P. Sealy

MS 166

Percy06@aol .com

Introduction

Have you ever felt pressured to do the things which you know to be wrong just to be part of the group? Have you ever had to walk away from a confrontation even though you were right? What about being called a Snitch? Are you the type of person who will see violence and look the other side?

Many youth in our schools today just do not have the courage to stand up to violence. In fact many of them will often deny that violence and bullying are not a problem to them. In many instances students assume an air of toughness because they fear being a victim themselves. Also national statistics on school violence indicate the violence amongst junior and high school students is on the decline yet recent comments by significant persons and actions on the part of parents and others suggest that violence in New York City schools is still a cause for serious concern.

Imagine yourself to be a member of Mayor Bloomberg’s Committee on School Violence. Your assignment is to investigate the nature and incidence of violence in strategic city schools and report to the mayor.

Task

Your task in this WebQuest is to prepare a PowerPoint presentation of three to five slides. Your presentation must:

Ø Describe the problem of school violence in clear and specific terms.

Ø Present evidence of the problem.

Ø Identify some possible causes of the problem.

Ø Describe the present policy of the authorities towards the situation.

Ø Identify some workable alternatives to help reduce and eliminate the scourge.

Process

Ø You will work in groups of four. Each member of the group will assume one of the following roles: researcher, reader, writer, and presenter.

Ø Research the problem of school violence using the websites provided below. Summarize your research using the TIPS six-step Public Policy Analyst worksheets:

TIPS Worksheet #1 (Defining the problem)

TIPS Worksheet #2 (Gathering evidence of the problem)

TIPS Worksheet #3 (Identifying causes of the problem)

TIPS Worksheet #4 (Evaluating public policy solutions to the problem)

TIPS Worksheet #5 (Developing original public solutions to the problem)

TIPS Worksheet #6 (Choosing the best public policy solution to the problem)

(Please note that not all information found on a specific page may be applicable to the question being explored. Skillful scanning and high lighting will help you to decipher what is appropriate.)

Ø Use the research information that you have summarized on the worksheets to help you create the 5-6-slide PowerPoint presentation.

Resources

Use the following websites to help you in your research:

Ø The Problem

Ø Evidence 1

Evidence 2

Ø Causes

Ø Policy

Ø Other Strategies

Ø Viable Alternative

Evaluation

The following ELA Standards were used in this WebQuest:

d	Demonstrate familiarity with a variety of public documents.
a	Produce a report of information.
e	Demonstrate familiarity with a variety of functional documents.
b	Participate in group meetings.
a	Demonstrate an understanding of the rules of the English language in written and oral work.
c	Prepare and deliver an individual presentation.

Your work will be evaluated according to the following rubric:

CONTENT	Information is accurate, background information is provided. Addresses all aspects of the PPA steps assigned.	Most of the information is accurate. Includes important background information. Most aspects of PPA steps addressed.	Information is accurate. Some background information is included. Employs PPA method.	Uses accurate and inaccurate information. Very little information is provided. Attempts to use the PPA method.	Information is inaccurate. Does not address the question. No background information provided. PPA steps are not addressed
ORAL PRESENTATION	Well articulated presentation. Main points of investigation are presented. Coherent explanations are made.	Presentation is articulate. Presents the essential points of the investigation. Explanations are good.	Presentation is good. Brief mention of all main points. Clarifications are good.	Presentation addresses most of the main points of the task assigned. Presentation is not focused.	Students do not do oral presentation. No effort to explain report is made.
POWER POINT	Appropriate number of slides. Appropriate use of graphs and pictures. Information is understandable.	Uses a minimum of slides. Uses some graphs and pictures appropriate for the task.	Uses less than minimum of slides. Uses graphs and pictures.	Number of slides not corresponding to task. Graphs and pictures are not appropriate.	No presentation. Lacks focus. No graphs or pictures used.
ORGANIZATION	Work follows logical sequence. Clear definition of tasks.	Work follows a logical sequence. Clear definitions are given.	Organization is present.	An attempt to organize work is made.	No logical sequence followed. Steps are out of order.
GROUP WORK	All students are active participants. All members are knowledgeable about the subject. Cooperative presentation. Each member presents evidence of their work.	Most students are active participants. Members have reliable knowledge about the topic. Evidence of individual work is present.	Students work together. Most members have knowledge of each others work.	Students are able to work together. Knowledge of each other’s work is minimal. Students have worked together. However, one person has more knowledge of the subject. One person has done more work than the other.	Group members did not work cooperatively. Only some members worked in the project. No evidence of collaborative work.

Conclusion

By completing this Webquest through the use of the Public Policy Analyst you have been exposed to the principles of social research. You have used the PPA to help structure your research strategy on violence in schools and you are now an expert on that social problem. You have examined the existing public policies in place to combat school violence, and you have proposed original public policy solutions to the problem. You have also gained invaluable experience and expertise in exploring the world of information available on the Internet.