The Real Scoop on Tobacco
Written by Ginger Nehls, Magnolia
Elementary School, Upland Unified School District, CA
Revised by Patricia Roach, DeMiguel Elementary School, Flagstaff
Unified School District, Flagstaff, AZ
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Introduction / The Task / The Process / Resources / Learning Advice / Evaluation / Reflection / Conclusion / Extension / Notes to the Teacher
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Introduction
You have been hired by the parents of Icabod, a sixth grade
student. They suspect their child of smoking or about to start.
He's gone through D.A.R.E. and listened to the lectures of his
parents and teachers. However, he thinks they are all just
handing him a line. After all, he sees lots of adults smoking and
figures it isn't really so bad. In fact, he thinks it's pretty
cool. But he might listen to you. After all, you're his peer.
That's what his parents are counting on. They've hired you to
convince him to quit smoking, or at least not to start. To do so,
you must show your commitment to the fight against youth using
tobacco and create a memorable message for him. Do a good job -
it could be a matter of life and death.
The
Task
Your client's son doesn't particularly like to read, so you must
approach him in a more creative way. He is, after all, much like
you, a member of the MTV generation. He'll listen to a rap song;
he'll hang a poster in his room. But to earn his respect, you
must first demonstrate your knowledge of tobacco and your
commitment to fight its use by young people. So here's what
you're being paid to do:
* Become an expert about tobacco use and issues surrounding its use.
* Create an ad or poster that visually conveys the message you want to get across.
* Demonstrate your commitment to fight tobacco use by writing a letter to a tobacco company and an editorial for the local paper.
* Get Icabod's attention and give him a memorable message using a music video, skit, or TV commercial.
1. Determine how you will organize information in your journal. You will use this to record all information and activities throughout the project, including a log of your daily activities, brainstorming questions, notes from research, comments from other students, drafts of project tasks, etc.
2. Conduct research on tobacco and respond to the following questions:
* What diseases are caused by smoking cigarettes? smoking cigars? chewing tobacco?
* What influences people to smoke?
* What keeps them smoking?
* What are the facts about nicotine?
* What can you find out about the tobacco industry?
* Identify and explain the significance of recent court cases involving the tobacco industry.
* Collect any other interesting or important facts.
3. In your journal, brainstorm the position
and supporting facts you will use to convince Icabod to stop
smoking.
4. Collect tobacco ads, posters, etc. and analyze them using the following questions:
a. What graphic design techniques did they use to appeal to you?
b. What does the ad say directly?
c. What does it say indirectly (hinting, suggesting)?
d. Who do you think this advertisement is designed to interest? How does it do this?
e. Based on your research, design an advertisement or poster to convey your message about tobacco use. Consider analyzing any ads aimed at your age level for techniques graphic designers use to attract you. Use these techniques in your ad to promote your position on tobacco use.
(A Smoker's Lungs)
6. Spread the word by writing an editorial to your local
newspaper making a persuasive statement about one of the issues
related to youth using tobacco. To get a feel for style and
format of this type of writing, read a variety of editorials
published in newspapers or magazines. Does the editorial convince
you to agree with the author's position? If so, how was it
convincing? If not, why wasn't it convincing? How can you relate
this to your task of writing an editorial?
7. Go directly to the source! Write a letter to tobacco companies stating your concerns for their impact on youth. Support with facts from your research and ad analysis.
8. Give a message that'll stick! Determine how you will convince Icabod to quit smoking. Select from the following presentation ideas or propose your own idea. Regardless of your approach, you need to be convincing, relate important facts, and connect with your audience. Knowing the opposite point of view may help you to convince your client. You can create a:
* song and a music video for it
* skit using a scenario related to youth using tobacco
* TV commercial
9. Prepare a presentation to Icabod and his parents in which you can offer your letters and ad/poster as testimony to your knowledge and commitment. Then deliver your message to Icabod in a way he won't forget!
10. Present your final product to Icabod and his parents on a designated "Youth Against Tobacco" day in your class.
Resources
Below are some sites that will help you accomplish your tasks.
Many have links to additional sites. Stay focused on your tasks,
however, and know what you are looking for, or you can waste a
lot of valuable time.
*British Columbia's educational site providing lots of facts about tobacco is a useful place to find basic information about tobacco and smoking.
*At this site, you will find facts and figures addressing Tobacco Use by Kids and Teens.
*The Center for Disease Control's Tobacco Information and Prevention Source provides comprehensive information about our government's efforts to prevent kids from smoking.
*To find information about tobacco use in the United States, visit this page, which includes tables and graphs to help you.
*Who are these people who lie to children about tobacco? Find out by visiting this site written by kids.
*Visit this student-created website for ideas on how to present anti-tobacco descriptions in a fun and eye-catching manner.
*Quit-Net is a site by the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program with information on how to quit, resources, news items, and great links.
*Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids includes information about recent legislation (laws) and policies.*This site provides information from the other point of view. Read this article to discover what those advocating smokers' rights have to say.
*Visit the following tobacco company websites for their views on tobacco issues:
a. R.J. Reynolds
b. Philip Morris
c. British American Tobacco
d. Brown & Williamson*For access to local Arizona newspapers, visit The Arizona Daily Sun and the Arizona Republic. Find out how to write a letter to the editor, either online or via postal mail.
Learning Advice
Your Process: Decide who will work on which aspects of the task.
It is okay to assign different pieces of the task to different
people, as long as you communicate daily about your progress.
