G/T Research Class

G/T Research Class

Lesson 2: Identifying Issues

Objectives:

The student will be able to:

· Identify and analyze the characteristics of an issue.

· Identify possible issues for an original research investigation.

Materials:

· “Issue Visual Discovery” (Teacher Resource Sheet 2.3) with appropriate captioning (UDL I.1.3) for use as a transparency or on a document camera

· “Developing an Issue” for use as a transparency or on a document camera (Teacher Resource Sheet 2.4)

· Copies of “Characteristics of an Issue” (Student Resource Sheet 2.2)

· Print copies and audio copies of “More Crime Hits Howard” (Student Resource Sheet 2.3) or a similar locally-based article on a researchable issue

· Print copies and electronic version of “Developing an Issue” (Student Resource Sheet 2.4)

· Copies of “Issue Inventory” (Student Resource Sheet 2.5)

· Video clip of ”Mighty Ducks”

Context Setting:

Display “Issue Visual Discovery” with appropriate captioning (UDL I.1.3) on the overhead or on a document camera. Explain that the photos show various aspects of the BP oil spill of 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. Have students work in pairs or groups of three to identify the issue and its various points of view (definition provided). (UDL I.2.1, I.2.5, I.3.1, II.5.1, III.8.3)

Procedures:

1. Distribute and review “Characteristics of an Issue” (Student Resource Sheet 2.2). Display the following questions on the document camera or overhead projector (UDL I.1.2) and discuss as a class (UDL III.8.3):

· What is an example of a ‘real world’ issue?

· Why is it important to have different points of view? Is it okay to rely on one news station for a report on world news? Why or why not?

2. Distribute copies of a newspaper article such as “More Crime Hits Howard” (Student Resource Sheet 2.3). (UDL III.7.2) Have students read the article or listen to the audio version/text-to-speech version on computer. (UDL I.2.3) Then, discuss whether or not the topic presented is a researchable issue by modeling “Developing an Issue” (Teacher Resource Sheet 2.4) on the overhead or document camera. (UDL I.3.3, II.6.3) Have students refer to the characteristics previously generated:

· Are there two sides of this issue?

· What is the problem?

· Who are the stakeholders?

· What would be possible solutions or outcomes?

3. Have students view the video segment “Mighty Ducks,” a research investigation conducted in Maryland, along with a written transcript. (UDL I.1.2, I.1.3, I.2.5, II.5.1) Discuss the characteristics of this researchable problem. Have students complete the graphic organizer “Developing an Issue (Student Resource Sheet 2.4) electronically or by hand. (UDL I.3.2, I.3.4, II.4.1, II.5.2, II.6.3)

4. Discuss the steps the students took to make this solution/outcome happen. (UDL III.8.3)

Evaluation:

· Observation

· Discussion

· Analysis of issue in “Mighty Ducks” using graphic organizer

Homework:

Have students complete “Issue Inventory” (Student Resource Sheet 2.5) by hand or electronically (UDL II.5.2).

Teacher Resource Sheet 2.3

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ISSUE VISUAL DISCOVERY

Photos from the BP Oil Spill 2010

Photo from http://nydailynews.com

Tens of thousands of gallons of oil flowed per day into the Gulf of Mexico following the

explosion at a BP oil well.

Photo from http://examiner.com

Wildlife, including pelicans and other birds, have been impacted by the oil entering the gulf.

Teacher Resource Sheet 2.3

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Photos from http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Workers clean up oil that has washed ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Teacher Resource Sheet 2.4

DEVELOPING AN ISSUE

Developing an Issue

State the issue:
Identify the stakeholder groups: / Describe each group’s position:
State your initial position:

Source: Boyce, Linda Neal. A Guide to Teaching Research Skills and Strategies for Grades 4-12. Virginia: The College of William and Mary, School of Education, June 1997. Copyright permission granted by the Center for Gifted Education, College of William and Mary.

Student Resource Sheet 2.2

CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ISSUE

· Real world. An issue is a controversy or problem that people are discussing or should be discussing. It is ambiguous with no clear-cut or easy solutions. As new information is obtained, the problem changes.

