KIDS WHO STEAL

Childhood Theft Without Consequences Has a Negative Impact on Family Life and Leads To A Life of Adult Crime.

“All The Years of Her Life” by Morley Callaghan”

Theresa Pusateri

Walton High School

Miss 2930@aol.com

Childhood Theft Without Consequences Has a Negative Impact on Family Life and Leads To A Life of Adult Crime. As a student at Walton High School, you have over three thousand peers. Unfortunately, some of them may bring the problem of stealing into the school building, where it has a serious impact on the culture and climate of the learning community.

You have been asked to write an article for the Walton High School newspaper. You must use the PPA process to help you complete your editorial. Your point of view is valuable and should be very clear in the writing of this article. Start by reading “All the Years of Her Life,” by Morley Callaghan. In this story, you will read about a young boy who steals and the effect it has on his mother and the community where he lives.

Literature read in class, texts, internet resources will be used in the completion of your project. In your article for the Walton School newspaper, you will be addressing this question: Do you agree that when children steal without consequences they affect their families and may continue their life of crime as adults? Make sure to include your findings about the social problem, consequences and solutions.

You will be following the Public Policy Analyst procedure in helping you gather information to write your article. In order to guide you, there are worksheets available to help you in your task.

You must use the following worksheets in completing your task.

Using the internet will help you in completing the TIPS worksheets. You will be working in groups on your choice of collage or bulletin board display.

Define the problem:

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/select.html

Gather evidence:

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/gather.html

Identify causes:

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/identify.html

Evaluate a policy:

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/existing.html

Develop solution:

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/solutions.html

Select best solution:

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/bestsol.html

You may use the following general search engines to assist you in gathering your research.

Here are some interesting articles that deal with kids who steal:

www.oslc.org/inthenews/steal.html

www.kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/learning_problem/stealing_p2.html

www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020428/spectrum/stress.htm

www.prponline.net/School/HHN/Articles/how_to_help_kids_who_steal.htm

Watch the movie: “Thirteen” and read this article:

www.clickondetroit.com/health/2469452/detail.html

Excellent

Very Good

Satisfactory

Unsatisfactory

Research

Public Policy Analysis

Problem clearly identified and thoroughly researched

All six steps of the PPA are clearly addressed and all worksheets correctly completed

Problem identified and reasonably well researched

All six steps of the PPA are addressed and most worksheets correctly completed

Problem identified with limited research.

All steps of the PPA are addressed, but worksheets could be improved on.

Problem identified but research is lacking

Incomplete worksheets.

Article

Well organized, demonstrates logical sequencing and sentence structure

Well organized, but demonstrates illogical sequencing or sentence structure.

Well organized, but illogical sequencing and sentence structure.

Poorly organized

English Standards:

v Students select information appropriate to the purpose of their investigation and relate ideas from one text to another

v Students select and use strategies they have been taught for note taking, organizing, and categorizing information

v Students gather and interpret information from children's reference books, magazines, textbooks, electronic bulletin boards, audio and media presentations, oral interviews, and from such forms as charts, graphs, maps and diagrams.

v Students compare and synthesize information from different sources.

Social Studies Standards:

*Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas and themes.

*Students will demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing government and laws.

*Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to understand the roles, rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

You have now researched the social problem of theft. You have learned about the consequences and solutions for children who get into the habit of stealing at an early age. You are now an expert and ready to select another social problem to research for class.