Your journal is a good way to keep track of what you have
accomplished so that you can show your other group members.
Suggested roles might include: organizer, researchers, graphic
artists, proofreaders, and communication specialists.
Feedback: Get feedback from at
least two other people while each part of your project is still
in rough draft form. Have them record their feedback (what's
good, suggestions for improvement) in your journal. Record your
reaction to their feedback and any changes you made based on
their suggestions.
Writing a song: If you're having trouble designing both the music
and lyrics, pick out a catchy tune or a popular song to which you
can rewrite the lyrics. Contact the music teacher for assistance.
Performing: Determine whether you would prefer to act out your
presentation live or videotape it. If you choose to videotape it,
become familiar with the functions of your camcorder, storyboard
the presentation, and determine effective shooting techniques.
Evaluation
Use the following questions to evaluate the quality of your work:
* Were you able to put together accurate and current information about the effects of using tobacco?
*Is your journal complete, including notes, feedback from others, log of activities, etc.
* Is your poster creative, appealing, and professional looking?
* Does your skit get your point across? Is it thought-provoking and interesting to watch?
* Is your letter to the tobacco company written in proper form, expressing a clear opinion substantiated by facts?
* Is your editorial to the newspaper written in proper form? Is it persuasive and supported with facts?
Reflection
1. Do you feel this was an effective learning experience? Explain
your thoughts in your journal.
2. How did you determine which information was helpful and
accurate?
3. If you were doing this activity again, what would you do
differently?
4. What suggestions or hints would you offer to future students
doing this WebQuest?
Conclusion
What have you learned about the effects of tobacco that you
didn't really know before? In what ways has this project affected
you and your opinion about smoking and other forms of tobacco
use?
Extension
Find out about smoking laws in your state and city. If there are
laws restricting smoking, what are the restrictions? Why do you
think these law were enacted? What impact do they have on you and
your community? Write to your council members supporting or
urging action.
Notes
to the Teacher
Lesson Title: The Real Scoop on Tobacco
Curricular Area: Health
Grade Level: 5-9
Interdisciplinary Connections: Language Arts, Science and Health,
Visual and Performing Arts
Length of Lesson: 2-3 weeks
Goal/Purpose: To give students the opportunity
to apply and make sense of the myriad of information available
regarding tobacco and to be able to personalize it so that the
information can aid them to make better decisions regarding their
health. Students will:
* learn to identify the effects of tobacco on different parts of the body;
* understand the influences that promote drug use including peer pressure, advertising, etc.;
* develop and use interpersonal and other communication skills such as assertiveness, and refusal;
* become aware of the legal issues concerning tobacco use;
* identify ways of obtaining help to resist pressure to use (or to quit using) tobacco.
Materials:
* notebooks/journal for note-taking and organization
* magazines full of ads
* newspapers that have an editorial section for kids
* names and addresses of tobacco companies
* camcorder (optional)
* tape player/recorder
* poster paper
* art supplies
Teacher Resources:
* A List of Tobacco Industry Addresses
* Tobacco BBS (Bulletin Board System) is a free resource center focusing on tobacco and smoking issues. It features tobacco news, information, assistance for smokers trying to quit, alerts for tobacco control advocates, and open debate on the wide spectrum of issues concerning tobacco, nicotine, cigarettes and cigars.
* Here's Looking at You, 2,000 6th grade drug prevention program published by Comprehensive Health Education Foundation. Lesson 3 deals with smoking; lesson 4 deals with chewing tobacco; lesson 6 deals with advertising.
* Microsoft Encarta '95 CD - look under "Smoking."
Prerequisite Learning: Students need to be comfortable with the following skills or supported throughout the process:
* cooperative learning skills
* willingness to solicit and consider constructive criticism
* note-taking and organizational strategies
* letter writing skills (format and style)
* ability to identify and target different audiences
* ability to use Internet resources
Arizona Academic Standards
addressed in this WebQuest
Science:
* 1SC-E6 Analyze scientific reports from magazines, television, or other media
* 3SC-E2 Develop and use a systemic approach to analyze risks associated with natural and biological hazards
* 3SC-E3 Identify a specific need and propose a solution or product that addresses this need, taking into consideration various factors.
Language Arts:
* R-E4 Identify the author's purpose, position, bias and strategies in a persuasive selection
* W-E1 Use correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and usage, along with varied sentence structure and paragraph organization, to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks
* W-E6 Write formal communications, such as personal or business letters, messages, directions and applications, in an appropriate format and for a specific audience and purpose
* VP-E2 Plan, develop and produce a visual presentation, using a variety of media such as videos, films, newspapers, magazines and computer images
Suggestions:
* Organize the students into small groups. Discuss the advantages of dividing up responsibilities. Be clear in what your expectations are for individuals and groups.
* When presenting this project, provide students with a copy of the project to include in their journal. Conduct a brainstorming session to determine organizational strategies for notebooks, materials, computer use, etc.
* Conduct small group or whole class sessions throughout the project to provide support on various activities and peer feedback opportunities.
* Arrange a "Youth Against Tobacco" day in your class/school. Ask administrators or parents to participate as Icabod and his parents and have students present their products. Provide opportunities for students to share their projects beyond the classroom with their school, parents, and community.
Introduction / The Task / The Process / Resources / Learning Advice / Evaluation / Reflection / Conclusion / Extension / Notes to the Teacher
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Questions, comments, and suggestions may be addressed to: proach@apscc.org
