Ms. Hosein

Andalusia School

7^th Grade Science

Introduction

You are Public Health Officers in the Bronx. Many of the doctors in the Bronx have reported that more young (2-15) children are being diagnosed with asthma than in previous years before. Asthma is a disease that affects the lungs by constricting the airway due to inflammation. Children often describe an asthma attack, like grasping for air.

Task

Your have been given the task to survey 5 families from the Bronx, who have a child with asthma. You will ask 10 questions and from these questions try to figure what are the asthma triggers (things that cause an asthma attack).

After you have collected your data and drawn your conclusions, you will make a poster to display your findings.

Process

You will design a survey consisting of 10 questions that ask about health of child, residence of child when asthma was diagnosed and what are triggers that cause an asthma attack.

To complete this assignment our class will be divided into groups of four to work together to complete the task. Each group will follow the structure stated below. The group will be responsible for completing the

SIX-STEP Public Policy Analyst worksheets, the data acquired will be used to design your poster. Each member of your group will have a different task. See below for the role of each member:

Ø Role #1: Project Manager/Lead Researcher--Keeps track of the group's daily work and reports to the teacher any problems. This role also involves leading the group’s research and directing the other group members to the websites listed and also any additional sites recommended by the teacher. The Project Manager/Lead Researcher will compile all the data of the group, removing unnecessary information. He/she may also choose to do additional research on the issue or policy.

Ø Role #2: Author—Writes the surveys with the input of other group members. Helps design and organize the ideas presented in the poster

Ø Role #3: Surveyor—Is responsible for ensuring that at least five families, if not more, take the survey. Helps design and organize the ideas presented in the poster.

Ø Role #4: Statistician--Organizes the research/facts/numbers/statistics, generated from the survey and then presents them to the group.

NOTE: ALL STUDENTS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE TO HELP RESEARCH THE INTERNET

All groups will use the “Public Policy Analyst” to complete the task. Click on the links below to access the “PPA”. Each step contains a worksheet that will be completed by the group using the INTERNET sites in the RESOURCE section of the web quest. These worksheets will then be used as research notes to complete the task.

STEP # 1: DEFINE THE SOCIAL PROBLEM

STEP # 2: GATHER THE EVIDENCE FOR THE SOCIAL PROBLEM

STEP # 3: FIND CAUSES FOR THE SOCIAL PROBLEM

STEP # 4: EVALUATE EXISITING PUBLIC POLICY

STEP # 5: DEVELOP SOLUTIONS FOR THE SOCIAL PROBLEM

STEP # 6: SELECT THE BEST SOLUTION

Designing a survey: Your survey will consist of 10 questions that you will make up. When designing the survey, you should ask questions related to residence of family with asthmatic child, what the family thinks are asthmatic triggers, any history of asthma in the family and any other question that you may deem necessary to help you find what are the asthma triggers. You may use http://opinionpower.com/ a free online survey tool to help you create your survey and track your results online.

Poster: Your poster is the opportunity for you to present your findings. You can use the following website to help you organize your poster: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Poster. On your poster you must include:

1) Your social problem being investigated-Rise of asthma rate in the Bronx.

2) Questions used in your survey.

3) Answers from your six step PPA (see above)

4) Any other information you deem relevant that will help us understand your work.

Resources

General Search Engines

• www.google.com
• www.yahoo.com
• www.ask.com
• http://opinionpower.com/
• http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Poster

Asthma and the Bronx

• http://www.environmentaldefense.org/cleanairforlife.cfm?subnav=da_asthma
• http://www.icisnyu.org/south_bronx/AsthmaandAirPollution.html
• http://www.med.nyu.edu/SBEHPS/index.html
• http://www.health.state.ny.us/statistics/ny_asthma/
• http://wagner.nyu.edu/news/files/resSp05.pdf

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.
Poster	- 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 have risen 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 have risen 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 have risen 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.

Conclusion:

Congratulations, you have figured out what are the causes/triggers of asthma attacks for our children in the Bronx. You have also learnt the importance of the Public Policy Analyst in our society what are some solutions that we can implement to help alleviate this problem.

NEW YORK STATE STANDARDS ADDRESSED

Mathematics, Science, and Technology

Standard 1:    Analysis, Inquiry, and Design

Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

Standard 2:   Information Systems

Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

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.

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 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.

Standard 4:   Language for 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.

Health, Physical Education, and
Family and Consumer Sciences

Standard 1:   Personal Health and Fitness

Students will have the necessary knowledge and skills to establish and maintain physical fitness, participate in physical activity, and maintain personal health.

Standard 2:   A Safe and Healthy Environment

Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment.