Watch and write a comparison and contrast essay on three different media reports of the same news event. Choose a current news event and observe its coverage on three different major news networks. As you watch each, take notes on how long each report was, how objective each was, and any persuasive techniques that were used. Write 3-5 paragraphs comparing and contrasting the three news stories. Include the following: a summary of each, how long was each report? Were parts of each story reported objectively (facts, unbiased)? Did any parts use persuasive techniques (opinion, bias, emotionally loaded language/images, slogans, repetition)? Which report do you think gave the most objective coverage and which was the most biased? Use the comparison-and-contrast rubric to help evaluate your essay.

Read the excerpt from the poem "growing up italian" by maria mazziotti gillan and answer the question that follows. when i was a little girl, i thought everyone was italian, and that was good. we visted our aunts and uncles, and they visted us. the italian language smooth and sweet in my mouth. in kindergarten, english words fell on me, thick and sharp as hail. i grew silent, the italian word balanced on the edge of my tongue and the english word, lost during the first moment of every question. source: gillan, maria mazziotti. "growing up italian." poetrymagazine.com. poetry magazine, n.d. web. 30 mar. 2011. what is the tone of this poem? what does the tone reveal about the speaker of the poem and the conflict she faces? based on this excerpt, what can you predict about the theme of the poem?