Relevant Thematic Unit Design Map (A)

Unit Theme / Topic / Problem?

The Streets, Drugs, Criminalization

Grade?
8th Grade

Unit Relevance? (Why is this topic important for students to study / act upon?)
This area of Rogers Park has a high incidence of violent crime, gang activity, theft, and narcotics-related
crime.

Duration?
1-1.5 months

Essential Questions? (Brainstorm 2 to 4 driving Qs)

1. What is the history of Gangs/gang-related violence in
Rogers Park
2. How do drugs affect the body/organs? What drugs are
common in Chicago? How are gangs and drug use related
in Rogers Park.
3. What are the statistics for different crimes, poverty,
homelessness, unemployment in Rogers Park and Chicago
in general.
4.

Essential Threads? (Place an X for those that apply)

class(ism) X
Culture X
economics
gender

Labor
land / geography
Migration
Oppression X

politics / gov.
race(ism) X
Resources X
resistance

Other Understandings Students Will Gain?

Culminating Learning Action / Product / Assessment?

(What activities will students engage in and do to present their
learning/take action?)

Learning Product/Lesson Plan #1:

Make a map of the neighborhood and map gang boundaries

and locations of crime. How are they related?
Learning Product/Lesson Plan #2:

Using a diagram of the body organs, map out how common

drugs effect each organ.
Learning Product/Lesson Plan #3:
Analyze statistics of the area. How do they size up to other
neighborhoods
Culminating/Final Action Project:

Personal essay and group presentation on how poverty,

homelessness, unemployment, drugs are related to
violence and gang activity.
Applicable Disciplines and Specific Standards?

Local: Current and/or Historical Understandings

How prevalent is violence in the area.
What factors lead to crime and violence?
What changes in the neighborhood could lead to
crime reduction.
Global Connections (Current / Historical)
What factors lead to crime and violence?
Drugs are a universal problem.
Does drug criminalization decrease or increase
violence.

Place an X for applicable disciplines (write in details)

Main Texts? (readings, video, photos, art, music, etc.)

WBEZ gang boundaries map
DNAinfo crime reports
Chicago Tribune crime breakdowns
CDC and WebMD websites
Redeye Homicide Tracker

ISAT Scores 8th Grade:

Reading 30.6% meet standards; 0.0% exceeds standards
Math 33.3% meet standards; 0.0% exceeds standards
96.2% of students below poverty line
14.3% of students are homeless

Critical Vocabulary Terms?

Statistical terms: mean, median, mode, bell curve
Human body organs
Drug names and categories

Primary Instructional Approaches?

Lecture with powerpoints with socratic input from students.
Computer-based research on crime reports and statistics.
Group work on projects.

Language Arts
x
Mathematics x
Media / Tech
Music

Natural Sciences
X
Psychology x
Social Sciences X
Theater / Drama

Visual Arts
Specific subject:

Key Competencies (Common Core, ACT, or IL Learning

Stds)
(use Skills Cluster Maps for additional planning)

Modifications / Differentiation?

Community connection? (field trips, speakers, events)

Recovered drug addict speaker
Field trip to drug rehabilitation center (while closed)

Scope and Sequence (a list of key activities / steps towards the learning project / action)
List the order you will present Lessons plans/guest speakers/field trips; explain how they connect to/build on one another and
contribute to the Culminating Action Project.
History of gang activity in Rogers Park and Chicago
1)
Drugs and How They Affect the Body
1. Introduction to drugs
a. Categories of drugs
b. Legality & Criminalization
2. How drugs affect the body
a. Organ systems
i. Neurological system
ii. Digestive system
iii. Endocrine system
b. Short term use
c. Long term use
3. Project prompt: In groups draw a diagram of the body with the organs we talked about and show how each drug
affects each organ.
4. Drugs in Rogers Park, Chicago
a. What leads people to use/abuse drugs?
b. What drugs are common in Rogers Park, Chicago
c. What resources do addicts have?
i. In general
ii. In the community
d. How is gang activity/violence related to drug use
5. Field trip to a drug community rehabilitation center while closed.
Statistics of violence, gang activity, and poverty-related issues in Rogers Park, Chicago
1) Introduction to statistics
a. Fractions to percentages
b. Mean, median, mode
c. Bell curve
2) What are the crime report statistics for Rogers Park
3) How do these statistics size up to the rest of the city
4) What are the statistics of poverty-related issues in Rogers Park, Chicago
a. Living below poverty line
b. Homelessness
c. Unemployment
d. Drug usage
5) Group project: Look at the homicide tracker in the Red Eye for past year, analyze how many homicides occur in each

neighborhood of Chicago as a proportion of the population. Which neighborhoods have the most homicides? What are
the poverty-related issues like in these neighborhoods?
6) Personal Essay: Are poverty-related statistics higher in areas of high crime, violence, gang-activity? How are these
things related?