What is this assignment?
Since you’ll be learning about the ancient world,it seems appropriate to also look at the modern world outside of the United States.

Over the course of the next nine months, you will keep track of the news coming out of a region somewhere in the world. Whenever an article is due, you’ll provide a copy of the article as well as a written response. At the end of the year, you’ll have the opportunity to share with your class the major changes that occurred in your region while you completed 9th grade. For some of you, the region will be relatively stable, while others will see significant change. Only time will tell.

We will teach you how to use the EBSCO Discovery Service (a subscription that aggregates all of Ranney’s resources) in the library, which you can use to find articles from various news outlets around the world. That will be your one-stop shop for content related to this assignment. Of course, if you’re having trouble, we can work on finding you additional resources.

Below are the guidelines for the assignment. each article is worth a homework grade, with points given for correctly following each of the guidelines below. Once you’ve completed an assignment, create a PDF of the article, write up your response, and place both in a Google Drive folder dedicated to this assignment.


Grading guidelines

Articles
  • Articles are about the correct region.
  • Articles are from a reputable news source (we’ll cover what counts in class).
  • Articles cover a subject matter that is relevant to current events.*
          - Geography
          - Religion
          - Government/Politics
          - Economics
          - Environment
          - Trade
          - Foreign relations
          - Laws
          - Significant events

Written response
  • Response includes one paragraph (4-6 sentences) summarizing the main points of the article.
  • Response includes a second paragraph explaining your thoughts/feelings about the topic, including two questions that you have as a result of the article. If you can’t think of two questions or have no thoughts after reading the article, find a different article.
  • Response includes a citation of the article in Chicago style. Refer to your style guide for formatting guidelines.
  • Response is formatted using Times New Roman 12pt. font, double spaced, with 1” margins.