Web Quest

Mr. K. Guimaraes

High School for Violin & Dance

Noise Pollution

INTRODUCTION:

City life is tough by anyone’s standards. But what makes living in New York so difficult for so many people? Is it the crime? The pollution? Living right on top of and next to someone? Maybe it’s the constant sounds that make city life what it is. Does sound define our environment or can it be a part of the problem? When does sound become noise? When does noise become pollution?

Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is returning to continue the work he’s started as Mayor of New York City. You are in charge of his re-election campaign. Mr. Giuliani intends to revive his assault on Quality of Life crimes, and noise pollution is number one on his list. You are to conduct a thorough analysis of noise and its various impacts. Specifically, he wants to know what can be done by way of policy and legislation to significantly reduce the sources of unwanted sound that contribute to the existing noise pollution making living in the New York City so difficult for many people.

TASK:

First, you must visit the T.I.P.S. Science Public Policy Analyst website and complete the six worksheets detailed below.

Second, you will complete 2-page research paper summarizing your findings about noise pollution in New York City.

Third, you will complete a Personal Observation Log of noise pollution at home.

Fourth, you will design and complete an opinion poll of 20 of your friends, family, and neighbors identifying what they consider noise and how it impacts their lives. Your survey will serve as a test model that will be modified and used citywide.

Finally, you will prepare and present a 5-minute oral presentation to Mr. Giuliani in defense of your findings about noise pollution in New York City and your recommendations of the most effective way to deal with it through policy and/or legislation.

PROCESS:

Your class will be divided into groups of four, and you will work collaboratively on this project. Follow the steps below; they will be helpful as you develop and present your work. Each of the steps has a worksheet that must be completed. At each hyperlink below you will find further extended explanation for unfamiliar terms:

1. Defining the problem

2. Gathering evidence of the problem

3. Identifying causes of the problem

4. Evaluating existing public policy

5. Developing your own public policy solution

6. Choosing the best public policy solution

In addition to the six worksheets, you must also complete the following tasks:

Compose a 2-page research paper summarizing your findings about noise pollution in New York City. Your paper should address the following questions:

1. What is difference between sound and noise?

2. What are sources of noise in New York City?

3. When does noise become more than an inconvenience?

4. What effects does noise have on well being?

5. What has been done about noise pollution in New York City?

Complete a Personal Observation Log (POL) of noise pollution at home. Do this at 3 different times on 3 different days and record your results to the following questions:

1. Find a place at home and sit there for 30 minutes. (What time did you start?)

a. Count how many times you hear a car horn

b. Count how many times you hear a car alarm

c. Count how many times you hear music (not coming from inside your home)

2. Do these sounds bother you? Did you notice them before you counted them?

3. Name one place you’ve been to where these sounds are NOT a problem. Are there other sounds in that place that annoy you? What are they?

Design and execute an opinion poll of 20 of your friends, family, and neighbors identifying what they feel is noise pollution and how it impacts their lives. Your survey will serve as a test model that will be modified and used citywide.

1. Identify the demographics of your population.

2. What sounds do they consider to be noise?

3. Are these particular sounds prevalent where they live?

4. Do these noises cause disruption in their lives?

Finally, prepare and present a 5-minute oral presentation to Mr. Giuliani in defense of your findings about noise pollution in New York City and your recommendations of the most effective way to deal with it through policy and/or legislation.

RESOURCES:

You may find the following websites useful in your research on noise pollution. Please keep in mind that issues related to and decisions dealing with “noise” can be made very subjectively. You have to be conscious of the sources of the information and their motivations for sharing it.

An article about the Right to Quiet Movement

The organizational goals the Right To Quiet Society

Frequently Asked Questions about the Right To Quiet Society

Hyperlinks to the allies and adversaries of the Right To Quiet Society

Guidelines from the American Bar Association about noise and rights

A very opinionated newsletter

Yet another very opinionated newsletter

USA Today article about noise and efforts to stop it

Table of common sounds and their “loudness”

Government Website from Canada… way too wordy

Focus on the following sections:

Sound vs. Noise

The kinds of noise

Is my workplace too loud?

Scientific difference between sound and noise… interesting!

