Current Events Calendar 2010

        #1 - Thurs. Feb. 4                      #7 - Thurs. April 1
        #2 - Thurs. Feb. 11                     #8 - Thurs. April 8
        #3 - Thurs. Feb. 18                     #9 - Thurs. April 15 - okay to use internet
        #4 - Thurs. Feb. 25                     #10 - Thurs. April 22 - okay to use internet
        #5 - Thurs. March 4                     #11 - Thurs. April 29 - okay to use internet
        #6 - Thurs. March 25                    #12 - Thurs. May 6 - okay to use internet

Below you will find a copy of this year's current events guidelines. After the
guidelines there is also a copy of the scoresheet that you were given in class.

        https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

                                        Medieval History 6

                                Current Events Guidelines

                                                2009 - 2010

Current Events day this year will be THURSDAY!!

Choice of Topics:

(1) Pick an event or issue that is of high interest, perhaps something on
        which you have an opinion.

(2) Possible issues that you pick may include, but need not be restricted
        to the following themes/issues:

        * HUMAN RIGHTS: Individuals, groups, or nations may be involved,
                being oppressed or doing the oppressing. Violations usually
                occur in conflict areas or areas with oppressive governments.

        * ENVIRONMENT: desertification, deforestation, acid rain, global
                warming, air and water pollution, disasters, pro-environment
                action.

        * SCARCITY: limited access to, or scarcity of resources.

        * TERRORISM:

        * IMMIGRATION or MIGRATION: movement of people(s).

        * ECONOMIC POWER: economic issues between or within nations.

        * CONFLICT & RESOLUTION: who/what are the sides? Why do
                they quarrel? What are the issues involved?

        * INDIVIDUALS: people who are having an impact on the world or
                their small part of it -- positive or negative.

(3) This is a newspaper assignment. You must find an article from a
        newspaper. A copy of each article used must be passed in
        each week attached to your current event form and map. A
        couple of times each semester we will open current events to
        online resources. You must print and attach a copy of each
        article. If you can not print it, you can not use it. DO NOT TEAR
        ARTICLES FROM A NEWSPAPER IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARY. THE
        PENALTY WILL BE A GRADE OF 00%. Articles that are photo-
        copied will be accepted with prior approval from me.

Restrictions:

(1) Where your issue may involve the United States, the US will be treated
        the same as any other nation. It can only be the focus of one article
        this year. The geographical or political focus of all other articles or
        issues must be in the countries that you are doing. If you are in
        doubt, either show me the article or choose another.

(2) The same country can not be used more than once this year.
        There are countries that can fit into two different regions - Cuba, for
        example, could be done as a nation in North America or Central
        America. It can still only be used once.

(3) During the year you must find at least ONE event/issue focused in
        each of the following areas:
                * AFRICA
                * ASIA
                * AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, OCEANIA
                * EUROPE
                * CENTRAL AMERICA
                * THE MIDDLE EAST
                * NORTH AMERICA
                * SOUTH AMERICA

(4) None of the 8 geographic regions listed above can be used more than
        2 (two) times this year.

(5) NOTE: If you do use a country more than once or geographic region
        more than two times, you will receive a grade of 00% for that current
        event. The key here is to use your score sheet to record each
        current event. Keep it up to date and if you forget to record one,
        see me! My record is the official one!

General information:

(1) Fully complete a cover sheet each week. There is a penalty if you fail
        to do so.

(2) Fully complete the question on the back of the sheet. There is no
        need to add extra paper. I have given you all of the space that you
        should need. DO NOT SKIP LINES! You should be able to fill up the
        space that has been provided. If the question causes you difficulty
        see me. If you can not answer the question for a given article, you
        need a new article.

(3) Complete a map for the region where your focus country is located.
        Label the “neighborhood” of your country thoroughly. Make the
        focus country stand out. Label water as well as land. Neighborhood
        means to label your focus country and then at least 2 or 3 layers
        away from it.

(4) You should make use of color on your maps. As we discussed in
        class, you will get out of them what you put into them with respect to
        knowledge of the regions and grades. I have colored pencils in my
        room. You are more than welcome to use them during recess time.

(5) GRADES: Each current event will be graded for 25 pts. - 5 pts. for the
        cover sheet - fill it out neatly and completely, and for putting the
        pieces of your current event together properly // 10 pts. each for
        the question answered and map. This semester you will receive a
        current events grade equal to one and one-half test grades, which
        comes out to 150 pts.

        NOTE: This is a standing weekly assignment. Absence the class
        before it is due is not an excuse for not passing it in on time. There
        is a 10 pt. penalty for lateness (up to the next deadline). If you are
        absent the day that one is due, it is expected that it will be passed in
        the day that you return to school, whether we have class or not.
        Once a current has been collected, any previously late is no long-
        er accepted. Other possible penalties: Incorrect order (-2), not
        properly put together (-2), cover sheet not fully labeled (-2), no
        article (-5), late pieces (-5), no colored cover sheet (-2), use of
        pencil (-5) 1st time & (-10) thereafter.

Putting Your Current Event Together:

Pass in the following in the order given:

        (1) Completed cover sheet (BOTH SIDES) IN INK!!

