10th Grade Benchmark:
World Issues Project Handbook
2014-2015
This project is designed to give students the opportunity to research, critically
think, and act to promote change in the world. Do not lose this packet – you will
need to refer to it throughout the benchmark project. This packet is available
online should you lose yours. There will be NO replacement packets offered if you
lose yours. Filling in your name and teachers’ names will help return this packet to
you if it is lost.
This packet belongs to: _______________________________________________
World History Teacher and Room #: _____________________________________
English Teacher and Room #: ___________________________________________
1
General Benchmark Details
Calendar and Due Dates: Write these in your planner.
Assignment
Due Date
World Issues Kickoff
October 10th
Country Infographic
October 21st
Request for Information
October 28th
Running Annotated Bibliography
October 28th +
Comparative Periodical Review
November 4th
Global Issue Profile Rough Draft
November 14th
Global Issue Profile Final Draft
December 9th
Issue Socratic Seminar
February 3rd
Letter to an Expert
February 17th
Policy Paper
April 21st
Policy Debate
May 15th
Service Project
Due to
World History
World History
World History
English
English
World History
World History
History
English
English
All
All
What is the purpose of the benchmark project?
The purpose of this benchmark project is to make sure that every student in the 10th grade has attained
a minimum level of skills in the social science and English disciplines, as well as the ability to meet
Irvington’s School Wide Outcomes. A student that cannot meet the minimum requirements will not
move to the next grade level.
What is expected of me?
At the end of the 10th grade, Irvington High expects all students to demonstrate a basic understanding of
the following skills:
 Modern Language Association (MLA) standards for research and writing
 Correct spelling and grammar
 Library research and correct citation of sources
 Technology Use: Word Processing, Power Point
 Expository Essay Format
 Persuasive Essay Format
 Oral presentation skills
 Service Learning
The World Issues Project benchmark is a shared English and Social Science curriculum designed to refine
the research and writing skills students learned during the Change Project while simultaneously
introducing them to several problems that are facing our global community today.
Over the course of this largely individual project, students will be randomly assigned a nation and a
world issue. Each student will then become an expert on the assigned global issue, as well as the impact
of that issue on their research country.
2
Students will begin the process by becoming more familiar with their assigned country and creating an
infographic that displays key facts about their nation. They will then conduct their first research into the
issue they have been assigned, learning who and where are affected, as well as why the issue is a factor
in global affairs.
Students will then develop their initial research with additional sources, including foreign news outlets
and letters to experts, culminating in a Socratic seminar. The Socratic seminar is an opportunity for
students to discuss their findings so far with others who have been assigned their nation and issue
pairing, and gain insight from others' research.
Armed with this knowledge, students will move to the final phase of the project, where they create a
policy paper, backed by their research, in which they propose a solution to their assigned global issue
from the perspective of their assigned country. The project concludes with a homogenous meeting of
nations, each covering the same issue, where students will share their proposals. Students will then vote
on which proposed policy they feel would best help begin the process of resolving their assigned issue.
What if someone in my group isn’t fulfilling their obligation to the group?
A student who is not participating appropriately with the group will receive a warning and then if the
teacher’s standard is not met, the student will be removed from the group and asked to complete the
project independently on a different country. IT IS THE STUDENTS’ RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM THEIR
TEACHERS WHEN ISSUES ARISE. If you do not let your teacher know there is a problem until the last
minute, there is little they can do to help you.
What if my work is late or incomplete?
WIP due dates are firm. Any assignment submitted after its due date for any reason will receive no more
70%. Assignments not completed correctly will be returned as redo’s and will be subject to point
deductions. In order to pass the World Issues Benchmark Project, students must achieve a “C” or better
on each assignment. Failure to do so will result in an “I” grade in both English and World History until
the completion of the project, regardless of other work completed in the class.
Grading:
The World Issues Benchmark is worth a different proportion of your grade depending on the class and
semester in question:
World History
1st Semester: 20%
2nd Semester: 30%
English
1st Semester: 20%
2nd Semester: 20%
Contracts:
If for some legitimate and verifiable reason you do not pass you World Issues Project, you may be given
a contract to complete the project during Contract Summer School. Contracts are not guaranteed and
are given at your teacher’s discretion in accordance with their individual classroom policies.
3
WIP Infographic Assignment
You will begin work with the WIP by working with your group to research and record basic
information about your assigned country, and represent your findings using creative, quantitative
imagery.
Infographic Content
Infographics use images to represent data, concepts, groups, and ideas. Before creating such images,
students must first ascertain:
Population of assigned country
•
In total (How many people live there?)
•
By gender (What is the ratio of males to females?)
•
By age (What proportion are children [0-17], adults [18-64], and elderly [65+])
Major religions of assigned country
•
Three most widely practiced
•
If a large proportion of the population does not practice a religion, note this too
Major ethnic groups in assigned country
•
Identify all groups that comprise more than 2% of the total population
Average salary in assigned country
•
Overall average
•
Differences between groups within the country (ethnic groups, gender, etc)
•
Three most common careers
Education in assigned country
•
Approximate number of public schools
•
Proportion of population with a high school diploma
•
Proportion of population with a college degree
•
Proportion of population that is literate
Trade
•
Five highest value exports (in US Dollars)
•
Five most imported goods
•
Five most important trade partners (countries they buy a lot from or sell a lot to)
4
Infographic Format
Students will be completing the infographic in one of two possible formats: digital or poster. The format
is the decision of the World History teacher; they may allow either format, or only one type.
Digital Format
•
Infographic minimum resolution of 1028 x 720
•
Incorporate both photo images and illustrated graphics
•
Clearly and neatly organize information; all text must be legible
•
Do not repeat visual styles: for instance, a pie chart may only be used once
Poster Format
•
Minimum poster size of 2’ x 3’ (dimensions in feet)
•
Full color for images and data
•
May include hand-drawn art, printed images, or a combination of both
•
All data and text must be clearly visible and neatly written
•
Do not repeat visual styles: for instance, a pie chart may only be used once
Sample Infographic
5
Infographic Rubric
A
B
C
I
Some
formatting
errors for the
chosen
medium
+3.5pts
NC
Formatting
All formatting
requirements
are followed
for the chosen
medium +5pts
Substantial
formatting
errors +0pts
Content
All 6 required
topics and
their various
sub-topics are
represented on
the
inforgraphic
+15pts
All 6 topics are
covered, but a
few sub-topics
are missing
+13pts
Multiple
missing subtopics, or a
missing main
topic +11pts
More than one
missing main
topic and/or
many missing
sub-topics
+9pts
No substantial
effort made to
complete the
infographic
+0pts
Imagery
A wide variety
of relevant
images are
used to
represent data,
with creative
flourishes that
show
considerable
thought and
effort +15pts
A wide variety
of relevant
images are
used to
represent data
+13pts
Some images
are repeated,
and/or are not
very relevant
to the data
being
represented
+11pts
Several
repeated
images and/or
images are
irrelevant to
data +9pts
Only simple
charts are
used, or the
students make
no attempt to
complete the
infographic
+0pts
*Score for the infograohic is shared by all group members
Total Points Possible: 35
Due Date: October 21st
6
Request for Information on Your Issue
Now that you have researched some basic information about your assigned country, you will be
getting to know more about your global issue and its affect on the world. To begin your research
process, you will gather relevant facts pertaining the following aspects of the issue:

