A SOCIAL AND PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY:
A “FILLING” WEBQUEST ON
OBESITY IN NEW YORK STATE
Conrad Boyd & Georgine Carty
Paul Robeson High School of
Business and Technology
Grades 9 - 12
INTRODUCTION: We often hear “You are what you eat!”
Your Fat! Your Obese! Even Morbidly
Obese! Or Your Too Big!
Obesity
is a profitable obsession, and it is having a major negative impact on New York
State.
The main characters in the story of “Obesity in New York State” are
New Yorkers, our politicians and infamous corporations. (For
other states, select any STATE appropriate for your class). Do any of you know anything that causes
obesity?
Well
maybe it is time to learn! Within your class, look around and notice how your
fellow classmates have changed physically, whether they have lost weight or gained
weight within the last month.
Before
indulging yourself with ice cream and potato chips, we must learn something
about obesity, how and why it is a profitable obsession and already has become
a statewide epidemic.
You
will focus on the social and personal responsibilities that affect all us
within New York State (or selected focus state). In addition, you will have the
responsibility of creating a public policy for all students to keep your weight
in control and begin to monitor your health for a healthier future.
THE TASK:
You
task will to develop a PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT (PSA) (3-5 min) about
“Obesity in your State” or a POWERPOINT (min of 60 slides) PRESENTATION.
THE PROCESS:
Your
teacher has placed you into groups of four (Facilitator, Recorder,
Time-Keeper, Presenter). Each group will
follow the instructions and work collaboratively, and depending on your section,
your group will be broken accordingly by topic of discussion, such as, All
groups will be responsible for completing the SIX-STEP Public Policy Analyst
worksheets (included below) which will be used to create your public service
announcements (PSA). You will review the risk factors and various video
presentations from different resources in order to assist you, too. After you
have done this, you will be gathering information about specific aspects of
obesity, organizing this information, and sharing it with your class in a final
presentation.
You
will use a PPA
WORKSHEET in order to guide your search.
By
starting this web-quest, your journey has begun and transforms your curiosity
into an informative, interactive and “fulfilling” project.
Step I: Causes and Effects (Whole Class Assignment)
Students will read the assigned article below, “Obesity in the UAE” and select the causes and effects and place information on worksheets (see attached worksheet – OBESITY WK #1
Obesity in the UAE - http://www.writefix.com/writing/cause/obesity.htm
Independently, go through OBESITY
BASICS: (located in the Process portion)
Part 1 section, read the
information, and answer questions on the assigned worksheet. (Review: PPA
Obesity WkSheet)
NOTE: This will enable you collect background information and some help
assistance while having the ability to keep track of your collected information
using the assigned worksheets.
Step II: Costs to individuals, work
places, and local state
Students will review and collect information about the costs to
individuals, work places and New York State. In addition, students will use
“CORNELL NOTES” worksheet organizer to take notes from slide presentation.
Visual video about cost factors:
Cost
of Obesity: (Click to view this POWERPOINT PRESENTATION (42
slides with commentary)
Step III: Obesity – pros and cons
Great
discussion/debate about Obesity
Psychology Today: Obesity
and Responsibility in the Health Care Debate
c. Visual Exploration: Obesity
http://www.healthline.com/healthmaps/obesity?utm_term=obesity&utm_medium=mw&utm_campaign=hmap
d. Learn about obesity –
Healthline.com
http://www.healthline.com/search?q1=obesity&utm_term=obesity&utm_medium=mw&utm_campaign=serp
Step IV: How it affects your state
OBESITY IN NEW YORK STATE
a)
Local
Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity
https://www.policyarchive.org/bitstream/handle/10207/21254/20090901iomreport.pdf?sequence=2
b) Obesity
Statistics and the Impact of Obesity
http://www.health.state.ny.us/prevention/obesity/statistics_and_impact/
Step V: Its overall impact on national
level.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans:
http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htm
In
Part II from “IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST” section. Read the information on
the web sites/pages listed and collect additional pertinent information.
You will need this
information for your presentations and final project presentation!!
BE CREATIVE!!
Your goal is to pull your
audience’s attention into your thinking and make them understand this social
problem.
STEP VI: FINAL
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT/POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
Chances are that you are all
watching and enjoying videos found on the popular website YouTube.com. Take
advantage of your interest—and practice important critical thinking and
literacy skills—by having you make and edit your own videos that deal with
important social, economic, and political topics. First, you will watch
examples of online public service announcements (PSAs) and probe the multiple
meanings of these video texts by asking challenging, open-ended questions. You
will use your responses and persuasion skill as a basis for writing scripts for
your PSAs. Ultimately, you will then create a short video clip or a PowerPoint
slide, or iMovie/Windows Movie Maker for editing your
videos.
