PRESENTED BY:

MR. A. WILSON

MANHATTAN HUNTER SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL

NEW YORK, NY

Imagine waking up in your bed to the bright morning sunshine and looking out your window hoping to see the trees and the birds only to find that the world is not really what it once was. You see the sunshine, but you also notice, like everyday that there is a thick layer of dirty fog hovering around the city. You turn on Fox 5 news to see the newscaster reporting that people are being arrested for obstructing traffic on 5^th Avenue. They are angry that the U.S. still has not worked to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions that come from cars and factories. You turn off the news and think about what it was like when you were in high school. You remember that back in the old days when you were in high school there were many environmental issues and many scientist and government officials spoke about what should be done and what they were going to do to curb the U.S. Carbon Dioxide emissions. However, only 20 years later many of the ideas about how to deal with the air pollution caused by cars and factories have not actually been realized. In addition, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan to make New York City a “green” city never happened. His congestion pricing plan for automobiles was turned down by the New York State legislature. You are forced out of your thoughts by the horrible wheezing sound coming from in the apartment hall out side your door. You go to the peep hole to see your neighbor and her son gasping for air and using their inhalers. They have asthma and 50% of the New York City population suffers from asthma due to the air pollution. Your grab your face mask that you wear on your way to work to keep the dirty air from entering your lungs and walk out the door thinking “what could I have done when I was in high school or college to help with this problem of air pollution.” You wake up from your nightmare and it is still 2008, Now what are you going to do? You have a chance! You have been anointed a “research scientist” and “public policy analyst.. As a research and public policy analyst scientist it is your job to research and evaluate current policies on carbon dioxide emissions so that you can come up with a possible solution to global warming and the pollution problems of New York City and the U.S. Good luck. You can save the lives of millions!

Students will help create a Public Policy Analysis which evaluates the current carbon dioxide emissions in New York City or the United States. You will be divided into groups to complete the following products. Your group will responsible for the following tasks: Each task MUST contain the six steps of the PUBLIC POLICY ANALYST, which will be described in the Process section of the web quest.

PowerPoint Presentation:

o 10 slides including a title slide

o You will use charts, graphs, pictures etc as Graphics

o Each slide will include text

o All six steps of the Public Policy Analyst must be included in the power point presentation

Interviews/questionnaires

o 3 adults and 3 students in this school other than 9^th graders will be interviewed to find out their level of awareness regarding Global Warming. The Questionnaires will have 10 questions that the groups will make to find out helpful or harmful practices being done by individuals.

ORAL PRESENTATION

1. Each group will prepare a 10 minute minimum oral presentation

2. The presentation will use the questionnaire, power point and poster board as part of the lesson

3. Be sure all the steps of the PPA are addressed

You will be graded on your research notes, oral presentation, power point design, 6-step PPA worksheets, and group cooperation.

Step 1: Your teacher will divide the class into five groups of five. Each student in the group will have a specific role.

Student Researchers/Scientists (2):

Two students will be responsible for researching the topic, and gathering the necessary information. These students will record, organize and write the information they gathered from the Internet, their class text, and library books that have relevant information.

Researcher (Scientist 1):

Your job is to use the 6-Step Public Policy Analysis questions to gather evidence about the contribution of carbon dioxide to global warming. Come up with ideas to solve the problem.

Researcher (Scientist 2):

Your job is to take 1-2 pages of notes of your research findings. Your notes and the information you obtain should be properly cited.

STUDENT ORGANIZERS/REPORTERS (2)

Each student interviewer will come up with 5 questions and put together the questions for the questionnaire and interview sheet after his/her group has discussed this.

These students will be responsible for organizing the ORAL PRESENTATION and interviewing the 3 adults and 3 students.

STUDENT ARTIST (1)

One student will be the artist and will collect and organize pictures and other graphics for the power point presentation. In addition, this student will create a power point design layout in the form of a sketch first. The sketch should consist of the 10 slides with the pictures and the information that will be added to the real power point. Once this student has consulted with his/her group about the power point outline and everyone agrees to the design created, then the power point can be set up.

Step 2:

Your group will complete worksheets in the six-step Public Policy Analyst to investigate and solve the problem of Global Warming. Your group will use these worksheets as an outline for completing the tasks.

Each group will use the Internet sites listed in the resource section to complete the worksheets. The worksheets will then be used as resource material for completing the worksheets. ALL PRODUCTS MUST USE THE PPA AS A FORMAT. Click on the worksheets below to access the worksheets

The Information gathered on the Questionnaire will also be used on completing worksheets

a) Identify the Problem using Worksheet #1.

b) Gather Evidence using Worksheet # 2.

c) Identify Causes of the Problem using Worksheet # 3.

d) Evaluate the Policy, using Worksheet #4.

e) Develop a solution to the Problem using Worksheet #5.

f) Select the Best Solution using Worksheet #6.

Step 3:

Your group will now prepare to make an oral presentation to the class. Remember to include your research findings and any pictures or other graphic representations you have. The class will then score your performance based on the rubric provided below.

Use the following links to help gather you gather your research.

General Resources

http://www.yahoo.com

https://www.google.com

http://www.ask.com

Specific Resources

Climate Change

We Can Solve It

Facts

You’re Carbon Footprint

The Nature Conservancy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol

http://www.cnn.com/EARTH/9804/07/global.warming/index.html

http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/kids/

http://globalwarming.enviroweb.org/ishappening/ishappening_frameset.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html

http://www.worldviewofglobalwarming.org/

This rubric will be used to grade all Task products:

CATEGORY	4 EXCELLENT	3 VERY GOOD	2 SATISFACTORY	1 UNSATISFACTORY
Content - Accuracy	At least 7 accurate facts are displayed on the power point. USES ALL STEPS OF PPA	5-6 accurate facts are displayed on the power point. USES FIVE OF THE SIX STEPS OF THE PPA	3-4 accurate facts are displayed on the power point. USES ALL STEPS OF THE PPA WITH SOME ERRORS	Less than 3 accurate facts are displayed on the power point. 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.
Presentation Preparedness	Group is completely prepared and has obviously rehearsed.	Group seems pretty prepared but might have needed a couple more rehearsals.	Group is somewhat prepared, but it is clear that rehearsal was lacking.	Group does not seem at all prepared to present.
Knowledge Gained	Student can accurately answer all questions related to facts in the power point and processes used to create the power point.	Student can accurately answer most questions related to facts in the power point and processes used to create the power point.	Student can accurately answer about 75% of questions related to facts in the power point and processes used to create the power point.	Student appears to have insufficient knowledge about the facts or processes used in the poster.
Group Cooperation	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.

Scoring Device: A…..20 – 18 points

B…..17 – 16 points

C…..15 – 14 points

D…... Below 14 points

After completing this web quest, you should be familiar with global warming and the effects it is currently having on our environment and weather. You have gained knowledge on policy issues and the role these policies play in determining how the U.S. will respond to the threat of global warming. In addition, you now understand what role industry and individual citizens play in contributing to global warming. Finally, you were be able to critically think about possible solutions and evaluate current policies on global warming so that you can make informed decisions and decide the role you are going to play in helping to preserve our planet. Thank You for your participation. Let’s hope you made a difference.

SCIENCE

Standard 1: The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing, creative process.

Science Standard 4, Key Idea 5: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.

Science Standard 4, Key Idea 6: Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the physical and living environment

English Language Arts

Standard 1:

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 to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

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.