What is the issue?

How is it defined?

What problems are associated with the issue?

How many people does the issue affect globally?

What nations/regions are the most affected? Why?

What nations/regions handle the issue well? How?

What are national governments doing about the issue?

What are international authorities doing? (UN, G8, INTERPOL, etc)

What are private groups doing? (Charities, faith-based groups)

How is the issue affecting your assigned country?

Are there any groups in your country that are disproportionately affected by the issue? If so,
what group is being affected and why?

What is the government of your country doing about the issue?

How does the way your country’s government is addressing the issue compare to what other
nations are doing?
Use the grid on page 9 to help you gather information to answer the questions above. As you find
information, you will need to record from where you found it. The grid includes a place for
parenthetical citations of the sources you have found, and you must make note of every source you
use. The next page gives you helpful information on what parenthetical (in-text) citations are and how
they ought to be used.
7
What are Parenthetical (In-Text) Citations?
Parenthetical citations are how you name the source in the body of your paper every time you use
something from that source. They are called parenthetical because they go in parentheses at the end of the
sentence containing a fact/idea/quotation from the source: (
). The citation should start with the first
thing from the corresponding entry in your Works Cited page, so normally your citation will be the author’s
last name and page number: (Orwell 14). If there is no author, your citation will use the article or web page
title: (“Water Pollution in the Bay Area” 14). If there are no page numbers, it will look like this (“Afghanistan”),
unless your teacher asks you to include paragraph numbers.
If you use someone’s words directly, you should put “quotation marks” around their words and a
parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence:
Some experts believe that hunting is only harmful when done excessively and that “regulated sport hunting
has never driven any wild species into extinction” (Turback 74).
If you used their idea but you put it entirely in your own words (paraphrasing), you put the citation at the
end of the sentence where you talk about that idea, but with no quotation marks:
Though the number of attacks by mountain lions on humans is low, the rate of increase of attacks since the
1960s is cause for serious concern (Rychnovsky 43).
For more information on parentheticals, see: McAuley, Allyson. “How to Create Parenthetical Citations.”
Irvington High School. 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://www.fmtusd.org/Page/8773>.
8
Request for Information Worksheet
Assigned Issue and Country: _____________________________________________________________
Notes:
Parenthetical:
Question Set 1:
What is the definition
of your issue?
What are problems
associated with your
issue?
Question Set 2:
What is the number of
people worldwide
affected by the issue?
Which nations are
most affected?
Question Set 3:
Why are the most
affected nations
struggling with the
issue?
Which nations are not
struggling? Why not?
Question Set 4:
What is being done
about the issue by
national governments?
What is being done by
international
authorities or private
groups?
Question Set 5:
How is the issue
affecting your country?
What is being done
about the issue in your
country?
9
Works Cited
Directions: Cite the sources you used for your “Request for Information” worksheet below. Use the
attached “How to Create an MLA Works Cited Page (MLA Bibliography)” handout to format your source
citations. See pages 12-14 for help on creating a well organized Works Cited page.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
10
How to Create an MLA Works Cited Page
What is a Works Cited page?
A Works Cited page is a list at the end of your paper/project of all the research sources you used.
Every source on the Works Cited page must have a parenthetical citation in the paper, and every source
with a citation in the paper must be on the Works Cited page. Otherwise, you can get a zero for
plagiarism! At IHS we use MLA (Modern Language Association) format to cite our sources. Each type of
source (book, web page, newspaper article, etc.) is cited in a different way. The MLA Handbook 7th
edition (available in the library) explains how to cite each type of source. Other resources to help you
can be found at www.irvington.org/mla.
What is an Annotated Bibliography?
An annotated bibliography is a Works Cited page with a short paragraph below each entry
explaining and evaluating the source, and showing specifically what information you used from that
source. For the benchmarks, you must also include a quotation from the source, with quotation
marks and a parenthetical citation. Check the Annotated Bibliography assignment page in the packet
How Do I Start?: Put Works Cited (“Works” with an S at the end, like “works of literature!”) in the
center of the top of a new page at the end of your paper, in the same font as your paper (NO
bold/underline). If it’s for a benchmark, check the packet to confirm the title; some assignments vary.
Make one entry for each source, alphabetically by whatever is first (author or title), following the rules for
each source type. DON’T number them or label by the type of source. Here are the formats for some of
the common sources you might use:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BOOK (or a PAMPHLET or BROCHURE):
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publishing Company,
Year. Medium.
Helpful Hints: Your choices for “medium” are almost always “Print” or “Web.”
Calhoun, Yael. Water Pollution. New York: Chelsea House, 2005. Print.
BOOK WITH 2 OR MORE AUTHORS:
Include all authors. Reverse only the name of the first author, add a comma, and give the other
name(s) normally:
McLellan, Tom, and Alicia Bragg. Escape From Anxiety and Stress. New York: Chelsea House, 1986.
Print.
PAGE FROM A WEBSITE (Online MLA help sites may call this a “Web Document”):
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Page Title.” Title of Website. Organization that created
the site, Date Posted. Medium. Date Accessed. <URL>.
Helpful Hints: The MLA Handbook only requires the URL “If needed to find the original source.” Ask your teacher
if they want the URLs. If there’s no author, like in the example below, leave out the author and start with “Page
Title.” “Page Title” is the specific page you read, while Title of Website is the name of the whole site. Title of
Website is NOT the same as the URL! (www….). The publisher is the company or organization that made the site.
11
“Afghanistan.” The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency, 19 Oct. 2008. Web. 15 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/af.html>.
For a REFERENCE (like The World Book Encyclopedia or The Environmental Encyclopedia):
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Title of Article.” Title of Reference Book. Edition, if
