Truth Of Juvenile Delinquency Essays - Criminology, Crime, Penology

Truth Of Juvenile Delinquency A movement has taken hold nationally to change the juvenile justice system, and erase any distinction between young offenders and adult criminals. Almost all fifty states have overhauled their juvenile justice laws, allowing more youths to be tried as adults and scrapping long-time protections to help rehabilitate delinquent kids and prevent future crimes. The current debate over juvenile crime is being dominated by two voices: elected officials proposing quick-fix solutions, and a media more intent on reporting violent crimes than successful prevention efforts. Politicians feel that best and easiest solution is to simply lock up youth offenders for long periods of time, and ignore rehabilitation. The most recent studies demonstrate that putting young offenders in adult prisons leads to more crime, higher prison costs, and increased violence. Yet, we are spending more and more on corrections, and less on prevention efforts. Some states spend more on corrections than they do on higher education. The cost of keeping juveniles in prison as compared to putting them into rehabilitation programs is astronomically higher. The Average cost of incarcerating a juvenile for one year is between $35,000 to $64,000. However, the average cost of an intervention program is $4,300 per child a year. Also the effectiveness of prisons to prevent juveniles from becoming repeat offenders is low. Kids, who have already spent time in adult prisons, are far more likely to commit more serious crimes when they are released. Crime prevention programs work and are cost-effective. They have been shown to reduce crime substantially when compared to imprisonment after crimes have been committed. There have many crime prevention programs around the country that have been very successful in helping to reduce juvenile crime. Many states use early intervention programs that are designed to help parents of troubled kids in raising their children. These programs offer strategies and tactics for hel ping supervise and discipline troubled children. This is done because it is believed that one of causes of delinquency is that parents of kids with delinquent tendencies simply don't know what to do with them. This program as well as other similar ones, have been shown to have quite an influence on crime prevention. Media reports on juvenile crime are greatly exaggerated. While some headlines suggested that a ?ticking time bomb? of so-called ?superpredator children? is waiting to explode, the studies show that this is simply not true. Crime level indicators show that the male ?at risk? population will rise over the next decade, but the levels are far from the explosive level that the media would like to suggest. In fact, the levels are lower than those reached in the late 1970's , when the ?at risk? population last peaked. The public also holds greatly distorted views about the prevalence and severity of juvenile crime. Contrary to public perception, the percentage of violent crimes committed by juveniles is low, only 13% of violent crimes are committed by young people. Also, most juvenile arrests have nothing to do with violence. Most kids only go through the juvenile justice system once. Also, most youths will simply out grow delinquent behavior once they mature. The true ?juvenile predator? is actually a rare breed. But the media thrives on sensationalism, so they make it appear that crime is everywhere in order to sell more news papers, or have people watch their broadcast. Juvenile crime does exist and youths do commit violent acts. However, it is not on the scale that many people would like the public to believe. The solution is to this problem is not a simple one and can not be solved by simply putting kids in adult prisons. More effective solutions should be explored and put to use. A movement has taken hold nationally to change the juvenile justice system, and erase any distinction between young offenders and adult criminals. Almost all fifty states h ave overhauled their juvenile justice laws, allowing more youths to be tried as adults and scrapping long-time protections to help rehabilitate delinquent kids and prevent future crimes. The current debate over juvenile crime is being dominated by two voices: elected officials proposing quick-fix solutions, and a media more intent on reporting violent crimes than successful prevention efforts. Politicians

Use Weather Maps to Make a Forecast - A Lesson Plan

Use Weather Maps to Make a Forecast - A Lesson Plan Purpose of lesson The purpose of the lesson is to use meteorological data on a weather map, including a variety of weather map symbols, to predict weather events and produce a mock forecast. The intent is to show how data is collected and analyzed. Students first analyze a weather report to discover its parts. They then use these same techniques to analyze weather data. By creating a web at the beginning of the lesson, they can then complete an assessment where they complete another web that, this time, outlines the steps a forecaster takes to produce a forecast. Objectives Given wind speed and direction data in a weather station model from various locations around the United States,correctly label the map with the locations of high and low pressure zones.Given temperature data on a United States isotherm map, chose the correct frontal boundary from the four types of frontal boundaries and draw it on the map so that a forecast can be produced. Resources AMS Datastreme at ametsoc.org/amsedu/dstreme/ for up-to-date weather mapsNOAA Jetstream website at srh.noaa.govNOAAJetstream website at NOAA Jetstream online school for weather srh.noaa.gov/jetstream// for background informationDaily newspaper weather section (minimum 5 days collected at least one week in advance of lesson)The Weather blog at http://weather.about.com Materials needed for lesson Teacher needs to collect the daily newspaper forecast for 5 days in advance of the lesson. Teacher must also print daily isotherm, frontal, and pressure maps from the AMS datastreme site. A computer projector (and a computer) would be helpful in reviewing the online Jetstream school. Students will need colored pencils and access to research online through computers or the library. Students will need a KWL chart to fill in at the beginning, middle, and end of the class. Background Teacher will show a video of a weather report that includes a weather map. Students will watch the video while thinking about the essential question – How do scientists gather and report data to create weather reports? The video segment of the lesson acts as a hook to get students interested in the data. Also included will be a demonstration of various meteorological tools including a barometer, thermometer, wind speed indicator (anemometer), hygrometer, weather instrument shelters, and photos of weather satellites and the resultant images. The students will then formulate a pair-share group to produce a web of all the parts of a weather report. They will include methods and tools used to gather meteorological data as well as the components of weather maps and forecast reports. Students will share some of their main points in the webs they created with the teacher. The teacher will record the information on the board and ask for discussion in the class for what they think is the best way to create a web. Once the video segment is shown, students will go through a series of steps to practice analyzing weather maps.Students will also fill out a KWL chart once they see the weather video. Once they are complete, they will be able to check their forecasts based on the newspaper forecasts the teacher already collected. Assessment The assessment will be a weather map of the CURRENT class day, printed in the morning by the teacher, and students will have to predict the weather for the next day. In the same pair-share groups, students will create a 1 minute forecast report as if they were on TV. Remediation and review Practice reading temperature data in Celsius and Fahrenheit on a standard alcohol thermometer.Show students a model of a building or doll. Explain the idea of the use of models in science.Obtain a weather map from Datastreme site and distribute to students so they can see examples of a real weather map.Introduce students to the online Jetstream site and the parts of a weather map. Students will record the various parts of a station model.Locate a station model for a city and record temperature, pressure, wind speed, etc. in a data table. Describe to a partner the different conditions present in that city. Optional-Using laptop computers, instant message a partner across the room about the conditions in your city.Use a simplified map to locate the isotherm lines on a weather map. Connect similar temperatures in increments of 10 degrees with different shades of colored pencils. Create a key for the colors. Analyze the map to see where different air masses are and try to outline a front al boundary using the correct symbols learned from the Jetstream online course. Students will obtain a pressure reading map and determine the pressure at a station. Color the region around several cities that show pressure anomalies. Students will then try to determine high and low pressure zones.Students will draw conclusions about their maps and check the key with the teacher. Conclusion The conclusion will be the presentation of forecasts from students. As students explain why they feel it will rain, get colder, etc., students will have a chance to agree or disagree with the information. The teacher will go over the correct answers the next day. If done right, the next days weather is the real weather the student forecasted because the map used in the assessment was the CURRENT weather map. The teacher should review the objectives and standards on the bulletin board. Teachers should also review the learned portion of the KWL chart to show students what was accomplished in the lesson. Assignments Students will use a weather map (model) to create a weather report.Students will use observation and analysis to determine the methods, data, tools, and information used in forecasts of the weather by creating a graphic organizer (webbing).Students will have periodic self-checks available as they analyze older maps to gain the skill in interpreting and predicting future weather.