Procedural Prompts for Questions:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1069/procedural.pdf
Movie Maker Instruction worksheet:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1069/using.pdf
Evaluation sheet for presentation:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1069/evaluating.pdf
PSA Outline:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1069/psa_outline.pdf
Ad
Council Sample videos:
http://www.adcouncil.org/gallery.html
LURE THEM IN WITH A HOOK!!!
Your
presentation must list the necessary steps
to follow in order to successfully
implement your message.
THE PROCESS
PART I: OBESITY BASICS
I.
OBESITY:
Read the definition here:
Oxford
Dictionary defines OBESITY
Webster
defines OBESITY
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obesity
Peruse the following websites:
a)
The Myth about Obesity
b) PROS and CONS: A DISEASE
Is obesity a disease? http://obesity.procon.org
c)
The Historical Legacy and National Awareness
·
Read and locate some the major concerns about Obesity
On your notes pages, list ten (10)
aspects/concerns/issues that relate to obesity. Write in complete sentences.
II.
OBESITY: VIEWPOINTS
Peruse the following websites:
a)
Obesity spreads in social circles as trends do, study indicates
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2007/07/25/AR2007072501353.html
b) Childhood obesity is a social justice
issue, too
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-tipler/childhood-obesity-is-a-so_b_518083.html
b)
Overweight and Obesity (Center for Disease
Control and Prevention) – Obesity by Race/Ethnicity (2006-2008)
http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html
note: Review the Race?/Ethnicity Date
(see - PowerPoint slide presentation)
Answer these questions for your presentation:
1.
What are the main issues facing New Yorkers and
obesity?
2.
How does the state obesities level compare to the
national level?
3.
Why has obesity become a state concern? or national concern?
4.
Who can be blamed for this epidemic? Is there any one
person responsible? Is there corporate involvement?
PART II: IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST
I.
OBESITY NATIONALLY
Adding to this
article, there are an estimated 58 million people who are overweight in the USA
with 78% of Americans not meeting basic activity level.
Click on: http://www.annecollins.com/obesity/statistics-.htm
As noted in a research topic
about obesity, “Social Dynamics of Obesity” by Mary A. Burke and Frank Heliand,
both contend:
The
startling growth rates of average weight and obesity prevalence in the United
States over the past 20 to 30 years have received widespread media attention
for several years running. Obesity has become an object of grave concern among
public health officials and has spawned voluminous research in the fields of
medicine, public health, and, increasingly of late, economics. The weight
distribution in the United States has not only made a considerable shift to the
right—average adult female weight, for example, increased by 20 pounds, or
13.5%, between 1976–1980 (NHANES II) and 1999–2000 (NHANES 99)—but the upper
tail has experienced disproportionate growth: For women over the same time
span, 95th-percentile weight grew 16.7%, from 215 to 251 pounds, and
99th-percentile weight increased 18.2%, from 258 to 305 pounds, as shown in
Table 1 and Figure 1.1,2 The official definition of obesity employed by the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) and by the World Health Organization (WHO) is a body mass
index (BMI) value of 30 or greater, where BMI is the ratio of weight, measured
in kilograms, to squared height, measured in meters. For a 5’4” woman, 175
pounds or greater classifies as obese, and for a 5’9” man, the obesity
threshold is 203 pounds.
A
number of papers in economics have sought to explain obesity growth among
American adults over varying time spans of recent history. The explanations
have focused on standard economic influ- ences, such as falling food prices and preparation time
costs and reductions in physical labor on the job.4 The theoretical models offered study
representative agents and speak primarily to secular trends in average weight.
Although the model of Cutler et al. (2003) (henceforth: CGS), emphasizing self-
control problems, can predict growth in upper-quantile
weights relative to the mean, the prediction is sensitive to the empirical
variation in self-control over food intake, variation that is not well
understood. The prior works abstract from biological heterogeneity—acknowledged
by Cawley (1999) and Chou et al. (2004) as a major
factor in weight variation—and either ignore or hold fixed social influences on
weight determination.
II.
OBESITY EPIDEMIC (or not?)
a.
Pervasive weight discrimination a social health risk
b.
Obesity Epidemic is a smokescreen
http://www.peoplesdefender.com/main.asp?SectionID=3&SubSectionID=3&ArticleID=131387
c. Supersized caskets
http:/fitandfattableau.blogspot.com
http://emr.depaul.edu/fitandfat.html
d.
The Obesity Epidemic – How States Can Trim the “Fat”
http://www.nga.org/cda/files/obesityib.pdf
RESOURCES
General Search
Engines:
SPECIFIC
WEBSITES:
CDC, Nutrition and Physical Activity information: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/
USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans: http://www.nalusda.gov/fnic/dga/index.html
The Surgeon General’s Call to Action: to Prevent Overweight and
Obesity, 2001. http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/pdf/CalltoAction.pdf
Tips for Parents – Idea to help children maintain a healthy weight
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/children/index.html
ACTIVITIES:
We Can!® is a national childhood obesity prevention
program. Read more about We Can!
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/
Do you have
more questions?
The
Center for Healthy Living at 1-800-941-5313 would be happy to assist
you.
EVALUATION:
THE PPA MODEL RUBRIC
Final Rubric for Public
Service Announcement
http://imet.csus.edu/imet7/phoenix/284/doc/psarubric.pdf
Rubric for a
Research Project
http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/resrub.html
Name(s)_____________________________ Final Grade________
|
|
Thesis/Problem Question |
Information Seeking/Selecting and
Evaluating |
Analysis |
Synthesis |
Documentation |
Product/Process |
|
4 |
Student(s) posed a thoughtful, creative question that
engaged them in challenging or provocative research. The question breaks new
ground or contributes to knowledge in a focused, specific area. |
Student(s) gathered information from a variety of quality
electronic and print sources, including appropriate licensed databases.
Sources are relevant, balanced and include critical readings relating to the
thesis or problem. Primary sources were included (if appropriate). |
Student(s) carefully analyzed the information collected
and drew appropriate and inventive conclusions supported by evidence. Voice
of the student writer is evident. |
Student(s) developed appropriate structure for
communicating product, incorporating variety of quality sources. Information
is logically and creatively organized with smooth transitions. |
Student(s) documented all sources, including visuals,
sounds, and animations. Sources are properly cited, both in-text/in-product
and on Works-Cited/Works-Consulted pages/slides. Documentation is error-free. |
Student(s) effectively and creatively used appropriate
communication tools to convey their conclusions and demonstrated thorough,
effective research techniques. Product displays creativity and originality. |
|
3 |
Student(s) posed a focused question involving them in
challenging research. |
Student(s) gathered information from a variety of relevant
sources--print and electronic |
Student (s) product shows good effort was made in
analyzing the evidence collected |
Student(s) logically organized the product and made good
connections among ideas |
Student(s) documented sources with some care, Sources are
cited, both in-text/in-product and on Works-Cited/Works-Consulted
pages/slides. Few errors noted. |
Student(s) effectively communicated the results of
research to the audience. |
|
2 |
Student(s) constructed a question that lends itself to
readily available answers |
Student(s) gathered information from a limited range of
sources and displayed minimal effort in selecting quality resources |
Student(s) conclusions could be supported by stronger
evidence. Level of analysis could have been deeper. |
Student(s) could have put greater effort into organizing
the product |
Student(s) need to use greater care in documenting
sources. Documentation was poorly constructed or absent. |
Student(s) need to work on communicating more effectively |
|
1 |
Student(s) relied on teacher-generated questions or
developed a question requiring little creative thought. |
Student(s) gathered information that lacked relevance,
quality, depth and balance. |
Student(s) conclusions simply involved restating
information. Conclusions were not supported by evidence. |
Student(s) work is not logically or effectively
structured. |
Student(s) clearly plagiarized materials. |
Student(s) showed little evidence of thoughtful research.
Product does not effectively communicate research findings. |
|
Teacher Comments |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Digital Media
Rubric
Digital Video Assignment Sheet & Evaluation Rubric
Student(s):
______________________________________ Period
____
Description of
Project:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Approved by:
_______ Start Date: ______ Completion Date: _____________
Evaluation Rubric
Appropriateness - PASS _____ FAIL _____
The
feelings of others are respected, people are treated with dignity, language,
music and visuals are appropriate for a school audience and the subject is
appropriate for a school audience.
