This course is designed to help students become more familiar with the world around them.  Students will use a variety of sources, including newspapers, magazines, alternative press articles, television and radio news stories, as well as community members to explore current happenings at the local, state, national, and international levels.  The course will concentrate on seeing issues and events from a variety of perspectives, analyzing their historical content, and examining the media's influence on our perceptions.  This course offers the opportunity for students to satisfy the Minnesota Graduation Standard for Inquiry and Research, Issue Analysis.