WebQuest

TEENAGE

ALCOHOL

ABUSE

Eileen Mone

John F. Kennedy HS

Eileenmone@hotmail.com

Alcohol abuse can have a severe impact on many aspects of society. Work, school, relationships, and health can all suffer when alcohol abuse remains untreated.

We see that alcohol abuse is prevalent in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. Overdrinking has negatively affected some of the characters, leading them to make bad choices or behave in a socially inappropriate manner.

Your group will research and present the ill-effects of alcohol abuse on society. Pay particular attention to teen alcohol abuse. What will happen to you if you abuse alcohol consistently? Your group will find information on the causes and effects of alcohol abuse. Your group will then use this information to create a preventative program for teens@ JFK. How can you educate your peers about alcohol abuse?

Your group will complete the six public policy worksheets below, a visual on large posterboard, and a 5 minute oral presentation based on your findings.

Complete the following workseets (1 sheet per group). These will help you to summarize your findings:

1. Use the websites provided in the Resources section to research the problem of teen alcohol abuse in the United States and develop original public policy solutions:

a. Define the problem. http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet1.doc

b. Gather evidence of the problem. http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet2.doc

c. Identify causes of the problem. http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet3.doc

d. Evaluate existing public policies on the problem.

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet4.doc

e. Develop original public policy solution. http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet5.doc

f. Choose the best solution. http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet6.doc

2. Your oral presentation should include your findings on the causes and effects of teen alcohol abuse, the public policies already in place to prevent teen alcohol abuse, and your own original public policy solutions for preventing alcohol abuse among JFK students. DO NOT FORGET TO LIST YOUR SOURCES.

3. Your visual (e.g., poster board, brochure, photograph display, video, etc.) for the oral presentation should have pictures that represent your findings and suggestions.

Below you will find some websites about alcohol abuse:

http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/booklet.htm

http://www.alcohol-abuse-effects.com/

http://www.yaerd.org/

http://www.spinet.org/booze/alcyouth.html

http://www.adolescentcrisisteam.com/topics/Teen+Alcohol+Abuse.jsp

http://www.family-teen-program.com/gi-teen-alcohol-abuse.htm

http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/alcohol/alcoholism/soc_prob.htm

http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/alcohol/adolesc.htm

http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/alcohol/eff-soc.htm

http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/tl/rq/alcohol_1.jsp

http://www.jointogether.org/sa/resources/facts/reader/0,1896,26070,00.html

You grade will be based on the following rubric:

Points	4	3	2	1	Overall Total 10 points
Development & Organization Of research materials	Excellent, High quality development and organization, thorough clarification	Very good development, Organization and clarification	Somewhat good organization, needs some work on organization and development	Poor, unprepared, un-organized and not clear
Oral Presentation	All Students participated; exceptional, clear, thorough and intelligent oral presentation	All Students participated; Good, clear presentation	Students were somewhat clear; quality of presentation needs effort and careful preparation	Students were not clear: noticeable poor careless quality of presentation.
Visual Presentation	Exceptional presentation of visual resources and materials.	Good visual presentation.	Somewhat good visual presentation. Needs improvement	Poor visual presentation. Visually unprepared

This WebQuest addresses the following English Language Arts Standards:

Standard 1:   Language for Information and Understanding

Students will listen, speak, read, and write 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 that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.

Standard 2:   Language for Literary Response and Expression

Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from American and world literature; 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 that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for self-expression and artistic creation.

Standard 3:   Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Students will listen, speak, read, and write 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 use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

Standard 4:   Language for Social Interaction

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. Students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English 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.

Having completed this webquest, you are now an expert on the problem of teen alcohol abuse. You have studied the evidence and causes of this problem, as well as the existing public policies designed to address this social problem. You have also developed your own original public policy solutions and are ready to help teens across the United States stop drinking.