Violence and The Outsiders

K. Bellen – ELA 8

North Syracuse Junior High

kbellen@nscsd.org

Introduction:

In the novel The Outsiders, the characters encounter violence on a daily basis. Social class issues, peer pressure, prejudice, and collapse of the family unit contribute to the many reasons some of the characters surrender to violence and gang life. Why has violence become a pervasive issue? How has violence influenced the lives of teenagers living in New York State? Why do teenagers in New York State feel the need to join gangs or resort to violence?

You have been hired by the North Syracuse Central School District as a member of the Students Against Violence (SAV) committee to conduct web-based research and report to junior high school students the impact of violence among teenagers. You will be asked to motivate your fellow students to follow the example of Johnny Cade and “Stay Gold.”

Task:

As a member of SAV (Students Against Violence), you will be responsible for the reasons why teenagers join gangs and resort to violence and how teenage residents of New York State have been affected by their involvement in gangs.

As a society, how can we prevent the growing popularity of gang involvement and violence? What are the necessary approaches to take to guarantee safety for all students? In a small group of no more than 4, you will be responsible for creating a policy to be implemented into your school community, which will ensure that all students “Stay Gold” by utilizing various approaches to preventing violence and involvement in gang activity.

1. Research/ Problem solving - using the Public Policy Analyst (PPA)Worksheets

2. Create a poster for your campaign against gang violence, physical violence, or verbal/physical abuse. Make sure you include your research findings your poster, for example: statistics, graphs, diagrams, quotations, etc. Create a slogan for your campaign! Your campaign and findings will be exhibited in the form of an oral report.

3. Prepare an extended response explaining how violence has taken a toll on our society. Your report should reference The Outsiders as well as various articles on violence/gang violence in New York State, to demonstrate the seriousness of violence and gang involvement among teens. What is your group’s solution to stop the trend of teenage violence and gang association? What are some preventative measures school districts can take to ensure the safety of their students?

Process:

Be sure to complete the worksheets at each of the following PPA Steps (Click on each step to find a hyperlink to each worksheet). Please make sure you print each worksheet, after it has been completed.

The 6 Steps of the PPA:

1. Define the Social Problem

2. Gather the Evidence of the Problem

3. Determine the Cause of the Problem

4. Examine Existing Policy

5. Three Policy Solutions

6. Select the Best Solution

Internet Research: You will use the hyperlinks to research gang violence/teen violence in New York State. The hyperlinks will lead you to various articles and informative websites which will provide useful information about the topic. You will need to use your critical thinking and problem-solving skills to develop realistic solutions in your campaign against violence among teens/gang violence. Teamwork is an absolute necessity in order to ensure each step is adequately completed. You must have equal participation amongst your team members. Assigning roles within your group (for example: team leader, recorder, time keeper, typist, etc…) should assist all members in being active participants in your campaign!

Poster: Your presentation must have an appealing and engaging visual to accompany the knowledge and expertise your group will be presenting to the class. Don’t forget your “slogan” must be prominently placed on your poster, and Students Against Violence (SAV) must also be clearly represented.

Extended Response: The persuasive written component of your project must be typed and in Times New Roman 14 font. Make sure you adhere to all conventions, including introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion, and mechanics. Make sure you address all elements of the extended response task. A “Works Cited” page must follow your extended response, to give credit to the sources you used. Please use the following hyperlink: http://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/

Resources:

http://www.apa.org/topics/anger/control.aspx

http://www.allaboutcounseling.com/anger.htm

http://www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us/pio/annualreport/2010-juvenile-justice-annual-report.pdf

http://www.athealth.com/consumer/disorders/angercues.html

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/child-and-adolescent-mental-health/children-and-violence.shtml

http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/

http://yesican.org/

http://www.focusas.com/Abuse.html

http://sehinton.com

Evaluation:

