A PROJECT CRITICAL WEB QUEST
Mr. J. Tierney
MS 321-Minerva
“MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY”
A Stuent
approach to Address Community Apathy
INTRODUCTION
In my class, last month, a
student came to me and asked, “I am sick and tired of walking to school and
seeing dirt in the streets, graffiti on building walls and garbage piled high
against the curb”. I said to myself, she was absolutely right! Our neighborhood,
GOOD LUCK !!!!!
TASK
1: Each group will create two
products
2: PRODUCT # 1: Each group will make a
POSTER. This poster will contain information that each student at MS 321 can
easily interpret. The poster should have pictures, graph, charts and text
explaining the importance of becoming involved in community affairs. The POSTER
must contain the steps of the Public Policy Analyst
linked in the “process” section of the web quest.
SAMPLE POSTER
Focus for the poster should be on a
possible public policy solution called
“MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY”. Your group will
create an agenda for a day in which students from MS 321 will participate in
Community activates. These activities can include, clean up, safety,
canvassing, spirit etc. all to promote the idea of getting involved. The poster
should inspire students and adults to participate in Make a Difference Day.
3: PRODUCT # 2: Your group will create a
PETITION. Below is a sample political petition.
The Petition should have written text,
persuading students and adults to become active on this Make a Difference Day.
You may want to get commitments for community service or assign tasks for the
day. The Text of the Petition should have the agenda, your group devised, for
this “make a difference day”. This will give signers a good idea of your
purpose. You may wish to use the steps of the PPA as a format for the text
along with the agenda.
PROCESS
1: The class will be divided into
groups of FIVE.
2: Each group will divide the
responsibilities as follows
1:
TWO RESEARCHERS—This student will research the Internet, receive information
from the survey and use outside text to complete the SIX STEP PUBLIC POLICY
ANALYST worksheets linked below.
2:
SURVEY MAKER- This student will be responsible for completing a survey that
he/she makes up with the help of ALL group members. This survey will be used in
the poster and petition. This student can use OPINION POWER or other SURVEY
techniques. Click on link. This student will also interview, school staff and
get EXPERT
OPINIONS for make a difference day.
This information will then be given to the poster & petition maker.
3:
PETITION MAKER- This student will write a petition that will energize peers to
take part in make a difference day. The six steps of the PPA should be used in
some form on the petition. Define the problem, give evidence and causes for the
problem and explain the details in make a difference day,
4:
TIME KEEPER/EDITOR/ ORGANIZER-This student will be a “jack of all trades”.
He/she will make sure deadlines are met, all text material is proof read and
the group is cooperating fully. He/she will set up appointments with school
staff and answer any questions the others in the group may have.
Each step of the
PPA must be included on the poster board. Focus should be made on the public
policy Step # 6, “Make a difference Day”. All worksheets must be filled out and
the essays for each step must reflect the completed worksheets.
1) Defining the
Social Problem
2)
Gathering
Evidence of the Problems
3)
Identifying
Causes of the Problems
4) Identify and
Evaluate Existing Pubic Policy
5) Develop Public
Policy Solutions
GENERAL WEB SITES –These can be
used to find all information needed for completion of the worksheets in the
SIX-STEP PUBLIC POLICY ANALYST
READ THE FOLLOWING
LINK FOR HELP-“Conducting Internet searches”
SPECIFIC WEBSITES—Use these
links to focus in on the six-steps
WASHINGTON
HEIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS
EVALUATION
Poster Evaluation
|
|
CATEGORY |
4 EXCELLENT |
3 VERY GOOD |
2 SATISFACTORY |
1 UNSATISFACTORY |
|
Content - Accuracy |
At
least 7 accurate facts are displayed on the poster. USES ALL STEPS OF PPA |
5-6
accurate facts are displayed on the poster. USES FIVE OF THE SIX STEPS OF THE
PPA |
3-4
accurate facts are displayed on the poster. USES ALL STEPS OF THE PPA WITH
SOME ERRORS |
Less
than 3 accurate facts are displayed on the poster. . INCORRECTLY USES OR
FAILS TO USE PPA STEPS |
|
Graphics - Relevance |
All
graphics are related to the topic and make it easier to understand. All
borrowed graphics have a source citation. |
All
graphics are related to the topic and most make it easier to understand. All
borrowed graphics have a source citation. |
All
graphics relate to the topic. Most borrowed graphics have a source citation. |
Graphics
do not relate to the topic OR several borrowed graphics do not have a source
citation. |
|
Graphics -Clarity |
Graphics
are all in focus and the content easily viewed and identified from 6 ft.
away. |
Most
graphics are in focus and the content easily viewed and identified from 6 ft.
away. |
Most
graphics are in focus and the content is easily viewed and identified from 4
ft. away. |
Many
graphics are not clear or are too small. |
|
Labels |
All
items of importance on the poster are clearly labeled with labels that can be
read from at least 3 ft. away. |
Almost
all items of importance on the poster are clearly labeled with labels that
can be read from at least 3 ft. away. |
Several
items of importance on the poster are clearly labeled with labels that can be
read from at least 3 ft. away. |
Labels
are too small to view OR no important items were labeled. |
|
Knowledge Gained |
Student
can accurately answer all questions related to facts in the poster and
processes used to create the poster. |
Student
can accurately answer most questions related to facts in the poster and processes
used to create the poster. |
Student
can accurately answer about 75% of questions related to facts in the poster
and processes used to create the poster. |
Student
appears to have insufficient knowledge about the facts or processes used in
the poster. |
A=18-20 pts. B=
15-17 pts. C=12-14 pts. D=11 pts. F=below
10 pts.
CONCLUSION
Thanks for completing this web quest.
You should have learned the importance of community involvement in keeping
neighborhoods to a high living standard.
You have also experienced the role of the public policy analyst and
community activist. Apathy is a death sentence for democracy. Democracy
requires active participation. In our society in
LEARNING STANDARDS ADDRESSED
SOCIAL
STUDIES
Civics, Citizenship
and Government
Standard 5:2
• analyze the disparities
between civic values expressed in the United States Constitution and the United
Nation Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the realities as evidenced in
the political, social, and economic life in the United States and throughout
the world
Civics, Citizenship
and Government Standard 5:3
•
understand how citizenship includes the exercise of certain personal
responsibilities, including voting, considering the rights and interests of
others, behaving in a civil manner, and accepting responsibility for the
consequences of one’s actions (Adapted from The National Standards for Civics
and Government, 1994)
• analyze issues at the
local, state, and national levels and prescribe responses that promote the
public interest or general welfare, such as planning and carrying out a voter
registration campaign
Civics, Citizenship
and Government Standard 5:4
- 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
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.