Ms. Mack for 7^th grade

Minerva Mirabel School of Law and Journalism

Fast forward a few years... You are a high school student in Washington Heights. You know you want to get a good education and a good job that will get you respect. But, a college education is expensive and the government is cutting the amount of grants awarded to students who can not afford to pay for college on their own. You’ve done well in school but not well enough to get the big scholarship you need to go to one of your top five universities.

You haven’t met any college recruiters at your school. But, a military recruiter has called your house twice, sent your mom an armful of brochures about the promising options that await you in the Army, the Air Force and the Marines, and the guy is outside the entrance to school practically every afternoon. You’ve seen ads for the military on TV and all the people on the commercials look just like you and seem to have the same goals as you. Your best friend told you about the army website and the cool video games they have up. Watching MTV Spring Break you saw a hip-hop festival with a tricked out army hummer.

Yesterday the military recruiter approached you. He starts to tell you all about what joining the army could do for you—how you could get a great education and a great job straight out of high school. Best of all, he said the army will pay for it all.

All day today your mind wanders, thinking about the army and the great things it could do for you. But you also remember the guy down the block who got killed last May in Baghdad, and about how the mother of the two brothers in your building who just shipped out last week was crying after that big bombing on Friday. You start to feel like the army is targeting people from your neighborhood for recruitment. ARE THEY???

Your group has been hired by Congressman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) to create a memo and presentation to be given to the other members of Congress about the influence of advertising and the presence of military recruiters on high school campuses in the city. Of particular interest is the concern that recruitment efforts have resulted in the armed forces being drawn from lower income and minority groups to an excessive degree.

Over the next several days, your group will research recruiting by the military and use the six steps of the Public Policy Analyst in order to complete your task of creating a presentation for Congressman Rangel and a memorandum to be sent to members of Congress about your policy recommendations to deal with military recruitment

STEP 1: Determine each member of your group’s specific role:

A. Lead Researcher on Military Advertisement and Recruitment: This person is responsible for leading the group’s internet research on the military’s advertisement and recruitment practices. Research should consider the possible targeting of poor, minority students. This student is also responsible for writing the paragraph of the memorandum pertaining to the military’s targeting of the community.

B. Lead Researcher on Current Law, Policy and Proposals: This person is responsible for leading the groups’ internet research on the current law and policy relevant to military recruiter’s access to students and parents and its links to school funding. This student is also responsible for writing the paragraph of the memorandum pertaining to the current law and policy.

C. Lead Investigator/ Interviewer: This person is responsible for writing a 5 question survey to be used in at least 10 interviews with members of your community about their views on military recruitment in your school and in the city in general. This person is also responsible for writing the paragraph of the memorandum pertaining to your community’s perspective on military recruitment in local schools.

D. Lead Technology Coordinator: This person is responsible for creating the Power Point slides which will include the group’s research and findings. This person is also responsible for writing and editing the text to be incorporated in the Power Point slides.

E. Lead Presenter/ Group Facilitator/Editor: This person is responsible for presenting the group’s Power Point to the class and keeping the group focused. This person is also responsible for writing the introduction and conclusion paragraphs of the memorandum as well as the paragraph pertaining to the group’s policy proposal. This student is considered the group’s leader.

STEP 2: Complete the Policy Process Analyst:

Your group will need to complete the following 6 worksheets completely. To complete the worksheets, especially the Gather the Evidence worksheet, you should use the links listed below under Resources.

1. Define the Social Problem. (What is a Social Problem?)
2. Gather the Evidence. (What type of evidence is acceptable?)
3. Identify the Causes. (What has caused the problem to arise?)
4. Evaluate the Existing Public Policy. (What current policies are being used to address the problem?)
5. Develop Public Policy Solutions. (Here you consider new policies that might solve the problem)
6. Select the Best Public Policy Solution. (In this section your group chooses the best solution)

STEP 3- The presentation

Your group will develop a PowerPoint Presentation of at least eight (8) slides to graphically show the six steps of the PPA and how they apply to your problem. There should be at least a slide for and introduction and a conclusion as well. Be sure to use illustrations and factual information in your presentation. Be sure to avoid a one-sided or biased presentation, let your viewers draw their own conclusions. However, be sure that facts support your recommendations for the “best policy.”

