| INS
201 PI Introduction to International Studies- Spring 2007 | |
| Course
Description Study Questions |
News Discussion and Analysis Assignments
This page updated on April 2 , 2007. Changes in red. |
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You can subscribe for free at <http://www.worldpress.org/>. Click on "Email Updates" in the menu on the left hand side of the page. It is the last link under the heading, "World News." "Daily Headlines" is the service we will use for this course, you can also sign up for "World Press Review Newsletter" if you want. 1) Everyone should read the abstracts of the "Front Page" stories everyday. 2) I will assign five students to read the first two stories, in their entirety, on each day of the week. On Mondays, we will spend the first half hour of class discussing the stories of the previous week. Your assignment is to be prepared to explain the top stories to the class from your day of the week. 3)
At the end of the semester, write a critical analysis of the Worldpress.org's
coverage of international news from the week of January
15 through the week of April 2.
Close your analysis by making a recommendation to me of whether I should
require students in this course to read Worldpress.org
the next time I teach it. Be sure to consult my "Particulars
for Student Papers" handout for specifics on the from of your paper. Length: 1200-1500 words [5-6 pages @ 225-250 words per page]
Notes on How to Write a Critical Analysis Critical analysis does not necessarily mean finding fault with something. It means reading a work with the goal of testing or judging its value. This is accomplished by breaking the whole into its parts and weighing the evidence for or against the general and specific ways in which Worldpress.org reports on world events. Ultimately,
the reviewer strives to make an informed, objective judgment of the work under
review. In your essay you must
develop a thesis (come to a conclusion about what your analysis shows) and
then present a list of reasons to support your thesis, and use examples to support
your argument. For more guidance,
see “What is Critical Analysis?” Your grade on this assignment will also be based on the extent of your participation in our weekly class discussions of the news. Here
are a few of the questions you should consider both during the semester as you
read your news source each week and at the end of the semester as your prepare
your analysis.
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