CHS Culminating Project Program
Choosing a SOCIAL STUDIES BEST WORKS Artifact
and Writing a Justification Paper
A Social Studies BEST WORK is an assignment youÕve completed for a Social Studies class. Many Social Studies BEST WORKS artifacts are projects, papers, discussions, or presentations youÕve completed in which you were asked to analyze a problem, propose a solution, share an opinion, or write a paper. Social Studies assignments such as these are rich examples of your State Goal 3 and 4 skills, because:
● When we say the Pledge of Allegiance, to WHAT are we pledging? (Pledge of Allegiance)
● Which purpose of government is most crucial to the foundation(s) of a representative democracy and why? (Preamble)
● What amount of responsibility do we have as citizens to help provide opportunities and resources for disadvantaged groups? (Affirmative Action)
Look for an assignment youÕve completed where you think youÕve done a good job demonstrating these five skills. You may use a Social Studies work youÕve created in the past, but no further back than ninth grade. Once you select the work, you want to write a justification for, make sure that your name, your teacherÕs name, and the course name are clearly visible on the artifact. If the artifact is a speech/debate or presentation, describe what you did, in writing, and attach the assignment grade sheet, if possible. (If the artifact is a test or other assignment, the teacher does not want to release, use the ÒBest Works Quiz/ Test FORMÓ, which you can download from the CPP website at: http://www.upsd.wednet.edu/ccp/)
Use the University Place School District BEST WORKS FORM your cohort leader gives you (which can also be downloaded from the website, above), to write about the five Social Studies traits demonstrated in your artifact (these five traits are identified in your Resource Guide, and youÕll find examples of these traits on the handout ÒEvidence of State Goal Three/Four TraitsÓ).
Attach your UPSD BEST WORKS FORM to your Social Studies BEST WORK, and put it in your portfolio.
Social Studies Best Work: EXAMPLE OF ASSIGNMENT
John Doe
Civics/Economics
Mr. Hankel
November 21, 2005
Constitutional Issues: Civics
Conditions in prisons today are better than they have ever been, but are they up to a standard that is consistent with the Constitution? One of many pressing issues concerning prison conditions today is the subjecting of prisoners to excessive heat and cold. This is an ongoing problem in AmericaÕs prison system and is a direct violation of a prisonerÕs Eighth Amendment right to protection against cruel and unusual punishments.
In recent years, organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have been fighting for the rights of prisoners around the country. There have been numerous cases concerning prisoners who were subjected to excessive heat and/or cold, where the court has ruled in favor of the afflicted prisoner. In the case of Keenan v. Hall, the court found a violation of the Eighth Amendment stating that excessive heat resulted in poor ventilation undermining the health of the prisoner and the sanitation of the prison. This is an example of cruel and unusual punishment because heat that is well above room temperature results in conditions that are far below comfortable for the prisoner. This violates several laws outlining treatment for prisoners as well as the Constitution. In the cases of Hutchings v. Corum and French v. Owens, the courts also found Eighth Amendment violations stating that poor ventilation due to prison overcrowding resulted in the subjection to excessive heat for the inmates. These cases are also cruel and unusual because there are laws that restrict overcrowding to the point of health risks to the prisoner because of the heat produced by too many bodies in a small area.
Cases concerning excessive cold are even more prominent. In the case of Wilson v. Seiter the court found a violation in the prisonerÕs Eighth Amendment rights when the prison refused the inmate access to blankets despite extremely cold temperatures. This case was a violation of the Constitution because there are laws stating that cells must be maintained at a temperature relatively close to room temperature. The temperatures that this prisoner was exposed to were well below room temperature and posed a serious risk to the inmateÕs health. The court also upheld an Eighth Amendment claim in the case of Gaston v. Coughlin where the prisoner was exposed to below freezing temperatures, rodent infestation, and unsanitary conditions. This case not only violates the Constitution but also every law currently on the books concerning the treatment of prisoners.
Proponents of the current prison system may argue that prisoners are occasionally not treated well because they are criminals and do not deserve to be treated like everyone else. However, being incarcerated in prison does not eliminate an American citizenship. Therefore, the Constitutional rights experienced by everyone in the United States must be extended to the incarcerated within the prison system. Excessive heat and cold are just a few of many ongoing problems facing the current US prison system. These problems need to be addressed in order to ensure the rights of Americans everywhere.
Sample from: Washington State Social Studies Classroom Based Assessment: Training and Implementation Booklet Grade 10 and 11. Olympia, Washington: Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2004.
Social Studies Artifact: BEST WORKS JUSTIFICATION
Write justifications on UPSD BEST WORKS FORM and attach to your BEST WORK artifact. You can download this form from the CPP website at: http://www.upsd.wednet.edu/ccp/
ANALYSIS: This artifact demonstrates my analysis skills because I identified patterns in court cases supporting a prisonerÕs right to fair treatment. I built a case against cruel and unusual punishment of prisoners by presenting several instances where the Supreme Court agreed that a prisonerÕs Eighth Amendment rights cannot be violated, and made my conclusions based on evidence that has been deemed valid by the US Supreme Court.
KNOWLEDGE: This artifact shows my use of knowledge of Supreme Court cases, and the United States Constitution. I used information I had gathered to argue my position effectively, and make a case for fair treatment of incarcerated prisoners.
SUPPORTED CONCLUSIONS: I supported my argument with many examples of successful court cases. I also chose the most relevant cases to the issue, and built my case on substantial evidence that had also been validated by the highest court in the land.
EFFORT/MANAGEMENT SKILLS: I display a high level of effort in my artifact in the fact that I have taken an issue that I am passionate about and done a substantial amount of research to support my claim/stance. I planned out my essay in a way that made my case most convincing, and I revised the essay twice before putting it in its final form.
APPLICATION/PERFORMANCE: When I am in the work world as an adult, I will use my written analytical skills to convince my boss or other co-workers that my ideas are good and that they should listen to me. I may write letters to companies and public agencies if I ever have disputes about bills, building permits, or other neighborhood issues. In addition, law is an area of interest that I possibly envision as a career.