PROJECT CRITICAL

Journalism 2007-2008

Frederick Douglass Academy

Ms. Lee

PUBLIC-POLICY TOPIC:

THE IMPLICATION OF HARLEM’S RE-GENTRIFICATION

Your favorite corner bodega with its rainbow colored awning has now turned into another green covered Starbucks. The place where you used to buy all of your quarter chips and penny candy has now turned into where you buy your five dollar grande-mocha-chocolate chip-double-shot-lattes. Harlem is being taken over by large businesses and corporations. As a beat reporter for The North Star, Frederick Douglass Academy’s school newspaper, your challenge is to examine the implications that arise from Harlem’s re-gentrification and how it impacts the communities that live in it.

Gentrification is the process of rebuilding low income areas. Harlem has already experienced one renaissance, many consider the modern renewal its second. Harlem’s re-gentrification has created hardships for many residents. The prices for rent and ownership has risen beyond the scope of long term Harlem dwellers. Many cannot afford the rising costs and either must leave from family and childhood neighborhoods, or move into more crowded housing with friends or family. Some say that the wealthy are pushing out the poor. However, rebuilding older areas is a wonderful thought. New housing, new facilities and safer city living are positive results of this policy. However, we must answer the question, “what about the poorer residents?” You have an opportunity, in this web quest, to research the social problem of “gentrification” and find public policy solutions that may be of great benefit for all New Yorkers.

Good luck!

This special edition of The North Star using Adobe PageMaker, Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Word that will center on the pros and cons of Harlem’s re-gentrification and how it impacts the people who live in it. Through interviews, surveys and research, reporters will develop well-thought, well-written, analytical articles (following MLA format) and PowerPoint presentations that will challenge the reader/viewer to think about the complexities that re-gentrification brings.

PRODUCT # 1: Analytical Articles

Reporters must produce three articles (with a 500 word minimum, and 1200 word maximum) that address the gentrification and its impacts on Harlem from a personal, social and/or economic perspective. You must have one article written in each of the following styles:

1. Interview:

a. After identifying a member who lives in the Harlem community, you must develop at least 10 questions that address the experiences, concerns as well as the positive and negative results of Harlem’s changes.

b. There are many ways to tackle the interview article. Reporters could choose to tell the story of one interviewee or, interview members of the Harlem community from different generations to compare and contrast their experiences.

c. However, reporters must be sure to have a common focus when interviewing multiple community members. For example, if a reporter wants to focus on the economic impact of re-gentrification, he or she would develop questions to both businesses and individuals with a fiscal/financial perspective more than a personal or social one. While responses may include personal and social experiences and reflections, interview articles should have a clear topic.

2. Surveys:

a. Every survey conducted must have a clear thesis formed in the context of a question. An acceptable example would be as follows: do chain businesses help or hinder Harlem’s growth?

b. Every survey conducted must have a minimum of 10 different survey takers. Categories such as gender, age, race, etc. will vary depending upon article focuses. Sometimes categories will have little influence on the responses, other times they will dictate the final outcome. Reporters must keep such information in mind when conducted and formulating surveys.

c. Every survey conducted must have a point. Reporters cannot just conduct the survey without explaining its purpose and what the survey results reflect.

3. Research:

a. Each research article must have a clear thesis that reflects the reporter’s perspective.

b. All arguments must be supported by 3 outside sources (all sources must receive prior approval from Ms. Lee)

c. All research articles must follow the MLA format.

PRODUCT # 2: POWER POINT

The power point presentation will be a visual representation that incorporates information from the three types of articles already written. Again, the common topic must be clear in the three articles used. Power point presentations must include the following.

