Current Events
Format for Writing the
Current Events Assignment
Mrs. Bachman’s & Mr. Lynn’s
6th Grade
How to Write the
Current Event Paper
You are required to select a current event of interest or concern to
you based on a specific subject matter, and write a one page summary.
No entertainment, sports, or extreme violence articles are allowed.
This grade will count towards your current events/writing
assignments grade. The Current Event must be handed in every other
Thursday. Late assignments will be given a zero and can not be made up.
Current Event Papers will be graded according to the Rubric included
in this packet. Make sure you follow the guidelines given to you.
Students will be chosen randomly to present their current event article,
so be prepared to talk about it.
Setting Up Your Current Event Paper
Summary Components
 On a sheet of loose leaf paper, write the
following:
 Your name
 Date
 Period
 Name of the article
 Author
 Source
 Date of the article
 Write a summary and a reaction in the same paper
 Include the original article in a separate sheet of
paper
Setting Up Your Current Event Paper
* Cut out or print a copy of your entire article. If it is
a newspaper article, tape the entire article to a piece
of paper. If it is an article you found on the internet,
the full article must be printed out.
* Create your summary and reaction paragraphs. Your
summary should be at least 8 sentences long. Your
reaction should be at least 5 sentences long. Make
sure to indent each paragraph. See the “Writing the
Summary” and “Writing the Reaction” slides for
content information.
Appearance/Organization
*Hand written
* Organized according to directions
* Edited for spelling and mechanics
Writing the Summary
The first sentence of your summary should note the name
of the newspaper or website (source), date of the article,
author, and name of article. In your own words, write a
summary of the article. The summary needs to be at least 8
sentences long. Remember to include the 5 W’s (who, what,
where, when, and why, if applicable).
When writing your summary, make sure you answer the
following questions:
•Who is involved?
•What happened?
•Where did it happen?
•When did it happen?
•Why did it happen?
Writing the Reaction
Your reaction to the article needs to include two or more of the
following:
* Your thoughts about the article
* Why this article interests you
* Agreement or disagreement with the events/article
* Effects on you, our community, or state, now or in the future
* Possible remedies or solutions to problem (if any)
Make sure that this is written in a paragraph form. This paragraph
needs to be at least 5 sentences long. Use examples from the article to
support your point of view. This should not be a one-sentence response.
Example 1
Every day, I hear from my parents and the news that Americans are experiencing an
energy crisis. In the Time magazine article from January 25, 2006 titled Energy
Alternatives, I learned that scientists are working to create several alternative
sources of energy.
One alternative is a new method for harnessing the power of moving water. Though
dams have been used to generate energy for a long time, scientists are now trying to
make energy from ocean waves. If they perfect a way to generate electricity from
waves, it could eliminate America’s need for 21 million barrels of oil per day.
Another solution is to use sugarcane to fuel automobiles. Flexcars, which are selling
like hotcakes in Brazil, run on both traditional gasoline and sugarcane ethanol. If my
parents bought one of those, I might not have to hear about the high price of gas
every day.
The final alternative energy source the article described was the strangest – methane
gas from animal waste! Who knew that animal waste might solve our energy crisis? It
sounds gross, but the idea of turning waste into fuel is exciting. The waste can be
broken down by bacteria into methane, which can be sued to heat buildings and
generate electricity. Amazing! As long as the smell is broken down I don’t see a
problem.
Every day we use more and more of our earth’s precious oil to heat our homes, fuel our
cars, and run our lawnmowers. One day the world’s oil will run out. I think that it is
important that we take these alternatives seriously and begin to use them. The sooner,
the better!
Example 2
“Bush Assures Troops on Iraq,” the article from December 14, 2006, in the Denver
Post gives two examples of how difficult it is to be a political leader.
One challenge is in choosing how much to commit to plans. In the article, the
President was vague about whether or when our troops would be withdrawn from Iraq.
He said, “At the appropriate time, I will stand up in front of the nation and say,
‘Here’s where we’re headed.’” I realized that if leaders name specific details of a
course of action, they will be held accountable, and be criticized if they don’t or can’t
follow through. At the same time, if they are too vague, they can be criticized for
that as well.
Another challenge is in the pressure to say pleasing things. He declared his
“unshakable commitment” to the troops. Then he said he will “give them tools to help
them succeed.” However, the article says that the Iraq Study Group Report denies
that the government has actually done this. I think the President felt compelled to
say something appealing, even though the government’s actions didn’t support his
words.
I think it would be very difficult to be a strong political leader that is always in the
public eye. Everyone has an opinion and a criticism of who you are, what you say, and
what you do. Sometimes you have to wonder if what you see and hear is really who
they are or are they saying it because they “have to”. I for one do not think being a
political leader is a profession I would like to be in.
Current Events Rubric
Requirements
Coverpage
(Article)
Appearance/
Organization
Points
The article is printed or cut
from a newspaper. All required
components are well presented.
Written neatly, well
Points
All required
8
components are
Points
Several required
6
components are missing.
present.
10
Neatly written and
8
Neatly written, but
organized, edited, and
organized according to
needs organization and
visually appealing.
directions.
editing.
Summary describes
Summary
10
40
Summary describes
35
Summary describes
article clearly and in
article in own words
article, but missing
detail using own
but lacks detail.
information and/or is
words including the
6
30
not in own words.
5W's.
Conclusion is
Reaction
40
Conclusion includes
thoughtful, thorough,
what was learned, but
and includes details
lacks detail and/or
and/or evidence from
evidence from the
the article to support
article to support
reaction.
reaction.
35
Conclusion is vague and
lacks focus.
30