politics. CNN, 5 Jan. 2016. Web. 8 Jan.
2016.
Parenthetical Citation (In-text Citation) Example:
“Obama announced limited measures two days ago to tackle rampant US gun violence and called on Americans to punish lawmakers
who oppose more meaningful reforms” (Bradner).