A webquest by Christine MacMurray (cmacmurray@nyc.rr.com)

Adlai Stevenson High School

 

Ordinary People

 

                        By Judith Guest

 

 

   

 Introduction

            You and your friends have gone to a party thrown by one of the students in your high school English class at Stevenson High School.  After about an hour, one of the other students from your class arrives to say that he had just found out that one of Stevenson’s senior students had killed himself earlier that night. He had somehow gotten his father’s gun and shot himself in the head when no one was home.  He died instantly.  This particular boy was a good student, bound for college.  Everyone is shocked to hear the news.  You all want to know why this kid would do such a thing.  A few of you decide to try to find out why this boy committed suicide, so that you can better understand what’s going on in The Bronx among teenagers, and maybe help prevent the same thing from happening to somebody else.

           

 

 

           

 

The Task

 

 

 

  1. You will work in pairs.
  2. You will conduct research to find out what the suicide rate is in New York City.
  3. You will conduct research to find out what programs have been created and implemented to deal with the problem of teenage suicide in New York City. 
  4. You will find out if the programs implemented have reduced the suicide rate.
  5. You will create a policy that you and your partner think may help to reduce the rate teenage suicide in New York City.
  6. You will present your findings to the class, and hand in a four to five page typed report.

 

The Process

 

 

1.      You and your partner will research the Internet using the Resources section to find out the teenage suicide rate in New York City.

2.      You and your partner will research the internet using the Resources section to identify the agencies in New York City that have been charged with the task of dealing with the problem of teenage suicide in New York City.

3.      You and your partner will research the internet using the resources listed to identify some of the methods currently used by those agencies to deal with the problem of teenage suicide. 

4.      You and your partner will investigate the websites listed in the Resources section and also the links provided in those websites to find information relevant to your task.

5.      You and your partner will contact one or more agencies or programs represented by the websites listed in the Resource section and arrange at least one interview with someone who actually deals with teenage suicide.

6.       You and your partner will develop a policy of dealing with teenage suicide in New York City based on the knowledge gained by researching the websites listed in the Resource section and by talking to employees of agencies dealing with teenage suicide.

7.      You and your partner will complete the Public Policy Analyst worksheets: 
a. Defining the Social Problem  b. Evaluating Existing Public Policies
( http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/select.html).

8.      You will write a five-page paper presenting your findings.  You will include in your paper the names of the websites you have used and the agencies your have contacted.

9.      You will present your findings to the class.

 

Resources

 

TIPS Website

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips/resres.html

 

Search Engines

https://www.google.com

http://www.altavista.com

http://questia.com

http://www.ask.com/

 

Statistics

http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/vital_statistics/2000/toc.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr52/nvrs52_03.pdf

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/pdf/vs/2002sum.pdf

 

Programs and Information

http://ppnyc.org/facts/life.html

http://www.teenscreen.org

http://www.nycenet.edu/Educators/default.htm

http://www.nycenet.edu/Administration/Offices/youthdev/default.htm

http://www.nycenet.edu/Administration/Offices/youthdev/SubstanceAbuseViolencePrevention/default.htm

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/pdf/data/2003nhp-bronxg.pdfhttp://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases/facility-search.aspx?state=NY&fullname=New+York

http://www.cdc.gov/

http://www.caresproject.org/

 

Evaluation

 

 

You will be evaluated in all areas as a team.  You and your partner will both be responsible for the work sheets, the written report, and the oral presentation.

 

  1. The work sheets will be completed and handed in with your written report.  You will receive 20 points for the complete worksheets.
  2. The written report will be no less than five typed pages (double-spaced, font size of 12 or less).  The report will be written using standard English and according to a set standard of style for reports that will be provided by the teacher (i.e., MLA Style Sheet). 
  3. The oral presentation will be no less than 15 minutes, will be engaging, well presented, and your new policy for dealing with the problem of teenage suicide in New York City will be clearly delineated.

Your work will be evaluated according to the following rubric:

 

GRADE:

1

 

2

3

4

Oral Presentation

Oral presentation is not well done nor does it clearly explain the policy created to deal with teenage suicide in New York City.

Oral presentation is adequately done and explains the proposed new policy for dealing with teenage suicide in New York City fairly well. 

Oral presentation is well done but it either does not capture the audience or clearly explain the proposed policy for dealing with teenage suicide in New York City.

Oral presentation is well done, interesting, and clearly explains of the policy created to deal with teenage suicide in New York City.

Research

Resources provided are inappropriate and incomplete.

Resources are appropriate but incomplete.

Resources are appropriate and complete but insufficient.

Resources are appropriate, complete, and sufficient.

Report & Worksheets

 

Written report does not use the conventions of standard written English.

Written report shows weak usage of the conventions of  standard Written English.

Written report shows acceptable usage of the conventions of standard written English.

Written repose shows superior use of the conventions of standard written English

 

 

New York  State Learning Standards:

 

English Language Arts
Standard 1 - Language for Information and Understanding

Students will read, write, listen, and speak 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 to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

 
Standard 2 - Language for Literary Response and Expression

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary expression - Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances, 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 for self-expression and artistic creation.

 
Standard 3 - Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Students will read, write, listen, and speak 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 present, in oral and written language and from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

 
Standard 4 - Language for Social Interaction

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction - Students will use oral and written language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.

Math, Science, Technology
Standard 1 - Analysis, Inquiry, and Design

Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

 
Standard 2 - Information Systems

Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

 

 

Conclusion

 

By completing this project, you will have gained an understanding of the seriousness of the problem of teenage suicide in New York City.  You will be familiar with the main causes of teenage suicide. You will have a working knowledge of the methods that have been developed and implemented in New York City by both government and private agencies to deal with this problem.  You will have met and conversed with at least one professional whose responsibility it is to deal with this problem in his or her work.  And you will have created a solution that you believe, if implemented, might help to reduce the suicide rate among teenagers in New York City.