Look at the rubric of evaluation for a guide to making an effective presentation.

Step 4- The Written memorandum:

This should be a report of at least four (4) pages that describes the problem and makes recommendation(s) for a solution. In general, it should use the PPA steps as a guide and outline, but need not follow it exactly. Although each member of the group can use the group’s research and information, each member of the group is to write their own Memorandum, they will be graded separately

Look at the rubric of evaluation for a guide to writing an effective memorandum.

To gather the evidence for this project you will need to do online research. If you are looking for specific evidence not contained in one of the links listed below you may use the general search engine Google . Some helpful general searches might be “military recruitment of poor, minority students” and “aggressive military recruitment” “marketing the military” “Military Recruitment Issues”

Department of Defense Website on Military Recruitment. The FAQs page of this website may be particularly helpful to answer the questions on the worksheets.

NYCLU Project on Military Recruitment and Students Rights

NCLB Action Brief-Armed Forces Recruiter Access to Secondary School Students

Military Recruitment Issues from Washington University Law School

Daily News Article, November 8, 2005

Rift over recruiting at public high schools | csmonitor.com –the issue in Washington state

Six Questions for Eli Flyer on Military Recruiting and Abuses –Questions posed to a senior
military analyst

. Congressman Rangel wants your group’s memo and presentation to provide evidence gathered from your research about the way your high school community has been targeted military recruitment and your perspectives and policy recommendations about the requirement of certain No Child Left Behind Act funding to principals’ decisions to give student contact information to military recruiters and time and space for them to recruit on high school campuses.

RUBRIC FOR POWER POINT PRESENTATION

Power point: Appearance and Content :

Military Recruitment

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Teacher Name: Ms Mack

CATEGORY	4 EXCELLENT	3 VERY GOOD	2 SATISFACTORY	1 UNACCEPTABLE
COOPERATION	ALL MEMBERS OF THE GROUP TOOK PART IN CONSTRUCTION OF THE POWER POINT	ALL MEMBERS TOOK PART IN CONSTRUCTION OF THE POWER POINT BUT NOT EQUALLY	FOUR OF THE FIVE MEMBERS TOOK PART IN CONSTRUCTION OF THE POWER POINT	THE POWER POINT HAD LITTLE GROUP COOPERATION AND WAS CONSTRUCTED BY ONE MEMBER
Originality	Presentation shows considerable originality and inventiveness. The content and ideas are presented in a unique and interesting way.	Presentation shows some originality and inventiveness. The content and ideas are presented in an interesting way.	Presentation shows an attempt at originality and inventiveness on 1-2 cards.	Presentation is a rehash of other people's ideas and/or graphics and shows very little attempt at original thought.
Text - Font Choice & Formatting	Font formats (e.g., color, bold, italic) have been carefully planned to enhance readability and content.	Font formats have been carefully planned to enhance readability.	Font formatting has been carefully planned to complement the content. It may be a little hard to read.	Font formatting makes it very difficult to read the material.
Content - Accuracy	All content throughout the presentation is accurate. There are no factual errors.	Most of the content is accurate but there is one piece of information that might be inaccurate.	The content is generally accurate, but one piece of information is clearly flawed or inaccurate.	Content is typically confusing or contains more than one factual error.
Spelling and Grammar	Presentation has no misspellings or grammatical errors.	Presentation has 1-2 misspellings, but no grammatical errors.	Presentation has 1-2 grammatical errors but no misspellings.	Presentation has more than 2 grammatical and/or spelling errors.
Sequencing of Information	Information is organized in a clear, logical way. It is easy to anticipate the type of material that might be on the next card.	Most information is organized in a clear, logical way. One card or item of information seems out of place.	Some information is logically sequenced. An occasional card or item of information seems out of place.	There is no clear plan for the organization of information.
Use of Graphics	All graphics are attractive (size and colors) and support the theme/content of the presentation.	A few graphics are not attractive but all support the theme/content of the presentation.	All graphics are attractive but a few do not seem to support the theme/content of the presentation.	Several graphics are unattractive AND detract from the content of the presentation.
ASSIGNMENT DELEGATION	Group delegates tasks and shares responsibility effectively all of the time.	Group delegates tasks and shares responsibility effectively most of the time.	Group delegates tasks and shares responsibility effectively some of the time.	Group often is not effective in delegating tasks and/or sharing responsibility.
Effectiveness	Project includes all material needed to gain a comfortable understanding of the topic. It is a highly effective study guide.	Project includes most material needed to gain a comfortable understanding of the material but is lacking one or two key elements. It is an adequate study guide.	Project is missing more than two key elements. It would make an incomplete study guide.	Project is lacking several key elements and has inaccuracies that make it a poor study guide.
USE OF GHPPA	INCLUDES ALL STEPS OF THE PPA	INCLUDES MOST STEPS OF THE PPA	INLCUDES ALL STEPS OF THE GHPPA BUT WITH INACCURACIES	DOES NOT INLCUDE PPA AS A FORMAT OR HAS MANY INACCURACIES

