Nicole Shelton

Bread and Roses Integrated Arts High School

6 Edgecombe Ave

New York City, NY. 10030

nshelton436@gmail.com

What is the negative impact of racism on everyday citizens in the United States?

America has had issues with racism since the first settlers arrived. Native Americans, Japanese, Mexicans, African Americans, Irish, Catholics and Jews are only a few groups that endured the negative impact of intolerance and discrimination in this country. As you conduct your research ask yourself the following questions: “What makes it possible for a neighbor to turn against neighbor?”, “How and why do ordinary citizens allow violence to happen?”, “How have ideas about race been used to decide who is included and who is excluded?”, “What choices do people make in the face of injustice?” and “What can be done to counter the harmful effects or racism?”. During our inquiry process we will flesh out the answers to these questions and hopefully develop some of our own questions as we debate the causes of America’s racial problem and create solutions to counter the effects of racism in America.

Part I:

Your class has been asked to create a Student Commission in order to research the negative effects of racism on a community and create ways to counter these effects. In order to develop a detailed account of racism in the United States each group will be given a specific question to research and present to the other members of the Student Commission. Below you will find a list of questions to choose from:

1. How did racism and the spread white supremacy through the creation of Jim Crow laws permeate American culture starting in the 1890’s?

2. What is the promise of America? Has America lived up to its promise for people of color?

3. What have been the results of the struggle for rights and opportunity since slavery was abolished?

4. According to some, America has solved its racial problem with the end of the Civil War. Draw on evidence from you research to prove or disprove this theory.

Your group will use the prompts above to analyze the effects of racism in the United States on everyday citizens using the PPA steps below and create a Power Point presentation. In answering the questions above group members should consider how racism can affect citizens in the areas of education, employment, quality of life. In addition, be sure to debate among yourselves if certain acts are truly racist acts.

Each group will create a Power Point Presentation composed of at least 6 slides. You will need to use the 6-step public policy approach and complete the worksheets for each step with your group members. Please click on the highlighted hyperlinks for further instructions.

1. Define the problem the Student Commission has been given to research

Define and describe the problem

2. Gather evidence for this problem by using the internet and various other classroom materials to describe the effects of racial discrimination (You must use a minimum of 5 sources)

Gather evidence for this problem

3. Describe causes for this problem

Identify causes for this problem

4. Develop solutions/policies for this problem and identify the best policy.

Describe and evaluate the existing policy for this problem

Develop solutions/policies for the problems for this policy

Select best policy

Part II:

As part of you responsibilities as a member of the Student Commission you will complete an individual writing assignment based on your group research and at least two interviews with community and/or family members. Your interviews will enable you to develop a better understanding by obtaining first hand accounts on the negative effects of racism on a community. You may also include any past experiences you may have had or current events such as Jena 6, Sean Bell, etc to further develop your stance regarding racism in America.

1. You will be divided into small groups in order to research a specific question.

       Research the sources listed below in order to gather information for your individual three-page report and group power point presentation

       Meet with assigned group to complete the step public policy analysis work sheets and plan your power point presentation

      Organize your notes from the resources into a logical and coherent format and write a first draft that will be reviewed with your team mates and/the teacher

       Edit and rewrite your paper, meeting again with peers/teacher as needed

       Create the presentation that supports your groups chosen policy

       Submit your individual report and present your power point slide presentation

2. You will use The Public Policy Analyst to:

Define the Problem

Gather the Evidence

Identify the Causes

Evaluate an Existing Policy

Develop Solutions

Select the Best Solution

Web sites:

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/welcome.html http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/intro.html PPA process

http://www.lawbuzz.com/tyranny/crow_laws/legacy.htm - Jim Crow Laws

http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/menu.htm - can take virtual tour of museum and see artifacts from time period, various caricatures of African Americans, racist cartoons,

http://www.nypl.org/research/sc/sc.html, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture contains historical documents and photos

http://www.nv.cc.va.us/home/nvsageh/Hist122/Part1/CWAmendments.html, amendments to constitution after Civil War

http://www.nv.cc.va.us/home/nvsageh/Hist122/Part1/Plessy.html, Plessy vs. Ferguson case that legalized the separate but equal laws in railway cars

Scottsboro the trial that unjustly accused nine African Americans

http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Am21, US Constitution, XV right to vote, XXIV baring poll tax,