Interview Evaluation Rubric
(Excellent) 5...4...3...2...1...(Poor)
Subject
• is interesting
5....4....3....2....1
• is educational
5....4....3....2....1
• is relevant to middle school
audience 5....4....3....2....1
• provides insight into person or
topic 5....4....3....2....1
• is discussed thoroughly
5....4....3....2....1
• is entertaining
5....4....3....2....1
Concept
Score ______ out of 30
Content
• Presents interesting information
and/or reactions 5....4....3....2....1
• Presents guest and host well
5....4....3....2....1
• Language is used properly and
effectively 5....4....3....2....1
• Images and/ or graphics relate
well to content 5....4....3....2....1
• Student(s) behave professionally
on camera 5....4....3....2....1
• Student(s) demonstrate
thoughtful approach to subject 5....4....3....2....1
Content
Score ______ out of 30
Technical Aspects
• Camera is stable, smooth
movements and pans 5....4....3....2....1
• Subject is framed well, images
are well composed 5....4....3....2....1
• Subject is lit and clearly
visible 5....4....3....2....1
• Sound is clear and
understandable 5....4....3....2....1
• Video is edited effectively,
flows well 5....4....3....2....1
• Titles are used effectively
5....4....3....2....1
• Transitions are used effectively
5....4....3....2....1
• Project was completed in a
timely manner 5....4....3....2....1
Technical Score
______ out of 40
Total Score
______
Project Grade
______
A+
= 100 - 96, A = 95 - 91, A- = 90 - 86, B+ = 85 - 81, B = 80 - 76, B- = 75 - 71
C+
= 70 - 66, C = 65 - 61, C- = 60 - 56, F = 55 or below and failure of
Appropriateness
POWERPOINT
RUBRIC (Alternative Project Assessment)
This rubric may be used for self-assessment and peer
feedback. The project grade will be based upon the following evaluation scale:
A - Exemplary: 40-44 points
B - Proficient: 36-39 points
Partially Proficient or Incomplete: Needs to be resubmitted - less than 36
points
|
ACTIVITY |
Exemplary |
Proficient |
Partially Proficient |
Incomplete |
POINTS |
|
Research and Note taking |
6 points Note cards indicate you accurately researched a variety of
information sources, recorded and interpreted significant facts, meaningful
graphics, accurate sounds and evaluated alternative
points of view. |
4 points Note cards show you recorded relevant information from
multiple sources of information, evaluated and synthesized relevant
information. |
2 points Note cards show you misinterpreted statements, graphics
and questions and failed to identify relevant arguments. |
0 points Note cards show you recorded information from four or less resources, did not find graphics or sounds, and
ignored alternative points of view. |
|
|
Preproduction Plan - Storyboard |
6 points The storyboard illustrates the slide presentation
structure with thumbnail sketches of each slide including: title of slide,
text, background color, placement & size of graphic, fonts - color, size,
type for text and headings, hyperlinks (list URLs of any site linked from the
slide), narration text, and audio files (if any). All slides are numbered,
and there is a logical sequence to the presentation. |
4 points The thumbnail sketches on the storyboard include titles
and text for each slide and are in sequential order. |
2 points The thumbnail sketches on the storyboard are not in a
logical sequence and have incomplete information. |
0 points There a very few thumbnail sketches on the storyboard and
do not provide an overview of the presentation. |
|
|
Introduction |
3 points The introduction presents the overall topic and draws the
audience into the presentation with compelling questions or by relating to
the audience's interests or goals. |
2 points The introduction is clear and coherent and relates to the
topic. |
1 point The introduction shows some structure but does not create
a strong sense of what is to follow. May be overly detailed or incomplete and
is somewhat appealing to the audience. |
0 points The introduction does not orient the audience to what will
follow. The sequencing is unclear and does not appear interesting
or relevant to the audience. |
|
|
Content |
8 points The content is written clearly and concisely with a
logical progression of ideas and supporting information. The project includes motivating questions and advanced
organizers. The project gives the audience a clear sense of the main idea. Information is accurate, current and comes mainly from *
primary sources. |
6 points The content is written with a logical progression of ideas
and supporting information. Includes persuasive information from reliable sources. |
4 points The content is vague in conveying a point of view and does
not create a strong sense of purpose. Includes some persuasive information with few facts. Some of the information may not seem to fit. Sources used appear unreliable. |
0 points The content lacks a clear point of view and logical
sequence of information. Includes little persuasive information and only one or two
facts about the topic. Information is incomplete, out of date and/or incorrect. Sequencing of ideas is unclear. |
|
|
Text Elements |
3 points The fonts are easy-to-read and point size varies
appropriately for headings and text. Use of italics, bold, and indentations enhances
readability. Text is appropriate in length for the target audience and
to the point. The background and colors enhance the readability of text.
