TEENAGE DRINKING
A Major Social Problem
With Serious Consequences
Presented by: MS. C. STALLONE
A.
Your best friend just dropped out of high school and
entered an alcohol rehabilitation facility. She was an “A” student just a few
years ago. What happened? How could a 16 year old be destroyed so quickly? This
is NOT uncommon. Even worse, you probably know a friend who was arrested for
“Drunken Driving” (DWI or DUI) and was placed in jail. He/she might have
injured or killed an innocent pedestrian or driver. That life is ruined at 17.
How about the 16 year old girl who realizes a few weeks later that her drinking
binge and partying has left her pregnant with no means of support. She might
ask, “how did this happen, I can’t remember”! That, too was a result of teenage
drinking.
Lives ruined, families split apart and bright futures
destroyed because alcohol is so prevalent in American society. You can’t watch
a football game, a television sit-com or movies without being bombarded by Budweiser
ads, wine commercials or liquor adds. All advertisements show young people
enjoying life while drinking alcohol. The real truth is never shown!
Ask a friend,”how many ID’s do you have?” The answer
will be “many”. Teenagers have found
ways to circumvent the 21 year old drinking age minimum. Go to any club and you
will see underage drinking and “phony” identifications.
Teenage drinki9ng has become a major social problem.
Inevitably it leads to psychological problems beyond one’s control or even
death. In this web quest you have an opportunity to search for public policy
solutions. YOU will become a public policy analyst and investigate this
epidemic in American society. You may safe the life of a friend, loved one or
even family member. Good luck and good research!
1: You task, in this web quest is to construct a FIVE
PAGE research paper using Ms. Word. The paper will be double spaced and include
graphs, charts and illustrations
2: Your group will use the PUBLIC POLICY ANALYST as a guideline
for your research. This will be explained in the process section of the web
quest.
3: Each group will be responsible for a finished
product and each member of the group will receive a similar grade so 
cooperation
is a necessity!
4: Deadlines for the group project will be discussed
in class.
1: The class will be divided into groups
of four. Each group member will have a role. However all members will take part
in research and must work cooperatively with other members. This will be part of
the group grade.
The group roles are as follows 
TASK COORDINATOR-This student
will be in charge of the final group presentation. He will edit and correct the
paper. He will coordinate all activities and make members aware of assigned
deadlines. This member will be critical of those who do not perform and find
remedies for the problem.
SCIBE-This student will write the text and
coordinate the graphics used in the paper. He/she will use the PPA sheets as
resource material to type the paper. All members of the group will be involved
in organization. The writer must work well with the researchers so all material
is well understood
RESEARCHERS-These TWO
students will complete all the WORKSHEETS in the six step public policy analyst
using the Internet resources given in the section below. He/she will be
responsible for instructing the writer. Researchers may divide up the six PPA
steps or work cooperatively on all.
THE PUBLIC POLICY ANALYST- The PPA is the outline to
be used in completing the task research paper.
Each PPA step has a description of the step and a
worksheet, linked at the bottom of the web page. These worksheets will be
completed using the Internet resources below and other outside text material.
This will be accomplished by the two “researchers”.
The sites below were chosen to answer the PPA six
worksheets. You may use outside sources and printed text as well.
LINKS TO THE PUBLIC POLICY ANALYST
STEP # 1: Define the problem:
STEP # 2: Gathering Evidence
for the task
STEP # 3: Identifying Causes
of the Problem
STEP #4: Evaluate Existing
Public Policy
STEP # 5: Develop Public
Policy Solutions
SREP # 6: Selecting the best Public
Policy Solution
GENERAL INTERNET SITES 
You may want to search “teenage drinking
problems”, “school dropouts”, “teen drunk driving” or other problems associated
with underage drinking.
SPECIFIC WEB SITES REALTED TO TEENAGE
DRINKING
These
web sites address the steps of the Public Policy Analyst
FACTS ABOUT TEEN ALCOHOL ABUSE
& DRINKING
TEENAGE PROBLEMS CASUED BY
DRINKING
UTAH’S PROBLEM-“WASTED
YOUTH”
RUBRIC
FOR RESEARCH PAPER 
|
CATEGORY |
4 EXCELLENT |
3 VERY GOOD |
2 SATISFACTORY |
1 NEEDS IMPROVEMENT |
|
Organization |
Information is very
organized with well-constructed paragraphs and subheadings. All steps
in the PPA are used correctly. |
Information is
organized with well-constructed paragraphs. Most steps
in the PPA are used correctly. |
Information is
organized, but paragraphs are not well-constructed. All steps are in the PPA are used but some are incorrectly. |
The information appears
to be disorganized. Few steps in the PPA
are used and they are used incorrectly. |
|
Amount of Information |
All topics are
addressed and all questions answered with at least 2 sentences about each. |
All topics are
addressed and most questions answered with at least 2 sentences about each. |
All topics are
addressed, and most questions answered with 1 sentence about each. |
One or more topics were
not addressed. |
|
Quality of Information |
Information clearly
relates to the main topic. It includes several supporting details and/or
examples. |
Information clearly
relates to the main topic. It provides 1-2 supporting details and/or
examples. |
Information clearly
relates to the main topic. No details and/or examples are given. |
Information has little
or nothing to do with the main topic. |
|
Mechanics |
No grammatical,
spelling or punctuation errors. |
Almost no grammatical,
spelling or punctuation errors |
A few grammatical
spelling or punctuation errors. |
Many grammatical,
spelling, or punctuation errors. |
|
Paragraph Construction |
All paragraphs include
introductory sentence, explanations or details, and concluding sentence. |
Most paragraphs include
introductory sentence, explanations or details, and concluding sentence. |
Paragraphs included
related information but were typically not constructed well. |
Paragraphing structure
was not clear and sentences were not typically related within the paragraphs.
|
|
Internet Use |
Successfully uses
suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites
easily without assistance. |
Usually able to use
suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites
easily without assistance. |
Occasionally able to
use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these
sites easily without assistance. |
Needs assistance or
supervision to use suggested internet links and/or to navigate within these
sites. |
|
Diagrams & Illustrations |
Diagrams and
illustrations are neat, accurate and add to the reader's understanding of the
topic. |
Diagrams and
illustrations are accurate and add to the reader's understanding of the
topic. |
Diagrams and
illustrations are neat and accurate and sometimes add to the reader's
understanding of the topic. |
Diagrams and
illustrations are not accurate OR do not add to the reader's understanding of
the topic. |
GRADING: “A’= 21-24
“B”= 17-20 “C”= 13-16 “F” = BELOW 13
From completing this web quest you
should have learned just how serious a problem teenage drinking has become. As
you have determined, from using the Public Policy Analyst, teenage drinking is
reaching epidemic proportions. The cost to individuals and to society is
enormous. Schools bear the burden for teenage drinking as the problem prevents
teachers from functioning and industrious students from receiving their lawful
education. Violence and asocial behavior enter the classroom and create havoc.
It also leads to innocent and caring people becoming mentally and physically
abused. We read in the newspapers, every day, about the affects of this
scourge.
You have also learned the about the role
of a public policy analyst. It is this person’s job to investigate the social
problem and find viable solutions to solve them. This person is a very valuable
member of our society.
Let’s
hope YOU made a difference!!!!! Let’s
hope you saved a teenager from destruction!!
WE THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR 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.
Social Studies
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 United States and other national economies, and how an
economy solves the scarcity problem through market and nonmarket 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
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.