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Common Core State Standard
SL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: An essay of a current news event is provided for discussion to encourage participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the article. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event within the news, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support. FOR THE WEEK OF MAR. 21, 2011 March Madness, supersized, heads toward 'Sweet 16' games this week![]() ![]() Look for reports on a home-state team or other local angles, such as a player or coach from your area.
![]() The NCAA tournament has an impact beyond sports. See if March Madness-related coverage is on business, entertainment and lifestyle pages.
![]() Is sports section coverage clear even for an occasional fan? Are any unfamiliar terms defined? Any improvements to suggest?
College basketball's big show is under way, bigger than ever. The NCAA tournament known as March Madness, which began last week, expanded this year by four teams to a total of 68 schools. Three elimination rounds through this past Sunday have thinned the field to 16 teams for playoffs in Newark, New Orleans, San Antonio and Anaheim, Calif., from March 24-27. Fans can watch at CBS and three Turner Broadcasting cable networks (TBS, TNT, truTV), which allows live telecasts of every game in full for the first time. Another new twist is the presence of outspoken former NBA star Charles Barkley as a CBS commentator. He has used airtime to emphasize the need for academic support so athletes earn diplomas as well as cheers. "You can't just give them basket-weaving degrees. You can't just put them in classes to keep them eligible," he said at a media preview. "They need to be in real classes. . . . At the end of this season, only 50 of these kids are going to make it to the NBA."
After this week's games, the tournament moves to Houston on April 2 with the Final Four teams and the April 4 championship game. Along the way, excitement is generated by rooting for local or home state teams, or schools attended by friends or family members. There's also the drama of freshman heroes and surprise outcomes -- "Cinderella stories" of scrappy underdogs and tight finishes, such as last week's upset of Louisville by Morehead State and of Georgetown by Virginia Commonwealth.
Front Page Talking Points is written by
Felix Grabowski and Alan Stamm for NIEonline.com, Copyright 2024
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