Core –C2S2pg1-7 Keeping Current with Current Events

Purpose This lesson will explain how to participate in discussions about current events including sources of information and the role that geography plays.

1. Define current events. 2. Identify sources of information on current events. 3. Participate in a current events discussion. 4. Relate events to their geographic locations. 5. Describe the place geography holds in current events discussions.

CPS Key Word Questions (1-5)

 Current Events  Media  Editorials  ____________ – newsworthy occurrences that happen in the present time. ______ – television, radio, newspapers, magazines and parts of the internet related to the news. _____ – an article in a newspaper which gives the opinion of the editor on a topic or item.

 Propaganda  Bias  __________ – information, often inaccurate information, which a political organization publishes in order to influence people. ____ – a tendency to prefer one person or thing to another, or to influence others in favor of a certain choice.

CPS Lesson Questions (1-2)

What is the primary way you learn about current events? A.Reading – I read about current events in newspapers, magazines or from the internet. B.Television – I watch news programs on TV. C.From other people – I hear about current events from people around me. D.Other – I learn about current events from other sources.

Which of the following events occurred most recently? A.The attack on the World Trade Center B.The death of Senator Edward Kennedy C.The fall of the Berlin Wall D.The war in Iraq

List 2-3 important current events that occurred in the last year. (Use CPS “Pick a Student” for this question.)

By following current events, you will be able to speak intelligently to a variety of people, including:  Teachers/Instructors  Parents  Friends  Community members  Employers

Every day, editors must make decisions about what stories they will publish. Stories make it into the news for many reasons.  Timeliness  Relevance  Magnitude  Impact  Oddity

Developing an awareness of current events will provide many advantages for you.  Expand your knowledge of the world  Build vocabulary, reading comprehension and problem solving skills  Learn good models for writing  Provide opportunities for __________ with your parents and friends discussions

CPS Lesson Question (3)

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were “news worthy” for which reason(s)? A.Impact B.Magnitude C.Emotions D.All of the above

You have a lot of information available to you from a variety of sources:  Newspapers  Magazines  Television  Internet  Radio  Interviews

AdvantagesDisadvantages  Price  Availability  Delivery  Reading improves vocabulary  Variety of topics  Not up-to-the-minute due to printing and delivery time  Cannot be updated daily  Some papers are politically slanted  Information is not indexed

AdvantagesDisadvantages  Appeal to certain readers  Picture quality  News can be viewed with the benefit of elapsed time  Longer, in-depth articles  Not as frequent as newspapers or as timely as radio  Can be costly  Information is not indexed and can not be cross- referenced

AdvantagesDisadvantages  Timeliness  Makes you feel like you are there where news is happening  Programming can be interrupted to keep audience informed  Improve listening skills  Too many commercials  Emotionalism can be used for propaganda  Information can not be revisited unless you tape and replay  No written language skills are gained

AdvantagesDisadvantages  Timeliness  Vast amounts of information available  Information can be indexed and cross- referenced  Interactive involvement  Need to ensure the source is reliable  With so much information available, it is harder to weigh what “experts” think is important

AdvantagesDisadvantages  Can be used in a variety of locations  Frequent updates  Makes news available for visually impaired people  Can give headlines in five minutes  Cannot get reception in some areas  Not as in-depth as newspapers or magazines  Personalities with a specific slant get a lot of air time  Less diversity in opinion

Reporters typically include the following information in the first paragraph of a news story, called the “lead”:  W ho? – The ______ in the story.  W hat? – The facts about a particular story.  W hen? – The ____ - related issues of the event.  W here? – The geography of the event.  W hy? – The causes and reasons for the event.  H ow? – What steps took place during the event? people time

CPS Lesson Question (4)

Mike wants to share his opinions about current events with others from around the world in real time. What media source should he use? A.Television B.Radio C.Internet D.None of the above allow for interaction

List the 2-3 most important things you learned in this lesson. Why are they important to you? (Use CPS “Pick a Student” for this question.)

Images in this lesson were taken from:  Microsoft © Clip Art Gallery  Marine Corps Combat Camera