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Waste in Schools WebQuest created by Sylvia Moya
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Introduction
I recall my first year as a New York high school teacher. I was the only teacher with three trash bin in my classrooms and went out of my way to request hundreds of recycling stickers and posters for the school. My students were always encouraged to recycle and place the proper garbage in the proper bins. One day, I noticed that the school custodian took all of my classroom bins and simply emptied them in the same garbage cart. I approached him and asked if the garbage gets sorted and recycled. To my surprise, he laughed and responded by saying that he simply throws everything in the same container. The problem in the school is that all of our trash bins are of the same color; blue. They are not specifically designed for a particular waste and although I stress proper garbage disposal, most teachers and staff do not. No attempt is made to minimize paper waste for example. Copies are rarely double-sided, causing our school to run out of paper very frequently.
Task
You will prepare a speech presentation to present to our principal, student body and custodial staff to encourage a change in our school. Your presentation should be between 10-15 minutes in length and should be both, informative and persuasive. You must introduce a solution to the problem stated above.
Process
You may work together as a group. Everyone is responsible for researching and integrating the Public Policy Analyst in your presentation. All students will present their portion of their research
- Define the social problem
- Gather evidence to support the existence of the problem
- Determine the causes and factors contributing to the problem
- Evaluate the existing policy
- Develop public policy alternatives
Determine the best public policy solution to the problem.
Questions that can help you get started:
1. Why is our school not printing double-sided?
2. How is our school getting away with this?
3. Who is responsible for obtaining proper trash bins?
4. What needs to be done to begin an effective recycling program at our school?
5. If you were a policy maker, what public policy would you propose? Remember to weigh feasibility vs. effectiveness.
Resources
- Recycling outreach staff from the DSNY can visit your site to offer practical advice and to review recycling regulations
http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/recycling/outreach.shtml
- What to recycle
http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/downloads/pdf/materials/recycling-info-packet.pdf
- Recycling E-newsletter
http://www.grownyc.org/recycling/newsletter
Evaluation
The presentation/speech is worth a total of 28 points
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Category |
3 |
2 |
1 |
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Presentation time |
Presentation is under 15 minutes but no less than 10 minutes |
Presentation exceeds 15 minutes |
Presentation was under 10 minutes |
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Social problem |
A clear, social problem was presented as a statement |
The social problem was presented incorrectly (i.e. a question) |
No social problem present |
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Evidence |
Clear evidence supporting the social problem was presented |
Evidence was presented but weakly supports the problem |
No evidence presented |
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Causes and factors |
All possible causes and factors of the problem are presented |
Minor causes and factors are presented |
No causes and factors presented |
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Evaluate |
Existing policies are addressed and evaluated |
Existing policies are presented but not evaluated |
No evaluation of existing policies |
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Develop public policy alternative |
Public policy was intricately developed and it is both feasible and effective |
Public policy was either feasible or effective, but not both |
No public policy developed |
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Presentation |
All presenters were professional and enthusiastic about the topic |
Presenters were professional. Little enthusiasm shown |
Lack professionalism and/or enthusiasm |
The Conclusion
Throughout your research and hard work, you have acquired a great amount of knowledge in both, public speaking and becoming a public policy maker. These are the small steps that eventually lead to big change in society.
Common Core State Standards
Key Idea 7:
Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the physical and living environment.
PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 7.2
Explain the impact of technological development and growth in the human population on the living and nonliving environment.
PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 7.3
Explain how individual choices and societal actions can contribute to improving the environment.
STANDAR 2- LANGUAGE FOR LITERARY
Response and Expression
2. Speaking and writing for literary response involves presenting interpretations, analyses, and reactions to the content and language of a text. Speaking and writing for literary expression involves producing imaginative texts that use language and text structures that are inventive and often multilayered.