Home > Social Issues

On this page:

1. 54 Ways You Can Help the Homeless
2. 6 Billion and Beyond
3. Arizona Smokers' Helpline
4. Birth Defects and Pediatric Genetics
5. Drinking and Driving Data
6. EPA Global Warming Site
7. IRIN (United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks)
8. Keep Schools Safe
9. National Institute on Drug Abuse
10. Nike and Child Labor
11. Overpopulation: What Does it Mean?
12. Reality Illinois (smoking)
13. Response to Terrorism
14. The Ruby Bridges Foundation
15. Smoking From All Sides
16. Tobacco and Birth Defects
17. Tobacco and Birth Defects
18. Truth in Advertising, A Collection of Vintage Cigarette Advertisements from the Age of Innocence.
19. U.S. Department of Labor - Bureau of International Affairs

54 Ways You Can Help the Homeless
http://www.earthsystems.org/ways/

I CHOOSED HOMELESSNESS AND THE URL IS WWW.EARTH SYSTEMS.ORG/WAYS/. I DID HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE I CARE FOR PEOPLE THAT LIVES ON EARTH. I THINK ALL SCHOOLS SHOULD DONATE FOOD,CLOTHES,AND MONEY SO THEY CAN BUY THEIR OWN FOOD AND CLOTHES. ALL PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE HOMES TO LIVE AND HAVE A GOOD LIFE WITH A FAMILY. WE KIDS CAN TUTOR LITTLE, LITTLE HOMELESS CHILDREN AND GIVE THEM EDUCATION TOO. ABOUT THIS SITE: THIS SITE IS VERY COOL BUT IT HAS ALOT OF POOR MEN AND WOMEN. THIS SITE IS A VERY GOOD SITE TO LEARN HOW THE HOMELESS FEELS.THE SITE HAS LOTS OF THINGS SAYING,END HOMELESSNESS, FOUR ANNUAL HOMELESS MARATHON AND OTHER STUFF. THIS SITE IS COOL. THE SITE SHOWED PEOPLE GIVING FOOD TO THEM,THEIR CLOTHES HANGING EVERYWHERE AND SO ON.

• Student Author: NHIA Y.
• Teacher: Melody Marpohl
• This site helped Melody Marpohl's class answer the question(s) "How do topics such as terrorism, global warming, homelessness, drug abuse, drunk driving and smoking affect teens? What can teens do to help? Where can more information be found?"
• Librarian: Renee Hoxie
• School: Thomas Jefferson Middle School
• Year: 2001-2002

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6 Billion and Beyond
http://www.pbs.org/sixbillion/

Want to know more about the world population? Well, at this site you can get information about any continent and how the population affects the people living there. You can also find out how the population grows and how many people are brought into the world every year. Anyone 8 or older will be sure to leave the site knowing a lot more then they did coming into it. The site is fantastic for anyone who's interested in the growth of the world and the people living in it.

• Student Author: Lori H.
• Teacher: Melody Marpohl
• This site helped Melody Marpohl's class answer the question(s) "How do topics such as terrorism, global warming, homelessness, drug abuse, drunk driving and smoking affect teens? What can teens do to help? Where can more information be found?"
• Librarian: Renee Hoxie
• School: Thomas Jefferson Middle School
• Year: 2001-2002

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Arizona Smokers' Helpline
http://www.ashline.org/ASH/index.html

Ever want to quit smoking? Well this site is for you. This site would be for people facing that problem. This site is run by the University of Arizona and has a lot of information to quit smoking. Even though it is very hard to quit smoking this site is so good I'm sure it has helped many people. It is aimed for people in heir teens but it could be used for adults too. If you are also afraid someone will pressure you into smoking this site has many great links and information on that. This site has helped many people; maybe it could help you too.

• Student Author: Kevin B.
• Teacher: Melody Marpohl
• This site helped Melody Marpohl's class answer the question(s) "How do topics such as terrorism, global warming, homelessness, drug abuse, drunk driving and smoking affect teens? What can teens do to help? Where can more information be found?"
• Librarian: Renee Hoxie
• School: Thomas Jefferson Middle School
• Year: 2001-2002

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Birth Defects and Pediatric Genetics
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/bd/

This web site was about birth defects and pediatric genetics. It was sponsored by the U.S. Government and other organizations. All of the information was up to date and you could contact the sponsors on line. They also had information on rulings from the U.S. Senate on the topic. The target audience was mostly for teen mothers and adults. It took a little time to load, but it was well worth the wait! I would highly recommend this informative site on birth defects and pediatric genetics.