|
2 points Sometimes the fonts are easy-to-read, but in a few places
the use of fonts, italics, bold, long paragraphs, color or busy background
detracts and does not enhance readability. |
1 point Overall readability is difficult with lengthy paragraphs,
too many different fonts, dark or busy background, overuse of bold or lack of
appropriate indentations of text. |
0 points The text is extremely difficult to read with long blocks
of text and small point size of fonts, inappropriate contrasting colors, poor use of headings, subheadings, indentations, or bold
formatting. |
|
|
Layout |
3 points The layout is visually pleasing and contributes to the
overall message with appropriate use of headings, subheadings and white
space. |
2 points The layout uses horizontal and vertical white space
appropriately. |
1 point The layout shows some structure, but appears cluttered and
busy or distracting with large gaps of white space or uses a distracting
background. |
0 points The layout is cluttered, confusing, and does not use
spacing, headings and subheadings to enhance the readability. |
|
|
Citations |
6 points Sources of information are properly cited so that the
audience can determine the credibility and authority of the information
presented. All sources of information are clearly identified and
credited using MLA citations throughout the project. |
4 points Most sources of information use proper MLA citation, and sources are documented to make it possible
to check on the accuracy of information. |
2 points Sometimes copyright guidelines are followed and some
information, photos and graphics do not use proper MLA citations. |
0 points No way to check validity of information. |
|
|
Graphics, Sound and/or Animation |
3 points The graphics, sound and/or animation assist in presenting
an overall theme and enhance understanding of concept, ideas and
relationships. Original images are created using proper size and
resolution, and all images enhance the content. There is a consistent visual theme. |
2 points The graphics, sound/and or animation visually depict
material and assist the audience in understanding the flow of information or
content. Original images are used. Images are proper size, resolution. |
1 point Some of the graphics, sounds, and/or animations seem
unrelated to the topic/theme and do not enhance the overall concepts. Most images are clipart or recycled from the WWW. Images are too large/small in size. Images are poorly cropped or the color/resolution is
fuzzy. |
0 points The graphics, sounds, and/or
animations are unrelated to the content. Graphics do not enhance understanding of the content, or
are distracting decorations that create a busy feeling and detract from the
content. |
|
|
Writing Mechanics |
6 points The text is written with no errors in grammar,
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. |
4 points The text is clearly written with little or no editing
required for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. |
2 points Spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors distract or
impair readability. (3 or more errors) |
0 points Errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, usage and
grammar repeatedly distract the reader and major editing and revision is
required. (more than 5 errors) |
|
|
TOTAL POINTS |
/44 |
||||
CONCLUSION
On
completion of the Public Service Announcement (PSA), you should be able to:
·
Search the web for information
·
Access Internet search engines and learn
how to use technology for learning.
·
Develop critical thinking and writing
skills
·
You will read, demonstrate comprehension and write public policy
agencies
for information on local and state programs across the
country.
You
will be able to explain the advantages of implementing a school-wide obesity awareness
program:
·
potentially reduce the calories in school
lunches and fast food obsessions.
·
instill a sense of leadership and
responsibility in young people
·
learn behaviors that they will adopt for
their lifetimes
·
extend the life of everyone affected by
obesity
You
also have learned the importance of a public policy analyst. These political
scientists search out social problems and find public policy solutions. They
help millions of citizens. Let’s hope you keep making a difference!
Thanks
for being leaders and making a difference in our school/community.
STANDARDS
ADDRESSED (ELA/TECHNOLOGY)
English
Language Arts Standards
Standard
1:
Students will read, write, listen and speak for information and understanding.
Standard
2: Students will produce a report of information
and a reflective essay.
Standard
3:
Students will read, write, listen and speak for critical analysis and
evaluation.
Standard 4:
Students will read, write, listen and speak for social interaction.
Technology Standards
Standard 1 – Analysis, Inquiry, and Design
Students
will use analysis and scientific inquiry as appropriate, to
pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.
Standard 2
– Information Systems
Students
will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate
technologies.
Standard 5
– Technology
Students
will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and
evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.
Standard 6
– Interconnectedness – Common Themes
Students
will understand the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics,
science, and technology and apply the themes to these and other areas of
learning.
Standard 7
– Interdisciplinary Problem Solving
Students will apply the knowledge and
thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life
problems and make informed decisions.