The Contemporary World History Project Current Event Assignment
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The Current Event Project will count as 10% of your semester grade. The presentations will be made throughout the semester. Each student will work with one partner. Your current event will focus on our Global Negotiations nation: Mexico. You will pick from a series of possible themes. A partial list is shown below. Your teacher will provide you with a presentation date schedule.
You will be required to turn a draft in to the teacher 2 weeks in advance of your presentation. This draft will be reviewed and returned to you the next class session. You make any necessary revisions and return it to your teacher at least one week in advance of your presentation. It must include a hard copy of the CE report and a copy of the CE report on a disk. The disk copy must use MS Word. See your teacher for assistance on converting to this, if necessary.
Requirements for Students Presenting and Facilitating the Discussion 
Check the schedule to find out when you will present your current event. Begin looking for a current event immediately. Two weeks before you are scheduled to present, be sure to hand in the following: 
•	a hard copy of your current event. 
•	A meticulously edited, typed , one-page report (12 point Times font, single spaced, with 1 inch margins) which includes:
a)	An executive summary of your article 
b)	A brief explanation of why you chose this article
c)	what you perceive to be the central issue of the article 
d)	what you understand to be the underlying (secondary) issues of the article 
e)	which regions of the world these issues are immediately relevant to
•	Five carefully thought out, meticulously edited, open-ended questions, which requires your classmates to apply critical thinking skills. Since each presentation team is required to lead a 20 - 30 minute discussion, be sure your questions are interesting enough to generate discussion;
•	Three URL's or easily accessible other places, that lead to an article that provides background information, graphics (such as maps or photographs), additional perspectives or counterpoints, or any articles that will help students to understand the central issues relating to your current event.
•	If your original article does not include a map, find an online map of the regional setting of your current event and include a link to that URL.
•	On the day of the current event presentation, presenters should explain the issues and provide any background information necessary to maintain a lively, informed discussion. If presenters would like more than five minutes of introduction time, be sure to inform the teacher well ahead of time.
•	Checking the calendar and being prepared when your deadlines arrives is YOUR responsibility. REMEMBER:  a draft that includes steps 1-5 above are due 2 full weeks or more before your scheduled presentation.
Current Event Homework and Discussion Requirements for All STUDENTS 
On the day of each presentation, all non-presenting students are required to turn in a 1 - 2 paragraph response for each of the of the five questions prepared by the presenting students. Your notes must demonstrate your preparation and depth of understanding of the issues presented during the discussion. Make references to the main article and the 3 supporting articles prepared by the presenters. 
Assignment point distribution: 
Presenter:  Current Event paper, Article, and support items/links	50 points
Presenter:  The five critical thing questions	20 points
Presenter:  Class presentation and discussion of your CE	30 points
Non-presenters:  Critical thinking question responses [each presentation set]	30 points
note: these responses are a part of your regular grade period scores.
Some suggested general topics of Global Significance:
Human Rights
•	Child Labor
•	Gender and Minority Rights	Environment
•	Cross-Border Pollution
•	Global Warming	Economy
•	International Finance
•	International Trade	•	Regional Conflict Management
•	World Health