1. A minimum of 10 slides and a maximum of 20 slides.

2. Slide guidelines are as follows:

a. Each presentation must have an introductory slide that provides title and team information.

b. A maximum of 3 image-only slides in a 10 slide presentation, and a maximum of 5 image-only slides in a 20 slide show.

c. All body text must be written in one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Bookman Old Style or Goudy Old Style.

d. All body text must be at least 14 point font, but no larger than 22 point font.

e. Slide titles and headers may not be larger than 32 point font. The title font must be consistent throughout the presentation. Please do not use script are overly artsy fonts.

f. Font color should be determined by the style of the presentation. However, DO NOT USE RED, YELLOW OR LAVENDER!!!

g. REMEMBER TO THINK BALANCE! Having too much text, or too many pictures is not effective. Also be consistent in your choice of slide transitions. Each presentation may have NO MORE THAN TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF SLIDE TRANSITIONS.

h. Any images or music used should have topic relevance.

To complete the two products each group:

> STEP ONE: Using the Public Policy Analyst…

Your group will research the planning and development of Harlem’s re-gentrification to create a PowerPoint presentation and a special edition of The North Star, FDA’s school newspaper. These projects will develop from a six step process. Be sure to use the hyperlinks to view a complete explanation of each step. There are worksheets involved in each step, download them (at the bottom and fill them out as part of your research.) These worksheets will be used as resource material to complete your newspaper articles and your power point. Remember, both products must include all the six steps of the public policy analyst. They are to be submitted and will be graded.

THE SIX STEP PUBLIC POLICY ANALYST

1. Define the Problem being addressed

2. Gather Evidence of the problem’s existence

3. Identify Causes of the problem

4. Evaluate Policies being currently used to deal with the problem

5. Develop Solutions – Your ideas for dealing with the problem

6. Select the Best Solutions

Ø STEP TWO: Completing the Power Point Presentation…

Each member of the group will select one of the steps from the Public Policy Analyst to research, write, compile and present. He/she will be responsible for contributing to the group’s presentation in a clear, well-written, well-researched manner. For PowerPoint help, go to http://www.bitbetter.com/powertips.htm. The group’s presentation must adhere to the following guidelines:

a. Each group must adhere to the guidelines found on the Project Checklist

b. Each member of the group must take on one of the following roles for the presentation.

a. Presentation “Proofer” :Checks that all information, formatting and content is correct and that the presentation adheres to guidelines.

b. Presentation Constructor> Will take the information gathered to compile the presentation visually and textually.

c. Presentation Scout> Will find the sources and gather relevant and helpful information (in both visual and textual formats)

d. Presentation Architect> Will make sure that everyone stays on task and will also be responsible for organizing the slides and information.

e. Presentation Representative> Will deliver the presentation to the class sharing the information and answering any questions that may arise from the audience.

> STEP THREE: GROUP ROLES

a. Role #1--Managing Editor: Keeps track of the group's daily work and reports to sites recommended by the teacher. The Manager Editor will compile all the research of the group, removing irrelevant or unnecessary information. He/she the teacher any problems. This role also involves leading the group’s research and directing the other group members to the websites listed and also any additional may also choose to do additional research on the issue or policy.

b. Role #2--Beat Reporters: Writes the articles and suggests policy changes supported by research and data (Every member of the group has to contribute AT LEAST one article to the newspaper).

c. Role #3--Editor—Edits: Revises the text on the policy analysis worksheets/articles

d. Role #4--Research Analyst: Organizes the research, facts, numbers and statistics. Checks data and makes sure that the information in the articles and PowerPoint is correct.

e. Role #5/#6--News Photographer/News Artist: Photographers will take photographs of Harlem and relevant images that will provide additional depth and information to the news articles. They will also use Adobe Photoshop to adjust/crop images as necessary.

Below are the websites students will use to complete the task. Also, other website links related to the topic may be included.

GENERAL WEB SITES

WWW.GOOGLE.COM

WWW.YAHOO.COM

WWW.ALTAVISTA.COM

SPECIFIC WEB SITES

a. JOURNALISM

i. The Write Site: https://www.writesite.org

ii. Research and Writing: https://www.ipl.org/div/aplus/stepfirst.htm

b. RESEARCH & WRITING

i. http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/select.html

ii. www.google.com> TOPIC: Harlem Re-gentrification

iii. http://www.ipl.org/div/aplus/stepfirst.htm

c. RELEVANT ARTICLES

i. “Real Estate 2000: Uptown Boomtown--http://nymag.com/nymetro/realestate/features/2652/index5.html

ii. New York Times online: www.nytimes.com

The evaluation measures the results of the activity. The following rubrics show how the PowerPoint presentations and the newspaper articles will be graded.

