Ms. Miu

MS 319 – Maria Theresa Mirabel MS

 

Child Abuse in New York City
 

 

 

 

 


 

 

Introduction:

 

Child abuse is an issue that should concern all of us and should be addressed by society in general.  Many children have been badly injured and even killed by their parents throughout the United States.  This problem affects many children in New York City.  We need to create awareness so that people become conscientious about this issue and work together to find solutions to this problem. This problem was made especially clear in the book A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer

 

You are a social worker concerned about child abuse and want to find solutions to this problem.  You will investigate the problem and create a public policy that attempts to deal with this problem.

 

 

Task:

 

As a public policy analyst you will research child abuse in New York City and you will produce the following work:

 

A.               Write a report in which the following topics will be developed:

 

1.     Define the problem: What is child abuse?

2.     Gather the evidence: Collect information (including statistics) about cases reported in New York City

3.     Identify the causes of child abuse

4.     Evaluate a public policy dealing with child abuse

5.     Develop solutions

6.     Select the best solutions

 

B.                Make a group PowerPoint presentation to the class.

 

 

Process:

 

1: The class will be divided into groups of FOUR.

Each member of the group must fulfill his given responsibilities. The group will decide the roles for each member using the outline below. Each group member will be responsible for a Written Report, but there will be a group grade for the PowerPoint.

2: Individual responsibilities for group members

Student # 1: Recorder & Writer-This student will take notes on information gathered by group members and write an outline for the power point slides. These notes will also be used by each member to write the paper. This student will be responsible for completing the Public Policy Analyst Worksheets for A Child Called It & for the information on Contemporary teenage violence. This person will also make connections between the two eras.

Student # 2: Researcher-This student will do the research, with help of other members. He/she will search the Internet and gather information that will be used to complete the worksheets. The information gathered will be focused on child abuse as depicted in A Child Called It and in contemporary New York City.

Student # 3: Time keeper of organizer-Will keep the group on track. He/she will assist in the research, lead & coordinate group meetings and be aware of teacher made deadlines and schedules

Student # 4: Presenter- This student will be responsible to convey the group findings to the class. He/she will be the main speaker in the PowerPoint Presentation and will assign others their subordinate roles for the presentation. The Power point should be used as part of this presentation.  The presenter will coordinate the oral report but all members will take part in some form.

ALSO NOTE:  Each group will submit a PowerPoint presentation of at least five slides describing the problem of child abuse in New York. You need to relate this to the story of the main character in the book A Child Called It.

II:  Each group member should do individual research whenever possible. As a group, you will complete the worksheets (steps) in the Public Policy Analyst.

III: Remember-THINK LIKE A PUBLIC POLICY ANALYST DURING YOUR TWO ANALYSES.

IV: Your group will use the INTERNET resources below along with written text and class notes you have received in your English class to complete the worksheets.

 

A. Complete worksheets 1-6 on the TIPS .

1.     Define the problem     Worksheet 1 http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/select.html

2.  Gather Evidence   Worksheet 2 http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/gather.html

3.  Identify Causes     Worksheet 3 http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/identify.html

4.     Evaluate policies         Worksheet 4 http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/existing.html

  5.  Develop Solutions Worksheet 5 http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/solutions.html

  6.  Select best Solution       Worksheet 6 http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/bestsol.html

 

B. Collect information from newspapers and magazines.

 

C. Use the following Internet sites to collect additional  information:

 

Website Search Engines:

http://www.yahoo.com/

https://www.google.com/

http://www.lycos.com/

http://altavista.com/

http://amazon.com/

 

Internet Resources

Define the problem  

http://www.calib.com/nccanch/stats/index.cfm

http://www.child-protection.org/CPTtext/ tProviders/tProblem.htm

Gather evidence      

http://www.jimhopper.com/abstats/

http://www.preventchildabusewi.org/signs2a.htm

   Identify the causes

   http://www.acf.hhs.gov/acf_policy_planning.html#policy

   http://www.zipmall.com/moms-causes.htm

Evaluate the policy

   http://www.calib.com/nccanch/statutes/federal.cfm  

   http://www.calib.com/nccanch/prevention/index.cfm prevention/index

Develop solutions     

   http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/acs/html/text.html%20-dohttp:/www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/a

Select best solutions

http://www.jimhopper.com/abstats/

http://child-abuse.com/

http://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/prevention/Default.htm

 

Additional Resources

 

Child Abuse Statistics  www.acf.dhhs.gov/news/april00.htm

 

Casa de los Ninos  http://www.azstarnet.com/~casa/index.html

 

Parents Anonymous, Inc http://www.parentsanonymous.org/

 

Boysville    http://www.boysville.org/locations.htm

 

USA Child Help   http://www.unitedwaydenver.org/

 

International Child Abuse Network

http://www.yesican.org/help.html

 

 

Evaluation

Your final grade will be based on your written report and your group’s PowerPoint presentation.

 

 

Research Paper

 

 

3

 

2

 

1

 

Content

 

Writing shows in-depth analysis of racial inequality in the college admissions process and offers insightful proposals according to the Public Policy Analysis methodology.

 

Writing shows basic understanding and analysis of racial inequality in the college admissions process and offers adequate solutions.  It briefly addresses each of the steps of the PPA.

 

Writing shows summarization of the research information.  It may contain vague references to the steps of Public Policy Analysis. 

 

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.

 

Topics or overall plans may not be clearly present.

Possible digressions or elaborations confusing to reader.

Beginnings and endings may be awkward or abrupt.

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 as evidence. Fact/opinion sometimes overlaps.

 

Minimal content. 

 

Unsupported statements. 

 

Weak, questionable evidence. Position

 

weak/unclear/shifting.

exceedingly reliant on repetition and exaggeration.

 

PowerPoint Presentation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All aspects of the PPA analysis are present within the presentation.

 

Each slide is readable, contains only significant information

 

Bibliography is complete and sources are accurately cited in MLA format.

 

Few examples of creative effort. Credible but limited arguments and facts. Facts and opinions sometimes overlap.

 

 

Font and color is moderately readable, too much information is contained on each slide

 

Bibliography is completed, sources are inaccurately cited.

 

Minimal content.  Unsupported statements.  Weak, questionable evidence. Position weak/unclear/shifting. Tendency to rely on repetition and exaggeration.

 

 Font and color impede readability, each slide is too wordy or repeats what is contained in the report word for word

 

Bibliography incomplete or missing, sources inaccurately cited.

 

 

This Webquest will focus on the following academic standards  in Social Studies and English Language Arts:

 

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 2:   World History

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.

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 United States 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.

English Language Arts

Standard 1:   Language for Information and Understanding

Students will listen, speak, read, and write 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 that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

Standard 2:   Language for Literary Response and Expression

Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from American and world literature; 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 that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for self-expression and artistic creation.

Standard 3:   Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Students will listen, speak, read, and write 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 use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

Standard 4:   Language for Social Interaction

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. Students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English 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.

 

Conclusion:

This PPA WebQuest has helped you understand how serious the child abuse problem is in New York City.  As a Public Policy Analyst, you will have defined all the issues involved in child abuse.  You will have researched the current policies of child abuse and will have developed solutions to reduce this problem.  As a result of this policy, you will have learned to identify and improve public policies that affect the lives of the must important asset of our society: our children.