Current Events
You will be completing a current events assignment every week in this course. This purpose of the
assignment is to follow a theme in world history for a full school year and be able to analyze the changes
and continuities of that theme.
Assignment:
Chose one of the themes of the AP World History course listed below:
1. Interaction between humans and the environment
• Demography and disease
• Migration
• Patterns of settlement
• Technology
2. Development and interaction of cultures
• Religions
• Belief systems, philosophies, and ideologies
• Science and technology
• The arts and architecture
3. State-building, expansion, and conflict
• Political structures and forms of governance
• Empires
• Nations and nationalism
• Revolts and revolutions
• Regional, trans-regional, and global structures and organizations
4. Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems
• Agricultural and pastoral production
• Trade and commerce
• Labor systems
• Industrialization
• Capitalism and socialism
5. Development and transformation of social structures
• Gender roles and relations
• Family and kinship
• Racial and ethnic constructions
• Social and economic classes
Procedure:
 Find one article per week that relates to your theme.
(Your selection of articles must in global in scope and use a variety of sources from different
regions of the world - see internet sources below.)
 Read the article carefully.
 Record the proper citation for the source of your article.
 Staple a printout of the article into your journal.
Write-up:
Summary: Write a thorough and accurate summary of the major points of your article.
Relation to Theme: How does this article relate to your theme?
Historical Connections: Discuss any historical connection to your article. This could be the historical
background to the event or a similar event that occurred in history.
POV: Discuss the frame of reference of point of view of the article. Discuss any indications of bias.
Share: your own reactions or insight of the article.
End of quarter reflection: At end of each quarter, write a reflection on the changes/developments in
your theme thus far.
This will be graded each week and will count as a test grade!
Internet Sources in English
South and Central Asia
The Indian Express, Bombay, India
http://www.indianexpress.com/
Kashmir Observer, Kashmir, India
http://www.kashmirobserver.com/
The People's Review, Katmandu, Nepal
http://www.yomari.com/p-review/
Himal Mag, Katmandu, Nepal
http://www.himalmag.com/
Afghan Daily, Afghanistan
http://www.afghandaily.com/
The Frontier Post, Peshawar, Pakistan
http://www.frontierpost.com.pk/
East Asia
China People's Daily, China
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/
Japan Times, Japan
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/
Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam
http://www.vnagency.com/vn/
West Asia/Middle East
Egypt Today, Egypt
http://egypttoday.com/
Jerusalem Post, Israel
http://www.jpost.com/
The Palestine Chronicle, Palestine
http://www.palestinechronicle.com/
Latin America and Caribbean
Buenos Aires Herald, Buenos Aires, Argentina
http://www.buenosairesherald.com/
Jamaica Observer, New York, NY
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/
Granma Internacional, Cuba
http://www.granma.cu/
The News Mexico, Mexico
http://www.thenewsmexico.com/
Africa
The East African, Nairobi, Kenya
http://www.nationaudio.com/News/EastAfrican/
current/
Daily Nation
http://www.nationaudio.com/dailynation/today
Independent Online News, Capetown, South Africa
http://www.to/co.za
Sunday Times, Johannesburg, South Africa
http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/
All Africa.com
http://allafrica.com/
Europe and Russia
International Herald Tribune, Paris, France
http://www.iht.com/frontpage.htm
Irish Independent, Ireland
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/
Daily Telegraph, UK
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Prague Post, Prague, Czech Republic
http://www.praguepost.com/
The Muslim News, UK
http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/
The Jewish Chronicle, UK
http://www.thejc.com/
German Times, Germany
http://www.germantimes.com/
The Moscow Times, Moscow, Russia
http://www.moscowtimes.ru/indexes/01.html
United States
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Christian Science Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/
USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/
Australia and New Zealand
The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, Australia
http://www.smh.com/au/
New Zealand Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Current Events Rubric
100-90
89-80
79-70
69-or below
Has completed all
required entries,
including citation and
copy of article.
May be missing one of
the required entries,
including citation and
copy of article.
May be missing two of
the required entries,
including citation and
copy of article.
Is missing three or
more entries, including
citation or copy of
article.
Thoroughly and
Accurately
accurately summarizes summarizes the
the article.
article.
Most articles are briefly Article summaries are
summarized.
incomplete.
Some articles relate to
All articles relate to the Most articles relate to the chosen theme.
chosen theme.
the chosen theme.
Approach to global
Strong approach to
Adequate approach to view of theme is not
global view of theme. global view of theme. consistent.
Few articles relate to
the chosen theme.
Approach to global
view of theme is not
evident.
Discussion of historical Discussion of
connection in all
historical connection
entries.
in most entries.
Discussion of historical Little or no discussion
connection in some
of historical
entries.
connection in entries.
All entries discuss
frame or reference,
point of view, and
possible bias.
Most entries discuss
frame or reference,
point of view, and
possible bias.
Some entries discuss
frame or reference,
point of view, and
possible bias.
All reactions are
thoughtful and
insightful.
Most reactions are
thoughtful and
insightful.
Little to no entries
discuss frame or
reference, point of
view, and possible
bias.
Some reactions are
thoughtful and
Few or no reactions
insightful, some
are thoughtful and
inconsistency in effort. insightful or reactions
Articles reflect a
Articles reflect a
not included in entry.
consistent effort
consistent effort
Articles reflect an
throughout the quarter throughout the quarter. uneven effort
Articles reflect no
(one entry per week)
throughout the quarter. consistent effort
End of quarter theme
throughout the quarter.
End of quarter theme
reflections
End of quarter theme
reflections
demonstrate effort and reflections demonstrate End of quarter theme
demonstrates thorough careful thought.
some effort and careful reflections
effort and careful
thought.
demonstrate little or no
thought.
effort or thought.