Introduction: This week’s activity asks you to identify an American ideal and summarize a related current event in 1-2 sentences. It will prepare you for your first assignment, Letter to Family.

Step 1: Choose one of the following American ideals.

• democracy
• liberty
• equality
• justice
• freedom
• opportunity

Step 2: Identify an article (no older than 6 months) that covers a current event related to your American ideal. This article should be from a reputable news source that publishes well-written and well-researched news.

• One tip for finding a current event is to choose a reputable news source and visit their website to see recent articles on relevant topics. Another method is to visit the Strayer University Online Library and look at the 10 news and politics e-magazines available.

Step 3: Write a short statement (1-2 sentences) summarizing the current event and how it relates to your chosen American ideal. Provide 2 examples that illustrate the connection.

Step 4: Include an article link in a source list following Strayer Writing Standards (SWS) format.

• Refer to the Strayer Writing Standards link in the left-hand menu of your course for details on what your citation should look like.

SAMPLE:

Student Name

American Ideal:

1-2 sentences about the current event and how it relates to your chosen American ideal. Provide 2 examples.

Article citation.