given. Year. Medium.
Helpful Hints: Publication info is not needed for well-known encyclopedias. If the article is signed, list the author
first, otherwise list the article title. Don’t cite the editor of the whole encyclopedia. If the articles are arranged
alphabetically, you can leave out volume and page numbers.
Mohanty, Jitendra M. “Indian Philosophy.” The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. 15th ed. 1987. Print.
For a PERIODICAL that you found in PRINT: A periodical is a magazine or newspaper.
Author’s last name, First name. “Article Title in Quotation Marks.” Periodical Title Italicized Date:
Section number (for newspapers: C3, C3+) or page range (for magazines: 18-22). Medium.
Helpful Hints: No period after periodical title. Capitalize correctly, even if the source doesn’t.
Wildermuth, John. “Polls Agree on Debate But Split on Election.” San Francisco Chronicle 5 Oct. 2004:
A1. Print.
ONLINE PERIODICAL (A magazine or newspaper you found on the Web):
Levy, Steven. “Great Minds, Great Ideas.” Newsweek 27 May 2002. Web. 15 Sept. 2008
<http://www.msnbc.com/News/754336.asp>.
For a PERIODICAL FROM A DATABASE (most IHS students use Alameda County Public
Library databases at aclibrary.org):
Wildermuth, John. “Polls Agree on Debate But Split on Election.” San Francisco Chronicle 5 Oct. 2004:
A1. Lexis Nexis. Web. 12 Oct. 2009.
For a SCHOLARLY (ACADEMIC) JOURNAL: This is an academic journal from a database,
JSTOR. If from the Web directly, leave out the database name. Put “n. pag.” instead of page
#s if it has no page #s. Notice the VOLUME NUMBER & ISSUE NUMBER 32. 1, & the
date (in parentheses):
Tolson, Nancy. “Making Books Available.” African American Review 32. 1 (1998): 9-16. JSTOR. Web.
12 Oct. 2011.
A PERSONAL INTERVIEW: Start with the name of the person you interviewed. May be a
“Personal interview,” “Telephone interview,” or “Email interview.”
Froodle, Bob. Personal interview. 13 Oct. 2008.
12
Helpful Tips!
1.
Need to cite government docs? E-books? Other sources not listed here? The Purdue OWL from Purdue
University is a particularly helpful resource: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
2.
Put entries in ALPHABETICAL ORDER by the author’s last name, or the title if there’s no author. Don’t
number or label them or use bullets. Don’t count articles (a, an, the) when alphabetizing sources with no
author.
3.
If no author is given (common with websites), just leave it out and go on, but if no date is given, put “n.d.”
as a placeholder and “N.p.” if no publisher. DON’T BE LAZY! LOOK HARD for the dates and
publishers—you can usually find a date at the bottom, and there is almost always a publisher, even if you
have to go back to the home page. What organization made the site? That’s your publisher.
4.
For books, find the information you need on the title page or the copyright page (other side of the title
page). If there is more than one date, use the most recent. If there is more than one city of publication, use
the first.
5.
Works that stand on their own, like books or encyclopedias, are italicized. Works published as a part of
another work, like an article (part of a magazine or encyclopedia), poem (part of a book of poems) or a
song (part of an album) are in “quotation marks.” Never use “quotes” AND italics together.
6.
INDENT the second line of every entry and any lines after that. This is called a “hanging” indent. Doublespace. Use Times New Roman, 12 point font for the whole page, even the title.
7.
Put a period at the end of every entry, even websites.
8.
Don’t underline website URLs or make them blue, even though Microsoft Word wants to. Put the URL in
angle brackets instead <www.irvington.org>. If Word makes it blue, just hit “undo” (Ctrl Z).
Here’s a sample Works Cited page for a report about the country of Sudan. We made it small to fit on
this sheet, but yours has to be 12 point font, double spaced, and on a separate page!
Works Cited
Aardema, Verna. What's So Funny, Ketu? : A Nuer Tale. New York: Dial Press, 1982. Print.
Hoge, Warren. “Annan Urges Security Council to Act on Growing Violence in Sudan.” New York Times 4 Nov.
2004. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/04/ international/africa/04nations.html>.
“Sudan.” African Studies Center. University of Pennsylvania, 3 July 2007. Web. 15 Sept. 2013
<http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Country_Specific/Sudan.html>.
“Sudan.” The Encyclopedia Americana. 2004 ed. Print.
13
WIP Running Annotated Bibliography
An Annotated Bibliography is a works cited page that includes summary and analysis of each cited
source. A running annotated bibliography is the same assignment, except we continue adding sources
to it over the course of the project. Each source addition will have its own specific requirements and
due date. The goal is for you to engage in continual research, and to become familiar with different
types of sources.
For WIP you will be required to use four specific source types, and by the end of this project, every
student will have a minimum of eight annotated sources on their bibliography. You are allowed to go
beyond these requirements and do any further research you wish, however, all of your sources must
pertain to the issue you are assigned. All assignments must be typed, done in MLA format, and
submitted to turnitin.com. Sources must be printed out, attached to annotated bibliography
submission, and highlighted with direct quotes used.
SEMESTER 1
Submission #1 Due Oct. 28
This first assignment will kick start your annotated bibliography, using one Website (no Wikipedia, ehow,
ask.com, about.com, answers.com, etc.)
Submission #2 Due Nov. 4
Add one source from a Newspaper/Periodical.
Submission #3 Due Nov. 18
Add one source from an Academic Journal.
Submission #4 Due Dec. 2
Add one source from a Book (eBooks are acceptable) OR Video/Film/Documentary
**(Videos include interviews, news clips, speeches, etc.)
SEMESTER 2
Submission #5 Due _______
Add one source from a Website (no Wikipedia, ehow, ask.com, about.com, answers.com, etc.)
Submission #6 Due ______
Add one source from a Newspaper/Periodical.
Submission #7 Due ______
Add one source from an Academic Journal.
Submission #8 Due ______
Add one source from a Book (eBooks are acceptable) OR Video/Film/Documentary
**(Videos include interviews, news clips, speeches, etc.)
14
How do I create an Annotated Bibliography?
STEP 1: You will need to research. You will be assigned the type of source (s) for each due date, so you
must follow those requirements.
STEP 2: Create an MLA citation for your source(s). Great resources to help you are:
Purdue Owl (This is a GREAT resource on how to create annotations!)
Irvington.org, Student Tab, Library, MLA Help
STEP 3: Underneath your citation, type a paragraph (the annotation) that
1. SUMMARIZES the source (Should include a direct, cited quotation from source)
2. ANALYZES the validity of the source (what makes this source believable/reliable?)
3. REFLECTS upon the source’s use/value to your project.
**See and FOLLOW the Annotation Template on the next page.
STEP 4: Check your MLA format:




