Evanston Revive
Problem-Based Learning on an Evanston Issue
BASIC PROBLEM: How can you help Evanston live up to its stated goals?
The City of Evanston has made many public commitments. How can you help Evanston’s leaders and/or residents understand the city’s commitments more deeply and convince them to live up to, revise, or deepen those commitments?
PRODUCT: Write an argumentative letter, write a research argument paper, or create a 3-5 minute opinion documentary (“op-doc”) supporting an excellent, arguable claim related to one of the Evanston-related topics that we brainstormed in class. The process of constructing the project should begin with your own research, including at least two primary sources (research studies, polls, surveys, interviews, court decisions, statistical reports, etc.), but it should cite at least four sources total in order to argue your claim. Before creating your project, you will ask questions, do research, cooperate in a small group, write a claim, and then write or create a project which should include reference to all of your sources.
EVANSTON TOPICS:
Evanston and Climate Change: Evanston’s “Climate Action and Resilience Plan”
Evanston and Public Safety: Would “defunding” the police help public safety?
Evanston’s Reparations Resolution: What is it and how is it being implemented?
Evanston and Public Health: Does Evanston’s response to Covid-19 need work?
Evanston and the Robert Crown Center: Did Evanston follow through on its promises?
Evanston and the upcoming mayoral/aldermanic elections: Which candidates will help Evanston live up to its stated goals?
DETAILS: Create a research argument project with 4 sources that:
Has an informative, engaging title.
Includes an arguable claim that offers a creative approach to an original question.
Incorporates relevant, specific, and varied evidence coupled with convincing reasoning.
Offers at least one counter-argument, along with an effective rebuttal to that argument.
Is based on credible research that includes at least two primary and four total sources.
Shows command of language, including fluency, transitions, and good quote integration.
Has an MLA-style Works Cited at the bottom of the project, including all sources used.
Features proper MLA formatting and parenthetical citation.
Rough Draft Due: Monday, February 8th Polished Draft: Monday, February 22nd
After you’ve chosen your topic, do the research that you find on the links. Then, write questions and/or topics brought up in your research. Label them as fact, value, or policy.
|
Evanston Topic |
Links for Articles to read |
Questions and Brought up by your research. Label as fact, value, or policy questions. |
|
Evanston & Climate Change |
1. Should Evanston have done more with tax credits to reduce emissions? (policy) |
|
|
Evanston and Policing |
||
|
Evanston and Reparations |
||
|
Evanston’s COVID response. |
||
|
Evanston’s construction of the new Robert Crown Center. |
||
|
Evanston and the upcoming mayoral/aldermanic elections. |
Question of Fact Is/Is not The answer is a proposition of fact.
Proposes whether something is or is not, true or false. Frequently verifiable, and often takes a more objective approach. Draws on logical inferences. You need DATA!
Can homeowners save money by converting to solar energy?
Is the government withholding information on UFO’s?
Are border walls effective at curbing immigration?
Is there anything that can be done to limit implicit bias?
Does obesity cause health problems?
Are masks effective in limiting the spread of Covid-19?
Is keeping schools closed effective at limiting the spread of Covid-19?
Question of Value Good/Bad The answer is a proposition of value.
Takes a more evaluative position. Judges whether something is good/bad, right/wrong, just/unjust, ethical/unethical, etc. We judge the worth of something.
Is it wrong to avoid jury duty?
Is the United States the greatest nation on earth?
Are Democrats/Republicans weak?
Are Democrats/Republicans immoral?
Is it wrong to break the law in order to protest an injustice?
Is abortion immoral?
Laws and public policy originate from propositions of value. YOU need to DEFINE terms and you need DATA.
Question of Policy Should/should not The answer is a proposition of policy.
Advocates a specific course of action. You need to define terms, discuss underlying principles, AND provide DATA.
Should we defund or restructure the police department in Evanston?
Should ETHS have SROs (armed School Resource Officers)?
Should ETHS have better resources to support the mental health of students?
In this class, propositions will include empowered agencies (any group that has power to make policy), and needs to include the words “should/should not”.
Should the federal government legalize marijuana?
Should Evanston improve its recycling program?
Should ETHS suspend students?
Name:
My “Evanston Revive” Topic:
Each entry for each source you have should include:
Summary of the source.
Credibility of the source and its author.
Relevance of the source to your topic.
|
Website or database information (MLA Citation, use citationmachine.net |
https://www.cityofevanston.org/home/showpublisheddocument?id=45170 I’m going to do the MLA citation on this later. For right now, I just need to have this link here in order to know where the source is. |
|
3-4 Sentence summary of the source (See G.I.S.T. worksheet) |
This is the City of Evanston’s climate action resilience plan. It is a primary source document, which is 32 pages long, so it is an extensive resource detailing what the City of Evanston’s climate action plan entails. It covers topics such as climate mitigation, climate resilience, and implementation of the climate plan. |
|
How do I know this is credible? (Use website reliability checklist) |
Since this is a primary source and it comes directly from the City of Evanston’s .org website, it is extremely reliable because it comes from the city’s own planning for how it wants to respond to the problems of climate change. MORE on that later... |
|
How does this source answer my question or relate to my topic? (Relevance) |
If I”m looking to answer the question of whether Evanston lives up to its stated commitments of climate action, then this is extremely relevant to my research, because it is Evanston’s stated commitment to climate change. I can use this document to check and see how Evanston is following through on the plan. |
|
Website or database information (MLA Citation, use citationmachine.net |
|
|
3-4 Sentence summary of the source (See G.I.S.T. worksheet) |
|
|
How do I know this is credible? (Use website reliability checklist) |
|
|
How does this source answer my question or relate to my topic? (Relevance) |
|
Website or database information (MLA Citation, use citationmachine.net |
|
|
3-4 Sentence summary of the source (See G.I.S.T. worksheet) |
|
|
How do I know this is credible? (Use website reliability checklist) |
|
|
How does this source answer my question or relate to my topic? (Relevance) |
|
Website or database information (MLA Citation, use citationmachine.net |
|
|
3-4 Sentence summary of the source (See G.I.S.T. worksheet) |
|
|
How do I know this is credible? (Use website reliability checklist) |
|
|
How does this source answer my question or relate to my topic? (Relevance) |
|
Website or database information (MLA Citation, use citationmachine.net |
|
|
3-4 Sentence summary of the source (See G.I.S.T. worksheet) |
|
|
How do I know this is credible? (Use website reliability checklist) |
|
|
How does this source answer my question or relate to my topic? (Relevance) |