• Student Author: Matt H.
• Teacher: Peg Glynn
• This site helped Peg Glynn's class answer the question(s) "Where could a teen parent go to find a Web page on birth defects and related topics? What resources are out there to help teen parents find information on pregnancy and birth defects?"
• Librarian: Pam Nibbe
• School: Akira Toki Middle School
• Year: 2001-2002

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Drinking and Driving Data
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/kids/research/drinking/index.cfm

It is a very colorful site with big writing and an appealing look. It caught my attention right away. It has interviews, and answered questions that give me a lot of information. They let you type the name of your state in a box, and then you get to see how many drunk driving accidents there have been in the past year. I love that feature! At the bottom it has suggestions to have a safe ride home. To sum it up, this site was very colorful and gives tons of info.

• Student Author: Molly S.
• Teacher: Melody Marpohl
• This site helped Melody Marpohl's class answer the question(s) "How do topics such as terrorism, global warming, homelessness, drug abuse, drunk driving and smoking affect teens? What can teens do to help? Where can more information be found?"
• Librarian: Renee Hoxie
• School: Thomas Jefferson Middle School
• Year: 2001-2002

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EPA Global Warming Site
http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/index.html

Do you have concerns about global warming? If you do, visit this site. It is updated all the time and has lots of color and good links that work. This site gives information for all ages. It has a link for kids! This site has no advertising and is sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. I like this site and you will too.

• Student Author: Nicholas D.
• Teacher: Melody Marpohl
• This site helped Melody Marpohl's class answer the question(s) "How do topics such as terrorism, global warming, homelessness, drug abuse, drunk driving and smoking affect teens? What can teens do to help? Where can more information be found?"
• Librarian: Renee Hoxie
• School: Thomas Jefferson Middle School
• Year: 2001-2002

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IRIN (United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks)
http://www.irinnews.org/

The site I chose to evaluate is IRIN. It is created by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid. It led me to information about starvation in Mauritania. I like it because it had great links to other African news stories, maps, and a whole lot of useful information about my topic. The particular report I used (www.irinews.org/report.asp?report ID=30168) had information on drought near the bottom of the page, which I ignored at first, but then as I read on I found that drought is the lead cause of starvation in Mauritania. This site helped me realize that. That's why I think you should look at this web site for information on emergency situations in Mauritania and other African countries.

• Student Author: Betania G.
• Teacher: Mary Thilly
• This site helped Mary Thilly's class answer the question(s) "How is overpopulation linked to other problems in the African country of Mauritania?"
• Librarian: Laura Holt
• School: Cherokee Middle School
• Year: 2002-2003

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Keep Schools Safe
http://www.keepschoolssafe.org/

If you are looking for information on violence in schools, this is the place to go. This site would be a good site for children over 10 years old. This page is very well organized, and has a lot of information on gangs, guns, weapons, drugs, alcohol and so much more. This site has so much useful information, and it's fast, quick, and easy!

• Student Author: Julie M.
• Teacher: Melody Marpohl
• This site helped Melody Marpohl's class answer the question(s) "How do topics such as terrorism, global warming, homelessness, drug abuse, drunk driving and smoking affect teens? What can teens do to help? Where can more information be found?"
• Librarian: Renee Hoxie
• School: Thomas Jefferson Middle School
• Year: 2001-2002

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National Institute on Drug Abuse
http://www.nida.nih.gov/

Would you like to learn about drug abuse? If you would, this site will give you loads of information that will be very useful! This site doesn't really have a home page. It has a bunch of links that lead to many related topics. Since it is about drug abuse, you can pick out different types of drugs that you want information about. It has health hazards and tells about the extent of usage. This site would be appropriate for students, parents and teachers and also researchers.

• Student Author: Meghan W.
• Teacher: Melody Marpohl
• This site helped Melody Marpohl's class answer the question(s) "How do topics such as terrorism, global warming, homelessness, drug abuse, drunk driving and smoking affect teens? What can teens do to help? Where can more information be found?"
• Librarian: Renee Hoxie
• School: Thomas Jefferson Middle School
• Year: 2001-2002

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Nike and Child Labor
http://www.american.edu/TED/nike.htm

What would it be like if you were working for hours in the factories with no friends or education? Some children have to work so hard to support their family at the ages of three to fourteen, but they always earn very small amounts of money. This website will help you get a closer look at the life of child laborers in Asia. It is sponsored by TED Case Studies.

