Mrs. A. Sorden, Literacy Coach-

Public School 115

A PROJECT CRITICAL WEB QUEST

INTRODUCTION:

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS NYC

Washington Heights is a growing community that has been populated by immigrants from the Dominican Republic since the late 1960’s. Having a strong family bond was one of the cultural principles that guided the community. However, throughout the past forty years there has been a steady decline in marital unions which has affected many children. Single-parent households have risen drastically, and children are suffering the consequences of these broken homes. The negative effects are low socioeconomic status, child neglect, and children raising children. Single-parents are forced to work twice as hard to obtain the financial means required to sustain a home. As a result, children are left alone to raise themselves without parental guidance. This dilemma leads to further societal issues that lead to drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, and gang related violence.

As we reflect on all the negative possible outcomes that can result from single-parent households, think of ways to stop the vicious cycles. How can we mend the problem of broken households? What can we do as a society to educate our children about the benefits of getting married before having children?

You have an opportunity to find policy solutions to these critical social problems that affect every New Yorker. You have been appointed to the “MAYOR’S COMMITTEE TO IMPROVE THE LIFE OF NEW YORKERS”. You will become a “Public Policy Analyst” and find solutions to the problems plaguing Washington Heights and other disadvantaged areas of New York

GOOD LUCK! You have a fulfilling task ahead!

TASK

Scholars will work together to create a Public Policy Analysis to research information related to solving the single-parent epidemic in Washington Heights. Together we will come up with solutions that will decrease the number of out of wedlock births in Washington Heights as well as alternatives for children of single-parent households.

Each group will be responsible for TWO products that will be presented to the mayor’s Committee

PRODUCT # 1: POWER POINT PRESENTATION

§ The power point should have a minimum of 10 slides

§ Each slide should gave graphics and text

§ All six steps of the Public Policy Analyst must be included-Your group can divide the slides as you wish

PRODUCT # 2: POSTER depicting the social problem

§ All six steps of the PPA must be included in the poster

§ A policy must be suggested a s a solution to the problem

§ The poster should have text and graphics-you might consider graphs and charts

§ The six steps may be used an outline for the poster

THE PROCESS:

We will work in four groups of six. The group responsibility will be divided As follows:

1. RESEARCHER(S): Two scholars will be assigned the role of Researcher using the 6-Step Public Policy Analysis questions to collect information about single-parent households. Use the webpage links in the RESOURCES section to collect information. You will turn in a three page paper that states why single-parent households are affecting our community as well as providing solution to end this epidemic. Then you will put together a list of workshops for parents and children where you will present the problem and solution.

2. PRESENTER(S): Two scholars will use the workshop list to plan for two worthwhile PowerPoint presentations that will help our community understand the negative affects of single parent households. In addition, the presentation will include preventative methods to stop the vicious cycle and coping methods for children of broken homes.

3. ARTIST(S): Two scholars will get together to create posters promoting the benefits of marriage and motivational slogans that help uplift children of single-parent households

4. Each group will access the worksheets linked below. Complete the worksheets for each of the six steps using the Internet resources in the section below:

Step1: Define the Problem

Step2: Gathering Evidence of the Problem

Step3: Identifying the Causes of the Problem

Step4: Evaluating Existing Public Policies

Step5: Developing Public Policy Solutions

Step6: Selecting the Best Public Policy Solution

RESOURCES

Click on the resources below to help you gather information for completion of the worksheets

Census Information for Washington Heights

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/data/2006chp-301.pdf

Article on Dominican Americans

http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Dominican-Americans.html

Article on Our of Wedlock Births in New York City

http://www.ajph.org/cgi/reprint/51/6/846.pdf

Articles on Single-Parent Households:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3634/is_199611/ai_n8751631

http://www.prb.org/Articles/2001/TheRiseandFallofSingleParentFamilies.aspx

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20070411/ai_n19014711

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/297615/single_parent_households_how_does_it.html

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/digitaldivide/factsheets/single-parent.htm

Additional Resources

www.google.com and www.yahoo.com

EVALUATION

In order to ensure that you have followed the appropriate steps toward completing this assignment the following rubric will be used to grade your group performance:

Criteria	Exceeds the Standards	Meets the Standards	Approaches the standards	Below the Standard
Research	Problem clearly identified and thoroughly researched	Problem identified and reasonably well researched	Problem identified	Problem identified but research is lacking
PPA Usage	All six steps of the PPA are clearly addressed and all worksheets correctly completed	All six steps of the PPA are addressed and most worksheets correctly completed	Limited research	Incomplete worksheets
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.
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

CONCLUSION

Congratulations! You have completed your first Web Quest activity. You successfully went through the six PPA steps, and you should be proud. You should have learned about the social and economic impacts of single-parent households in our Washington Heights community. You should have been able to walk away with the value of marital unions by understanding the importance of waiting to have children until you’re married and financially secure. You also now understand the importance of the public policy analyst. This social scientist investigates critical social problems and finds solutions that benefit all. Let’s hope you have made a difference.

ENGLISH LANGUAUGE ARTS

Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. They will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts.

Standard 2: Language for Literary Response and Expression

Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from related texts and performances to their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent.

Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. They will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria presented from multiple perspectives, their opinions and judgments or experiences, ideas, information and issues.

Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. They will use oral and written language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people.

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.