Put the Title of the Lesson Here

Gang Violence: Learning from The Outsiders

A WebQuest for High School English/ESL students

Margaret Bright
magpbright@hotmail.com

In your community, there are serious problems with gang violence. After reading The Outsiders and seeing the problems that arise there, your class has decided to create a plan to prevent similar problems from happening in your school. You will investigate the current public policy regarding gang violence in your community and school. You will be the first researchers about gang violence in your school and will present your findings and suggestions to your fellow students and school administrators.

The Task

Each group will investigate the current public policy, evaluate it, suggest changes, and create an action plan to educate their fellow students and change the school’s gang culture.

You will:

Assess what factors cause gangs first in The Outsiders and then in your own community.
Research what policies your school and community have regarding gang violence.
Create an action plan that will educate the students in your school and start to change the culture of acceptance.
Present your plan to fellow students and school administrators.

The Process

1. Now that you’ve finished reading The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, work in groups of three to brainstorm the reasons that The Greasers and Socs formed gangs.

What pressures did the Greasers have that caused them to join together?
What caused the Socs to form a gang?
Using evidence from the book, describe how you believe the groups interacted at school.

2. Compare your school to the Greasers’ school.

· How is your school different from the Greasers’ school?

· How is your school the same as the Greasers’ school?

· What do you believe are the reasons that students at your school join gangs?

3. The head of security of your school is coming to class today. Interview him/her about gang violence in the school. Remember to take notes. Each group will have one question to ask. When every group has asked a question, you may ask follow-up questions.

What gangs are present in the school?
How many people (estimated) are in gangs?
What problems does the school have because of gang violence?
What has the school done to try and prevent gangs in the school?
What is the policy about gangs and violence in the school?

4. Use the Public Policy Analyst to assist you in researching for your presentation.

5. Each member of your group will choose one of the researcher roles. For each website you need to answer the following questions. Please be sure to investigate the links for more information.

a. What causes gangs to form?

b. What are signs that someone might join a gang?

c. What are signs that someone might be in a gang?

d. How can gangs be prevented at school?

e. What can families and friends do to prevent someone from joining a gang?

f. How does this information differ from The Outsiders? How is it the same?

Researcher 1:

http://www.wnye.nycenet.edu/projectsave

http://www.casanet.org/library/delinquency/teenage.htm

http://www.cfah.org/hbns/newsrelease/manysouthbronx11-15-99.cfm

Researcher 2:

http://www.safeyouth.org/scripts/topics/gangs.asp

http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/doc/html/giu3.html

http://www.gangsorus.com/

Researcher 3:

http://www.schoolsecurity.org/trends/gangs.html

http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/ofpa/pdfdocs/antiviol.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00022011.htm

6. As a group, create a concept web (on template copies provided) for questions a-e in part 5. Use information from each website. Remember to cite where you found the information.

7. Using your interview, results from the Public Policy Analyst, and your own experiences, decide what information you need to present to your fellow students to educate them about gang violence in schools and what they can do to change their school. You will need to make a presentation of this information to your classmates.

Your presentation should:

· Allow each group member to speak for at least 5 minutes.

· Present general information about gangs.

· Share information about gangs and violence in your school.

· Explain the current gang and violence policy and what recommendations you have to make the school safer.

In addition, your group should be prepared to answer questions from the audience about your research and proposal.

Evaluation

You will be assessed based on the presentation that you make to your classmates as well as successful completion of all steps leading up to the presentation.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Students are able to compile information from various websites	Some websites are used for information but not all.	Websites were all read but research from each is not used.	Evidence of all websites being used.	Evidence of all websites being used with connections between sites.
Concept Webs	Answered some questions. Used some websites. Did not cite sources.	Answered each question. Used most websites. Cited some sources.	Answered each question. Used all websites. Cited most sources.	Answered each question. Used all websites. Cited all sources.
Presentation Skills	Read entire presentation. Addressed the floor or ceiling, rather than audience. Little or no eye contact. Slouched or leaned against something. Poor grammar. Difficulty pronouncing words, or used words below ability level.	Read much of the information. Addressed the audience sometimes. Infrequent eye contact. Voice volume wavered. Some slouching and talking to the floor. Lapses of grammar and some difficulty pronouncing words. .	Information was relayed, with little or no reading. Addressed the audience most of the time. Occasional eye contact. Voice could be heard most of the time. Good posture. Good grammar and pronunciation of words.	Information was relayed, not read Addressed the audience at all times (and not the floor or ceiling) Frequent eye contact Voice could be heard all the time Great posture (no slouching, head up) Great grammar and pronunciation of words.
Application of Action Plan	Action Plan does not make connections between research and school problems. Offers only one solution. Can not be instituted.	Action Plan does not make many connections between research and school problems. Offers one solution or solutions that can not be instituted.	Action Plan makes some connections between research and school problems. Offers a few solutions that can be instituted.	Action Plan makes connections between research and school problems. Recommends many solutions that can be instituted.

Conclusion

After you make your presentation, the head of security (and other students and administrators) will consult you about your recommendations. You will all work together to change the gang and violence policies of your school throughout the school year to create a safer school.

NYS Standards

English Language Arts

E1c Read and comprehend informational materials.

E3b Participate in group meetings.

E4a Independently and habitually demonstrate an understanding of the rules of the English language in written and oral work.

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.

Applied Learning

A1c Plan and organize an event or activity: Take responsibility for all aspects of planning and organizing an event or an activity from concept to completion, making good use of the resources of people, time, money, and materials and facilities.

A2a Make an oral presentation of project plans or findings to an audience with expertise in the relevant subject matter.

A3a Gather information to assist in completing project work.

A5a Participate in the establishment and operation of self-directed work teams.

Credits and References

Thank you to the following groups for the use of their research, links and images in our WebQuest: