Current Events & the Five Themes of Geography

European Countries, Current Events & the Five Themes of Geography

You will complete a current (within the last two months or so) news article report as an extension to the Europe country project. Please choose an article related to the country your group used for the project. You may use most printed news magazines or newspapers. You may also use the internet. Pick a SCHOOL APPROPRIATE article that you UNDERSTAND.

Your teacher must approve the article prior to report completion.

If using the internet to find your article, use one of the following sources or have your source approved. www.cnn.com (CNN), www.washingtonpost.com (Washington Post), www.nytimes.com (NY Times), www.time.com (Time Magazine), www.newsweek.com (Newsweek)

Turn in the rubric with your completed report. Write out, in blue or black ink neatly, or type using Times New Roman 12 pt. font, (double-spaced) each of the following pieces for your report. Pictures or other visual aids can accompany your written work.

Part I: Summary Write a summary of the article. You should have a minimum of 5 quality (detailed) sentences. Use your own words to draw out the most important details. Consider who or what it is about, when did the event happen, where, why did it happen, how did it change something or affect someone or thing, etc. In your summary, cite where you got the article newspaper or website, who wrote it, and what day it was published.

Part II: Themes of Geography Pick THREE themes of geography that relate to your article. Explain each theme in a separate paragraph using good detail. You should have a minimum of 5 quality (detailed) sentences per paragraph. Use your notes to help you with these. Do not just go by the reminders below. Reminders about each theme follow: 1. Location = absolute location & relative location (Where is it?) 2. Place = human and physical characteristics of the place, culture (What is unique about that place?) 3. Movement = ideas, goods, people moving (How did it get there? Why is it there?) 4. Human/Environmental Interaction = how people affect or change the environment around them to suite their needs or how the environment affects them (How do people and the environment shape one another?) 5. Regions = what region of the country/world/etc. (political, physical, or cultural regions) (What makes this area a region?)

Part III: Impact Explain in a paragraph how this event impacts people. You should have a minimum of 5 quality (detailed) sentences. Why is it important to people? It should connect the article to human life. Think about why 8th graders should know about the event. The paragraph is not explaining why you picked the article. If the event has no effect on people, or isn’t important for us to know, then the article is not a good choice.

You will be graded on your report of the above information and your writing conventions (spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, etc.) Name: ______Due Date: ______European Country, Current Events & Five Themes

Points Comments Part I: Summary Summary is well-written, in the student’s own words, and a / 5 minimum of 5 quality (detailed) sentences. Part II: Themes of Geography Theme #1 ______is a minimum of 5 / 5 quality (detailed) sentences. Part II: Themes of Geography Theme #2 ______is a minimum of 5 / 5 quality (detailed) sentences. Part II: Themes of Geography Theme #3 ______is a minimum of 5 / 5 quality (detailed) sentences. Part III: Impact Personal impact of the event was related to people with a minimum / 5 of 5 quality (detailed) sentences. Conventions Correct: spelling, punctuation, capitalization, & grammar / 5 Neatness Hand-written in blue or black ink or typed (Times New / 5 Roman, 12 pt. font, doubled-spaced)

1 pt. article approved before due date _____ (initials: ______) 1 pt. handed in original rubric – did not lose it or need another copy ______1 pt. cited the date of the article, author, & publication used in the summary _____ 1 pt. included the actual article with submitted assignment _____ 1 pt the article is related to your researched Europe country _____

Total points: ______/ 40 Grade: ______