Teenage Crime and Punishment

Presented by Mrs. I. Farrow

T. R. Proctor High School

Utica NY

INTRODUCTION:

Around the nation, teenagers often make impulsive decisions that sometimes escalate into criminal activity. Those arrested for various criminal activities can be punished by the courts in a variety of ways: probation, juvenile detention, or even prison terms with adults. The Supreme Court recently ruled on the constitutionality of courts to sentence youthful offenders who have committed serious crimes to a sentence of life in prison without parole. Studies have shown that the immature brain of a developing teenager may influence their ability to make crucial judgments, as well as, causing them to be more impulsive or inclined to act recklessly.

Your task :

You will read 4 of the assigned resources, one being 5 or 6 in the list and analyze how effective is the juvenile court system in handling youthful offenders. Using the PPA procedure you will define the problem, gather information from resources, identify causes, evaluate what is currently being done and develop some solutions to the problem. Finally you will select what your group feels is the best solution.

Step1: You will be assigned to groups of 4 designate 1 person to be recorder, 2 people to research which articles to use, 1 person to be facilitator.

Step2: Review the PPA (Public Policy Analyst) procedure

6. Select best solution

Step3: Assign members of group, read research, discuss with group, complete PPA worksheets. Discuss as group possible solution.

Step4: Each group will complete the forms used for PPA and decide on the best solution. Each member will write a brief 8-9 sentence summary of what they have learned.

PROCESS/RESOURCES

EVALUATION:

There will be two grades given: one for group work and one for individual summary responses. Grading will be done according to the rubrics.

Rubric for Group Work

	4	3	2	1
	Clearly, Fully Effectively	Generally, Usually, Often	Basic, Partial	Minimal, Rarely,
Assigned Members	Successfully assigned	Mostly assigned	Partly assigned	Some or no assignment
Fulfilled duties	Everyone completes duties	Most duties completed	Some duties completed	Few or no duties completed
Worked Collaboratively	Never argues	Rarely argues	argues	Argues frequently
Completed Task	Completes all tasks	Completes most of tasks	Completes some tasks	Completes few or no tasks

Rubric for Written Work

	4	3	2	1
	Clearly, Fully Effectively	Generally, Usually, Often	Basic, Partial	Minimal, Rarely,
Meaning		Somewhat examines a topic and conveys ideas through selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content	Basically examines a topic and conveys ideas through selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content	Rarely examines a topic and conveys ideas through selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content
	Thoroughly examines a topic and conveys ideas through selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content

Development	Effectively develops the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples	Develops the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples	Partially develops the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples	Does not or rarely develops the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples


Organization	Effectively introduces a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow. Clearly organizes ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; includes formatting and other manners useful for comprehension. Uses transitions to create cohesion and provides clear concluding section.	Generally introduces a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow. Generally organizes ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; includes formatting and other manners useful for comprehension. Uses transitions to create cohesion and provides clear concluding section.	Partially introduces a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow. Partially organizes ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; includes formatting and other manners useful for comprehension. Sometimes uses transitions to create cohesion and provides clear concluding section.	Does not or rarely introduces a topic and does not clearly, preview what is to follow. Rarely organizes ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; includes formatting and other manners useful for comprehension. Rarely or never uses transitions to create cohesion and provides clear concluding section.

Language Use and Conventions	Demonstrates thorough command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing	Generally demonstrates thorough command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing	Sometimes demonstrates thorough command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing	Rarely or never demonstrates thorough command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
	· There are few to no errors and none that interfere with the reader’s ability to understand what is being said.	· There are few errors and none that interfere with the reader’s ability to understand what is being said.	· There are some errors and some that interfere with the reader’s ability to understand what is being said.	· There are numerous errors and many that interfere with the reader’s ability to understand what is being said.

CONCLUSION/STANDARDS:

By now you will understand the complexities behind teenage crime and how society chooses to address it. You will have discussed some of the current policies and decided on your own proposed course of action. You will have an understanding of how those teenagers convicted of crimes view their punishment. Finally, you will evaluate the effectiveness of the present system and whether it prevents or contributes to the problem.

Standards for English Language Arts

6–12

Reading Standards for Informational Text 6–12

1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as

well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters

uncertain.

Develop factual, interpretive, and evaluative questions for further exploration of the top

2. Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of

the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis;

provide an objective summary of the text.

3. Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas,

or events interact and develop over the course of the text.

4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative,

connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key

term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).

5. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or

argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.

6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly

effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the

text.

8. Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of

constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions

and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g., The

Federalist, presidential addresses).

9. Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century foundational U.S. documents of

historical and literary significance (including The Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the

Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address) for their themes,

purposes, and rhetorical features.

a. Read, annotate, and analyze informational texts on topics related to diverse and non-traditional

cultures and viewpoints

10. By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 11–CCR text complexity

band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 11–

CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Writing Standards 6–12

2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and

information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of

content.

a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new

element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting

(e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding

comprehension.

b. Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts,

extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples

appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.

c. Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text,

create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.

d. Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor,

simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.

e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and

conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information

or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).

demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3

up to and including grades 11–12 on page 55.)

6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared

writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a

self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when

appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the

subject under investigation.

Explore topics dealing with different cultures and world viewpoints.

8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using

advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of

the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain

the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard

format for citation.

9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and

research.

Language Standards 6–12

1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when

writing or speaking.

a. Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and

is sometimes contested.

b. Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-

Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, Garner’s Modern American Usage) as needed.

2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation,

and spelling when writing.

a. Observe hyphenation conventions.

b. Spell correctly.

3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to

make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or

listening.

a. Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful Sentences) for guidance as

needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading.

4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based

on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s

position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

b. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or

parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).

c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries,

thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or

clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage.

d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by

checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word

meanings.

a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in

the text.

b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

6. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient

for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level;

demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase

important to comprehension or expression.

Social Studies Practices, Grades 9‐12

Gathering, Using, and Interpreting Evidence

• Define and frame questions about events and the world in which we live, form

hypotheses as potential answers to these questions, use evidence to answer these

questions, and consider and analyze counter‐hypotheses

• Identify, describe, and evaluate evidence about events from diverse sources (including

written documents, works of art, photographs, charts and graphs, artifacts, oral

traditions, and other primary and secondary sources)

• Analyze evidence in terms of content, authorship, point of view, bias, purpose, format,

and audience

• Describe, analyze and evaluate arguments of others

• Make inferences and draw conclusions from evidence

• Deconstruct and construct plausible and persuasive arguments using evidence

• Create meaningful and persuasive understandings of the past by fusing disparate and

relevant evidence from primary and secondary sources and drawing connections to the

present