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Introduction Red Dragons, Decepticons, Latin Kings, Crips, Bloods... The names of youth gangs have become notorious throughout the country. Gangs have existed for thousands of years.,Their roots run deep in our nation’s history. However, they now impact a larger percentage of people. As gangs move into new areas, they also move into locations that were traditionally considered "neutral zones," such as schools and malls. Every teenager is at risk.

Task On July 8, 2002, the following letter written by a middle school student:

DEAR ABBY: I am a 12-year-old girl. Recently a boy I know was shot while standing in front of a movie theater with a bunch of us kids from school. We didn't know that a gang member was standing close by him. Suddenly, a car came speeding by. Members of a rival gang opened fire on the gang member, aiming an automatic weapon out the window of the car. Not only did the spray of bullets kill the gang member, but the gunfire also went beyond him and hit my 12-year-old friend, who had no connection whatsoever with either gang. Keep Reading

Not long after the attack on the World Trade Center, I heard someone from another country say on TV that Americans don't know what it's like to have a war going on in their own country. Those words made me furious. I think someone should take that person to the spot where my friend was gunned down. There are still bloodstains on the sidewalk. We Americans know all too well what it's like to have a gang war going on in our streets. It has been going on for years -- and is still going on, even as I sit here writing this letter. From... FURIOUS IN TENNESSEE Continue to TASK

Task Gang violence is a big problem in America. You will learn background information about different gangs and create a flyer to educate teens about gang prevention. Continue to PROCESS

Process Site #1: Basic Definitions about Gangs Site #2: Statistics- Scroll Down to Juvenile and Criminal Justice DataSite #2: Statistics- Scroll Down to Juvenile and Criminal Justice Data Site #3: Risk Factors-Why do kids join gangs?Site #3: Risk Factors-Why do kids join gangs? Click on the links below and record the information on your worksheet:

Process Next, you will use PowerPoint to create a brochure or newsletter about gangs. Your final product will educate teens about gang violence. See your worksheet for more info.

Evaluation Includes information from research: definition of gangs, statistics, and reasons for joining. Also includes ways kids can help. Brochure or newsletter uses text features to help readers understand information. Examples include: title, subtitles, bullets, text boxes, pictures, etc. Brochure or newsletter is organized and visually appealing. Brochure or newsletter is complete. Class time was used efficiently. Brochure or newsletter is relatively error-free. See rubric on your worksheet!

Conclusion The Outsiders was published in S. E. Hinton's book was a landmark young adult novel. It was the first gritty, realistic portrayal of gangs written for teenagers. It was one of the first written by a teenager. The Outsiders is read in schools and performed in theaters across the country. Now the mother of a teenage son, Hinton believes that teens today face the same problems and have essentially the same high school experience she did. "Thirty years ago I was saying clique cruelty can lead to violence and death. The difference now is that kids have got firepower."