Homelessness in NYC

Stephanie Parada

sparada4@schools.nyc.gov

1-207

P.S. / I.S. 127Q

 

Introduction:

          Did you know that there are nearly 590,000 homeless people in the United States? Approximately 12% of these people are located in New York. The United States Government defines homelessness as ​​a person who lacks a regular, adequate residence.

 

 

Task:

        With the help of your group, you will all assess and analyze the problem of homelessness in NYC. It could be affecting someone within our community, thus it is important for you to find some possible solutions! Once you have gathered data, you will present your proposed ideas via Google Slides.

 

 

Process and Resources:

          Using the PPA Process, you will follow the six steps to come up with a solution to the problem of homelessness. The six steps of the PPA Process are: define the problem, gather the evidence, identify the cause, evaluate the existing policy, develop a solution, select the best solution.

 

 

          Day 1: Forming your group, and defining the problem

You will be able to choose your group partners within the class. There must be 4 members in your group. Each member will be assigned a role. You need 2 researchers, who will use the provided links to find data, and 2 designers, who will be in charge of creating the Google Slide. These roles can be changed throughout the week.

To help you define the problem, use the following resource:

Definitions of Homelessness | SOAR Works!

 

          Day 2: Gather the evidence 

Your group must first determine who is affected by homelessness. This can be specified by gender, age or race.

The researchers in the group will use the following links to date this data:

➔   Homelessness- Age demographics

➔   Homelessness- Sheltered vs. Unsheltered

➔   Homelessness- Race Demographics

 

Day 3: Identify the causes

Researchers will now use the links and videos below to determine the cause of the problem of homelessness in NYC.

➔   History of Homelessness In NYC – Homelessness & Affordable Housing NYC

➔   What Causes Homelessness?

➔   NYC homelessness crisis: Revolving doors at shelters

 

Day 4: Analyze the existing policy

For the next step of your research, you will take a look at what policies the city has already implemented to support the homeless.

The following links will provide this information:

➔   A new policy in New York City makes it easier for homeless people to be forcibly hospitalized : NPR

➔   Mayor Adams Responds to homelessness

➔   Our Homelessness Crisis - Data Team   

 

Day 5: Determine public policy alternatives

The designers of the Google Slide will begin preparing the presentation once all the data is collected. In order to present a better possible solution to the homelessness crisis in NYC, consider the following questions:

  1. What other institutions are available to provide support besides mental health hospitals?
  2. What is a policy that provides gradual help that could potentially lead to permanent residence?
  3. How can we destigmatize the mental health crisis that is often associated with homeless people? 

To support designers in creating their Google Slide to the class, please use the following link to learn about the various features on this application:

➔   How To: Quick Tutorial for New Google Slides Presentation

 

 

Evaluations:

Your group will be graded based on the following rubric:

★    WebQuest Class Rubric

 

 

Conclusions:

The project for this social studies unit has allowed you to investigate a growing problem that not only affects our country, but impacts our community in NYC. With the help of your group members, you have been able to think about the following questions related to this issue:

  1. Who is most affected by homelessness in NYC?
  2. Why should families be at the center of homelessness policies?
  3. What are some ways people within the community can support the homeless?

 

 

Standards:

●     SL.1.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners; express ideas clearly and persuasively, and build on those of others.

●      SL.1.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence so that listeners can follow the line of reasoning. Ensure that the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

●     W.1.6 Develop questions and participate in shared research and explorations to answer questions and to build knowledge.

●     W.1.7 Recall and represent relevant information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question in a variety of ways.