Introduction
What is gentrification
What do I gain and lose with change?
Gentrification is an important topic to be informed about because it is now taking place all over the world. As urban students, you are often displaced by gentrification. Many issues arise such as loss of culture, community, identity, your homes, and your schools are significant.
Task
Premlinary Work
1. Research: Using scholarly articles, you will research the causes and effects of gentrification within a specific sub-topic (health, education, real estate, etc.). Based on your findings you will develop the appropriate questions for your interviews.
2. Interviews: You will document changes that have taken place in your neighborhood. In your daily reflection journal you wil record not only theses changes, but how people in your community are affected by these changes, both positive and negative.
Letter to Assemblyman
You will write a letter to the assemblyman who represents your district based on the interviews you've conducted and whether you support or are against the ongoing gentrification oin your community.
For all state and local assessments
Process
The Preliminary work
Research
1. Use Google Scholar or another scholarly database of your choice to find two articles about gentrification
2. Read abstracts to ensure that they focus on a specific topic within the realm of gentrification (Education, property taxes, race, etc.)
3. Based on the articles develop questions for your interview
Interviews
1. Use an empty notebook
2. Interview 7 people from your community documenting the pros and cons of the changes they are aware of and their feelings regarding these changes
3. Collect demographic information on each interviewee. (Name, Age, How long they have lived in the community, occupation)
4. Take pictures or videos of the changes in your neighborhood.
5. Submit a typed finish product of each interview on an individual page.
6. Provide a gallery page for photos taken.
7. Email all videos
Letter to Assemblyman
1. Write a letter using the format provided. Model: (http://www.nlacrc.org/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=272)
2. Minimum word count: 650
3. Look up assemblyman for your district (this is based on your address) (http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/search/)
4. Finished product must be typed using formal language
Evaluation
Rubric: Letter to Assemblyman
| 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Goals/Thesis | Strongly and clearly states a personal opinion. Clearly identifies the issue. | Clearly states a personal opinion. Some references to the issue. | Personal opinion is not clearly stated. Little or no references to the issue. | Personal opinion is not easily understood. Has no reference to the issue. |
| Reasons and Support | Two or more excellent points are made with good support. It is evident the writer put much thought and research into this assignment. | Two or more points are made with support, but the arguments are somewhat weak in places. The writer doesn’t persuade completely. | Two points made; shows some preparation, but weak arguments. | Preparation is weak; arguments are weak or missing; and less than three points are made. |
| Conclusion | Summarizes personal opinion in a strong concluding statement. | Summarizes personal opinion in a concluding state ment. | Concluding statement is a weak summary of personal opinion. | Concluding statement makes no reference to personal opinion. |
| Organization | Sentences and paragraph s are complete, well written, and varied. | Sentences and paragraphs are complete, well written, and varied. | Sentence and paragraph structure is inconsistent. | Little or no evidence of sentence or paragraph structure. |
| Word Choice Tone | Choice of words that are clear, descriptive, and accurate. Maintains consistent persuasive tone throughout letter. | Adequate choice of words that are clear and descriptive. Demonstrates a persuasive tone in parts of the letter. | Choice of some words that are clear and descriptive. Lacks consistent persuasive tone. | Language and tone of letter is unclear and lacks description. |
| Conventions | Contains few, if any punctuation, spelling, or grammatical errors. | Contains several errors in punctuation, spelling, or grammar that do not interfere with meaning. | Contains many punctuation, spelling, and/or grammatical errors that interfere with meaning. | Contains many punctuation, spelling, and/or grammatical error s that make the piece illegible |
Conclusion
The purpose of this assignment is to construct a persuasive letter detailing your findings of the changes in your community. It is important to not only understand how your community is changing, but to also know who you should contact to advocate for yourself. Remember there is strength in numbers, provided the elected official with names of people witin your community makes your argument more persuasive.
Credits
Photograph 1: urbandemos.nyu.edu
Teacher Page
Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1.A
Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.