· Multiple points of view. Different people or groups have different perspectives or points of view about an issue. Depending on how the issue is resolved, various groups and individuals (called stakeholders) stand to win or lose tangible things such as income and recreational areas or intangible things such as solitude and freedom of speech.

· Researchable with substantial information available. Remember that to develop a convincing argument, you will need multiple sources of information and data. Important issues and real world problems are formed by historical and contemporary information sources and by the collection and analysis of a variety of data.

· Worthy topic and personal involvement. Research offers the opportunity to ask questions about things that matter. While asking questions and seeing solutions, you have the chance to consider the arguments of others and to contribute your personal perspective and original thinking. When you care about an issue, you will be willing to spend time digging for evidence, taking a stand, developing an argument, and proposing a resolution to the problem.

Student Resource Sheet 2.3

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MORE CRIME HITS HOWARD

Pizza Hut armed robbery comes 10 days after bank theft, chase

December 02, 2008|By Tyeesha Dixon|Tyeesha Dixon,

For 50 years, Don Sekira has watched Howard County morph from a sleepy farming community into one of the nation's most affluent areas. The manager at Kendall Hardware store in Clarksville has seen plenty, but violent crime has been almost nonexistent.

That's why Sekira was alarmed to learn that masked gunmen robbed the Pizza Hut restaurant next to the hardware store Sunday night - the second armed robbery of a business in the area in 10 days.

"It's uncommon for Clarksville," Sekira said yesterday just before going on his lunch break at the store in the 12200 block of Clarksville Pike. "We've been a very quiet little community. However, with the economic situation that's facing everybody, it concerns me."

Howard County police charged four Ellicott City men yesterday, and said they expect to charge another. Hugo Ernesto Perez, 30; Pablo Perez Ramos, 30; Adan Perez Ramos, 27; and Tulio Enrique Canas Sandoval, 19, face counts of armed robbery, assault, reckless endangerment, theft and handgun violation. Police listed an address in the 6100 block of Waterloo Road as the residence of all the men.

The robbery occurred about 10 p.m. Sunday when four masked men armed with handguns and rifles entered the restaurant and ordered five employees to the back of the store, police said. They took money from registers and a safe, forced the workers into a freezer, and fled in a white sport utility vehicle, police said. One employee called 911 from the freezer and gave descriptions of the suspects and vehicle.

Student Resource Sheet 2.3

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A patrol officer on Route 32 spotted a vehicle matching the description and followed until officers could make a stop in the 7100 block of Minstrel Way in Columbia, police said. They arrested the occupants and recovered weapons and money.

The fifth suspect in the robbery, Jose Fidel Lopez, 33, also of the Waterloo Road address, was expected to be released from the Maryland Shock Trauma Center yesterday and charged, police said. Police said Lopez suffered a leg injury when his handgun discharged in the vehicle; a warrant for his arrest had been issued.

On Nov. 20, three armed men robbed a Bank of America branch not far from the Pizza Hut. The men led police on a chase through several counties before abandoning their vehicle and fleeing. An officer shot one of the men, who later died. Another man was arrested, but the third suspect is still at large, according to the FBI.

Despite the proximity, no link between the crimes exists, Howard police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said yesterday.

"Unfortunately, no place is completely immune to crime, and while these two robberies are completely unrelated, we certainly understand that the community would be concerned," Llewellyn said.

In recent months, the hardware store has added surveillance cameras and increased training for employees on recognizing suspicious behavior, Sekira said. Community involvement and cooperating with police also can help, the 53-year-old said.

"Even though [Clarksville is] getting very large, I think that's the best protection we have against these types of things," Sekira said.

Student Resource Sheet 2.4

DEVELOPING AN ISSUE

Developing an Issue

State the issue:
Identify the stakeholder groups: / Describe each group’s position:
State your initial position:

Student Resource Sheet 2.5

ISSUE INVENTORY

Brainstorm issues for each of the categories listed below. Write all ideas not just the ones you think are “good.”

Things you believe are problems or issues at school (yours or others) / Things you believe are problems or issues in your community
Things you believe are issues beyond your community (state, country, or world) / Things you think are unfair

G/T Research Class (Course 6945), Updated 2010