Sandra Bracero Ocasio

Sandra Bracero Ocasio Bronx Leadership High School

A T.I.P.S. Webquest for Participation in Government Students

Diabetes among minority populations in the United States: African Americans, Hispanics, & Native Americans

Introduction

Congratulations! Your public policy analyst experience has just landed you the job of director for The Office of Minority Health Resource Center (OMHRC) which was created in 1987 out of a need to address health issues pertaining to the minority community. The OMHRC collects and distributes information on many health topics and public policy issues. The OMHRC’s mission is to improve the health of racial and ethnic populations through the development of effective public health policies programs and to help eliminate disparities in health. (OMRC site)

Your first assignment is to debrief the President of the United States on a crisis concerning diabetes in minority communities. African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans are almost twice as likely at risk of getting diabetes, than the rest of the American population. Although there may be a genetic predisposition to becoming diabetic, this alone does not account for the alarming increase of diabetes among minority populations in the United States. There are clearly some social, political, and economic issues that contribute to this demise. The American Diabetes Association states that one out of three Hispanics don’t know they have diabetes (2020.14,4/98). You should be asking yourself: Why is there such a disparity?

Your job is to research this problem using the TIPS six step Public Policy Analysis model and to make recommendations to the president. The President of the United States will consider your analysis when making decisions about healthcare policy. The ultimate result of your labor will be that there are public policies in effect which will reduce the cases of diabetes among all groups discussed.

Task

In groups of no more than 3 students, complete the following two products:

One PowerPoint Presentation using the PPA model
An educational pamphlet targeting the minority groups affected by diabetes

The following T.I.P.S. links will guide you in completing the six step PPA process. Complete the worksheet for each step.

1. Define and describe the problem (social conditions, players, public policy)

2. Gather evidence for this problem

3. Identify causes for this problem

4. Describe and evaluate the existing policy for this problem

5. Develop solutions/policies for the problems for this existing policy

6. Select the best policy for this problem

3. Follow these guidelines for the educational brochure:

1. Begin with an 81/2 x 11 sheet of paper, (landscape/ horizontal) view. Create 3 columns on each side of the paper so that when folded you have a total of six columns.

2. Use the following questions as a guideline for the pamphlet: Explore the answers to these questions

1. What should African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans need to know about diabetes?

2. Why are they at higher risk of getting diabetes?

3. What is diabetes?

4. Why is diabetes called a “silent disease?”

5. How can a person improve his health while living with diabetes?

6. How can people become more informed about the risk of diabetes?

7. What are the healthy habits diabetics should adapt? (How can diabetes be controlled?)

8. Is there a cure for diabetes? What choices are available?

9. What are the risk factors for getting diabetes?

Process

1. In your group of no more than 3 students, complete the following steps:

1. The first deadline (one week from now): Hand in a rough draft of your Power Point

Presentation using the PPA model. Note: this is completed on paper only. Print the

PPA worksheets as needed.

2. The second deadline: (one week and two days from now): Hand in a rough draft of your

Educational Brochure

3. Final deadline: (two weeks from now): Hand in the final items:

1. A disk or CD containing your Power Point presentation.

2. An educational brochure on an 81/2 X 11 sheet of paper (folded as a brochure)

and

3. Provide the class with an oral presentation using the Power Point slide show

and the distribution of the educational pamphlet.

Resources

Note: To return to this webquest from the respective websites, click on the “back” button

Research Sites:

Assessing the problem…

T.I.P.S. Website

www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS.html

African Americans and Diabetes

http://www.diabetes.org/main/community/outreach/african_americans/default.jsp

Diabetes in Hispanic Americans

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/diabetes/pubs/hispan/hispan.htm

Savvyhealth.com Library on Diabetes

http://www.savvyhealth.com

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/projects/latino.htm

Diabetes Prevention Program

http://www.preventdiabetes.com/respan.htm

Diabetes is spreading fast among young Hispanics. These doctors turned to music to form an educational campaign:

http://199.97.97.16/contWriter/yhdweek/2001/11/14/medic/2181-0039-pat_nytimes.html

The American Diabetes Association

http://www.diabetes.org/main/application/commercewf

New York State Department of Health

Diabetes in New York State: Demographics

http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/search/index.htm

Searching for a cure…

CNN: Stem Cell Research Report / includes cures for diseases like diabetes

http://www.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/09/14/stemcell.hearing.02/

Stem Cell Research site

http://www.stemcellresearch.org/news.htm

This site offers the latest news on cures for diabetes

http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/diabetes/default.asp

Evaluation

Your final grade for this Webquest project will be an average of two grades, one for the Power Point Presentation and one for the Educational Pamphlet. The following Generic Rubric will be used for the PowerPoint Presentation and the Educational Pamphlet.

General Rubric
	Excellent 100 - 90 A+, A	Very Good 90-80 B+, B	Good 80-70 C+, C	Satisfactory 70-65 D	Unsatisfactory 64 and under F
Accuracy	No mistakes, scholarly and accurate. Excellent knowledge of the topic shown	Few mistakes if any, very good knowledge of the topic shown.	Some, but not many, mistakes made, good knowledge shown.	Several mistakes, Satisfactory knowledge of the topic shown.	Many mistakes made. Does not show an adequate knowledge of the topic.
Use of historical details	Used many details in a thorough and expert manner.	Used many details to illustrate topic.	Used some details to illustrate topic	Used one or two details , vague	Used no historical details. Made factual errors.
Demonstrated learning and understanding	Applied integrated concepts; made connections between facts and ideas.	Clearly understood topic well.	Understood topic.	Followed directions, had a basic knowledge of the topic.	Thinking not justified; no evidence that knowledge was acquired.
Mechanics (Grammar or Art)	Grammar and/or art work were without flaws and professional	Grammar and/or art work are quality in nature.	Occasional errors but not enough to distract.	Distracting errors, difficult to read.	Fragmented sentences and grammar.. Very difficult to understand
Neat and orderly	Professional appearance	Quality appearance	Neat and orderly, easy to follow.	Moderately neat, almost distracting.	Lacks neatness and orderliness. Hard to understand
Word Usage	Word Choices are Professional level	Expected level of word choices/ makes piece interesting.	Word choice simple but acceptable.	Some mistakes in word choice and usage. Could be clearer.	Word choice is inadequate or inappropriate.
Message	Message flows and has conviction	Message is clear and easy to understand.	Message can be understood.	Message hard to understand.	Very hard to understand message.
Creativity	Very clever; surprisingly	Displays creative thinking	Shows some creative thinking	Lacks creativity	Copied from another source. (a big no no)

Standards

New York City English Language Arts Standards

E1c Reads and comprehends information materials.

E2a Produce a report of information.

E3b Participate in group meetings.

E4b Analyze and subsequently revise work to improve its clarity and effectiveness.

E6a Critique public documents with an eye to strategies common in public discourse.

E6b Produce public documents.

E7a Critique functional documents with an eye to strategies common to effective functional documents.

E7b Produce functional documents appropriate to audience and purpose.

New York Social Studies Standards

SS5 Civics, Citizenship and Government: use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the U.S. and other nations; the U.S. Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.

Acknowledgements:

A special thanks to the TIPS program of Syracuse University and the Bronx Superintendency.

Special thanks to Howard Krieger for his advice and guidance.

General Rubric