Mrs. K. Casey Adlai E. Stevenson High School

ancabhan@excite.com

Introduction

You and have just obtained a job at Montifore Hospital as a 1^st year resident (new doctor still in medical school). While completing rounds you have taken notice of the alarming number of cancer patients and infants born with various birth defects. As you continue to complete you rounds (checking on patients) you wonder what is causing these problems in such alarming numbers. It is often suggested that contact with various chemicals and agents in the environment may be a cause for cancer, but you want more evidence of this in these local cases. Also you wonder about current policies that try to reduce the environmental risks of carcinogen exposure in the Bronx. As a resident in Montifore Hospital you must submit a research proposal by the end of the academic (school) year in order to move onto 2^nd year resident. In your research proposal you must include the problem, causes, and possible solutions.

Task

Your job is to write a 2-3 page paper using MS Word and make an oral presentation. You will be using the steps of the science PPA to help gather the information needed to write your paper and create your presentation. Be sure you include the problem you are researching, the causes of the problem, and possible solutions.

Process

In order to complete this assignment you will be using the steps of the science PPA, by clicking on the underlined words you can see the steps of the science PPA, outlined below. Each step of the science PPA has a worksheet that will be used to gather information for your assignment. Be sure you complete each sheet and submit along with your paper. I will be distributing each of the worksheets. These worksheets will be checked on a daily basis to be sure you are completing your paper. Below are the steps of the science PPA and the worksheets for each step.

1. Define the problem (worksheet 1) * Be sure to identify the word “carcinogen”

2. Gather evidence of the problem (worksheet 2)

3. Identify the causes of the problem (worksheet 3)

4. Evaluate (look at) existing (current) public policies (worksheet 4)

5. Develop new policies that could be used to solve the problem (worksheet 5)

6. Select the best policy (solution) for the problem (worksheet 6)

*Use the resources below to help you get started with your worksheets

After completing the worksheets you will write your 2-3 page paper discussing your findings and defending the policy or policies you want to see followed in order to deal with this serious problem. After that, be prepared to make an oral presentation to the class about your topic.

Resources

1. CDCà National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

2. Web Md

3. American Cancer Societyà Cancer statistics

4. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

*These are just a few websites that may be helpful in your search. Please try to find some sites on your own.

Evaluation

Your work will be graded using the following rubric

	1= Poor	2= Below Average	3= Average	4=Above Average	5=Excellent	TOTAL
Worksheet 1	Answers 1 question correctly	Answers 2 questions correctly	Answers 2 ½ questions correctly	Answers 3 questions correctly	Answers 4 questions correctly
Worksheet 2	Restating the problem	1 Source of data	2 Sources of data	3 Sources of data	4 Sources of data
Worksheet 3	Identifying 1 cause	Identifying 2 causes	Identifying 3 causes	Identifying 4 causes	Identifying 5 causes
Worksheet 4	Restating the problem	Answers 1 question correctly	Answers 2 questions correctly	Answers 3 questions correctly	Answer 4 questions correctly
Worksheet 5	Restating the problem	Proposing 1 sensible alternative	Proposing 2 sensible alternatives	Proposing 3 sensible alternatives	Proposing 4 sensible alternatives
Worksheet 6	Restating the problem	Summary of alternative 1	Summary of alternative 2	Summary of alternative 3	Summary of alternative 4
Defining the Problem	Problem is not correctly defined	Problem is not clearly defined	Problem is defined	Problem is clearly defined	Problem is clearly defined and understood
Gathering Evidence	1 piece of evidence included	2 piece of evidence included	3 pieces of evidence included	4 pieces of evidence included	5 or more pieces of evidence included
Identifying the causes	1 cause identified	2 causes identified	3 causes identified	4 causes identified	5 or more causes identified
Evaluation of current policies	Policy of little relevance evaluated	1 Policy of relevance evaluated	2 policies of relevance evaluated	3 policies of relevance evaluated	4 or more policies of relevance evaluated
Development of new policies	Developing an irrelevant policy	Developing 1 new policy	Developing 2 new policies	Developing 3 new policies	Developing 4 or more policies
Selection of the best policy	Current policy is selected	Selection of a policy that is of little relevance	Selection of a policy that addresses the problem	Selection of a policy that clearly addresses the problem	Selection of a policy that clearly illustrates and addresses the problem
Works cited	Correctly lists 1 source of info	Correctly lists 2 sources of info	Correctly lists 3 sources of info	Correctly lists4 sources of info	Correctly lists 5 or more sources of info
Paper length	½ page	1 page	1 ½ pages	2 – 2 ½ pages	3 pages
Oral Presentation	Poor presentation	Fair presentation. Lacks more than 1 part of the written paper	Fair presentation Lacks 1 part of the written paper	Good presentation covers all parts of the written paper	Excellent Presentation covers all parts of the written paper in great detail
Total Points

5= Excellent 4= Above Average 3= Average 2= Below Average 1= Poor

Conclusion

Upon the completion of this webquest you should know what a carcinogen is and the damage it may cause. You should be able to evaluate policies pertaining to the problem you have explained and establish new policies to the expressed problem by using the data and research you have collected.

Standards

New York City Performance Standards: Science

S4a Demonstrates an understanding of cause and effect

S4c Demonstrates an understanding of disease and epidemiology

S4d Demonstrates an understanding of the impact of technology

S4e Demonstrates an understanding of the impact of science

S5a Frames questions to distinguish cause and effect.

S5c Uses information from reliable sources to develop descriptions, explanations, and models.

S5d Proposes, recognizes, analyzes, considers, and critiques alternative explanations.

S5e Identifies problems; proposes and implements solutions; and evaluates the accuracy, design, and outcomes of investigations.

S5f Works individually and in teams to collect and share information and ideas.

S6a Uses technology and tools to observe and measure objects, organisms, and phenomena; directly, indirectly, and remotely; with appropriate consideration of accuracy and precision.

S6d Acquires information from multiple sources, such as print, the Internet, computer data bases, and experimentation.

S7a Represents data and results in multiple ways, such as numbers, tables, and graphs.

S7c Critiques published materials, such as popular magazines and academic journals.

S7d Explains a scientific concept or procedure to other students.

S7e Communicates in a form suited to the purpose and the audience, such as by writing instructions that others can follow; critiquing written and oral explanations.

New York City Performance Standards: English

E6a The student critiques public documents with an eye to strategies common in public discourse, including citing of appropriate references or authorities.

E7a The student critiques functional documents with an eye to strategies common to effective functional documents, including: logic of the sequence in which the directions are given.

E7b The student produces functional documents appropriate to audience and purpose, in which the student: reports, organizes, and conveys information and ideas accurately.

New York City Performance Standards: Applied Learning

A3c The student uses word-processing software to produce a multi-page document.