Willie Bodega and His “Great Society”

Ms. Weintraub

Harry S Truman High School

Introduction

Willie Bodega is presented as a paradoxical man – one who represents good and evil. He has created his empire in Spanish Harlem through illegal activity; yet his actions are grounded in a foundation that is focused on building a “professional class” of Latinos. Bodega often refers to his “Great Society” that he is creating. However, this idea is not original to Bodega; this utopian state of society is based on factual events, people and organizations in our country’s history. In order to understand the character of Willie Bodega, we must first understand this historical foundation.

Task

Your task is to work with your group to research the history of the phrase “Great Society” and evaluate its connection to our reading of Bodega Dreams. Your group will then create a PowerPoint presentation that shows evidence of your findings.

Process

You will use the following strategies to synthesize your information and evaluate Bodega’s “Great Society.”

1. You will be assigned to a group of four students, and each group will use the internet resources to learn about the historical foundation of “The Great Society,” political forces that have affected life for the population of citizens living in the inner-city, and how these people, actions and political foundations have affected people living in inner-cities today.

2. You will complete the following public policy worksheets:

a. Defining the Social Problem

b. Gathering the evidence

c. Identifying the cause of the problem

d. Evaluating existing public policies

e. Developing your own original public policy

3. Each group will formulate its research around the following questions:

1. What are three examples of problems faced by minorities during the Civil Rights Era in our country?
2. What affect did President Lyndon Johnson’s presidency have on life for minorities and immigrants in the United States?
3. What were President Johnson’s goals for his “Great Society”? Find at least 3 examples.
4. Identify three examples of textual evidence from Bodega Dreams that shows that these problems have not been solved for minorities and immigrants living in Spanish Harlem.
5. Analyze Bodega’s plan for Spanish Harlem and its connection to the historical background of the “Great Society.”
6. What changes or adaptations would you make to Bodega’s plan in order to strengthen its affect throughout Spanish Harlem?

Resources

You will use the following websites in order to aid in your research and analysis of this topic:

· US Court Decisions dealing with Segregation

· The Little Rock Nine

· Lyndon Johnson’s Presidency

· Lyndon Johnson Videos

Evaluation/Rubric

Your PowerPoint should include the following:

· Evidence of research through hyperlinks, photos and documentation

· Analysis of connection between historical information and the plot of Bodega Dreams

· Strong visual content and clear presentation

GRADE:	1	2	3	4
Completion of PPA Handouts	No knowledge of the uses of PPA. Presents no data to support the proposed policy.	Little knowledge of the uses of PPA. Presents several sources of data in a logical format to support the proposed policy.	Acceptable amount of knowledge Of the uses of PPA. Presents several sources of data in a logical and organized format to support the proposed policy.	Superior knowledge of the uses of PPA. Presents an exceptional amount of data to support the proposed policy.
Research	Links are not relevant to support research the proposed policy.	Enough links but few support research and the proposed policy.	Many links that support research and the proposed policy.	All links support the proposed policy.
Group PowerPoint	Incomplete Does not address the Task	Developing Somewhat covers the Task. Does not use sufficient resources and links to support analysis	Efficient Presentation is clearly presented and used to analyze readings	Highly Efficient Presentation is superior in visual presentation, content and analysis

Conclusion

Once this project is completed you will be able to understand and evaluate the historical connection to our reading of Bodega Dreams. This will enhance your understanding of the book as a whole and your ability to successfully analyze and write about the book on your upcoming ELA Regents Exam.

Standards

Students will meet the following New York Common Core Standards through the completion of this project: (http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/standards.html)

Career Development and Occupational Studies

Standard 3a: Universal Foundation Skills
Students will demonstrate mastery of the foundation skills and competencies essential for success in the workplace.

English Language Arts

Standard 1: Language for 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: Language for 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: Language for 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.

Social Studies

Standard 1: History of the United States and New York
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York