Times New Roman, 12 point Font, 1 inch Margins
HEADING
o Name, Teacher Name, Class & Period, Date (Day Mon. Year) in top LEFT corner of page 1
o Your last name and page number in top RIGHT corner of all pages after page 1
All sources must remain in ALPHABETICAL order. (You are not simply adding new sources to the
bottom)
SPACING
o Citation is double spaced, with a hanging indent
o Annotation is single spaced, and left justified (everything lines up against the left side)
o Between source entries, there should be one “return button” space (You need to go into
the “paragraph” tab and check the box that says “don’t add space between paragraphs
of the same style”)
15
Annotated Bibliography Template
In __________________________________________________________________________ ,
Genre of source
title of source
________________________ , ____________________________________, _______________
author’s full name
info about author(might need to look up)
active verb
that _________________________________________________________________________
paraphrase or directly quote the central claim of source with citation
_____________________________________________________________ ( ___________________) .
parenthetical citation
____________ _______________________ this claim by first _________________________
He / She
develops / supports
active verb
____________________________________________________________________________ .
explain what the author does/ first subpoint
Then, ________________________________________________________________________
explain what the author does next
summarize ALL of the author’s subpoints –may take a few sentences – paraphrase or
______________________________________________________________ ( _____________)
directly quote from the source when summarizing
parenthetical citation
______________________________________________________________________________
Here, you might consider starting with a prepositional phrase like “Toward the end of the text” or “In this
section” or some other phrase in order to add variety to your writing
_____________________________________________________________________________ .
16
_______________’s purpose is to ________________________________________________
author’s name
(what is author trying to achieve by writing this article?)
___________________________________________________________________ in order to
______________________________________________________________________________
what does the author want the audience to do or feel as a result of this work?
_____________________________________________________________________________ .
This work is significant because _________________________________________________
explain how it is significant to YOUR PROJECT
_____________________________________________________________________________ .
Additionally, this work connects to __________________________ by __________________
other research/issue material
active verb
_____________________________________________________________________________ .
use Sentence Starters* to make connections
_____________________________________________________________________________
Additional sentences as needed - using Sentence Starters*
_____________________________________________________________________________
**Sentence Starters
This fact/statistic/information shows that… (clarification)
Based on these facts, I can infer that… (synthesis)
Clearly, this validates the importance of … (historical significance/ importance of issue)
My consultant validated/denied/further elaborated on this by saying … (connection between)
This statistic raises the question … (new areas of research)
This information made me wonder/want to find out… (new areas of research)
I now see that … (answers your topic)
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Annotated Bibliography Rubric
Excellent
(A)
Annotations Annotations
70%
include
comprehensive
summary, indepth analysis,
meaningful
reflection, and
direct connection
to WIP issue.
Direct quotation/
paraphrase has
significant
relevance to
author’s claim.
MLA format MLA format has
and style
no errors.
20%
Good
(B)
Annotations
include adequate
summary and
analysis, relevant
reflection, and
direct connection
to WIP issue.
Direct quotation/
paraphrase has
relevance to
author’s claim.
Acceptable
(C)
Annotations
include summary,
analysis,
reflection and
connection to
WIP issue. One
or more of these
elements may be
weak. Direct
quotation/
paraphrase is
present.
Redo
MLA format has
no more than 2
errors.
MLA format has
no more than 4
errors.
MLA format has
more than 4
errors.
Grammar No grammar /
and spelling mechanic/
and
spelling errors.
mechanics
10%
No more than 1
grammar/
mechanic/
spelling error.
No more than 2
grammar/
mechanic/
spelling errors.
No more than 3
grammar/
mechanic/ spelling
errors.
Annotations are
missing one or
more pieces
(summary,
analysis,
reflection,
connection,
quotation/
paraphrase).
.
Students will lose 10% for each redo submitted.
18
Global Issue Profile
Your first essay for the WIP project is a simple transfer of the information you found during your Request for
Information research into an essay format. In addition to communicating the information you found during your
research, you will also be practicing the mechanics of higher-level writing, such as accurate and consistent
parenthetical citations, proper use of relevant sources and data, and a properly formatted works cited page.
Writing Your Essay: This essay is an informative [expository] piece of writing in which you communicate to your
reader what you have learned about your global issue. While you will be primarily using your RFI, you may find that
you need to conduct some additional research in order to answer all of the required content, as detailed below.
Essay Content:
Paragraph 1: Introduction
• What is an attention-grabbing fact about the issue?
• What is the issue?
• What is the definition of the issue?
• What are problems associated with the issue?
Paragraph 2 & 3: How many people in the world are affected?
• What is the number of people worldwide affected by the issue?
• What nations/regions are the most affected? Why?
• What nations/regions handle the issue well? How?
Paragraph 4: What is being done about the issue?
• What are national governments doing?
• What are international authorities doing? (UN, G8, INTERPOL, etc)
• What are private groups doing? (Charities, faith-based groups)
Paragraph 5: How is the issue affecting your assigned country?
• How many people are affected in your country?
• Are there any groups in your country that are disproportionately affected by the issue? If so, what group is being
affected and why?
• What is the government of your country doing about the issue?
• How does the way your country’s government is addressing the issue compare to what other nations are doing?
Paragraph 6: Conclusion
• How would you summarize the issue globally?
• How would you summarize the issue in your country?
*Note that papers of Honors students will include additional paragraphs in order to achieve the required length*
Essay must:
•
•
•
•
Be in MLA Format: typed, 12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins.
At least four pages long (five for Honors students):
o Page 1: Title page. Include your country & issue, name, your teacher’s names, period, date
o Page 2-3: Your essay (2 pages minimum for CP, 3 pages minimum for Honors)
o Final Page(s): Your Works Cited
Parenthetical citations for all quotations and paraphrases. All citations must be referenced in Works Cited.
Each essay should use a minimum of 4 sources, including at least one from the following formats:
o Book (print, no digital versions will be accepted)
o Reference (encyclopedia, etc.)
o Periodical article (online or hardcopy)
o Article from an electronic database
19
Global Issue Profile Rubric
Automatic Redo if paper:
□ is not in MLA format
□ is too short (2 pages of text minimum, 3 pages minimum for Honors)
□ has no parenthetical citations or works cited page
□ was not turned in to turnitin.com
A
B
C
I
Spelling and
grammar mistakes
are affecting
clarity of writing.
+10
NC
Spelling and
grammar mistakes
make
understanding
difficult. +8-0
Spelling and
Grammar
Excellent spelling and
grammar +15
Good spelling and
grammar with few
mistakes +13
Several spelling
and grammar
mistakes +11.5
Content
Each supporting
paragraph is based on
exceptional research
that supports the
paragraphs topic
sentence. +30pts
Each supporting
paragraph is based
on good research
that supports the
topic sentence. +21
Each supporting
paragraph is
based on
sufficient
research to
support the topic
sentence. +19
Supporting
paragraphs are
based on
incomplete
research. +16 pts
Supporting
paragraphs are not
based on research.
+14-0 pts
Essay
Organization
&
Format
Paper follows the
required format for
essay structure,
paper format, and
required length. +15
pts
1 error in format
+7.5 pts
2 errors in format
+6.5 pts
More than two
errors in format.
+5.5-0 pts
Works Cited
Minimum of 4
sources are used
throughout and cited
correctly.+20 pts
3 types of sources
are used and cited
correctly. Few
mistakes. + 8.5 pts
2 sources or
many errors in
format +7.5 pts
1 source many
errors in format
+6.5 pts
No sources or all
sources are cited
incorrectly. +5.5-0
pts
Citations
Paraphrases, quotes
cited correctly;
referenced in Works
Cited pg. +20 pts
2 errors +17 pts
3 errors +15 pts
4 errors +13 pts
More than four
errors +11-0 pts
Total Points Possible: 100
Due Date: Rough Draft November 14th, Final Draft December 9th
20
Comparative Periodicals Review
Objective: Your goal is to understand how an event can be viewed differently depending on the point
of view (POV) or perspective of the writer, in this case writers from different nations and cultures.
A periodical is a publication that is printed periodically (daily, weekly, monthly…) such as a magazine or
newspaper. For this Review you will find periodical news articles from 2 different countries to
investigate how their news media treat the same issue differently. The focus of this assignment is on
what the article explicitly says and clearly implies. AVOID sharing your own opinion of the issue (that will
come later in WIP). Do NOT make assumptions. Point to specific sentences in the article as evidence to
back up everything you write, and look up all words that you do not know.
Procedure:
1. Gather two articles: In the library, you will learn some advanced search methods to find and
choose international periodicals (see also PowerPoint “Tips for Finding and Evaluating News
Articles from Different Countries” at this link: http://www.fmtusd.org/Page/25929). You
MUST find these 2 types of articles:

1 news article about your issue in your WIP country that was published in a reliable
periodical from your WIP country.

1 article covering the same issue in your country that was published in a reliable periodical
from another country (your choice).
NOTE: United States periodicals will be the easiest for the second article, since you already
know a lot about American perspectives. If you use a periodical from another country, do a
little investigating about that country’s relationship to your WIP nation. Are you neighbors?
Allies? Enemies? Is your WIP country a former colony of that country? Do you share a
language? Etc.
2. Do a “close read” of the articles as demonstrated by your English teacher. Close reading
involves reading each article more than once, looking up vocabulary that you do not know, and
annotating the article. Sometimes called “talking to the text,” annotating involves underlining
and highlighting meaningful elements (like keywords, or pieces of evidence that support a
central argument) as well as writing your own notes in the margin. Your notes should summarize
the main point of the paragraph they’re next to IN YOUR OWN WORDS, but also may include
questions you have, connections to other parts of the article, etc. Follow your teacher’s
instructions.
3. Summarize each article, following these steps:
1. Reread your annotations, which should include a quick summary of the main idea of
each section in the margin (see above).
2. In the attached graphic organizer, column 1, write the first sentence of the summary.
It must include the name of the author, the title of the periodical (ex: The New York
Times), the “title of the article” (“Pollution in Shanghai Breaks Records”) and an active
verb (claims, asserts, explains, etc.) Ex: In the unsigned Marshall Islands Journal article
“Muller Says Sex Trafficking ‘Not Happening in RMI,’” the author describes the denial
21
from Marshall Islands’ government after the country was classified in the U.S. State
Department’s 2013 report as a “destination country” for women abducted into the sex
trade.
3. In the rest of column 1 of the graphic organizer, turn each annotation that you made in
the margin of your article (the main idea of each section) into a full sentence. Don’t skip
any main ideas. DON’T INCLUDE YOUR OPINION, analysis, or assumptions. SUMMARY
SHOULD BE IN YOUR OWN WORDS rather than the same phrases used by the article
author.
4. Reread your summary and adjust if it doesn’t sum up the whole article.
5. Repeat for the next article in column 2 of the graphic organizer.
4. Compare and synthesize the articles: Use the horizontal space at the bottom of the graphic
organizer to structure your comparison and analysis of your articles.
5. Write an annotated bibliography entry for each article, according to the directions from the
Annotated Bibliography assignment in this packet. After your research, close reading of the
articles, and completing the graphic organizer, you should already have all the information you
need to write these quickly. It is fine to use sentences from your summaries when writing the
annotation. You will later add these annotations into your bibliography assignment, so do them
carefully!
6. Deliverables: The following are due to your English teacher by the due date:
1. Printed (or electronic, if teacher prefers) annotated copy of each of the articles
2. The attached graphic organizer showing your summary and comparison of the articles
3. An annotated bibliography entry for each article (one paragraph each, on the same
page)
Common Core Standards Addressed in this assignment: Reading 1, 2 (close reading, citing textual
evidence); Reading 4 and Language 4, 6 (identifying key terms and Social Studies vocabulary,
determining meaning based on context, including connotations, nuances and variations in meaning);
Reading 6 (how POV and purpose shape style); Reading 9 (comparison of multiple texts on same
subject); Writing 7, 8 (short-term research project; gathering & evaluating sources).
22
Comparative Periodical Review Graphic Organizer
Article 1 (from your WIP country) MLA Citation:
Article 2 (from another country) MLA Citation:
Country of origin of article:
Summary (include all main points and important details):
Summary (include all main points and important details):
Comparison: In this column, write what you observe about the differences between the way these two articles treat this
point (no opinion or judgment). Consider: differences and similarities in content, tone, and style between the articles,
information left out/added/emphasized in one article. If relevant, indicate any guesses you have about those differences
(“the article from Palestine uses stronger vocabulary, maybe because they have had the most casualties in the conflict”).
23
Comparative Periodicals Review Rubric
Annotated
Articles
Excellent
(A)
Annotated articles include a clear
and concise summary of each
meaningful chunk of text in the
margins of article. No main ideas or
relevant details missed (complete
sentences not required). They also
contain other elements (such as
highlighting or Qs). They show
thorough understanding of explicit
and implied points of article.
Article
Summaries
(first 2
columns of
graphic
organizer)
Article summaries:
-include author name
-include title of periodical and
“article title”
-include all main ideas and relevant
supporting details
-show a clear understanding of the
author’s points
-are entirely in your own words
-use unbiased language (don’t
insert your own opinion!).
Comparison
section of
graphic
organizer
Comparison points out differences
and similarities in content, tone,
and style between the articles. If
relevant, indicate any guesses you
have about those differences (“the
article from Palestine uses stronger
vocabulary, probably because they
have had the most casualties in the
conflict”).
Annotated Bibliography entries
follow guidelines in Annotated Bib
assignment in this packet. They are
comprehensive in terms of content
and evaluation of sources. Correct
formatting.