        (2) Completed map (no pencil, use some color).

        (3) Newspaper article. Remember, no photocopies unless you have
                spoken with me ahead of time.

These three items should be held together with one staple in the upper left hand cover.

Write in ink!

COUNTRY/REGION NOTES::

        * For countries that can be in more than one region, I record it
        based upon the map that you use. Also record both country
        and region on the front of your current events form.

        * Use the appropriate maps! For example, do not use the Asia
        map for Israel as it is only a dot. Use the Middle East map.
        Attached you will find a grouping of nations to use as your
        guide in choosing the appropriate maps.

        * England, Scotland, Whales & Northern Ireland together are
        known as the United Kingdom or Great Britain. If you do one of
        these places, label it as Great Britain or the UK. You should do
        Ireland as a separate country.

        *Use the Europe map for Russia. A huge percentage of articles
        that you will find deal with European Russia.

Countries of the World:

AFRICA

Algeria                         Ethiopia                        Niger
Angola                          Gabon                   Nigeria
Benin                           Gambia                  Rwanda
Botswana                                Ghana                   Sao Tome & Principe
Burkina Faso                    Guinea                  Senegal
Burundi                         Guinea-Bissau           Seychelles
Cameroon                                Kenya                   Sierra Leone
Cape Verde                      Lesotho                 Somalia
Central African Republic        Liberia                 South Africa
Chad                                    Libya                           Sudan
Comoros                         Madagascar              Swaziland
Congo                           Malawi                  Tanzania
Congo Republic                  Mali                            Togo
Cote d’Ivoire                   Mauritania                      Tunisia
Djibouti                                Mauritius                       Uganda
Egypt                           Morocco                 Zambia
Equatorial Guinea               Mozambique              Zimbabwe
Eritrea                         Namibia

ASIA

Afghanistan             India                   Mongolia                Sri Lanka
Armenia                 Indonesia               Myanmar                 Taiwan
Azerbaijan                      Japan           Nepal           Tajikistan
Bangladesh              Kazakhstan      North Korea     Thailand
Bhutan                  Kyrgyzstan              Pakistan                Turkmenistan
Brunei                  Laos                    Philippines             Uzbekistan
Cambodia                        Malaysia                Singapore               Vietnam
China                   Maldives                South Korea     
Georgia

AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND & OCEANIA

Australia                       New Zealand     Papua New Guinea

EUROPE

Albania                         Hungary                 Poland                  
Andorra                         Iceland                 Portugal
Austria                         Ireland                 Romania
Belarus                         Italy                           Russia
Belgium                         Latvia                  San Marino        
Bosnia & Herzegovina            Liechtenstein           Slovakia
Bulgaria                                Lithuania                       Slovenia
Croatia                         Luxembourg              Spain
Czech Republic                  Macedonia                       Sweden
Denmark                         Malta                           Switzerland
Estonia                         Moldova                 Ukraine
Finland                         Monaco                  United Kingdom
France                          Netherlands             Vatican City
Germany                         Norway                  Yugoslavia
Greece

CENTRAL AMERICA

Antigua and Barbuda             Dominican Republic      Mexico
Bahamas                         El Salvador             Nicaragua
Barbados                                Grenada                 Panama
Belize                          Guatemala                       Saint Kitts and Nevis
Costa Rica                              Haiti                           Saint Lucia
Cuba                                    Honduras                        Saint Vincent & the
Dominica                                Jamaica                 Grenadines
                                                                        Trinidad and Tobago
THE MIDDLE EAST

Bahrain                         Kuwait                  Syria
Cyprus                          Lebanon                 Turkey
Iran                                    Oman                    United Arab Emirates
Iraq                                    Qatar                   Yemen
Israel                                  Saudi Arabia            Palestine
Jordan

NORTH AMERICA

Canada                          Cuba                            Greenland
Mexico                          United States

SOUTH AMERICA

Argentina                               Colombia                        Peru
Bolivia                         Ecuador                 Suriname
Brazil                                  Guyana                  Uruguay
Chile                                   Paraguay                        Venezuela

NOTE: A COPY OF THESE GUIDELINES AND OTHER CURRENT EVENTS NOTES CAN BE FOUND ON MY HOMEWORK PAGE IN THE FOLDER LABELED “CURRENT EVENTS”.

                                                Medieval History 6

                                        Current Events Score Sheet

                                                        2009 - 2010

Name _____________________________



Keep this sheet in your binder and keep it up to date! In each space note the number current event and the country or countries involved.

                example -----
        
                        ASIA      (2)    Vietnam        This indicates that your 2nd
                                                                current was on Vietnam which
                                                                is located in Asia

REGIONS:

                Africa: ______________________          ______________________  

                Asia:  ______________________           ______________________

            Australia, ______________________           ______________________  
   New Zealand &
             Oceania

 Central America: ______________________               ______________________  

              Europe: ______________________            ______________________  

         Middle East: ______________________           ______________________  

    North America: ______________________              ______________________  

   South America: ______________________               ______________________  



NOTE: REMEMBER YOU MUST DO EACH PLACE AT LEAST ONCE.  YOU CAN NOT DO ANY REGION
                MORE THAN TWICE.