• Student Author: Christen P.
• Teacher: Nicole Schaefer
• Librarian: Julie Weis
• School: Velma Hamilton Middle School
• Year: 2000-2001

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Overpopulation: What Does it Mean?
http://www.duke.edu/~ac23/Africa/

This is one of the best sites to find issues and information about Africa's overpopulation problem. It was created by a group of graduate students at Duke University. It has detailed information in a reasonable amount of space. It lacks visuals, but is very well-organized. The "Implications" page has headings listing the problems caused by overpopulation, like deforestation, food and water shortages, migration, and spread of disease. The information is easy to read and we would recommend it to anybody who wants to find out about overpopulation issues in Africa.

• Student Author: Les R. and Ryan Z.
• Teacher: Mary Thilly
• This site helped Mary Thilly's class answer the question(s) "How is overpopulation linked to other problems in Africa?"
• Librarian: Laura Holt
• School: Cherokee Middle School
• Year: 2002-2003

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Reality Illinois (smoking)
http://www.realityillinois.com/html/home/index.asp

Reality Illinois is an "in your face, stand-up-and-shout, not-taking-it anymore" anti-tobacco movement created by and for Illinois teens. The folks at the Illinois Department of Health are behind this site and they give you the cold hard facts about smoking! There are quick links you can use to learn the truth about tobacco advertising and you can even give your opinion about smoking in the "Speak Out" link. Didn't get enough info. from this site??? Doubtful…but just in case you didn't, you can click on a link from the huge list of links to other sites!

• Student Author:
• Teacher: Joanne Cardarella
• This site helped Joanne Cardarella's class answer the question(s) "How has tobacco advertising encouraged people to smoke? What are the health effects of smoking? Is there information available specifically for teens about smoking? What does smoking information say to teens?"
• Librarian: Jolen Neumann
• School: Black Hawk Middle School
• Year: 2002-2003

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Response to Terrorism
http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/

If you want a great site on our current events with the terrorist attacks,and the middle east, go to this site! This site contains links to other great sites such as: The Anti-Terrorism coalition, economic issues, New York memorial service, U.S. recovery, etc. This site is produced and maintained by the U.S. Department of State's Office of International Information Programs, and it is updated with regularity. I would not recommend this site to kids under the age of 10. It is not inappropriate; it just contains some info that may be confusing to younger kids. Overall this is a terrific site that would be very helpful if you ever need to research terrorism.

• Student Author: Kathleen N.
• Teacher: Melody Marpohl
• This site helped Melody Marpohl's class answer the question(s) "How do topics such as terrorism, global warming, homelessness, drug abuse, drunk driving and smoking affect teens? What can teens do to help? Where can more information be found?"
• Librarian: Renee Hoxie
• School: Thomas Jefferson Middle School
• Year: 2001-2002

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The Ruby Bridges Foundation
http://www.rubybridges.org/

Every day the angry mobs on the steps of William Frantz Public School insulted and yelled at 6-year old Ruby Bridges on her way to school. This is carefully described with every detail by Ruby herself on the Ruby Bridges Foundation Web Site. The information is very organized and has a lot of depth. The error-free information on dates and events is very accurate. The touching graphics depict Ruby's troubled school life. The backround isn't too bright, making the site look official. Every different topic has its own site, and they are all linked to and from the home page. Topic headings, like "articles," "images," and "story" provide great information for reports and papers. This site doesn't advertise annoyingly, but you can find working links to purchase Ruby Bridges books. You can also reach them by using the "contact us" link. (This site was submitted as part of the "Talking Walls" unit.)

• Student Author: Dayu L. and Alex T.
• Teacher: Judy Patrick
• This site helped Judy Patrick's class answer the question(s) "From Ruby's point of view, what was it like to be the only child in the class? How important was it that Ruby go to this all white school? What was the attitude of the white people?"
• Librarian: Renee Hoxie
• School: Thomas Jefferson Middle School
• Year: 2001-2002

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Smoking From All Sides
http://smokingsides.com/

46% of high schoolers drop out because of smoking. This web site is great for people to learn about smoking. Its links load fast and it has everything from a to z on tobacco. But is not very colorful. This site would be for ages 17 and up because it has a lot of words that only bigger kids or doctors would get.