Student has chosen 2 articles from
reliable, current periodicals. If
there is doubt about an article
(bias, impossible to find a more
current article, etc.) it is clearly
explained in the annotated
bibliography entry (see above),
with explanation of why this source
was chosen despite its
shortcomings.
Annotated
Bibliography
Entries
Source
Evaluation
Good
(B)
Annotated articles
include clear summary
of each meaningful
chunk of text with no
main ideas missed,
and a few other
elements (such as
highlighting or Qs).
They show
understanding of main
points of the article.
Article summaries:
may be missing 1 of
the required elements
from the first 2
sentences. They
include all main ideas
but may have missed
supporting details.
They are in your own
words but you might
have misunderstood
1-2 ideas in the article.
Points out differences
and similarities in
content, tone, and
style between the
articles. Student may
have missed an
important idea.
Acceptable
(C)
Annotated articles
include a basic
summary of each
meaningful chunk of
text. Some sentences
may contain errors or
misunderstandings.
Incomplete/Redo
(Inc/NC)
Student did not turn in 2
articles; OR either article
is not annotated or very
incompletely annotated;
OR annotations are
plagiarized or incorrect.
Article summaries:
may be missing 1-2 of
the required elements
from the first 2
sentences. They
include main ideas but
may have missed
some. They are in your
own words but contain
some errors (ideas that
were not in the
article).
Makes an attempt at
comparison but may
have missed or
misinterpreted
differences between
the articles.
Student did not turn in 2
summaries; OR
summaries are too short
or missing more than 2
required elements; OR
summaries contain many
incorrect statements
(ideas that were not in
the article); OR
summaries are not
entirely in student’s own
words.
A significant amount of
misinterpreted
information from what
article author actually
said; OR no attempt is
made at comparing the
articles.
Annotated
Bibliography entries
follow guidelines. May
contain 1-2 MLA or
formatting errors, one
may be incomplete.
2 articles from fairly
reliable, current
periodicals. There may
be some doubt or lack
of clarity about the
article’s suitability that
is NOT fully addressed
by the student in the
annotated
bibliography entry.
Annotated
Bibliography entries
may be too short, not
in-depth enough, or
contain some MLA or
formatting errors.
2 articles from fairly
reliable, current
periodicals. There is a
definite doubt about
ONE article’s suitability
NOT fully addressed by
the student in the
annotated
bibliography entry.
Student did not turn in 2
entries; OR annotations
formatted incorrectly;
OR contain many MLA
errors.
Articles not from
reliable, current sources;
OR not periodicals; OR
not clear that any
attempt was made to
evaluate the sources (ex:
finding out who
publishes the
newspaper).
Due date: November 4th
24
Issue-Based Socratic Seminar
Thus far, you have reviewed the basic information of your assigned country and your assigned issue,
and gathered a wealth of research from a wide variety of sources. You have now reached a midway
point of sorts in the WIP project. Congrats! Your next assignment is an opportunity for you to meet
with other students who are covering the same country and same issue for a Socratic Seminar in order
to gain a deeper understanding of your issue and its relevance to your assigned country.
What is a Socratic Seminar? Named for the hemlock-swilling Greek philosopher Socrates, a Socratic
Seminar is a scholarly discussion of an essential question or questions in which student opinions are
shared, proven, refuted, and refined through dialogue with other students.
How does it work? On February 3rd, students will be breaking off into sub-groups based on their
assigned country and their assigned issues. Issues will be grouped, meaning that each small group will
include members representing three different issues. For example, one sub-group will be all students
assigned Venezuela and the issues of Terrorism, Nuclear Non-Proliferation, and Infectious Disease.
Once in their Socratic Seminar groups, students will be further divided by the instructor into two circles:
an inner and an outer. The inner circle will be asked a prompting question by the instructor. The
students of the inner circle will then discuss the prompt amongst themselves, while students from the
outer circle and listen and take notes on what is said. After a set period of time, the inner and outer
circles will switch positions. The new inner circle will then respond to the dialogue of the first group, as
well as add their own additional information.
The session will end with students taking time to write down what they have learned during the course
of the Socratic Seminar. Students whose group is not currently part of the Socratic Seminar are expected
to listen quietly and take notes on what they hear.
The step-by-step process of the seminar can be summarized concisely as follows:
1. Students are assigned to either the inner or outer circle
2. Teacher distributes participation tickets (3 per student)
3. Teacher reads prompt question to students, opens floor for discussion amongst the inner circle
4. Inner circle discusses prompt, presenting their participation tickets to the instructor as they go;
the outer circle takes notes on what is said by the inner circle
5. Teacher calls time for first discussion; inner circle switches places with outer circle
6. The new inner circle restarts discussion by responding to first group’s discussion and adding their
own perspective, presenting participation tickets as they go; outer circle takes notes
7. Teacher calls time; students record what they have learned about their assigned county and issue
from the discussion
Issue Sub-Groups
Group 1: Child Labor, International Trade, Global Warming
Group 2: Terrorism, Nuclear Non-Proliferation, Infectious Disease
Group 3: Gender Rights, Minority Rights, Information Privacy and Exchange
25
Rules and Roles for Socratic Seminars
The Participants:






