A LOOK INTO THE CAUSES OF STRESS

AMOUNG HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

WEBQUEST

R Milne

Bay Ridge Prep

INTRODUCTION

High School seniors are often challenged with being better and doing more. They face increasing amounts of pressure to obtain higher grades, take more advanced courses, achieve higher standardized test scores, be involved in more activities, play sports, work, volunteer, manage a social life, manage a family life, and to get accepted to the best colleges. The pressures on them are great and can be very stressful, which can lead to all types of physical, social and emotional problems.

TASK

You will create a Power Point Presentation, using the Public Policy Analyst (PPA) as a model for your presentation, which will identify the causes of stress among high school seniors, the effects of stress (short and long term), and ways to reduce stress.

PROCESS/RESOURCES

You will be using the Public Policy Analyst (PPA) as a model for your presentations. The following links will help you to understand each step of the PPA. There are worksheets on each page that you can print out and use to help you through each step.

Public Policy Analyst (PPA)

· Define the problem: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/select.html

· Gather evidence: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/gather.html

· Identify causes: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/identify.html

· Evaluate a policy: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/existing.html

· Develop solution: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/solutions.html

· Select best solution: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/bestsol.html

1. Define the problem: High school seniors can be stressed from many pressures.

2. Gather evidence: What is the evidence to support this?

3. Identify causes: What are the causes of their stress?

4. Evaluate a policy: Are there any current policies regarding their stress?

5. Develop solution: What solutions are available to deal with stress?

6. Select best solution: What is the best/most feasible solution to deal with stress?

Your Power Point Presentation should have a minimum of 15 slides. Use bullets to emphasize your main points. Include pictures, graphs, or charts. Please avoid large paragraphs of text. Please remember to include the six steps of the PPA in your presentation.

Here are some interesting articles concerning Stress and High School Students:

· Stress and the High School Student

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/12/12/stress-and-the-high-school-student

· Coping with School Stress

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/coping-school-stress

· College Admission Stress

http://www.campusexplorer.com/college-advice-tips/C7F8C7D0/College-Admissions-Stress/

· High School Seniors and Stress

http://stress.lovetoknow.com/about-stress/high-school-seniors-stress-interview-dr-dorlen

· Teens and High School Stress: 15 Facts Parents Should Know

http://www.examiner.com/article/teens-and-high-school-stress-15-facts-parents-should-know

· Competition During the College Admissions Process

http://www.campusexplorer.com/college-advice-tips/8451C64D/Competition-During-the-College-Admissions-Process/

Here is a survey on High School Student Stress:

http://7hillscanvass.org/?p=1126

The following film documentary explores the pressures that high school students face.

www.racetonowhere.com

Other resources:

· www.google.com

· www.bing.com

EVALUATION

CATEGORY	4 Excellent	3 Very Good	2 Satisfactory	1 Unacceptable
Originality	Presentation shows originality. The content and ideas are presented in a unique and interesting way.	Presentation shows some originality and inventiveness. The content and ideas are presented in an interesting way.	Presentation shows an attempt at originality.	Presentation shows very little attempt at original thought.
Information presented in a clear manner.	All content throughout the presentation is accurate and easily understood.	Most of the content is accurate and understandable.	The content is generally accurate, some of the content is understandable.	Content is typically confusing or contains more than one factual error.
Sequencing of Information.	Information is organized in a clear, logical way.	Most information is organized in a clear, logical way.	Some information is logically sequenced. An occasional card or item of information seems out of place.	There is no clear plan for the organization of information.
Visual Material	Project is visually interesting and consistent with an appropriate amount of images, graphs, or charts.	Project contains a good amount of visual material; visual material might have an inconsistency.	Visual material is too little/too much.	Visual material is missing or excessive/ inconsistent. Visual material interferes with the effectiveness of the presentation.
Effectiveness	Project includes all material needed to gain a comfortable understanding of the topic.	Project includes most material needed to gain a comfortable understanding of the material but is lacking one or two key elements.	Project is missing a few elements. Not as effect as it could be.	Project is lacking several key elements and has inaccuracies which make it an ineffective presentation.

CONCLUSION

You have learned that high school seniors face many pressures which can lead to stress. Stress can lead to a variety of physical, social, or emotional problems. You can prevent or reduce the effects of stress when you realize the causes and effects of stress. What solutions can students do to reduce stress? Is there anything that is causing stress in your life? What can you do to reduce stress now?

STANDARDS

Scientific Thinking- Standard 5

Identifies problems; proposes and implements solutions; and evaluates the accuracy, design, and outcomes of investigations.
Works individually and in teams to collect and share information and ideas.

Scientific Communication- Standard 7

Represents data and results in multiple ways.
Argues from evidence.
Critiques published materials
Explains a scientific concept or procedure to other students
Communicates in a form suited to the purpose and the audience.

Technology Standards – Standard 5

Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.