Last Chance!

This may be your last chance! You need to get involved! Your everyday life is affected by the decisions made by adults, and adults only! YOU HAVE RIGHTS! Today you have an opportunity to take an active role in changing your life and making decisions that will affect you!

A case has been introduced to the School Board because of a young girl who is trying to wrestle on the boys wrestling team of her school. There are hard feelings and resentments throughout the town, and the rights of the town's young people may be in jeopardy. You have been elected by the faculty and student body to help gather information as to what would be the best or most appropriate action for your school. Your rights depend on how well you gather information and are able to persuade the School Board with your information. This may be your last chance to be able to keep or change the school to the way you think that it should be. The School Board will make a decision based on your information. You will be expected to present the positions and rights of both males and females within a school setting. Can you persuade them? IT IS UP TO YOU TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

You have been selected to serve on a committee for which you are to find out the following information:

The consensus of the feelings of the student body of your school.
The consensus of the feelings of the faculty of your school.
The advantages of allowing co-gender competitions.
The disadvantages of allowing co-gender competitions.
The rights of the girl who is wanting to join the boys athletic team.
The rights of the boys who are on the athletic team.
The school policy on this type of situation.
The Texas UIL stipulations on this type of situation.

Your committee will be required to do one of the following projects:

Create a poster.
Write an essay.
Create a power point presentation.

You will divide into four groups. All groups must present their gathered information in a typed format. Job assignments for each group are as follows:

Group I

Poll the student body. Make a poster using a graph displaying the information gathered that represents the feelings of the student body. Your graph must show the rise and fall of the feelings of the school. The feelings displayed must be typed and well organized at the bottom of the poster
Poll the faculty. Make a poster using a graph to display the information gathered that represents the faculty's feelings. This graph must be well organized and show the rise and fall of the faculty reactions. Faculty feelings must be typed and displayed at the bottom of the poster.

Group II

Take a poll of at least 7 people from each grade level at your school. The number of people polled must be the same for each grade level.

List all advantages and disadvantages of having co-gender teams given by the students.
Group together the information that is repeated and calculate the percentage of how many students feel the same. Make sure that these remarks are fairly accurate and mean the same thing before you group them together for a percentage.

2. Make a graph using either a poster or grid paper displaying advantages. Show the percentages from your
information gathered.

3. Use the same process that you used in #2 to list the disadvantages. Show the percentages of your info.

Group III

Read the Bill of Rights.
Determine which article in the Bill of Rights is valuable in the defense of the girl.
Determine which article in the Bill of Rights that could be helpful in the boys' defense.
In a essay (typed) presentation, represent all aspects of why the article you chose would be appropriate for the girl's defense and the boys' defense.

All presentations must include a beginning ( tell what your presentation is going to be about), a middle (which article you chose for the girl and for the boys and why that article is appropriate for each), and a conclusion (how you information is suitable and a summary of what the presentation is about).

Group IV

Read the school handbook and review the school's policy on these type of situations.
Determine how the school addresses this situation directly.
Determine how the school is not clear or precise on their views of this type of situation.
Read the Texas UIL rules on athletic events.
Determine where the UIL directly addresses this situation.
Determine where the UIL in not clear or precise on its view of this type of situation.
Using either a power point presentation or an essay typed presentation, present the direct and indirect policies of the school and the UIL. Within this presentation, use the information that you have gathered to persuade the school board to rule in the way that you would like the school to operate.

	Researcher 20 Points	Canvasser 16 Points	Examiner 12 points	Pollster 8 points	Points Earned
Contribution	Every member contributed an overabundance of information to complete the challenge.	Every member contributed adequate information to complete the challenge.	At least 1/2 of the members contributed adequate information to complete the challenge.	Less than 1/2 of the members contributed adequate information to complete the challenge.
Research	Evidence of using links to suggested web sites or outside sources.	Evidence of using some web sites or outside sources.	Evidence of using 1 website or outside source.	No evidence of using a web site or outside source.
Research Depth	At least 80% of the presentation shows insight and reflection.	At least 70% of the presentation shows insight and reflection.	Only 50% of the presentation shows insight and reflection.	Less than 50% of the presentation shows insight and reflection.
Mechanics	Error-free in written format	5 or less errors in written format	No more than 10 errors in written format.	More than 10 errors in written format.
Presentation	Completed all requirements.	Completed 80% of all requirements.	Completed 50% of all requirements.	Completed less than 50% of all requirements.

After you have polled the student body and the faculty, have read the Bill of Rights, and have read and reviewed the policies of the school and the UIL, you have learned what rights each of you have in being able to do what is best for you and the school. Is your opinion still the same? Does your opinion reflect what is the best for the school or just what is best for YOU? Can you make a difference? Do you have the power to find and document information that could be valuable in making decisions to change your school environment? Do YOUR feelings matter? The answer to all of these questions is YES! You are important! You can make a difference! You have accepted and met the challenge! Congratulation!