Mrs. Cohen
Adlai E. Stevenson HS

Mrs. Cohen

Adlai E. Stevenson High School

Introduction:

Teenage obesity is one of the biggest health problems facing teens in the USA. Forty percent of NYC students are overweight. Candy machines in schools, McDonald’s and king size candy bars all contribute to this problem. The Snapple juice machines that replaced soda machines in schools are a way that NYC is trying to combat the teenage obesity problem. You and your peers are going to act as peer educators on the topic of Obesity in teens. You will do research on the problem of obesity and create a pamphlet for your peers with practical ways to prevent obesity.

Task:

You will work in groups of two and use the steps of the Public Policy Analyst (PPA) to research the problem of childhood obesity and devise possible solutions to the problem. Each group will receive one grade so all group members are responsible for the quality of the work. You will create an educational pamphlet based on your research:

• Educational Pamphlet: You will create a pamphlet geared toward high school students. In the pamphlet, you will include information on what defines obesity and the extent of childhood obesity in New York City. You will also describe the causes of this problem and current policies that exist to deal with the problem. The pamphlet must also include practical ways that NYC’s teens can achieve healthy body weight. This section of the pamphlet should include references to specific nutrients (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins) that we learned about in class. The pamphlets will be shown to members of the science department and the best pamphlet will be distributed to your peers. The pamphlet should be typed and should be in the format of a folded brochure. Remember, you want your friends to read this pamphlet and learn from it so make it interesting!

Process:

In order to create your pamphlet, you will follow the steps outlined below. Clicking on the underlined word will explain what you need to do for each step. Each step includes a worksheet and should translate into a section of your report. I will hand out paper copies of each worksheet. Each group must complete one set of worksheets that will serve as an outline to your paper and will let me know that you are in fact working on your project. You will earn two points for each completed worksheet. Each step is followed by a hyperlink that will take you to research related to that step. DO NOT copy the information directly from these pages. You are encouraged to do additional research on your own.

1. Define the problem. (worksheet1) Be sure to define the term ‘obesity’ and include a description of BMI.

Resource 1

Resource 2

Resource 3

2. Gather evidence of the problem (worksheet2) (use the above resources)

3. Find some causes for the problem (worksheet3)

Causes of teenage obesity

Causes of childhood obesity

Obesity in NYC schools

4. Look at the current policies associated with the problem and list the positive and negative aspects of the polices (worksheet4)

Nutritional Policies in NYC schools 1

Nutritional Policies in NYC schools 2

NYS physical education requirements

5. Come up with NEW policies that you think will help solve the problem.(worksheet5)

6. Choose the best policy. (worksheet6)

Click here to search for pictures that you would like to include in your pamphlet.

Evaluation:

You will be graded as a group according to the rubric below. Your score for each aspect of the assignment will be summed and you will receive a grade of A-F.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Worksheet 1
Worksheet 2
Worksheet 3
Worksheet 4
Worksheet 5
Worksheet 6
Defining the Problem	Problem defined incorrectly.	Problem defined incompletely, no mention of BMI.	All aspects of problem clearly defined.	Definition of problem reflects clear understanding of problem.
Gathering Evidence of the Problem	No evidence of problem cited.	1 piece of evidence included.	2 pieces of evidence included.	2 pieces of evidence included. Evidence is particular to NYC high school students.
Determining Causes of the Problem	1 cause mentioned.	3 causes mentioned.	3 causes specific to NYC high school students mentioned.	4 causes specific to NYC high schools mentioned.
Looking at Current Policies	Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting a beginning level of performance.	Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting development and movement toward mastery of performance.	Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting mastery of performance.	Description of identifiable performance characteristics reflecting the highest level of performance.
Practical Solutions Included in Pamphlet	No practical solutions included.	One practical solution included.	More than one practical solution included.	Multiple practical solutions that would appeal to high school students included.
Scientific Content of Pamphlet	There is no reference made to class material.	Reference is made to biochemical molecules.	Biochemical molecules are included when discussing practical solutions.	Practical solutions include specific amounts of biochemical molecules.
Visual Appeal of Pamphlet	Pamphlet is hand written without color.	Pamphlet is typed without pictures.	Pamphlet is typed with pictures in black and white.	Pamphlet is typed with pictures in color.
Level of Pamphlet	Not appropriate for high school students.	Appropriate for high school students but not well organized.	Appropriate for high school students and well organized.	Appropriate for high school students, well organized and will grab the interest of high school students.
Total Score
Letter Grade	A = 44 - 38	B = 37 - 34	C = 33 - 29	D = 28 - 27	F = < 27

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Written by Mrs. Cohen. Last updated 08/31/04.

Conclusion:

By the time you complete this webquest, you will be familiar with the problem of childhood obesity in NYC. You will critique current social policies dealing with this problem and will come up with practical solutions to this problem based on your knowledge of the causes of childhood obesity and your knowledge of typical teenage behavior.

Standards:

NYC Performance Standards Science:

S4c Demonstrates an understanding of health.

S4d Demonstrates an understanding of the impact of technology.

S4e Demonstrates an understanding of the impact of science.

S5a Frames questions to distinguish cause and effect; and identifies or controls variables.

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.

S5e Identifies problems; proposes and implements solutions; and evaluates the accuracy, design and outcomes of investigations.

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

S6a Uses technology and tools to observe and measure objects, organisms, and phenomena, directly, indirectly, and remotely, with appropriate consideration of accuracy and precision.

S6d Acquires information from multiple sources.

S6e Recognizes and limits sources of bias in data.

S7a Represents data and results in multiple ways

S7b Argues from evidence.

S7c Critiques published materials.

S7d Explains a scientific concept or procedure to other students.

S7e Communicates in a form suited to the purpose and the audience.

Health, Physical Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences:

Standard 2: A Safe and Healthy Environment: Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment.

Standard 3: Resource Management: Students will understand and be able to manage their personal and community resources.

English Language Arts:

Standard 1:   Language for Information and Understanding

Standard 2:   Language for Literary Response and Expression

Standard 3:   Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation