Ms.
Fusco
Good
or Bad?—Healthy or Unhealthy?
Unhealthy Snacks Sold at FDA?
Teenage
Obesity-A problem?
Introduction
In recent years
health authorities have become alarmed over the increasing number of teens who
are considerably overweight. While the problem is not new, the numbers have
been increasing at an ever growing rate. What is the cause of this? How serious
is this for the health of teens? What should be done about the problem?
You have been
asked to serve on a panel of students who will advise the principal as to the
policies that should be undertaken at
Task
Your group will be using the PPA process, you have to write a report where you must either
prove that school snacks currently sold at the FDA cafeteria and around the
building are unhealthy or acceptable. You will be making suggestions for a
specific plan of action and making presentations to various groups in the
school to get the plan adopted. Make
sure that you are able to back up your suggestions based on the research you
have done.
Process
Meeting in groups of five
persons, you will gather data from the Websites listed below. You will review
the data provided by the charts, tables and statistical data to describe the
current conditions at FDA as well as the scope and nature of the problem of
teen obesity generally.
Your group shall
select people to fill each of the following roles:
§
Group Leader- Who
will organize the group and coordinate the group’s effort. The leader also
assists all other members in completing their tasks
§
Recorder and Secretary-
Writes the results of researchers in a format that can be presented. The
Recorder keeps all research materials for the group’s use
§
Researchers-
These two will look at the websites and present the data for the groups as a
whole to analyze
§
Presenter- The Presenter will describe the group’s findings to the
class as a whole. The Presenter may also work with the whole group in
developing a format for the presentation, which may be a chart, poster,
PowerPoint, etc.
Your group will read the
information explaining each component of the PPA so that you will understand
each part of what you need to do.
Use the Public
Policy Analyst to assist you in researching for your presentation.
Your group will
decide on the best way to present your findings. This can be in the form of a
written report of at least four pages, a PowerPoint presentation, a chart, or
an effective oral presentation. All presentation formats must be approved in
advance.
As an additional
assignment, your group is to develop graphs and tables to illustrate all of the
statistical facts you find in your research. Be sure to present these when
making your report to the class. This can be as part of your report or and a
separate item.
Resources:
As public policy analysts you may use internet research. The
following websites are all related to the existing problem.
Web Articles on the topic:
WW
Teen
Obesity Cuts Life Expectancy
Teen Obesity
Report from Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Teenage
Obesity How to prevent
teenage obesity - Weight loss for teenagers
Doctors Underestimate
Teenage Obesity
NYC Schools Trashing Junk Food - CBS News
Strategic Plan for Overweight and Obesity Prevention - New York State
Teenagers Today: Hope for Overweight Teens
More Generalized Search Engines:
Evaluation
This is rubric that
will be used to assess your completed work. Use it to make sure you have
completed all the steps and can receive the full amount of points.
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Conclusion
You
should have learned from this webquest that teen
obesity can be seen as a major social problem at FDA. You have seen the gravity
of the problem for all concerned. You also have learned the role of the Public
Policy Analyst. Let’s hope your investigation and suggestions will lead to a
policy that will make a difference.
Thanks for your participation. It is much
appreciated!
Standards
English
English E1 – Read and comprehend informational materials
English E2 – Produce a report of information
Produce a persuasive and
reflective essay
English E3 – Participate in group meetings
English E4 – Analyze and subsequently revise work to improve its
clarity and effectiveness
English E7 – Produce functional documents appropriate to audience
and purpose
Social Studies Standard 5 – Civics and Government
Students participate as informed citizens in the political justice
system and processes of the
• evaluate, take, and defend positions on what the fundamental
values and principles of American political life are and their importance to
the maintenance of constitutional democracy (Adapted from The National
Standards for Civics and Government, 1994)
• take, defend, and evaluate positions about attitudes that
facilitate thoughtful and effective participation in public affairs
• consider the need to respect the rights of others, to respect
others’ points of view (Adapted from The National Standards for Civics and
Government, 1996)
• participate in school/classroom/ community activities that focus
on an issue or problem
• prepare a plan of action that defines an issue or problem,
suggests alternative solutions or courses of action, evaluates the consequences
for each alternative solution or course of action, prioritizes the solutions
based on established criteria, and proposes an action plan to address the issue
or to resolve the problem