National Political Blog Reading List

Our first unit deals with reading short non-fiction and learning how to both analyze it and form our own opinions about it as we think about our theme of "identity" for the trimester. 

This year is the presidential election, a time when our beliefs about our country are challenged and questioned as we determine who best represents our ideals for our nation.  There are several sources of information with short non-fiction to help you decide including some articles we will be reading in class. 

Blogs can be an additional source of non-fiction information to analyze.  The political blog list offers insight into the various current political issues.  I encourage you to familiarize yourself with them and browse through them analytically keeping in mind your own beliefs as you read them.  

NATIONAL POLITICAL BLOG LIST

Real Clear Politics:  www.realclearpolitics.com   

Real Clear Politics brings together op-ed pieces from national newspapers and blogs. Every morning it selects must-read stories and analysis from every die of the political debate, trying to provide a full view of the political landscape.

Power Line:  www.powerlineblog.com   

Powerline is an American political publication, providing news and commentary from a conservative point-of-view.  2 of the 4 contributors are local and discuss local politics.  In 2004, Power Line was named Time magazine’s first-ever “Blog of the Year.”

Daily Kos:  www.dailykos.com

A left-leaning American political blog that publishes news and opinions from a progressive point of view.  It functions as a discussion form and group blog for a variety of activists whose efforts are primarily directed toward influencing and strengthening the Democratic Party.  Time magazine listed the Daily Kos in its “Most Overrated Blogs” section.  Despite the listing, Time magazine readers named the Daily Kos the second best blog.

The Caucus:  www.thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com

The New York Times Caucus is a blog that analyzes the latest news on politics and government from Washington and around the country.

Your First Blog Assignment

It is your turn to introduce yourself.  Write a post (no more than 2 paragraphs) in which you introduce yourself to us.  Perhaps you answer one of these questions:  What is something meaningful you are experiencing in your life right now (a new puppy, sibling, house, job, sport, etc.)?  What is a goal/expectation you have for yourself this year (good grades, sports/club/organization goals, personality goals, etc.)?  Or perhaps you would like to introduce yourself by writing an opinion about a topic you are passionate about, or maybe you would like to tell a story?  You decide – just make it meaningful and have fun with it!

Meet Ms. Moll

This year I am being bombarded with new learning experiences.  My husband and I finished a series of classes preparing for childbirth and caring for a newborn.  This same summer, our school district is implementing new technologies to use in our classroom.  Our district is also working on a new literacy initiative, so during the summer we have been working on ways to help you develop your literacy skills so you are more apt and ready for college.  My mind is exploding with new information and it is GREAT!  All of this information is USEFUL and can be applied to help me become a better teacher and mommy-to-be.

This is also my goal for you (except, I don’t want you to all become mothers….).  What I mean is that I would like you to embrace knowledge that will be introduced to you this year.  Ultimately it is up to YOU to apply it to your life and make it meaningful through connections.  I will do my best to supply you with learning materials that you can apply to YOUR life so that you can be the best student you can be!   It is my hope that the blogs are one such material that you can use to make meaningful connections between our classroom knowledge and the world around you.