Extended Response
	1	2	3	4	5
Ideas ______	Lacks focus; no clear main topic or central idea; No supporting details; Addresses topic in skeletal/general manner; May add unnecessary detail Problem NOT identified and research is lacking; incomplete work. Few steps of the PPA are addressed.	Insufficient supporting details; Slight repetition/digression may occur Problem identified but research is lacking; Incomplete work Some steps of the PPA are addressed	Addresses the task with minimal supporting details and lacks elaboration Problem identified & with limited research. All 6 steps of the PPA are addressed	Writes clearly with adequate supporting details and some elaboration Problem identified & satisfactorily researched. All 6 steps of the PPA are addressed	Relevant and accurate details used to enrich and develop the topic; Insightful explanation and support Problem well identified & thoroughly researched. All 6 steps of the PPA are thoroughly addressed
Organization ______	No introduction, body, or conclusion; Rambling, inconsistent and repetitive; No evidence of prewriting; Confusing	Demonstrates attempt at organization; May be missing portion of the introduction or conclusion; Some gaps, jumps around; Weak or incorrect use of transitions	Evidence of introduction, body and conclusion; clear enough to understand ideas presented; Limited use of transitions	Appropriate introduction, body and conclusion; Accurate use of transitions; sequencing is logical	Inviting introduction/lead; Sophisticated use of transitions; Smooth pacing; Effective closing
Voice ______	Lacks personal style; Does not encourage emotion; Lacks energy and enthusiasm; not persuasive or convincing	Little personality; Lacks confidence; Treatment of topic is predictable. Not persuasive or convincing	Shows sense of personality but predictable; Moments of sparkle; some awareness of audience and purpose Weakly persuasive and convincing.	Writing is individual and expressive; Demonstrates awareness of audience and purpose. Persuasive and convincing	Writing seems honest, personal and engaging; Evokes feeling from the reader; Notable style and tone; Takes risks to say more than is expected; Enthusiasm is demonstrated. Very persuasive & convincing
Word Choice ______	Words do not get the message across; Words are vague, repeated or misused; No attempt at new or different words	Words get a basic message across; Incorrect use of new and different words; Repetitive and/or vague word choice	Mainly uses general or ordinary words; Some repetition of words; Evidence of “over-theasaurus-izing”--attempts new words but they don’t always fit	Experiments with new and different words with some success; Attempts to use descriptive words to create images	Words are accurate and precise; Original and interesting word choice; Lively and specific words enhance the meaning
Sentence Fluency ______	No variety in sentence length, beginnings and structure; Errors in sentence structure interfere with readability	Choppy, short and repetitive sentence patterns; Errors in sentence structure; Fragments and run-on sentences exist	Relies mainly on simple sentences; Attempts compound and complex sentences; Some repetitive sentence beginnings; Limited style and rhythm	Effective use of different sentence structures; Some evidence of style and rhythm; Varies most sentence beginnings	Sentences enhance meaning; Consistently uses rhythmic, smooth and stylistic sentence variety; All sentences have different beginnings; And, But, So, Or do not start sentences
Conventions ______	Extensive editing needed; No evidence of proofreading; Numerous mechanical errors impair readability; Lacks understanding of conventions	Little evidence of proofreading and editing; Shows minimal understanding of conventions; Many errors present	Additional proofreading and editing required; Shows some understanding of conventions	Evidence of proofreading and editing; Careful use of conventions; Few mechanical errors exist	Polished final draft; Mechanical correctness: Spelling, Punctuation, Capitalization, Grammar and Usage; Conventions utilized for stylistic effect
Presentation ______	Teacher generates discussion or probes the presenters frequently. Delivery is poor Group participation is inadequate/strained unprepared	Students state the social problem Delivery is adequate Students require numerous prompts to generate questions Limited participation within the group	Social problem introduced, confidence is inconsistent Delivery is adequate Students require prompts to generate questions Limited participation within the group.	Social problem introduced with some confidence & based on researched information Delivery is professional & effective/shows knowledge & expertise Generates questions and responses from audience Every member of group participates.	Social problem introduced with confidence & based on researched information Exceptional & Professional delivery/shows knowledge & expertise Audience is actively engaged in presentation because real-life examples & connections are made/given Every member in group participates equally in presentation.
Visual _____	There is no visual or it is very poorly developed. Much more time and effort is clearly needed. There is no slogan on the poster. SAV is not mentioned or written anywhere on the poster.	Visual is in sufficient & needs much more development. A slogan is vague/ unclear or is not coherent/well connected to the topic. SAV is not clearly stated or mentioned on the poster.	Visual is sufficient but could use more development. A slogan is evident but is not coherent or well connected to the topic. SAV is not clearly stated or mentioned on the poster.	Attractive or engaging visual is displayed. A clever slogan is significantly displayed on the poster. SAV is written or mentioned somewhere on the poster.	Attractive and engaging visual is displayed and explained. A clever slogan is prominently displayed on the poster. SAV is written or mentioned somewhere on the poster.

Conclusion:

This interactive research project provides students with the chance to participate in an authentic / real world investigation about the realities of gang violence. Students will be able to explore how gangs have affected teenagers across New York State. Using their knowledge of how gang life impacted the characters from The Outsiders, students can make solid connections and incorporate realistic ways in which their school community can prevent current students from participation in gangs.

Standards:

English Language Arts

Standard 1: Information and Understanding:

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 2: Literary Response and Expression:

Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from American and world literature; relate texts and performances to their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for self-expression and artistic creation.

Standard 3: Critical Analysis and Evaluation:

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.

Standard 4: Social Interaction:

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. Students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.

Technology Education

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