Wednesday, 10/1/2014 In Class: 1.Take out BP Petcoke Article. Briefly review your Main ideas/takeaways (5 minutes)… With your partner, clearly write the paragraph #s you were responsible for on one piece of notebook paper (“Summary Sheet”). With your partner, create a summary sheet containing the who-what- when-where-why is this issue important – using evidence from the text You will have 10 minutes to do this. 2.Each group will briefly present the WHY this is important (& it should be different for each) Other groups will add to their “why section”. 3.Review Section 5.3 worksheet (turn in at end of class with corrections) Homework: (due tomorrow) 1.Write a letter to your alderman or congressman petitioning for restrictions on BP’s Petcoke Storage on the South Side Use supporting details from the text You may use your own concerns or family/friend health issues in the letter

Example Letter to Your Alderman Date Dear Alderman ________________, [1. Introduce yourself and give some background] My name is ­­­­­­­J.C. Mathew, and I am a resident of the 4 th ward. At my school we have been talking about causes of neighborhood violence, and also about solutions to it. Too many young people have been killed in Chicago, and it’s time we made serious steps towards solving this crisis. [2. Explain the reason you want to talk about (purpose for writing).] I believe a lack of after-school programs is a root cause of neighborhood violence. I say this because too many teenagers leave school and then have nothing constructive to do with their time. Especially when the weather is warm, that means some teens will be out in the streets from about 3 pm until 10 or 11 pm. Young people have so many talents and abilities that get wasted because they have no place to develop them. Some young people involved with negative things are great artists, poets, singers, dancers, and athletes, but they never get a real chance to develop those talents. [3. Explain the solutions you think will fix the root causes you discussed.] In order to stop all of the killings in Chicago, we need to fund more after-school programs. If there were more youth programs that could provide that space for young people, then there would be a lot less problems in the streets. Rather than just hang out on the corner wasting time, young people would be practicing something they love to do. We need to have programs at every school and in every neighborhood to get youth involved with positive activities. After School Matters is a great program because students learn skills and also get paid, but there aren’t enough spots for all of the youth who want to be involved with it. Expanding After School Matters would be a great first step. [4. Conclude the letter.] I hope that you will listen to the voices of young people like me who live in your ward. We may not be able to vote, but we understand the problems in our neighborhoods and we have good ideas about how to solve those problems. I hope to receive a response from you about my ideas to stop neighborhood violence. Sincerely,

Piles of Petcoke

Petcoke picked up by the wind