Mr. Aaron Ashe

Email: aarashe@ricehighschool.com

Rice High School

Introduction

Every year, air pollution is responsible for the death of 1.6 million people - that's one death every 20 seconds. Air pollution has even been tied to the large rates of asthma in Harlem. You are a public policy analyst trying to find the best public policy to decrease air pollution and save some of us from sickness or death.

Task

In groups of three, you will create a letter to your congressman where you describe a public policy that will effectively address the problem of air pollution and decrease the number of sicknesses and deaths due to it.

Process

• Break into groups of three.
• Read the rest of this process and decide what role each individual will play.
• Use the general internet resources below to perform internet research on what air pollution is and it’s causes and effects, and come up with some ways that the causes of air pollution can realistically be addressed.
• Use the following 6 steps of the Public Policy Analyst below and fill out each accompanying worksheet as you go along.
• After selecting the best public policy solution (from worksheet 6), create a letter to your congressman, using the following letter format. In your letter, be sure to:
1. Define air pollution and describe the causes and effects.
2. Explain what is already being done about air pollution and why this issue is important to you
3. Introduce the best public policy solution that your group selected, and describe how feasible and effective you think your solution will be.

• Each group member needs to write and submit a paragraph describing the role that he/she played in the assignment.

• Each group needs to print out and hand in all 6 completed worksheets along with your letter.
• Group grades will be based on completion of tasks as indicated in the grading rubric below.

Resources

General Internet Resources:

Indoor Air Pollution and Health

Clean Air Initiative

Stress and Air Pollution

Pollution and Earaches

Pollution Prevention

Environmental Risks

The Public Policy Analyst Steps and Worksheets:

1. Define the Social Problem (worksheet 1)

2. Gather Evidence of the Problem (worksheet 2)

3. Identify the Causes of the Problem (worksheet 3)

4. Evaluate Existing Public Policies (worksheet 4)

5. Develop Public Policy Solutions (worksheet 5)

6. Select the Best Public Policy Solution (worksheet 6)

Letter format template:

October 29, 2010

Congressman Charles B. Rangel

District Office
163 West 125th St., Suite #737
New York, NY 10027

Dear Charles B. Rangel:

[Introduction: Define air pollution and describe its causes and effects. **Should be at least one paragraph.]

[Body: Explain what is already being done about air pollution and why this issue is important to you. **Should be at least two paragraphs.]

[Conclusion: Introduce the best public policy solution that your group selected, and describe how feasible and effective you think your solution will be. **Should be at least one paragraph.]

Sincerely,

Evaluation

Group Rubric
Areas of assessment	1  Not Completed (0 points)	2 Incomplete or Completed with many errors (15 points)	3 Completed with minimal errors (20 points)	4 Completed with no errors (25 points)
6 Public Policy Analyst Worksheets
Letter format
Letter Content
Group Participation Statement

Grading Scale:

A = 90 – 100 points

B = 80 – 89 points

C = 70 – 79 points

D = 60 – 69 points

F = 59 and below

Conclusion

Congratulations on completing the “Air Pollution in Harlem” assignment. You are well on your way to being a better informed and more involved citizen. You should also understand that the principles used in this assignment can be used by you for any other social problems of which you become aware. Scroll down for a list of some of the NYS Standards that you have completed by performing this activity.

Standards

· Mathematics, Science, and Technology

Standard 1: Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering designs, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

Standard 2: Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

Standard 4: Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

· English Language Arts

Standard 1: Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

Standard 3: Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.