Why Are There So Many Overweight Children in My City: An Exploration

Adolescent obesity is a growing health crisis in New York City.

Pelham Preparatory Academy

Daniel M. O’Brien

Introduction:

P-Diddy has learned that more children and young adults in New York City are obese than ever before. When he heard Dr. Zach Rosen, medical director of Montefiore Family Health Center in the Bronx, say that adolescent obesity is “a bigger problem than heroin, cocaine, alcohol and HIV put together” P-Diddy decided to take action. To be successful, he needs your help.

Your Task:

You will work with a small group to design his new Skinny in the City[D1] program. Because P-Diddy knows how important this program is to the health of all city children, he has given you an unlimited budget. If your group can help him save our city kids, P-Diddy has promised to give your group one-hundred million dollars in cash.

To get paid, you must form groups of 3-4 students and develop a plan to solve the problem of childhood obesity in New York City. But first, your group will research adolescent obesity in New York City and design his Skinny in the City public health campaign.[D2]

Your completed project must include the [D3] following five elements:

1. 6 completed Project Development Sheets

2. a survey, which must be created, circulated and evaluated by your group

3. an informative pamphlet, which must include 3 or more lifestyle suggestions, based on the research findings of your group

4. a creative poster, which includes your Skinny in the City image or symbol

5. a five-minute group presentation

Process:

As P-Diddy’s special analysts, your group must thoroughly research obesity in New York City. He has set six deadlines for you. Each deadline must be met in order to collect your riches. His staff has developed 6 Project Development Sheets (PDS) for you to complete before each deadline. You must complete the sheets using the on-line resources provided.

TASK # 1

· The first PDS is called “Define the Problem.” It is due today.

Click to View: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet1.html

This hyperlink has been provided to assist you in your work today:

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/05/10/hlsa0510.htm

· PDS number 2 is titled “Gathering Evidence” It is due at the end of class tomorrow.

Click to view: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet2.html

This hyperlink has been provided to assist you in your information gathering:

http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/health/20030812/9/489

· PDS number 3 is titled “Identifying the Causes of the Problem”. It is due at the end of class on Wednesday.

Click to View: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet3.html

This hyperlink has been provided to assist you in your work today:

http://www2.acnielsen.com/pubs/2003_q1_ci_trend.shtml

· PDS number 4 is titled “Evaluating Existing Policies”. It is due at the end of class on Thursday.

Click to View: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet4.html

This hyperlink has been provided to assist you in your information gathering:

http://www.pubadvocate.nyc.gov/documents/AllWorkandNoPlay3-23-04.pdf

· PDS number 5 is titled “Developing Policy Solutions”. It is due at the beginning of class on Monday.

Click to view: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet5.html

These hyperlinks have been provided to assist you in your information gathering:

http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/10/25/school_lunch_bill_targets_obesity/

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2003/03/10/hlsc0310.htm

· Your final PDS, “Select Best Solution,” is due at the end of class on Tuesday.

Click to view: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/worksheet6.doc

TASK #2

Now that you have completed all 6 sheets, your group must develop, circulate and evaluate a survey about the lifestyle choices of your peers. Your survey must include at least 7 questions. Of these, three must be related to activity and two must be related to food choices. The survey must be taken by no less than 20 students at Pelham Preparatory Academy. You will use the results of this survey to create a bar graph identifying the food and activity/lifestyle choices of your peers.

Use the following hyperlink to develop your survey:

http://www.opinionpower.com/

TASK #3

The next step is perhaps the most crucial. Your group must now use the information you collected throughout the research process to create an informative pamphlet. Your pamphlet will be the size of a sheet of notebook paper, but turned sideways. It will be folded into three equally-sized regions. You will fill this pamphlet with facts, statistics, questions and suggestions related to adolescent obesity in New York City. It will include your bar graph and no less than three lifestyle suggestions, based on the research findings of your group.

TASK #4

Your creative poster must be on a poster board and should be both colorful and informative. It will include the image or symbol your group has created to go along with the Skinny in the City health campaign. You may include the key points from your informative pamphlet on your poster.

TASK #5

The final element of this project is your five-minute group presentation to P-Diddy. All group members must participate in this presentation. He expects to be given your informative pamphlet, see your poster, hear music, and learn from you how your Skinny in the City ideas will educate and change the habits of New York City children.

Additional Resources:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6142711/?GT1=5462

http://www.mommyguide.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=150

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/health/ny-hekids1001,0,2038408.story?coll=ny-health-headlines

http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/studentwork/cns/2003-03-14/28.asp

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/Living/FatLikeMe_parent_tips_031027-1.html

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2003/10/13/hlsa1013.htm

http://www.opinionpower.com/quickSeveral.html

www.google.com

Evaluation:

The following rubric will be used to assess your group’s work on each element of this project. Though you will be graded as a group, individual effort (or lack of effort) will be recognized.

Requirement:	100-85 %	84-65%	64-0%
PDS	Outstanding. All sheets thorough, detailed and fluent.	Good. All sheets are completed, though some may be more detailed or more thorough than others.	Poor. Sheets not all completed or sheets completed in a careless/haphazard fashion.
Survey	Includes 7+ excellent questions; addresses both food choices and activity well. Circulated to 20 or more students. Evaluation criteria for bar graph are clear, explicit and well-organized.	Includes 7 good questions; addresses food choices and activity fairly well. Circulated to 20 or more students. Evaluation criteria for bar graph is organized.	May include fewer than 7 good questions or questions may not be appropriate for task. Questions do not address food choices/activity effectively. May be circulated to fewer than 20 students. Evaluation criteria disorganized.
Pamphlet	Exciting, detailed, colorful, informative and well-organized in terms of content, layout and design. Bar graph and lifestyle suggestions are clear and descriptive.
Poster	Poster is colorful and informative. All information is accurate, relevant and encourages lifestyle change. Includes a creative and memorable symbol that goes extremely well with campaign message. Key points are well-chosen and well-displayed	Poster is good. Information is accurate and relevant. Includes effective symbol for campaign. Key points displayed are good and clear.	Poster is not acceptable. May include too little information or information that is not accurate or not relevant. Symbol may not be effective. Points displayed may be unclear or poor.
Presentation	Presentation is well-timed, all members of group are involved and speak clearly, maintaining eye contact and using effective hand gestures. Poster, pamphlet, music and message are used effectively. Message is clear and convincing.	Presentation is good. Falls within 30-seconds of 5-minute mark. All group members are involved, but speech, eye contact or hand gestures may be inconsistent. Poster, pamphlet, music and message are used.	Presentation needs work. Falls well outside of 5-minute mark. All group members may not be involved or one or more members may read though his/her contribution. Speech and hand gestures poor and uneven. May not use poster, music or pamphlet. Message unclear.

New York State Learning Standards:

English Language Arts

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 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.

Mathematics, Science, and 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.

Standard 7: Interdisciplinary Problem Solving

Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.

Conclusion:

Through extensive Internet research, analysis and evaluation you have become an expert on the effects of poor eating and exercise habits on New York City children. As you worked in cooperation with others on your Web Quest, your interpersonal communication skills improved. Through planning and hard work you successfully managed your time, following a set schedule to meet deadlines and achieve your goals.

After completing your research, you taught me and your classmates a great deal about the health consequences of poor nutrition and not exercising. And finally, you shared with us many of the strategies you discovered that people can use to take control of their health and improve the quality of their lives. Your recommendations were thoughtful, creative, and insightful. I hope you are proud of all you have accomplished; I certainly am! Now, about your millions….