4=A 3=B 2=C 1=D/F

RUBRIC FOR THE MEMORANDUM

Research Paper	4 = A	3= B	2=C	1= D/F
Content	Writing shows in-depth analysis of the issues involving military recruitment and offers insightful proposals according to the Public Policy Analysis methodology.	Writing shows basic understanding and analysis of the issues involving military recruitment and offers adequate solutions.  It briefly addresses each of the steps of the PPA.	Writing shows limited understanding and analysis of the issues involving military recruitment and offers barely satisfactory solutions.  It briefly addresses the steps of the PPA but may omit some steps.	Writing shows summarization of the research information.  It may contain vague references to the steps of Public Policy Analysis or complete omissions .
Structure and Organization	Writing is generally well organized according to definite plans.  Topics or ideas generally clear. Typically clear beginnings and ends. Most transitions smooth and logical. Details generally varied and vivid.	Controlling topics, ideas, or overall plans always present but do not always focus the writing.  Endings may sometimes be awkward or abrupt. Transitions are typically logical but may on occasion lack depth and/or direct relevance.	. Controlling topics, ideas, or overall plans may be present but frequently fail to focus the writing.  Endings may sometimes be awkward or abrupt or incomplete. Transitions are typically logical but may on occasion lack depth and/or direct relevance.	Topics or overall plans are not be clearly present. Possible digressions or elaborations confusing to reader. Beginnings and endings may be awkward, abrupt or missing. Key elements may be unevenly developed or omitted. Details used inconsistently
Style	Sound reasoning. Clear position. Opinions thoughtfully supported. Credible evidence.  Avoids exaggeration. Compelling arguments. Fact/opinion distinguished. Conclusions well-grounded. Displays evidence to advantage. Believable and defensible. Convincing.	Few surprises. Predictable, well-worn arguments. Credible but limited support. Acceptable, knowledge offered as evidence. Fact/opinion sometimes overlaps.	Predictable, well-worn arguments that do not reflect new research. Limited support for statements. Limited/biased statements are offered as evidence. Fact/opinion often overlaps.	Minimal content.  Unsupported statements.  Weak, questionable evidence. Position is not clearly stated Paper as a whole is weak/unclear/shifting. exceedingly reliant on repetition and/or exaggeration

You have conducted an analysis of an important public issue facing the nation today. It is to be hoped that your presentation and memorandum will further public understanding of this topic. Public discussion and debate on this issue is important to our democratic society. A nation needs a strong defense and military force, but how this is to be achieved is a topic for serious reflection and an exchange of ideas. Your work can certainly further the understanding of this national issue. Thanks for all of your efforts!

This project addresses the following New York State Standards:

New York State Performance Standards in English Language Arts

E1c. Read and comprehend informational materials.

E2a. Produce a paper on information and observations.

E3c. Prepare and deliver an individual presentation.

E4b. Analyze and subsequently revise work to improve its clarity and effectiveness.

New York State Performance Standards in Social Studies

From Standard 5- Civics, Citizenship and Government

Identify, respect, and model those core civic values inherent in our founding documents that have been forces for unity in American society

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

Explain how democratic principles have been used in resolving an issue or problem