Current Event Research and Presentation Assignment

Current Event Research and Presentation on the Issue of “Geography/Borders”

ENGL/EDUC 323

This assignment is worth 15% of your final grade in the course.

Students will form groups of two. Each group is required to choose a current global event or issue related to “geography/borders” and to prepare a short talk to introduce this current global event or issue to the class. The issue research and presentations will assist you in becoming familiar with the event or issue that you choose, as well as the variety of issues that your classmates choose. Each group will be asked to provide a detailed outline of the event or issue, in both presentation and handout form, for his/her classmates.

What to include in your presentation and handout:

1.      Please include a detailed outline/summary/specifics of the current event or issue. Who are the parties involved? What is the history of the issue? Take into consideration that your colleagues might not be familiar with the issue that you have chosen. A detailed treatment of the issue will include everything necessary for your classmates to gain a clear understanding of the issue. Your job is to introduce the issue as completely as possible.

2.      Address how this current event issue is of global concern. How has this issue been portrayed in the media? Does it get enough attention? Not enough attention? How do different media outlets present the issue in different ways? Why is this significant?

3.      How do you understand the issue of “geography/borders” in the context of this current event? How is this connected to our other work in this course (readings, discussions, projects, etc…)?

4.      Please include the sources that are essential to understanding this event or issue. This should include sources you used in preparation for your presentation as well as sources for further inquiry.

5.      Anything else you think is important for us to know and understand about this event or issue.

Presentations will be about 15 minutes each with an additional few minutes for questions and brief discussion about your current event issue. When your group has decided on a current event issue, please email me (sagriss@ewu.edu) with your selection. This way we can avoid overlap. One of the goals of this assignment is to increase your knowledge of global issues related to “geography/borders,” so it is important that each group choose something different. I will OK selections based on the order in which I receive emails. If you choose an event or issue that another group has already chosen, I will ask you to choose something different.

Current Event Research and Presentation on the Issue of “Geography/Borders”

Evaluation Rubric

____ / 10 Detailed outline/summary/specifics of the current event issue

 ____ / 10 How this current event issue is of global concern

____ / 10 Understanding of the issue of “geography/borders” in the context of this current event

 ____ / 10 Sources that are essential to understanding this issue

 ____ / 5 Handout

 ____ / 5 Presentation (All group members must contribute in some way to the presentation)