LITTERING & URBAN BEAUTIFICATION
By J. Norris
jNorris3@schools.nyc.gov
Introduction
In walking through our neighborhood streets, whether to come to school, make purchases at the ‘corner store’ or visit our playground, we constantly encounter the problem of littering, the reflection of uncaring attitudes and practices, all around us. Littering takes many different forms – not dispensing of one’s personal trash in its’ appropriate place and cleaning up after your dog are just a couple of popular examples. What about taking it a step further though?… How could beautifying and taking care of the streets where we live, create and further impact how we view and experience the places where we live? How could creating a greater awareness among the people with whom we live and finding alternative possibilities that make a different quality of life possible, renew our vision of urban living and our place in it??? Do we have to accept our current living standards just as they are, or is there actually something we can do to help create the kind of world that we’d like to see?!
Having previously examined life in urban, suburban and rural communities across our country, we have now refocused our attention to advantages and disadvantages of the community where we live – the urban setting. As such, we’ve begun to identify features of city life that are both beneficiary (benefits) and challenging (problems) for us. We noticed that in environments with large populations, come challenges for all of us to become aware of and hopefully try to address in a positive way. Littering is one of those definite challenges or urban living, which we all generally notice, but often ignore or reluctantly accept as being just an unavoidable part of life. But as Public Policy Analysts, our interest is to identify and find ways to create positive changes.
Task
As an ongoing investigation into what and how we can address the problem of urban littering and create an aesthetically (visually beautiful), uplifting environment in our neighborhood, we will research, identify and write a report on this important issue. For this we will use the six step Public Policy Analyst This process will carry you through the stages of discovery to choosing solutions to public problems like the one we are working on now.
Within your work-groups, each person will be responsible for contributing to one written page of a group report. As a group, you will decide which detailed-part of information each member will be responsible for. Use your creativity! You can also add:
illustrations, maps and labeled diagrams to show your plan and solution to how you would create greater benefits to beautify your neighborhood.
Specifically, you will:
Process/Resources
(* Remember to use your note pads to jot down all important information you’ll need for your written report!)
1. Conduct online research into how beautification currently takes place in our neighborhood by visiting the NYC department of Sanitation website:
http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/home
2. Make important observations and personal connections from watching an ‘Annie & Moby’ video on pollution in neighborhoods by engaging in group discussions following the presentation.
3. Use a concept chart to brainstorm and identify specific problems related to lack of beautification
4. Use our chart findings to ‘Select and Write’ a paper about which two (2) issues we personally want to improve and how we would go about doing it
· Further social-media resources:
https://twitter.com/NYCzerowaste
https://www.instagram.com/nyczerowaste/
Evaluation
Your analysis paper will be evaluated according to the rubric listed below:
Group Planning -- Research Project : Littering and Urban BeautificationTeacher Name: J. Norris |
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CATEGORY |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
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Plan for Organizing Information |
Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information as it is gathered and in the final research product. All students can independently explain the planned organization of the research findings. |
Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information in the final research product. All students can independently explain this plan. |
Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information as it is gathered. All students can independently explain most of this plan. |
Students have no clear plan for organizing the information AND/OR students in the group cannot explain their organizational plan. |
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Ideas/Research Questions |
Researchers independently identify at least 4 reasonable, insightful, creative ideas/questions to pursue when doing the research. |
Researchers independently identify at least 4 reasonable ideas/questions to pursue when doing the research. |
Researchers identify, with some adult help, at least 4 reasonable ideas/questions to pursue when doing the research. |
Researchers identify, with considerable adult help, 4 reasonable ideas/questions to pursue when doing the research. |
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Delegation of Responsibility |
Each student in the group can clearly explain what information is needed by the group, what information s/he is responsible for locating, and when the information is needed. |
Each student in the group can clearly explain what information s/he is responsible for locating. |
Each student in the group can, with minimal prompting from peers, clearly explain what information s/he is responsible for locating. |
One or more students in the group cannot clearly explain what information they are responsible for locating. |
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Clarity of Presentation |
The groups work was clear cut with points clear identification of the problems of littering to be addressed. Solutions were clearly posed and analyzed |
The problems of littering were generally described, but not fully discussed. Solutions were not offered or were too vague |
The problems of urban littering were only vaguely discussed or described |
The problems of littering were not discussed as a public problem facing the community and there were no solutions offered |
Conclusion
Well done analysts! You successfully researched, identified and addressed how we, as Public Policy Analysts, can begin to make our own neighborhoods better environments to live! In exploring on your own, and as a group the topic of littering and beautifying our neighborhoods, you’ve taken the first steps in learning about creating a higher quality of life for yourself and the people with whom you live. You’re also learning how exploring this topic and coming up with your own solutions is self-empowering! This means that you’ve made the decision to rise above just accepting living situations as they are and contemplating how better they could be. I hope you enjoyed engaging in this project and will take the skills you learned and apply them to other areas of educational pursuits!
Standards
NYCDOE-Scope & Sequence
· 2.6 Identifying continuities and changes over time can help understand historical developments. (Standard 1) Changes over time
· 2.7 Cause-and-effect relationships help us recount events and understand historical development. (Standard 1) 2.7a
· 2.2 People share similarities and differences with others in their own community and with other communities.
· 2.8 Communities face different challenges in meeting their needs and wants. (Standard 4)
Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA)
New York State Grade 2 Common Core Learning Standards
STD RL.2.1- Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. Ask and answer questions (e.g., who , what , where , when , why , how ), orally or in writing, requiring literal recall and understanding of the details and/or facts of a fiction read-aloud s s s Answer questions that require making interpretations, judgments, or giving opinions about what is heard in a fiction read-aloud, including answering why questions that require recognizing cause/effect relationships. Ask and answer questions (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how), orally or in writing, requiring literal recall and understanding of the details and/or facts of a fiction text read independently
STD RI.2.3- Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text. Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in nonfiction/informational read-aloud. Describe the connection between a series of historical events in a nonfiction/informational text read independently
STD RI.2.9 Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic. Compare and contrast (orally or in writing) similarities and differences within a single nonfiction/informational read-aloud or between two or more nonfiction/informational read-aloud. Compare and contrast (orally or in writing) similarities and differences within a single nonfiction/informational text read independently or between two or more nonfiction/informational texts read independently
STD RI.2.10 By the end of year read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the Grades 2–3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Listen to and demonstrate understanding of nonfiction/informational read-alouds of appropriate complexity for Grades 2–4 Read independently and demonstrate understanding of nonfiction/informational text in the Grades 2–3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.