Asthma in the Bronx
WebQuest
Mark Basa
Cardinal Spellman High School
Introduction
Your class in the Bronx realizes that many Bronx students are diagnosed with asthma. Most of these students live in the same neighborhood and carry inhalers to school with them. Since there are so many such students, this is truly a major social problem for the Bronx. You want to analyze this social problem and develop new public polices for the Bronx to implement by using the six steps of the Public Policy Analyst (PPA).
Task
· You will work with three other people to use the PPA to collect information and create a Prezi using statistical data and scientific evidence to develop new public policies to lessen the incidence of asthma in the Bronx.
o One researcher will gather information and analyze statistical data from your survey.
o One member will ensure that all PPA steps are followed.
o One member will put together a Prezi.
o One presenter will present your work.
· You will then select the best of your proposed policies based on potential feasibility and effectiveness. You will present your reasoning to your principal, Dr. Strangelove, at the next faculty meeting.
Process
1. Your teacher will arrange you into groups of four.
Click the links below to complete the worksheets. On the worksheets, provide your group’s responses.
1. Define the Problem – Use the resources found at the bottom of the WebQuest to research information regarding asthma. You will then create an oral presentation and a Prezi as outlined in the task. (worksheet1)
2. Gather the Evidence – Create a short survey that illustrates the incidence of asthma in students living in the Bronx. (worksheet2)
3. Identify the Causes – Identify the causes of asthma in the Bronx. (worksheet3)
4. Examine Existing Policy – Examine existing policy regarding asthma. (worksheet4)
5. Develop Policy Solutions – Develop policy solutions to the asthma problem. (worksheet5)
6. Select the Best Solution – Pick the best public policy solution. (worksheet6)
Designing a survey: Your survey will consist of 10 questions that you will create. When designing the survey, you should ask questions related to residence of family with asthmatic child, what the family thinks are environmental asthmatic triggers, any history of asthma in the family and any other question that you may deem necessary to help you find what the asthma triggers are. You may use http://surveymonkey.com to help you create your survey and track your results online.
Prezi: Your Prezi is the opportunity for you to present your findings. You can use the following website to create a presentation: http://prezi.com On your Prezi you must include:
1) Your social problem being investigated
2) Questions used in your survey
3) Answers from your six-step PPA (see above)
4) Any other information you deem relevant that will present your work in an effective manner
Resources
Asthma and the Bronx:
· http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/asthma/
· http://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/ny_asthma/
· http://wagner.nyu.edu/news/newsStory/nyu-wagner-school-medicine-pinpoint-asthma-dangers-south-bronx
General Search Engines:
Evaluation
|
|
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
PPA Policy Followed |
All questions were answered completely and rationales for the answers were clearly stated. |
All questions were answered completely, but rationales for the all the answers were not clearly stated. |
Not all questions were answered completely, or greater than 2 rationales for the all answers were not clearly stated. |
All questions were not answered completely. |
|
Prezi |
- Clear description of policy solution - Includes information from all 6 steps of the Public Policy Analyst. - Demonstrates full control of language conventions |
- Clear description of policy solution - Includes information from most steps of the Public Policy Analyst. - Demonstrates control of language conventions with very few mistakes |
- Basic description of policy solution - Includes information from less than 4 steps of the Public Policy Analyst. - Some errors in language conventions get in way of presentation |
- Insufficient and/or unclear presentation of material - Includes information from less than 4 steps of the Public Policy Analyst. - Significant errors in language conventions which get in way of presentation |
|
Survey |
- Questions are well thought-out, and help in developing a theory why asthma rates are high in the Bronx. - Questions help in answering the PPA six-steps. |
- Questions are well thought out, and mostly help in developing a theory why asthma rates are high in the Bronx. - Questions help in answering most of the PPA six-steps. |
- Questions are basic and help to a small degree in developing a theory why asthma rates are high in the Bronx. - Questions help in answering some of the PPA six-steps. |
- Questions are unclear and do not help in developing a theory why asthma rates have risen in the Bronx. - Questions help in answering almost none of the PPA six-steps. |
|
Process: Teamwork |
It is evident that a mutual effort and cohesive unit created the final product. |
The team worked well together, but could have utilized each other’s skills to a better degree. |
The team had problems working together. Little collaboration occurred. |
The final product is not the result of a collaborative effort. The group showed no evidence of collaboration. |
|
Oral Presentation |
Student makes eye contact with audience; well prepared. |
Student acknowledges audience at times; shows some preparedness. |
Student makes some eye contact with audience; relies heavily on index cards; minimum rehearsal. |
Student does not make eye contact; demonstrates no preparedness. |
Breakdown of Points
A: 18-20
B: 16-17
C: 14-15
D: 12-13
Conclusion
You should have spent your time critically thinking about the incidence of asthma-related problems. You should also think about how students with asthma thrive in school. Many times students don’t realize that their asthma, over which they have no control, can hinder academic progress. Mathematically you should be able to process and quantify (show the numbers) most real life events for a group of people; in this case the students in you school.
Standards
Mathematics, Science, and Technology
Standard 3: Mathematics
Students will understand mathematics and become mathematically confident by communicating and reasoning mathematically, by applying mathematics in real-world settings, and by solving problems through the integrated study of number systems, geometry, algebra, data analysis, probability, and trigonometry.
ELA
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.
Health, Physical Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences
Standard 2: A Safe and Healthy Environment
Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment.