Current Events Seminar

Materials needed:  Daily newspaper, weekly news magazine, PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, any other resources available to the student to get current events information (internet excluded, generally)

Requirements:

        1.  A weekly summary of  world, national, state, and local news, gathered from the above resources.  But, at least one of the resources used MUST be a daily newspaper or a weekly news magazine.  Consult the teacher before deciding on your mix of resources.  
            Note that there are FOUR areas that must be covered:  world, national, state, local.  The weekly summaries must include all of the significant events that occurred and were reported.  Each item of news should be summarized in just two-three sentences, explaining very briefly and concisely what happened and why.  News, of course, occurs on weekends as well as on weekdays, and a fair and complete summary of a week's news should also include mention of significant weekend events.
        A total of sixteen (16) weekly summaries are required.

        2.  A total of three (3) significant, well-constructed letters-to-the-editor will be written through the course of the semester.  The subject matter of these letters will, of course, be determined by the news.  The student should be on the constant lookout for news events that particularly strike a note of personal conviction--perhaps even some emotion!  Letters should be brief (no more than 100 words), and to the point.  They MUST be typewritten, and actually sent to the magazine or newspaper in which the news report was found, within two days of that report.  This is necessary because it is only timely letters that stand a chance of being printed.
            Be sure to follow the specific directions on the Opinion pages of the newspaper, or the Letters to the Editor section in the magazine, regarding submission of letters.  Typically, your full name, address, and phone number are required, even though only your name will be published.  Also, make sure to include the school name (Oak Meadow School), and your grade level.  

            The student may submit these three letters at any time during the semester.  Submit a copy of each letter to the teacher in the week following its submission for publication.  Any letter actually published will earn the student HUGE extra credit!  Letters are chosen for publication on the basis of how well written they are, so keep this in mind.

        3.  The final two weeks of the semester will be spent constructing two summaries of the progress of events.  Through the months, the student has reported on some events which have developed over time.  For example, perhaps there has been a political process going on in a particular nation (or even in our own nation).  Or perhaps a particular individual stays in the news over the months of the semester.  The student will look back over his/her weekly news summaries, and find TWO such progressive events, or recurring individuals, and write at least one page on each, summarizing the progress of events.

            These two summaries will be due on the last day of the semester.