BIAS LIMITS
OPPORTUNITY IN THE OUTSIDERS
L. VanBeveren
ELA 8
North Syracuse Junior High
Introduction:
In the novel, The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton,
the main character, Ponyboy Curtis, faces stereotypes based on his social
situation. Ponyboy is a greaser. This
means he comes from the east side of town where people have less money and
receive less respect. Society expects
him to be a screw up, a hood, and provides him with little chance to prove
otherwise. They have boxed him in and
separated him from the opportunity and experiences offered to teenagers from
the other side of town.
The reader knows Ponyboy’s potential. He is book smart, an athlete and a person
with values. He could overcome his
social situation if given the chance.
His family made sacrifices to stay together, limiting his older
brother’s college potential. It would be
a shame if the cycle continued.
Problem:
Socio-economic based stereotypes limit the
expectations and opportunity provided to people in a low-income
environment. This is as true today in Central
New York as it is in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the novel takes place. It is up to us to change the thought process
that allows for limiting students’ potential.
We will be using the Public Policy Analyst (PPA) steps to look at the
problem.
STEPS: 
1.
DEFINE THE PROBLEM
2.
GATHER THE EVIDENCE
3.
INDENTIFY THE CAUSES
4.
EVALUATE THE EXISITING POLICY
5.
DEVELOP SOLUTIONS
6.
SELECT THE BEST SOLUTION
PPA Website Link
Task:
What can CNY students do to take their future
into their own hands by utilizing the aspects of our community that are there
to help and encourage them?
Process:
You will be working in partners for this
project. Your teachers will predetermine
partners. You will work side by side in
the lab. The steps of this project are
outlined below.
Define the problem of limiting potential as it relates to students in different
socio-economic classes within Central New York.
Please record that information on the handout provided in class. Restate the problem that is stated at the
start of this page. Put it in your own
words.
Gather evidence that there is a lack of equal opportunity
between social classes for personal success.
Look at costs, locations, availability, and success of programs in a
poorer section of Syracuse and then contrast it with a more affluent
section. Example: Syracuse City vs. West
Genesee
WEBSITE
LINKS:
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/07/students_scores_fall_dramatica.html
http://www.syracusecityschools.com/
Identify the causes of the problem in CNY.
It’s time to evaluate what is available
for students locally to address the problem. Your charge is to research
programs in Central New York that can aid low-income students, like Ponyboy
Curtis, in receiving low-cost or free support in academics, improving their
personal situation, or becoming involved mentor programs in job shadowing.
Research these programs using the links found in the resources section of this
web quest.
Resources:
www.ymcaofgreatersyracuse.org/
North Syracuse Junior
High Library Databases
Evaluation:
You will be rating the program’s
effectiveness. You will be using the
worksheet available at the link below to rate these programs.
Create a Power Point presentation that
showcases the strengths and features of the program you determined to be the
most effective. Specific instructions
are attached at the link below.
Write a one-page response paper that describes
how the CNY program you deemed most beneficial would impact Ponyboy’s situation
and developing potential. The formal
paper instructions can be accessed the link below.
Conclusion:
Standards:
NYS New core standards for ELA 8
Conduct short research projects to answer a
question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and
generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple
avenues of exploration.
Use technology, including the Internet, to
produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information
and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others
BONUS! The Outsiders Movie Trailer