A.P.
Current Events
Portfolio Assignment
2007-08
Government and politics are dynamic and controversial fields
of study because they are alive and well and always changing. In order to develop a substantial understanding
of them, the student must study not only the textbook, but also the world of
current events.
During the course of this year, you will be collecting,
evaluating, and commenting on articles from the various media concerning
current events in government and politics.
The portfolio you develop will be worth 15% of your semester grade.
Contents of the Portfolio:
Each week, you will include at least four articles in your folder. These should be collected from a variety of
print and electronic media, not a single source. You may consider the following list as a
sample: Time, Newsweek, National Review, The Economist, The Wall Street
Journal, The New York Times, The
Your articles will need to concern two thematic threads: 1)
news related to the topic of the unit we are currently studying, and 2) news
related to a theme of your choosing.
Format: The articles
will be mounted on standard sized paper and attached in a binder. Each article will indicate the source, the
date, the topic, and your comments on the event, the slant, the source, or how
the article relates to your other articles.
The pages will be arranged both topically and chronologically. Once a month, you will write one page to
synthesize the development of theme or topic as you have watched it unfold.
The commentaries may be either typed or handwritten—in blue
or black ink, etc.
Due Dates: The first set
of four articles will be due on Monday, October 1, 2007.