Must support their opinions with specific evidence from their sources
Must know the names of their sources, and why their sources are trustworthy
May speak at any time during the seminar with respect for the other participants
May write notes to themselves during the discussion
May ask relevant questions of other participants
Should allow everyone a chance to speak; do not monopolize discussion
The Teacher/Leader:






Must provide adequate “think time” for students to respond appropriately
Can only ask questions; cannot state his or her opinions or interpretations
Must require participants to support their opinions with evidence from research
Must encourage participants to agree and disagree for substantial reasons
May record the number and quality of participant responses
Must make it clear how much time has elapsed
Required Materials:
 Students must bring a placard that clearly displays the student’s name and assigned issue.
There is no set size, but points will be docked if the instructor cannot read the placard
from any point of the discussion circle
 Students must come in professional attire. Speak with your instructor about what the
requirements for professional attire are
 Students are required to complete a provided note-sheet during the seminar, and
therefore need to come prepared with writing implements
 Notecards are not required, but are allowed
26
Issue Socratic Rubric
Preparedness
Participation
Quality of
Discussion
Respect While
Waiting
A
Student has
arrived to
Socratic in
formal attire
and has
placard +10pts
Student
actively
participates in
discussion
beyond the
required 3
times +15pts
Student makes
clear and
specific
reference to
their sources,
and gives
relevant and
respectful
responses to
others’
comments
+15pts
Student is
quiet and takes
notes while
other groups
are conducting
their seminar
+10pts
B
C
Student is
dressed
inappropriately
or is missing
placard +5pts
I
NC
Dressed
inappropriately
and missing
placard +0pts
Student
participates in
discussion the
required
number of
times +12pts
Student
participates
only twice in
discussion
+9pts
Student
participates
only once in
discussion
+6pts
Student does
not participate
+0pts
Student has
good input,
but might be
lacking
evidence for
their
assertions or
their
comments lack
relevancy to
the topic
+12pts
Student is
inconsistent in
their
participation;
several missing
sources,
irrelevant
comments, or
a lack of
consideration
for others
+9pts
Student’s
discussion is
almost
completely
lacking in
substance,
with only a few
brief moments
of appropriate
contribution
+6pts
Student fails to
participate in
any meaningful
way, or is
actively
disruptive of
the discussion
+0pts
Student is not
quiet or fails to
take notes
during other
groups’
seminars +0pts
Total Points Possible: 50
Due Date: February 3rd
27
Letter to an Expert
Overview: Now that you have heard from others who are researching the same issue as you and
benefited from their ideas and perspectives, you will be synthesizing all of this information in order to
write a professional letter to an expert on your assigned country regarding your assigned issue.
This assignment has two goals: the first is to practice writing a professional letter to someone who is a
respected authority on a globally important topic. This requires a level of respect and competence to be
present in your writing. The second goal is to hopefully receive a response from your expert that helps
you better understand your issue and what is being done to address it.
Examples of experts that you might chose to write include employees of embassies, consulates,
scholars, and non-profit organizations.
Requirements of the Letter
Your letter must briefly explain the World Issues Project to the expert and your topic regarding your
nation, and request information from the expert about a specific aspect of your topic. A paper copy of
your letter must be turned in to your World History teacher for verification BEFORE the letter is sent to
the expert.
Themes to consider when creating your question:
-
What information have you been looking for in your research, but have been unable to find?
-
What is the most up-to-date development in a particular aspect of your issue?
-
How has your expert been personally involved in working to resolve the issue?
Formatting of the Letter
-
Time New Roman, 12-pt font
Double spaced
Address of the school and the address of the recipient in the heading
Proper opener and closer (with signature)
Professional tone
1 page
Some resources to help find an expert:
*List of embassies TO the United States (as well as links to their homepage)
http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/dpl/32122.htm
*List of embassies OF the United States
http://www.usembassy.gov/ (click on your region)
*Non-profit organizations:
United Nations [http://www.un.org]
Amnesty International [http://www.amnesty.org]
28
Letter to An Expert Rubric
Letter Format
A
All required
aspects of the
format are
present +8pts
Relevancy of
Question
Question
posed to
expert
demonstrates
student’s deep
knowledge of
the topic and is
thoughtprovoking,
specific in its
inquiry, and
relevant
+20pts
Tone and
Student’s letter
Professionalism is respectful
and carefully
written, and
incorporates
specialized
language
appropriate to
their specific
issue and their
expert’s
position +10pts
B
Question
posed to
expert
demonstrates
student’s
knowledge of
the topic and
inquires about
specific and
relevant
information
+17pts
Student’s
letter is
respectful and
carefully
written +8pts
C
Some minor
errors to the
required
format are
present +6pts
Student’s
question is
vague or lacks
proof that the
student has
informed
themselves on
the topic, but
is relevant to
their issue
+14pts
Student’s
letter does not
communicate
special respect
for the expert
or their work,
and/or
includes minor
grammatical
errors +7pts
I
NC
Failure to
follow the
required
format +0pts
Student’s
question is
obvious or
simple, and
could be easily
answered
without
consulting the
expert +12pts
Student makes
no attempt to
frame a
relevant
question to
their expert
and wastes
their expert’s
time +0pts
Student’s
letter includes
numerous
grammatical
errors and/or
an
inappropriate
tone +6pts
Student did
