Rachel Kosberg

9th Grade English

 

Introduction: 

 

Are most people in your neighborhood of the same race or ethnicity as you?


Lorraine Hansberry’s poignant play “A Raisin in the Sun” deals with issues surrounding segregation, that we are all still faced with today (living in New York City).  In your cooperative learning groups you are going to analyze and discuss this issue as it applies to your community, and your life. 

 

As Hansberry did with her play, you are going to come up with concrete examples of segregation in your community, and your life to support your stand on this issue.  After your group has identified what role segregation has in our lives today, you will need to research how the issue has been dealt with in the past.  Since the problem is still around, you need to evaluate specific policies that are meant to enforce desegregation, and why they might not be working.  Lastly, together (as a group) you will come up with a better solution judging from the research you have compiled.

 

Task:

 

As a cooperative learning group, you will need to develop a PowerPoint Presentation outlining the following steps:

 

1.    Define the problem

 

2.    Gather evidence

 

3.    Identify causes

 

4.    Evaluate a policy

 

5.    Develop solutions

 

6.    Select the best solution

 

Process:

 

Ø    As you separate into your cooperative learning groups I will choose a leader for each group.  It will be up to the assigned leader to define and delegate responsibilities to the other members of the group. 

 

Ø    You will need to have some organized group discussion to come up with your point of view on segregation in NYC.  What exactly is the problem?

 

Ø    Next, using “A Raisin in the Sun” as a guide, you must come up with at least five examples of segregation in NYC.  Think about the problems that the Youngers faced in the play; are their similar problems in your community?

 

Ø    Now that you have identified what the specific issues/problems are, you need to identify what the sources of these issues are.  What is at the root of the problem?  How did the issue become exposed in the first place?

-         You may need to refer to your website resource guide.

 

Ø    At this point you MUST refer to your website resource guide.  You need to research different policies that have been implemented to counteract segregation.

 

Ø    After researching different policies, choose the one that bests supports your main ideas, and evaluate the policy at a critical level.

 

Ø    Since we have come to the conclusion that segregation still exists in our society today, the policy that you are researching is not 100% effective.  It is now time for your cooperative learning group to brainstorm, and come up with at least five solutions to end segregation.  These solutions must have the potential to be more effective than the policies that you have found through your research.

 

Ø    Now, choose the one solution that you feel will be the most successful out of the five.  Why do you feel that this is the best solution?  What do you predict will happen once this solution or policy is applied to the problem?  How will this process of desegregation improve our community and our lives?

 

Ø    After you have completed all of the above steps, it is time for the FUN to begin!  Now you can compile all of the information you have found in a POWERPOINT PRESENTATION!!  If you have questions about the set up of a PowerPoint Presentation see the following websight: http://www.actden.com/pp/html

 

 

 

 


                                        Website Resource Guide:

 

http://histmaps.research.edu/poppaternsnyc1910-2000/Segregation.htm

http://sswr.org/papers2001/092.htm

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/WABC_042402_segregation.html

http://csf.colorodo.edu/archive/1998/balance/msg00115.html

http://www.gothamgazette.com/demographics/mar.02.shtml

 

 

 

                                       PPA POWERPOINT EVALUATION CHECKLIST:

 

                                                     Title is clear and informative Yes No

 

                                                     The background color, text and font are easy to read/look at Yes No

 

                                                     The topic is related to a Public Policy Analysis Yes No

 

                                                     There are links to PPA steps Yes No

 

                                                     The hyperlinks are all relevant, accurate, workable and up to date Yes No

 

                                                     There was an internal consistency throughout the presentation      Yes No

 

                                                     Pictures/Graphics/Animation/Sound is appropriate Yes No

 

                                                     Proper citations and copyright information Yes No

 

                                                     Content is factually accurate Yes No

 

                                                     Your presentation consists of a minimum of 7-10 slides Yes No

 

 

After this project is completed you will be graded as a group based on the criteria listed below:

 

 

 

TASK

 

RATING

Research -

Was the research clear, well though out and supported with evidence? 

 

 

 

1             2             3                 4              5

PowerPoint Presentation -

Was the proposal clearly

Outlined, were graphics used to creatively demonstrate the desired outcome?

 

 

 

1             2             3                 4              5

Proposal -

Was your plan stated clearly,

Supported by factual

Information, all sources cited.

 

 

 

 

1             2             3                 4              5

Group Presentation -

Did all group members participate in the presentation?  Was information clear and understandable?  Did students demonstrate clear knowledge of the issue?

 

 

1             2             3                 4              5

 


Final Grade


A       17 - 20 points

 

B       13 -16 points

 

C       9- 12 points

 

D       5 - 8 points

 

F       4 and under

 

STANDARDS ADDRESSED IN WEB QUEST:

 

ENGLISH:

 

ES #1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.

 

ES # 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.

 

ES # 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.

 

ES #4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.

 

SOCIAL STUDIES:

 

SS # 1: History of the United States and New York

 

SS# 3: Geography Understanding

 

SS # 4: Economics

 

SS # 5: Civics, Citizenship, and Government

 

 

CONCLUSION:

 

          Although my TIPS students are still in the process of completing their PowerPoint presentations, I have already witnessed the success of the web quest.  My students are excited about completing their presentations, and they are learning much more on their own, and through their searches on the internet, than I could have ever taught them in our limited time in the classroom.  My students are realizing how simple researching the internet can be, while they constantly make connections to the book we are reading in class, their daily lives, public policy, and history.  Making connections is the most important part of the learning process; the TIPS program, and more particularly the web quest, encourages and guarantees that these important connections are being discovered by our students.