What did Martha Do, Anyway

What did Martha Do, Anyway?
A TIPS webquest on the Martha Stewart ImClone scandal!

Introduction

Through this web quest, we will investigate the recent Martha Stewart scandal, and learn what it was Miss Martha did wrong!

Task - Your mission:

You are an investigative research reporter, and your job is to find out why Martha got in trouble with the law! You will use the public policy analyst worksheets to complete your investigative research, and use these to write a two page research report.

Process - Follow these steps:

1. What is insider trading? View this powerpoint slide show for an explaination!
Then, IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM, using the public policy analyst worksheet

2. Now, as an investigative reporter, it is your job to GATHER EVIDENCE to show that Martha Stewart engaged in insider trading. Use this worksheet to explain the evidence you find.

Use these links to help you complete the worksheet

http://www.betterbizbooks.com/bb/art/martha.htm
http://www.srimedia.com/artman/publish/article_245.shtml

3. From the information you have read, you should now try to figure out WHY people engage in insider trading. Your next task is to IDENTIFY THE CAUSES of insider trading. Use this worksheet to help you organize your thoughts.

**Bonus**

Visit the SEC (Security and Exchange Commission) website, and see if you can find what the policy is on insider trading. What can Martha expect for her crime? Use this worksheet to help you ANALYZE THE POLICY.

Additional Resources:

Here are some helpful search engine websites that you may use through your investigation:

Evaluation

Here is the rubric I will use to grade your research report

CATEGORY	4 points	3 points	2 points	1 point
Organization	Information is very organized with well-constructed paragraphs and subheadings.	Information is organized with well-constructed paragraphs.	Information is organized, but paragraphs are not well-constructed.	The information appears to be disorganized.
Amount of Information	All topics are addressed and all questions answered with at least 1 paragraph about each.	All topics are addressed and most questions answered with at least 1 paragraph about each.	All topics are addressed, and most questions answered with 3 sentences about each.	One or more topics were not addressed.
Quality of Information	Information clearly relates to the main topic. It includes several supporting details and/or examples.	Information clearly relates to the main topic. It provides 1-2 supporting details and/or examples.	Information clearly relates to the main topic. No details and/or examples are given.	Information has little or nothing to do with the main topic.
Sources	All sources (information and graphics) are accurately documented in the desired format.	All sources (information and graphics) are accurately documented, but a few are not in the desired format.	All sources (information and graphics) are accurately documented, but many are not in the desired format.	Some sources are not accurately documented.
Mechanics	No grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.	Almost no grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors	A few grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.	Many grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.

Rubric created with RUBISTAR

Conclusion

Through this web quest, you have learned what insider trading is, as well as how Martha Stewart engaged in insider trading. You’ve analyzed why people might engage in insider trading, and what the benefits and drawbacks to the individual and society might be. Some of you have gone on to learn what the SEC’s policy is on insider trading. Good work, gumshoe! J

STANDARDS ADDRESSED

Social Studies

Standard 1: History of the United States and New York

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States..

Standard 4: Economics

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of how the United States and other societies develop economic systems and associated institutions to allocate scarce resources, how major decision-making units function in the United States and other national economies, and how an economy solves the scarcity problem through market and non-market mechanisms.

Standard 5: Civics, Citizenship, and Government

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the United States and other nations; the United States Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.

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 2: Language for Literary Response and Expression

Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from American and world literature; relate texts and performances to their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for self-expression and artistic creation.

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.