• Student Author: Khurram B.
• Teacher: Melody Marpohl
• This site helped Melody Marpohl's class answer the question(s) "How do topics such as terrorism, global warming, homelessness, drug abuse, drunk driving and smoking affect teens? What can teens do to help? Where can more information be found?"
• Librarian: Renee Hoxie
• School: Thomas Jefferson Middle School
• Year: 2001-2002

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Tobacco and Birth Defects
http://www.kickbutt.org/learn/pregnancy.html

Are you a teen or a pregnant mother who smokes or uses any tobacco products? Then you should check out this informative web site. Tobacco is not only hurting you, but your baby too! Did you know that smoking is the number two cause of birth defects in the United States? This web page tells you the truth about how tobacco can hurt your baby. So get off your butt and go to www.kickbutt.org and learn from this well organized and easy to read site.

• Student Author: Laura S. and Tyler P.
• Teacher: Peg Glynn
• This site helped Peg Glynn's class answer the question(s) "Where could a teen parent go to find a Web page on birth defects and related topics? What resources are out there to help teen parents find information on pregnancy and birth defects?"
• Librarian: Pam Nibbe
• School: Akira Toki Middle School
• Year: 2001-2002

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Tobacco and Birth Defects
http://www.kickbutt.org/learn/pregnancy.html

Smoking is a common cause of birth defects,and many people don't understand that it is a very hard habit to quit. There is, however, a very informative web page called, The LEARNING CENTER. This wonderful web page can help you or anyone else shed that horrible habit. This site has it all for the smoker who wants to know how to have a happy, healthy baby. All of the links are appropriate and support the current and error free content. So, do yourself a favor and log on to The Learning Center.

• Student Author: Alice T.
• Teacher: Peg Glynn
• This site helped Peg Glynn's class answer the question(s) "Where could a teen parent go to find a Web page on birth defects and related topics?" "What resources are out there to help teen parents find information on pregnancy and birth defects?"
• Librarian: Pam Nibbe
• School: Akira Toki Middle School
• Year: 2001-2002

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Truth in Advertising, A Collection of Vintage Cigarette Advertisements from the Age of Innocence.
http://www.chickenhead.com/truth/

Have you ever wondered just how those tobacco companies convinced people to smoke? A long time ago, cigarette ads used to be everywhere, telling people how glamorous and wonderful smoking was. Now, it's almost impossible to find a single ad unless you surf out onto the WWW. This site has a big selection of cigarette ads from the 1950's and 60's. So if you've never seen one, check out this site to see just how tobacco companies used words and pictures to persuade people to smoke.

• Student Author: Heather K.
• Teacher: Joanne Cardarella
• This site helped Joanne Cardarella's class answer the question(s) "How has tobacco advertising encouraged people to smoke? What are the health effects of smoking? Is there information available specifically for teens about smoking? What does smoking information say to teens?"
• Librarian: Jolen Neumann
• School: Black Hawk Middle School
• Year: 2002-2003

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U.S. Department of Labor - Bureau of International Affairs
http://www.dol.gov/dol/ilab/public/media/reports/iclp/sweat
/overview.htm

This report, compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Bureau of International Affairs (ILAB) is an excellent resource concerning the topic of child labor. The forms of child labor, statistics, the demand of child labor, possible solutions, quotes from various people, examples of what it is like to be a child laborer, from such children themselves, and to what extent child labor is evident in many areas across the globe are addressed. In addition, the homepage of this report contains further links to more resources that are pertinent to this topic.

• Student Author: Melissa D.
• Teacher: Karen Smith
• Librarian: Julie Weis
• School: Velma Hamilton Middle School
• Year: 2000-2001

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Home > Social Issues

Internet Detectives is a publication produced by Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) middle school students as a resource for other K-12 students. It is an ongoing, cooperative effort of middle school Social Studies classrooms. Students find, evaluate and recommend Internet resources related to the curriculum. This project is supported by MMSD's Teaching and Learning Department and Library Media Services.

These Internet resources were evaluated on the basis of Site Selection Guidelines. Questions and comments regarding specific sites can be sent to the classroom teachers listed with the student author and school.

Questions or comments regarding the Internet Detectives project can be sent to Barb Spitz at bspitz@madison.k12.wi.us or (608) 663-1976.

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