§ You will be graded as a group for your PowerPoint presentation according to the rubric below. Your score for each aspect of the assignment will be summed and you will receive a grade of A-F.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Worksheet 1
Worksheet 2
Worksheet 3
Worksheet 4
Worksheet 5
Worksheet 6
Defining the Problem	Problem defined incorrectly.	Problem defined incompletely, no mention of BMI.	All aspects of problem clearly defined.	Definition of problem reflects clear understanding of problem.
Gathering Evidence of the Problem	No evidence of problem cited.	1 piece of evidence included.	2 pieces of evidence included.	2 pieces of evidence included. Evidence is particular to NYC high school students.
Determining Causes of the Problem	1 cause mentioned.	3 causes specific to Harlem mentioned.	3 causes specific to Harlem mentioned with in-depth explanation.	4 causes specific to NYC high schools mentioned with in-depth explanation.
Looking at Current Policies	Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting a beginning level of performance.	Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting development and movement toward mastery of performance.	Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting mastery of performance.	Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting the highest level of performance.
Practical Solutions Included in Presentation?	No practical solutions included.	One practical solution included.	More than one practical solution included.	Multiple practical solutions that would appeal to high school students included.
Visual Appeal of Presentation	Presentation is incomplete without appropriate info/#of slides.	Presentation is presented with minimum requirements fulfilled.	Presentation is presented with clear images and helpful info. Most presentation guidelines addressed.	Presentation goes above and beyond the presentation guidelines.
Scoring of Articles	Not appropriate for newspaper.	Appropriate for the newspaper, but not well organized.	Appropriate for the newspaper, and well organized .	Appropriate for middle school students, well organized and will grab the interest of middle school students.
Total Score
Letter Grade	A = 44 - 38	B = 37 - 34	C = 33 - 29	D = 28 - 27	F = < 27

At the end of this project, you will have examined the public policy issues of Harlem’s re-gentrification process in all of its complexities and perspectives. You will have examined the pros and cons of the issues that arise with gentrification and use higher level thinking skills to develop cogent and feasible solutions to the challenges that arise.

NEW YORK STATE STANDARDS

§ ELA Standards:

STUDENTS WILL HAVE PERFORMED THE FOLLOWING STANDARDS:

ü E1c Reads and comprehends information materials.

ü E2a Produce a report of information.

ü E3b Participate in group meetings.

ü E6a Critique public documents with an eye to strategies common in public discourse.

ü E6b Produce public documents.

ü E7a Critique functional documents with an eye to strategies common to effective functional documents.

ü E7b Produce functional documents appropriate to audience and purpose.

o Problem Solving

A. Design a Product, Service, or System: Identify needs that could be met by new products, services, or systems and create solutions for meeting them.

B. Improve a System: Develop an understanding of the way systems of people, machines, and processes work;
troubleshoot problems in their operation and devise strategies for improving their effectiveness.

o Communication Tools and Techniques

A. Prepare a formal written proposal or report to an organization beyond the school.

B. Use on-line sources to exchange information for specific purposes.

C. Use word-processing software to produce a multi-page document

§ Social Studies Standards #2:

STUDENTS WILL HAVE PERFORMED THE FOLLOWING STANDARDS

ü Research and analyze the major themes and developments in New York State and United States history (e.g., colonization and settlement; Revolution and New National Period; immigration; expansion and reform era; Civil War and Reconstruction; The American labor movement; Great Depression; World Wars; contemporary United States)

ü Prepare essays and oral reports about the important social, political, economic, scientific, technological, and cultural developments, issues, and events from New York State and United States history

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.