Currently, in America, there is a financial incentive in the form of a tax break that allows Americans to purchase a vehicle that is 6,000 lbs or more. Written in the 1940’s, the incentive was created for farmers to receive a tax-break. However, today, given the Sport Utility Vehicle or SUV market, that has many cars over 6,000 lbs, thousands of Americans are taking advantage of this tax loop-hole.

 

Upper Manhattan Transportation Department has asked you to do a study based on the fact that many residents in upper Manhattan are now purchasing SUV’s to take advantage of the tax benefit. This is causing major problems in terms of parking, pollution, and financial difficulties for the owners of the SUV’s.

As part of the study, you will work in a group of four students to research the effects of these tax loop-holes on both the ecology and economy. Once the report is complete; you will present your findings in a PowerPoint presentation to the Upper Manhattan Transportation Department. In this report you will recommend new policy or provide a best possible solution that could lead to policy change.

 

Step 1. You will form a group that will thoroughly research the ecological and economic effects of SUV’s on the environment.

First you must explore the resources provided in the RESOURCE below.

Step 2.  By completing the PPA process below, you will formulate news recommendations for best policy solutions.

To do this quest you must follow the following steps:

¨      Identify the  problem.

¨      Gather evidence that this is indeed a problem.

¨      Identify the causes of this problem

¨      Evaluate the existing policy by ours schools and others that deal with this problem

¨      Develop possible solutions that the classroom may adopt

¨      What, in your opinion, would be the best solution for the classroom to adopt?  Your decision must take into account effectiveness and feasibility.

Assess the costs and benefits of this solution.

 

Below are sites to find information regarding SUV tax incentives, safety, and organization with points of view on this controversial topic.

http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1802 - "$100,000 SUV Tax Break Extension Robs the Treasury, Feeds America's Oil Habit and Endangers Motorists."

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/airbags/BUASBRuralWeb/ - "The Facts To Buckle Up America - Safety Belts and Rural Communities."

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2003-02-25-crash-tests_x.htm - "New evidence from the government suggests that key auto crash tests run by the insurance industry and federal regulators might make sport-utility vehicles deadlier to people in small cars."

http://www.citizen.org/autosafety/suvsafety/bettersuv/articles.cfm?ID=10211 - "Exposure of children in SUVs is very high; closest to that of minivans. Yet parents who purchase SUVs for transporting their families may be unaware that a child riding in an SUV is twice as likely to die in a crash as a child riding in a minivan."

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2003-01-15-runge_x.htm - "Automakers defend SUVs as criticism grows."

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2003-02-26-suv-safety-nhtsa_x.htm - "top federal auto safety official softened his stance that some sport utility vehicles are not safe, but told lawmakers consumers must be given more safety information so they can make informed decisions."

 

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1

Research

 

 

 

*Problem well identified and thoroughly researched

*All six steps of the PPA  are thoroughly addressed

*Evidence of notes and action research

*Problem identified and reasonably well researched

*All six steps of the PPA are addressed,

*Problem identified with limited research.

*All steps of the PPA are addressed,

 

*Problem identified but research is lacking

*Incomplete work

Written

Proposal

*Well organized, demonstrates logical sequencing and sentence structure

*Thoroughly addresses each of the six different parts (see Task)

 

*Well organized, but demonstrates illogical sequencing or sentence structure.

* Addresses each of the six different parts

*Well organized, but illogical sequencing and sentence structure.

* Barely addresses each of the six different parts

*Weakly organized.

 

*Does not address each of the six different parts

Presentation

*Social problem introduced with authority based on information

*Utilizes clear and helpful visual aids

*Generate and field questions and responses from audience around their topic of discussion.

*Every member in group participates in presentation.

*Social problem introduced with some authority

*Visual aids used

*Generate questions and responses.

*Most members of group participate.

*Students state the social problem

*Students require  prompts to generate questions

*Limited participation within the group

*Teacher generates discussion

Group cooperation

*Group establishes and maintains an equal distribution of labor among all participants. 

*Differences are dealt with maturely and students exercise listening skills, leadership skills, and compromise skills

 

*Group makes attempts to maintain an equal distribution of labor among all participants.

*Almost all differences are dealt with maturely and students exercise listening skills, leadership skills, and compromise skills

*Groups make unsuccessful attempts to maintain an equal distribution of labor among all participants.

*Only some differences are dealt with maturely as students attempt to exercise listening skills, leadership skills, and compromise skills

*Group is unable to equally distribute work.

*Differences are not dealt with maturely

Language Arts:

Standard 1 - Language for Information and Understanding

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding - As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

Standard 2 - Language for Literary Response and Expression

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary expression - Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances, relate texts and performances to their own lives, and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language for self-expression and artistic creation.

Standard 3 - Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation - As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will present, in oral and written language and from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

Standard 4 - Language for Social Interaction

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction - Students will use oral and written language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.

Social Studies

Standard 1 - History of the United States and New York

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.

Standard 4 - Economics

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of how the United States and other societies develop economic systems and associated institutions to allocate scarce resources, how major decision-making units function in the U.S. and other national economies, and how an economy solves the scarcity problem through market and non-market mechanisms.

Standard 5 - Civics, Citizenship, and Government

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the U.S. and other nations; the United States Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.

By doing this project, you have acquired research skills. You have also learned 6 steps of being a Public Policy Analyst. In addition, you have written and presented your findings to a government body.

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WebQuest created by Rene Munoz, in collaboration with Project Legal Grant, and Syracuse University.
Revised: October 18, 2004