Ms. Gaynor

Freshman English

Lehman High School

 

Mental Illness and Homelessness

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

You are on your way to school and start to think about the play you read in English class, Maxwell Anderson’s Bad Seed, and you think about the character of Rhoda and what a strange little girl she is. You wonder what is wrong with Rhoda and if there is a name for her condition. It is then you start to notice that there are many homeless people sleeping in the train station on your way to school, they are strange too and they scare you. You use public transportation on weekend outings with your friends and family and notice more homeless people sleeping and roaming the subway cars and tunnels. You notice that they talk to themselves and have other abnormal habits. You begin to realize that this is not an isolated problem and is a way of life for some people. You decide to do some research on the homeless population of New York City. As a result of your research you have been chosen to be a consultant for the New York City Coalition for the Homeless. It is your assignment to research how people become homeless and how many people are homeless as a result of mental illness. Visit this web site http://www.nationalhomeless.org/causes.html scroll down to Mental Illness and read this paragraph.

 

            TASK: 

To understand what mental illness is, what causes mental illness and the symptoms. Research who makes up the homeless population and what people the community and government can do to help. You will produce a two to three page outline defining what mental illness is, its symptoms and who makes up the homeless population. You will then take the information from your outline and develop a public policy to deal with the problems you have discovered. You should use the TIPS Public Policy Analyst Web page as a guide to developing this policy.  You will then use your information and outline to create a power point presentation of at least seven slides.  

 

 

PROCESS:

You will be assigned to work in groups of three to four.

1.      Brainstorm: What you know about mental illness and homelessness?

2.      What factors contribute to mental illness?

3.      Research the web links provided

4.      Define: Who are the homeless people?

5.      Record your finding on the worksheets

6.      Create your outline

7.      Develop a public policy to deal with the issues raised- Review the 6 step Public Policy Analyst process from the TIPS website

8. Recommend ways that people can help the mentally ill and homeless find support

 

 

            RESOURCES: 

You will visit the websites provided to discover information and statistics help you prepare your proposal and presentation.

 

STEP #1 - To Identify Causes: Read Overview on Mental Illness, Manifestation of Mental Illness, Anxiety, Psychosis, Disturbance of Mood

http://md.nami.org/aboutmi.htm

Complete worksheet

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/identify.html

 

STEP #2 - To Define Problem: Review statistics and information about who the homeless are

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/who.html

            Complete Worksheet

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

 

            STEP # 3 - Gather Evidence: Read about the mental illness and homelessness

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/mental.html

Complete work sheet

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/gather.html

STEP #4 - Evaluate the policies: Read about services for the homeless

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/helpsources.html

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/helpdays.html

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/helpweeks.html

Complete worksheet

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/existing.html

 

STEP #5 - Develop Solutions: Read about what you can do to help

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/help.html

Fill out worksheet

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/solutions.html

 

 

                        EVALUATION:

 

TASK

RATING (1-Lowest-6 Highest)

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

Complete each worksheet with

Relevant information from links provided

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outline, organized in Harvard outline form and contains all requisite elements

 

 

 

 

 

 

PowerPoint Presentation organized, creative and contains all requisite elements

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each member participated in project and demonstrate their knowledge through

classroom discussions and presentation

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follows conventions of standard written and spoken English

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

English Language Arts Performance Standards

E1c:  Read and comprehend informational materials

E2a:  Produce a report of information.

E3b:  Participate in-group meetings.

E3c:  Prepare and deliver an individual presentation

 


Social Studies Standard 5

        Students will: use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the U.S. and other nations; the U.S. Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION:

 

Upon completing the research worksheets and project you will have a better understanding of what mental illness is and how some people become homeless. You and your group will have worked together to complete and present an outline and power point presentation explaining mental illness and homelessness.

 

 

Always Remember

“Knowledge is Power.”