The Guide to Teaching
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Using Newspapers in the Classroom
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 14:14:59 -0800 (PST)
From: Philip L Fetzer <pfetzer@polymail.cpunix.calpoly.edu>
In my general education American Politics class I require students
to either (1) subscribe to the NYTimes (with educational discounts) or
access the Times on the internet. I integrate the Times into the class by
(1) giving a number (usually 5 per ten-week quarter) of unannounced "news
quizzes" that count 20% of the course grade. Students know that's part of
the course expectation as it is so indicated on the syllabus. I give
these quizzes based on information contained in the front page of the NYT
from the day before the class is scheduled (so that students have had enough
time to read the paper). I ask them to list
three facts from the story and then in a sentence explain the "political
significance" of the story (usually how does it help hurt Demos/Repubs or
the White House) In addition, I regularly refer to "significant stories"
that appear anywhere in the paper during a "current issues" portion of the
class. Since I incorporated the
Times into the class I have received thanks from quite a few students that
I was the first one who ever expected them to regularly read a newspaper
(and think about what they had read from a political standpoint). I have
also received affirmative responses from colleagues.
Phil Fetzer
Political Science Department
California Polytechnic State
University, San Luis Obispo
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Teaching Politics is published by William J. Ball (ball@tcnj.edu)
