As you read the weekly Economist articles from https://www(dot)economist(dot)com/ (login use the username and password provided above) related to international topics and issues, you are responsible for filling in the information as outlined in the Word template that I have designed for this purpose.

columns are rote (title of article, date of magazine issue, focal country(ies) that the article deals with, etc). Column 6 is a brief—but not too brief—synopsis or summary of the article. Include enough information and detail that it tells the reader you read the whole article and not just the beginning or end. Don’t include so much that it reads like a 6^th grade book report.

Column 7 is your reaction to the article, the one thing that really struck you and you want to commit to memory.

 In Column 8 you write the key question that you have after reading the article, what you are curious about and why.

In Cols. 7 and 8 the expectation is that you will explain your reaction and your question and try to tie in what you have learned, what we have discussed in class, your reading and viewing of videos.

Mechanics

1. Double check your submission to be sure that I can clearly read your Word document and that it is correctly formatted.
   1. Proofread. While I do not mind the occasional typo, too many grammatical or spelling errors detract from my ability to seamlessly read your writing and will negatively affect your grade.
   2. Double check that the final two cells add value (What you learned and what key question you wonder about). What struck you/what you learned and where your curiosity takes you after reading an article reflect how deeply you thought about what you read and whether you connected it to what you already knew or have learned this semester. These are the two columns I’m most interested in.

Grading

You will be graded for the accuracy, depth, and thoroughness of your entries and insights as you identify key points and analyze their contribution to your understanding of different topics that affect countries around the world. A word to the wise: Select your articles carefully. Choose those that have some depth about specific countries or a global topic and that you can write about and interpret fully.

Grading these assignments is not a science. If you follow directions and write thoughtful entries, you should receive full credit. An entry = one row = one article. Points will be deducted for the following:

• 2 points off if you use bullet points.
• 2 points off (for each entry) for many grammatical errors/typos, etc.
• 4 points off if your “What I learned/What struck me most” section is sub-par (for each entry);
• 4 points off if your “Probing Question I have” section is sub-par (for each entry);
  • 4-10 points off if you copy pieces of text from any outside source, including from one of your previous submissions. If you cut and paste an entry from one assignment and submit it again at a later date for another assignment, you will receive a zero (out of 60 points) for the entire assignment. DO NOT CUT AND PASTE.
  • 10 points off if an entire entry is missing, 20 points off if 2 entries (rows) are missing, etc.
    • 10 points off if the entire entry is about an article that deals with the U.S. or an American issue only. It’s fine if the US is one of the countries in the article, but it should not be the only one that the bulk of the article deals with.

Text book: The World A Brief Introduction