QUARTER 1

Cou= rse: FLEX - Enrichment – Sixth, Seventh, Eighth Grades - Contemporary Affairs

QUA= RTER - First

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U= nit or General Topic, Theme, or Content Focus

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S= pecific Topics, Themes, or Content Focus

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S= kills Focus

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E= ssential Questions & Enduring Understandings

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D= istrict/Building

R= esources

(Textbook, Supplementary, Videos, etc.)<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>

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P= ossible Lessons, Projects, Assessments

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A= ligned Illinois Learn= ing Standards, Performance Descriptors, & Assessment Frameworks

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I= nterdisciplinary Connections

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D= ifferentiation Suggestions

3D"Text

C= ontemporary

A= ffairs

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L= esson 1

(= 2 class periods)

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L= esson 2

(= 2 class periods)

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L= esson 3

(= 1 class period)

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L= esson 4

(= 3 class periods)

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L= esson 5

(1 – 2 class periods)

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L= esson 6

(1 – 2 class periods)

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L= esson 7

(= 2 class periods)

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L= esson 8

(= 2 class periods)

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A= unit created for enrichment teachers

to engage their students in an enhanced understanding of contemporary affairs, by incorporating critical thinking skills and analysis.

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To develop an understanding of how

t= o locate specific information quickly

in a newspaper.

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To acquaint students with the 5 W’s and H news story format.

To inform students of contemporary affairs at the state/local, national and international levels.

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To differentiate fact from opinion, and develop critical reading and analysis skills

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To evaluate current news articles and categorize as hard or soft news

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To understand the effects of geography on society and contemporary affairs. Compare and contras= t U.S.A. geography with other places in the world.

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T= o make critical decisions about real-life moral dilemmas

To introduce our court system.

To formulate well thought-out arguments on a current issue.

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T= o have students investigate the causes and effects of crimes, as well as crime prevention possibilities.

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To alert students to the importance of the Bill of Rig= hts to their everyday life and to contemporary affairs.

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C= ontemporary

A= ffairs Unit

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&= #8220;The News-

G= azette” newspaper

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N= ewspapers

S= cavenger Hunt List

G= lossary of

N= ewspaper Vocabulary

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N= ewspapers

5= W & H wkst

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N= ewspapers

F= act & Opinion wkst

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N= ewspapers

3= wksts – evaluating news

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N= ewspapers

U.S.A.<= /st1:country-region> & world maps and atlase= s

G= eography wkst

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N= ewspapers

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N= ewspapers

C= rime Cause & Effect wkst

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N= ewspapers

B= ill of Rights wkst

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S= cavenger Hunt of Newspaper Terms Activity & Rubric

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I= dentify the 5W’s & H activity

J= eopardy

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E= ditorial Critique Activity

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W= hat is newsworthy activity

%= of soft v. hard news activity

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C= ontemporary Affairs Geography activity

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M= oral Dilemma discussion

C= ourt room activity

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C= rime Cause & Effect Activity

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N= ews article Bill of Rights Hunt

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S= tate Goal 1.C.3c

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S= tate Goal 5.B.3a

S= tate Goal 2.B.3a

S= tate Goal 2.B.3b

S= tate Goal 14.B.4

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S= tate Goal 14.D.3

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S= tate Goal 16.B.3d

S= tate Goal 16.A.3a

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S= tate Goal 17.A.2b

S= tate Goal 17.A.3a

S= tate Goal 17.C.2c

S= tate Goal 17.C.3a

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S= tate Goal 16.A.3a

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S= tate Goal 18.A.3a

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S= tate Goal 14.F.3b

S= tate Goal 14.D.4

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Reading=

V= isual Arts

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Reading=

H= istory

G= overnment

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H= istory

G= overnment

Reading=

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H= istory

G= overnment

Reading=

M= ath -%

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G= eography

M= ap Skills

Reading=

H= istory

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G= overnment

Reading=

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G= overnment

Reading=

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G= overnment

Reading=

H= istory

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M= ake a more or less demanding rubric.

A= dd or remove

vocabulary terms.

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U= se other more challenging news sources to do the activity.

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U= se editorials from nationally circulated papers

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C= ompare hard news in the local newspaper to hard news in a national newspaper

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D= o the topography of each area.

F= igure the distance from Champaign<= /st1:place> to each area.

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D= o an entire class court room, &a= mp; all students must prepare position papers to defend

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R= esearch a crime from first report to conviction.

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<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Attempt to find every right in a newspaper from the last week. &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp;