Introduction
magine that you and a team of learners are presented with the task of describing an elephant. You are each blindfolded and guided to an elephant. Each of you touches a different part of the animal. Based upon what each of you explored, each will have a different point of view about elephants. Which is the truth? When we study complex topics, there is usually a lot more to a topic than we learn after a quick exploration. In the following WebQuest, you will use the power of teamwork to learn all about child poverty. Each person on your team will become an expert on some aspect of child poverty and then you will come together at the end to share and get a better understanding of the topic as a whole.
Task
You have been assigned a specific role. You will use the links provided as well as other resources (library, etc) to become experts on your roles. You will work to create a Report that presents your answer to the Quest(ion). By completing this WebQuest, you should achieve the following goals: 1) develop an interest in the study of child poverty; 2) use the power of the Internet for advanced exploration; 3) learn information about key aspects of child poverty; 4) realize that complex topics can be looked at from various perspectives; 5) formulate and support an opinion based on your roles; and 6) work with teammates to determine a combined action plan.
Process
You will be working together as a group exploring web sites that your teacher has selected. You should start with the pages that are labelled "Background Information" before dividing into groups. Each group has their own Task to complete and a separate set of web sites to use. There is a task organizer and an evaluation rubric in Background Information to guide your work.
Phase 1 - Background Information
These sites are important because they will provide basic information about the topic as a whole. Everyone should explore these sites before starting your Task.
Go to http://www.irp.wisc.edu/ and search the links under Frequently Asked QuestionS (FAQS) to answer the following questions (Who is Poor? 1 – 6), (How many children are poor? 7), (What are poverty thresholds and poverty guidelines? 8 – 11), (How is poverty measured in the United States? 12 – 14). Print and hand in upon completion.
- Describe the change in the poverty rate for African-Americans (use the chart for help).
- Which sub group has the lowest poverty rate?
- Describe the poverty rates amongst residential (where people live) areas?
- Why do you think the two residential areas that have the highest poverty rates have the highest rates?
- Which region has the highest poverty rates? Why do you think this is so?
- Under State Poverty Rates, click on Table 1.
- Identify one state that has improved their poverty rates from 1998-2012.
- Identify one state where poverty rates have increased.
- What is the definition of Poverty Threshold?
Directions:
Go to http://www.aecf.org/MajorInitiatives/KIDSCOUNT.aspx and go to the Kids Count Data Book in the middle of the page, click on 2014 Kids Count Data Book then click on National and State Data Profiles. Click on 5 different states including Illinois and record their child poverty rate (must choose this option in box 2). Create a chart similar to the one below to record your data.
|
State |
Overall Rank |
% Children Living in Poverty |
% Teens Not in School and Not Working |
% of Families that Head of House Lacks H.S. Diploma |
Has the % of children in poverty increased or decreased since ‘05? |
|
1. Illinois
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
After recording the data answer the following questions.
Where does Illinois rank in this study?
What conclusions can you draw from your research?
Phaze 2 Teenage Poverty
Go to http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/poverty-affect-teens-lifestyle-7977.html and answer
How does poverty affect a teen's lifestyle? Choose two issues and find more details in the internet to elaborate your conclusions
Listen to the following and advise how it is connected to what you have just read
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiWomXklfv8 ( if you dont understand you may find the lyric for this poem in the internet)
Conclusion
You are a journalist who investigates the problem of poverty throughout the word. Look at least in 3 articles from the below list and answer the following questions:
1. What is the definition of poverty in each one of the articles?( IS IT FACT OR OPINION)
2. What are the effects of poverty on children? (Use only facts, be careful! It might be misleading)
3. What are the reasons for poverty? Again only facts
4. How poverty can be avoided.use facts and opinions
Use these 4 questions in order to formulate one article that will be submitted to your school journal.