Summary of sound vs. noise

Effects of noise pollution

More on the effects of noise pollution

NYC noise code ordinances

What can be done legally about noisy neighbors?

Local newspaper article specifically noise pollution in NYC

Noise pollution in classroom

America's Most (and Least) Stressful Cities

EVALUATION:

Rubric for the Grading of Research Paper

Criteria	3 points	2 points	1 point	0 points
Content: Central Questions	Thoughtful, well-researched answers are provided for all of the 5 questions posed	Thoughtful, well-researched answers are provided for 4 of the questions posed	Thoughtful answers are provided for the 3 of the questions posed	Fails to provide insight into the questions posed
SPPA Worksheets	All 6 SPPA worksheets submitted and completed satisfactorily	5 of the 6 SPPA worksheets submitted and completed satisfactorily	4 of the 6 SPPA worksheets submitted and completed satisfactorily	3 or fewer SPPA worksheets submitted and completed satisfactorily
Organization	Paper shows significant forethought in preparation. Transitions flow comfortably from topic to topic	Paper shows forethought in preparation. Transitions flow from topic to topic with little awkwardness	Paper shows little forethought in preparation. Transitions from topic to topic rather awkward	Paper haphazardly put together. No evidence of relation made between topics
Display/Aesthetics	Paper is clear and informative. Authors provide concrete evidence of what they learned about noise pollution	Paper is informative. Authors provide some evidence of what they learned about noise pollution	Some information has been provided, but paper is unclear. Authors do not provide much evidence of what they learned about noise pollution	Paper is uninformative and unenlightened. Authors fail to provide any evidence of what they learned about noise pollution

Rubric for the Grading of Oral Presentation

Criteria	3 points	2 points	1 point	0 points
Content: Review of Evidence Available	Identifies and clearly describes one or more lesson/concept about geologic change	Identifies at least 1 lesson/concept about geologic change	Identifies 1 lesson/concept about geologic change	Fails to identify lesson/concept about geologic change
Content: Lessons Learned from POL and Survey	Provides 3 or more sources of evidence to support each lesson/concept about geologic change	Provides 2 sources of evidence to support lesson/concept about geologic change	Provides 1 source of evidence to support lesson/concept about geologic change	Fails to provide any evidence to support lesson/concept
Organization	Presentation is well prepared and organized. Every group member participates in presentation	Presentation is prepared and organized. One group member does not participate in presentation	Presentation is not well prepared or organized. Two group members do not participate in presentation	Presentation is not prepared or organized. Three group members do not participate in presentation
Display/Aesthetics	Presentation is clear and informative. 2 or more visual/auditory displays used to make points. All presenters provide a real sense of what they learned about noise pollution	Presentation is informative. At least 1 visual/auditory display used to make point. 3 presenter provide a real sense of what they learned about noise pollution	Some information has been provided, but presentation is unclear. 2 or more presenters fail to provide a real sense of what they learned noise pollution	Presentation is unclear and uninformative. 3 or more of the presenters provide any sense of what they learned about noise pollution

This Web Quest meets the following NY State English and Science Standards

English

E1c: Read and comprehend informational materials.

E2a: Produce a report of information.

Science

S8a: Demonstrates scientific competence by completing secondary research.

S7b: Argues from evidence.

S7e: Communications in a form suited to the purpose and the audience.

S5c: Uses evidence from reliable sources to develop descriptions, explanations, and models; and makes appropriate

Adjustments and improvements.

S5d: Proposes, recognizes, analyzes, considers, and critiques alternative explanations; and distinguishes between fact and

opinion.

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

S6c: Collects and analyzes data using concepts and techniques in Mathematics Standard 4.

CONCLUSION:

For this project, you should have completed all five of the components identified in the PROCESS section:

1. 6 SPPA worksheets

2. 2 page paper

3. Personal Observation Log

4. Survey

5. Oral presentation

Hopefully now you will have a much better understanding of how obtrusive sounds can cause disruption in people’s lives and what can be done about them to make life better for us all. Living in the city can be difficult for a number of reasons. If we continue to examine the causes behind these issues and (most importantly) put realistic solutions to work towards addressing them, maybe we can make our city a better place.