not bother to
write a letter
+0pts
Total Points Possible: 28
Due Date: February 17th
29
Policy Paper
Goal: Students will evaluate different ways the international community can solve their world issue.
Students will write a persuasive essay advocating for the best policy based on their research.
Essay Content:
A. Significance & Harms: Why is this topic a problem that needs international attention?
B. Inherency: What is currently preventing this problem from being solved?
C. Plan: What steps need to be taken to solve the problem?
 Who will be responsible for implementing the plan?
 How will your plan be funded?
 How will your plan be enforced?
D. Solvency: How do you know your plan will solve the problem? Why is your plan superior to
other plans?
E. Advantages: What positive effects will come out of implementing your plan?
Essay’s must:
A. Be between 3-5 pages in length.
B. Be written in MLA format
C. Use at least 4 research sources. These may be taken from your annotated bibliography
and/or other WIP assignments.
D. Have claims that are research based.
E. Have attributed sources that indicate the author’s credibility.
F. Be written from the perspective of your assigned country.
30
Policy Paper Rubric
A
Spelling and
Grammar
Reasoning
and Content
No more than 1 typo
and 2 total spelling /
grammar errors
+15 points
Student makes an
exceptionally well
reasoned argument
with a thoughtful
and detailed plan to
solve the world
issue. The essay is
written and
researched from the
perspective of the
assigned country.
+50-45 pts
B
No more than 3
typos and 4
total spelling /
grammar errors
+14-13 pts
Student makes
and well
reasoned
argument with
a thoughtful
and detailed
plan to solve
the world issue.
The essay is
written and
researched
from the
perspective of
the assigned
country.
C
No more than 4
typos and 8
total spelling /
grammar errors
+12-11 pts
I
No more than 5
typos and 10
total spelling /
grammar errors
+10-9 pts
Student makes
and well
reasoned
argument with
a thoughtful
and detailed
plan to solve
the world issue.
The essay is not
written from
the perspective
of the assigned
country.
Student makes
an argument,
but the
argument is not
well researched
or lacks detail.
NC
Spelling and
grammar
mistakes make
understanding
difficult. +8-0pts
Student does
not make an
argument or
lacks evidence.
+ 29-0 pts
+ 34-30 pts
+39-35 pts
+44-40 pts
Paper consists of an
introduction which is
a map of the essay, a
minimum of 3 body
paragraphs, a
conclusion, and is in
MLA format.
+5pts
1 error in
format +4
2 errors in
format
+3.5 pts
3 errors in
format
+3 pts
More than
three errors in
format. +2.5-0
pts
Works Cited
4 sources are used
and cited correctly
+20-18pts
Four sources
are used with
no more than 2
formatting
errors. +17-16
pts
Three sources
are used or
sources have
many errors in
format. +15-14
pts
Fewer than
three sources
used Many
errors in
format.
+13-12 pts
No sources, or
all sources are
cited
incorrectly. +110 pts
Parenthetic
al Citations
All ideas,
paraphrases and
quotes are cited
correctly and
referenced in the
Works Cited page.
+10 pts
2 errors
+8 pts
3 errors
+7 pts
4 errors
+6pts
More than four
errors
+5-0 pts
Format
Total Points Possible: 100
st
Due Date: April 21
31
WIP Presentation: Policy Debate
Policy Propositions:
Students will propose and advocate for a change in policy that takes steps to solve the international
issue they researched. This speech must not exceed 3 minutes.
Speeches should contain the following elements (based on your policy paper).
A. Significance & Harms: Why is this topic a problem that needs international attention?
B. Inherency: What is currently preventing this problem from being solved?
C. Plan: What steps need to be taken to solve the problem?
a. Who will be responsible for implementing the plan?
b. How will your plan be funded?
c. How will your plan be enforced?
D. Solvency: How do you know your plan will solve the problem? Why is your plan superior to
other plans?
E. Advantages: What positive effects will come out of implementing your plan?
Students should consider counter arguments to their plan and be prepared to refute them.
Discussion:
A. Students MUST speak from the perspective of their assigned country and avoid inserting their
personal opinions.
B. The Presiding Officer (PO) will call the meeting to order and manage the flow of discussion.
C. When prompted, students who wish to present their change in policy will stand and wait to be
recognized.
D. Once a policy has been presented. The floor will be open for discussion. Students who wish to
ask a question or make a comment will stand and wait to be recognized.
E. Students who wish to amend the policy must submit their amendment in writing to the PO who
will determine that it is on topic and submit the amendment to the group for discussion.
32
Voting:
A. Voting will commence when debate has been exhausted (no one wishes to speak) or when the
chamber votes 51% to end debate.
B. Policies will be considered adopted with a vote of 51% of the students in the room
C. In the event of a tie, the PO will serve as tie breaker.
D. Students who have policies adopted will receive 5% extra credit on their presentation score.
Grading: Each student will be graded holistically on the following criteria.
A
B
C
I
NC
Student
participates in the
discussion from
the perspective of
their assigned
country, bases
their comments on
academic
research, adds
new and
innovative ideas to
the discussion,
asks questions
that add to the
discussion, and
directly responds
to the comments
and questions
made by previous
speakers.
Student
participates in the
discussion from
the perspective of
their assigned
country,
bases their
comments on
academic
research,
adds new and
innovative ideas to
the discussion,
and asks questions
that add to the
discussion.
Student
participates in the
discussion from
the perspective of
their assigned
country,
bases their
comments on
academic
research,
and adds new and
innovative ideas to
the discussion
Student
participates in the
discussion from
the perspective of
their assigned
country.
Student does not
participate in the
discussion
or is not
addressing the
issue from the
perspective of
their assigned
country.
Due Date: May 15th
33