Cell Phone Use
at Baychester M.S.
8th Grade
Ms. Sharra Jackson
INTRODUCTION
Our Academics
are at Risk!
Over the past
few months, it has become very apparent that students have their cell phones
out in class. This has become a problem in our school.
We, the
teachers, are asking you, as the members of the 8th grade Varsity class, to
analyze this issue, and present viable solutions.
TASK
What is the Cell Phone Policy?
You will work
as a group of 4 to:
● Research the current school and NYC DOE cell phone policies
● Gather real-time data by going into classrooms in all 3
grades (we will talk about this)
● Based on what you discover, you will work as a group to
present possible solutions to the school
***At the end
of our research sessions, your group will be expected to produce a PowerPoint
presentation of at least 2 slides per member (8-10 in total) to present your
findings to the class/school. You will use the Public Policy Analyst (PPA)
format.
PROCESS/RESOURCES
You will work
in groups of 4 as determined by the teacher.
1)
Your PowerPoint MUST include
at least one slide for each step of the PPA. Please use the resources below to
complete the linked worksheets. These worksheets become items to use in your
PowerPoint.
★ Define the Problem- Worksheet 1
★ Gather the Evidence- Worksheet 2
★ Identify the Causes- Worksheet 3
★ Evaluate an Existing Policy- Worksheet 4
★ Develop a Solution- Worksheet 5
★ Select the Best Solution- Worksheet 6
2) Your PowerPoint should also
include a title slide, at least two charts/diagrams, one data chart, and
references.
Resources:
Cell phone Policies: NYC DOE Cell Phone Policy for Students
(CANNOT
Insert Baychester M.S. link for cell phone policy- WE DON'T HAVE ONE!!!)
EVALUATION
PowerPoint Rubric |
||||
CATEGORY |
4 EXCELLENT |
3 VERY GOOD |
2 SATISFACTORY |
1 UNACCEPTABLE |
USE
OF PPA |
INCLUDES
ALL STEPS OF THE PPA |
INCLUDES
MOST STEPS OF THE PPA |
INCLUDES
ALL STEPS OF THE PPA BUT WITH INACCURACIES |
DOES
NOT INCLUDE PPA AS A FORMAT OR HAS MANY INACCURACIES |
Cooperation |
ALL
MEMBERS OF THE GROUP TOOK PART IN CONSTRUCTION OF THE POWERPOINT (RESEARCH). |
ALL
MEMBERS TOOK PART IN CONSTRUCTION OF THE POWERPOINT BUT NOT EQUALLY. |
FOUR OF THE FIVE MEMBERS TOOK PART IN
CONSTRUCTION OF THE POWERPOINT. |
THE
POWERPOINT HAD LITTLE GROUP COOPERATION AND WAS CONSTRUCTED BY ONE MEMBER |
Originality |
Presentation
shows considerable originality and inventiveness. The content and ideas are
presented in a unique and interesting way. |
Presentation
shows some originality and inventiveness. The content and ideas are presented
in an interesting way. |
Presentation
shows an attempt at originality and inventiveness on 1-2 cards. |
Presentation
is a rehash of other people's ideas and/or graphics and shows very little
attempt at original thought. |
Text
– Font Choice & Formatting |
Font
formats (e.g., color, bold, italic) have been carefully planned to enhance
readability and content. |
Font
formats have been carefully planned to enhance readability. |
Font
formatting has been carefully planned to complement the content. It may be a
little hard to read. |
Font
formatting makes it very difficult to read the material. |
Content
- Accuracy |
All
content throughout the presentation is accurate. There are no factual errors. |
Most
of the content is accurate but there is one piece of information that might
be inaccurate. |
The
content is generally accurate, but one piece of information is clearly flawed
or inaccurate. |
Content
is typically confusing or contains more than one factual error. |
Spelling
and Grammar |
Presentation
has no misspellings or grammatical errors. |
Presentation
has 1-2 misspellings, but no grammatical errors. |
Presentation
has 1-2 grammatical errors but no misspellings. |
Presentation
has more than 2 grammatical and/or spelling errors. |
Sequencing
of Information |
Information
is organized in a clear, logical way. It is easy to anticipate the type of
material that might be on the next card. |
Most
information is organized in a clear, logical way. One card or item of
information seems out of place. |
Some
information is logically sequenced. An occasional card or item of information
seems out of place. |
There
is no clear plan for the organization of information. |
Use
of Graphics |
All
graphics are attractive (size and colors) and support the theme/content of
the presentation. |
A
few graphics are not attractive but all support the theme/content of the
presentation. |
All
graphics are attractive but a few do not seem to support the theme/content of
the presentation. |
Several
graphics are unattractive AND detract from the content of the presentation. |
Effectiveness |
Project
includes all material needed to gain a comfortable understanding of the
topic. It is a highly effective study guide. |
Project
includes most material needed to gain a comfortable understanding of the
material but is lacking one or two key elements. It is an adequate study
guide. |
Project
is missing more than two key elements. It would make an incomplete study
guide. |
Project
is lacking several key elements and has inaccuracies that make it a poor
study guide. |
CONCLUSION
Now that you have completed this web
quest, you are now familiar with how cell phones are being used and abused at
Baychester Middle School. You have researched its causes, its effects, and the
potential solutions we can use to fix the cell phone problem at our school.
STANDARDS
ELA:
RI.8.7: Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of
using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to
present a particular topic or idea.
RI.8.8: Delineate and evaluate the argument and
specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the
evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is
introduced.
RI.8.9: Analyze a case in which two or more texts
provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree
on matters of fact or interpretation.
W.8.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a
question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and
generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues
of exploration.
Science:
SL.8.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on
grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing
their own clearly.
SL.8.1d: Acknowledge new information expressed by
others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the
evidence presented.
SL.8.4: Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.