Africana article about Jim Crow laws, article in Africana.com about Jim Crow laws and discrimination against blacks

http://library.thinkquest.org/10718/body.htm, site about literacy tests and poll taxes that limited voting rights of African Americans

http://www.crimelibrary.com/classics2/carnival/2.htm, article about lynching in America

Search Engines:

http://www.altavista.com/

http://www.lycos.com/

http://www.yahoo.com/

http://search.msn.com/

https://www.google.com/

http://www.metacrawler.com/index.html

Students will work in groups to complete a Power Point presentation and individually to complete a written assignment. In addition, you will have to give an oral presentation based on your activity. All activities and rubrics are listed below:

1) SWBAT create a 7-10 slide Power point presentation based on web research conducted during class. This will be a group activity. Each group member will participate in gathering material, preparing slides and participating in the oral presentation.

2) SWBAT write a report based on family interviews and research detailing the effects of racism in your life and the lives of others in your community. This will be an individual activity. To differentiate the writing activity students will have the option of choosing one of the following: journal entries, a personal letter or a poem. Other options must be approved by the teacher.

3) SWBAT give an oral presentation with group members and briefly provide an overview of his or her written report.

You will be evaluated on both your individual paper and your group work and participation in the group presentation.

Guidelines for your Power Point Presentation:

q  All group members must participate in the group work and slide show

q  The show must contain at least 7-10 original slides, one of which must be a list of your credits

q Your slides must be based on the 7-step public policy analysis

Guidelines for your 3-page typed report:

q Your report must be based on the 7-step public policy format

q You must type the report using font size 12 and double-space

q You must use paragraphs and follow the conventions of standard written English

q You must use the MLA style for citing references

q Your report must focus on racial discrimination

q You must interview at least 2 sources.

The following rubric will be used to assess your work on both the paper and the power point presentation:

	4	3	2	1
Written 3-page report	In-depth and insightful analysis of the topic and use of the PPA format - Clear and full development of ideas -Shows sophisticated control of conventions	Thorough analysis of topic and use of PPA format - Clear development of ideas - Control of conventions with occasional errors in sophisticated language	Basic understanding of topic and use of PPA format - Develops some ideas briefly -shows minimal control of conventions that sometimes affect comprehension	Confused understanding of topic and little or no use of PPA format. Incomplete development of ideas and lack of control of conventions numerous errors that often affect comprehension
Web Site Research	A variety of sites (5 or more) used from resource list and student researching that fully support the topic	Sufficient number of sites that support the topic. Most are directly from resource list	Adequate number of sites but few support the topic	1-2 sites used and do not sufficiently relate to topic
Power Point	- Shows excellent understanding of P.P. - 7 or more slides that are creative, clear, and appealing - All slides fully support and present topic	- Shows acceptable knowledge of P.P. - 7 or more slides -Most of slides sufficiently support topic	- Shows minimal understanding of P.P.and/0r - Less than 7 slides - Some slides support topic, some may be confused	- Shows no understanding of P.P. - Has insufficient number of slides - Minimal support for topic
Oral Presentation	- Everyone in group presents - Excellent eye contact - clear and loud speech - Creative use of visual aides	- Everyone in group presents - Most people maintain decent eye contact - volume and clarity of speech is sufficient - Visual aides used appropriately	- 3 people in group present - Eye contact half of the time - Can understand most of time - some use of visual aid, may be inappropriate	- 1-2 people in group present -Little eye contact - Difficult to understand and hear - No or minimal use of visual aid

While in groups using the PPA steps, students will break down an essential question about racism as a catalyst to create and analyze their own policies that may have changed the racially charged atmosphere of the past or could promote racial harmony in present day America. In addition, the individual writing assignment will provide students with an opportunity to develop a voice surrounding an issue which has plagued American life for centuries. By incorporating interviews students will gain first hand knowledge by using community resources.

Below are the standards addressed in the above activities.

ELA Standards

E1c: Read and comprehend informational materials.

E2a: Produce a report of information.

E3a: Participate in one-to-one conference with the teacher.

E3b: Participate in group meetings.

E3c: Prepare and deliver an individual presentation.

E3d: Make informed judgments about TV, radio, film.

E3e: Listen to and analyze a public speaking performance.

E4b: Analyze and subsequently revise work to improve its clarity and effectiveness.

E5a: Respond to non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive and critical processes.

E7a: Produce functional documents appropriate to audience and purpose.

This web quest focuses on the following New York State Standards:

Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding

Standard 2: Language for Literary Response and Expression

Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction

Social Studies Learning Standards:

Standard 1: History of the United States and New York