Ms.

McCoy Science Current Events

Homework Writing Assignment
Keep in your folder one due per month by the 15th
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to encourage students to connect what we are learning about in science
class to the bigger picture. To practice reading informational writing, and to practice written and oral
summariation while making science more meaningful and rele!ant.
Task: "n this current e!ents assignment, you will find and print an article, complete o!er!iew sheet, and read
#write a $ paragraph summary of your science news article.
Procedure:
1. %ou will need to choose a &'(()*T science news article from a magaine, newspaper or "nternet.
Current+The source needs to be from the current month and year that it is due, or , month prior to the
due date. -or e.ample, your first &urrent )!ents assignment is due /eptember ,0, $1,2, you may use a
source from August $1,2, /eptember $1,2.
2. %ou may NOT use Wikipedia, encyclopedias, or te.tbooks. %ou cannot watch T3 and write about it.
3. 4aragraphs should be neatly written in blue or black "*K or typed in sie ,$ font. Any summary done in
pencil will need to be redone and will be considered late. Make sure the article is long enough or you to
gather enough inormation to !rite at least t!o paragraphs about it.
". (ead the entire article then summari#e !hat the article is about in $O%& O'N 'O&().
5. * good summary should include '+O did '+*T, '+-&- it occurred, '+-N it happened, and '+$
it is important. $ou need to cite your resource, see e.ample.
/. 0e careul not to plagiari#e. This means do not 5ust change a few words and copy the rest of the article.
%ou need to rephrase the information in your 6W* words. " want to know what you learned from reading
the article. "f you are using someone else7s words, you must put them in 8uotes.
1. The second paragraph o the assignment must include !hy it relates to !hat !e are learning in
science and2or ho! the inormation !as beneicial to you or may be beneicial to someone else. -or
e.ample, an article about pesticides might be rele!ant to a farmer or an article on a new drug might be
rele!ant to someone who has cancer.
3. $ou must attach a copy o the article !ith your summary. "f it is an internet source you can print out a
copy of the article. "f you used a magaine or newspaper, you must photo copy or cut out the article.
4. $ou need to plan ahead to print out your article, o5er5ie!, and summary. "f you ha!e printer problems
you may use the school library computers. "f you do not ha!e access to a computer, you need to handwrite
it in blue or blank ink. 6 !ill not accept any e7mails. Computer problems !ill not be an acceptable
e.cuse or an assignment turned in late. %ou ha!e until the ,0
th
e!ery month9
18. This assignment will count as a pro5ect#8ui grade e!en though it is done at home.
11. How the assignment will be graded:
Article attached :mandatory for me to grade the
current e!ent;
01pts
Well written paragraph summary with at least 0 details
:WH6, WHAT, WH)*, )T&; and a thoughtful reason
why rele!ant. < to = sentences
21pts
Well written paragraph summary with &onnections. < to
= sentences
21pts
6!er!iew of current e!ent 01pts
Typed or *eatly Written $1pts
Total $11pts
Overview of Current Event
MLA ARTICLE CITATION: Name of article, publication, author, publication date
Examples: Internet Authors last name, First name. Title of Webpage. Title of Magaine. !ublisher of
"ebsite, #ate of $reation. Me#ium of publi$ation. %ate of a$$ess.
Magaine Authors last name, First name. Title of Arti$le. &ame of !erio#i$al %a' Month
(ear: pages. Me#ium of publi$ation.
PREDICT: Predict what the article will be about before reading it.
What is the general area of Siene!to"i relate# to this artile$ (Physical Science, Solar System, Universe, Earth/oon/Sun
System, Space, Space !echnology, Medicine, Life Science, Physical Science, Chemistry, etc.)
PRIOR %NOWLED&E "hat did you already #now about this general area of Science/topic$
'(OTE: Select a %uote from the article that best states what is important to #now about this news.
DETERMINE: &hoose ' unfamiliar words from the article. "rite the word, part of speech, and the definition of the word as it is
used in the article. The words must be circled in your article.
). *************************
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CRITI'(E: "hat is your personal reaction to this news$ (escribe your reaction to this article (Pros and &ons).
)ou will nee# to turn in *our +, artile- ., this sheet o/"lete# an# 0, *our . "aragra"h su//ar*1
E,AM!-E:
.eorgia Ioanis /une )0, +1)2
3urrent E4ents Assignment !erio# )
Para + W2O was involved and/or who will it affect$ W2AT has been done or discovered or 2OW was it done or how
will it be done$ W2EN did it ta#e place or when will it happen$ W2ERE did it ta#e place$
In the re$ent arti$le, A 5ui$6 %ip in a %irt' !ool b' Ian 7mith, the 3enters for %isease
3ontrol pro8e$ts that thousan#s of s"immers $oul# be ill this summer from publi$ pools. Man' parasites an#
ba$teria are sho"ing up in pools teste# all o4er the 9nite# 7tates. 7ome s"immers are sho"ing up at the
hospital "ith a rash or a 4er' upset stoma$h. :ne of the most #angerous ba$teria foun# are 3r'ptospori#ium.
It is a parasite that $an multipl' in 'our #igesti4e s'stem, lea6 out through a bab's #iaper in the pool, an# then,
if s"allo"e#, it $an $ause #iarrhea. The tri$6' thing about 3r'ptospori#ium is that it is highl' resistant to
$hlorine an# is able to sur4i4e in pool "ater for a fe" #a's. E.3oli is another $ommon ba$teria foun# in pools.
It is also a ba$teria that is foun# in the stoma$h an# intestines of animals an# is sprea# through fe$es parti$les,
lea6e# out of #irt' #iapers in pools. E.3oli is more easil' #estro'e# b' the $hlorine in pool "ater than
3r'ptospori#ium.
Para . CONNECTION: "hy is this news important$ *ow is this information useful$ "ho is li#ely to feel the impact of
this news$ "hat difference does it ma#e$ "hy did you choose this article$ "hy was there a need for this research$
(oes this article directly affect you$ E+plain how.
This arti$le is rele4ant to me be$ause I use publi$ pools in the summer. The arti$le ga4e helpful
information on ho" ba$teria are sprea# an# steps to ta6e to a4oi# getting ba$terial infe$tions. :ne of the "a's
'ou $an #o a 4isual $he$6 for these mi$robes is to loo6 at the "ater before 'ou 8ump in. It shoul# be $lear
enough for 'ou to see through at least ten feet of "ater an# see ob8e$ts su$h as the stripes on the bottom of
the pool $learl'. If 'ou see foam' or bubbling "ater along the pools e#ge this $oul# be a sign that there is
pollen or ba$teria in the pool "ater. The best a#4i$e is to 6eep 'our mouth $lose# "hile s"imming.
7ometimes s"immers a$$i#entall' s"allo" some pool "ater an# then ingest the mi$robes right along "ith the
"ater into their #igesti4e s'stem. Also, be on the loo6out for babies "earing #iapers. !arents nee# to be
$hanging their bab's #iapers fre;uentl' an# "ashing their han#s after #iaper $hanges. If 'ou go to the
restroom "hile at the pool be sure to "ash 'our han#s thoroughl' "hen 'oure #one before re<entering the
pool.