Math RWLO Template Title Placeholder s3

How Safe is My Town? Project Overview

Everyone wants to be safe and feel secure about where they live. We watch the evening news on television and read the local newspaper and see that criminal acts and villainy are occurring daily. Yet, for the most part, we feel insulated from this darker side of humanity. We believe that our immediate community and neighborhoods are immune from such unlawfulness. After all, these types of things always happen to somebody else in a place with which you have no connection. Right? Of course, we don’t know how safe our communities really are until we actively gather and analyze pertinent data. Fortunately, with the advent of the Internet, current crime statistics are available for most local communities throughout the country. With a little effort and analysis, we can get a much clearer picture of the safety and lawfulness of our own communities.

This project allows students to investigate both violent crimes and property crimes that occur in their local communities. Students will gather current crime statistics, compute crime rates and construct double bar graphs to better visualize the state of lawfulness where they live as compared to state and national crime statistics.

This project is intended for use by students who are enrolled in a College Developmental course such as Prealgebra but certainly could be used by students in the 6th through 8th grades as well.

1 Student Learning Objectives

Upon working through this RWLO, the student will be able to:

 Become familiar with the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports website and be able to access and record statistical information related to the criminal activity in their local community, state, and the nation.

 Know the definitions of violent crime and property crime and the specific offences that make up each.

 Become familiar with the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report definitions of community types: Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), Cities Outside MSAs, and Nonmetropolitan Counties Outside MSAs.

 Compute the crime rate per 100,000 population given the total number of occurrences of a particular crime and the total population for a particular community.

 Construct double-bar graphs in order to compare the US vs state violent crime and property crime rates by community type.

 Draw conclusions about the relative state of lawfulness of their community based upon the statistics gathered in this project.

2 Procedure

Time: Approximately 30 minutes class time and 60 minutes outside of class

Materials: Internet access, basic calculator, paper, pencil, colored pencils, and ruler.

Prerequisites: Familiarity with using a basic calculator and general decimal rounding techniques is expected.

Implementation: It is expected that students have internet access while working on this project. At the community college level, it makes most sense for the bulk of this project to be completed at home since most developmental classes at the community college level have little or no time for extra activities in class. Students could also collaborate in small groups inside or outside of class. Students could work together on their calculations and discuss the results within their group.

Steps:

1. If you choose for your class to work in groups, break the class up into small groups with 3-4 students in each group.

2. Distribute the “Content Material” section of this project to each student.

3. Read and discuss the following sections aloud to the class: Project Overview, Background Information, Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program Definitions, and Computing Crime Rates per 100,000 Inhabitants. Work through the given example of computing the crime rate per 100,000 on the board. Briefly discuss how sample bar graphs A and B were generated using Charts A, B, and C of the sample worksheets.

4. Instruct your students to proceed through the steps of the section “Project Instructions” at home using the Internet. These steps guide students through the process of collecting and recording relevant crime statistics data via the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program website http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm , creating double-bar graphs, and finally making conclusions about the relative lawfulness of their local communities based upon their findings. If you have Internet access in the classroom, it would be beneficial to demonstrate exactly how to access the Offense Tabulations Page of the most recent publication of the

3 Crime in the United States (CIUS). This is step 2 of the Project Instructions.

5. After the students have completed the project, spend some time in class discussing their results and graphs. Discuss any unexpected findings.

4 Content Material

Project Overview:

Everyone wants to be safe and feel secure about where they live. We watch the evening news on television and read the local newspaper and see that criminal acts and villainy are occurring daily. Yet, for the most part, we feel insulated from this darker side of humanity. We believe that our immediate community and neighborhoods are immune from such unlawfulness. After all, these types of things always happen to somebody else in a place with which you have no connection. Right? Of course, we don’t know how safe our communities really are until we actively gather and analyze pertinent data. Fortunately, with the advent of the Internet, current crime statistics are available for most local communities throughout the country. With a little effort and analysis, we can get a much clearer picture of the safety and lawfulness of our own communities.

This project allows students to investigate both violent crimes and property crimes that occur in their local communities. Students will gather current crime statistics, compute crime rates and construct double bar graphs to better visualize the state of lawfulness where they live as compared to state and national crime statistics.

Background Information:

The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, first implemented in 1930 and coordinated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), helps facilitate the collection of crime information from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies throughout the country. This information is then analyzed, organized, and published so that any citizen as well as any member of law enforcement or any public official might better understand the nature and extent of crime in the Nation, their region, their state, or their local community. Each year the UCR Program publishes a report called Crime in the United States (CIUS) which presents a large array of data concerning criminal offences, arrests, and police employment with national totals broken down by region, state, and agency. The Crime in the United States (CIUS) reports (for 1995 through to the latest completed report) can be accessed via the Internet at http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm .

Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program Definitions:

In order to fully understand the information presented in these reports and in order to successfully complete this project, there are certain definitions of which

5 you must be aware. First consider the meanings of violent crime and property crime.

Violent crime is composed of four offenses: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. According to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program’s definition, violent crimes involve force or threat of force. Property crime includes the offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The object of the theft-type offenses is the taking of money or property, but there is no force or threat of force against the victim.

The UCR Program also provides statistics which allow you the opportunity to analyze local crime data in conjunction with areas of similar geographic location or population size throughout the country. In order to better understand this data, you should also be aware of the following Uniform Crime Reporting Area definitions.

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)—Each MSA contains a principal city or urbanized area with a population of at least 50,000 inhabitants. MSAs include the principal city; the county in which the city is located; and other adjacent counties that have a high degree of economic and social integration with the principal city and county as measured through commuting. In 2004, approximately 82.9 percent of the Nation’s population lived in MSAs.

Cities Outside MSAs—Ordinarily, cities outside MSAs are incorporated areas. In 2004, cities outside MSAs made up 6.8 percent of the Nation’s population.

Nonmetropolitan Counties Outside MSAs—Most nonmetropolitan counties are composed of unincorporated areas. In 2004, 10.4 percent of the population resided in nonmetropolitan counties.

A more detailed list of definitions for specific crimes and definitions for further classification of community types as well as other related background information can be found in the appendices section of the Crime in the United States (CIUS) report.

Computing Crime Rates per 100,000 Inhabitants:

In order to better compare the criminal activity between communities of different population size, we calculate the crime rate per 100,000 inhabitants. This is done by dividing the number of offenses per year of a particular crime (or crime type) in a particular community by the number of 100,000’s of residents of that community. This figure is typically rounded to the nearest tenth. The number of

6 100,000’s of residents is arrived at by simply moving the decimal in the community’s population number to the left 5 places. For example, a community with population 152,453 has 1.52453 hundred thousand residents. Don’t round this figure.

Let’s work through an example. Suppose that 1,406 violent crimes were committed in a particular community with population 239,640. The violent crime rate per 100,000 is calculated by dividing 1,406 by 2.39640.

1,406 ÷ 2.39640  586.7

This means that there were approximately 586.7 violent crimes committed for every 100,000 inhabitants of the community.

Project Instructions:

1. Each student should receive a copy of blank Worksheets 1, 2, and 3 as well as the completed sample Worksheets 1 and 2. These worksheets are located at the end of this Content Material section of the project.

2. Access http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm and click on the most recent completed Crime in the United States (CIUS) annual publication listed by year. Do not use a report if it is marked “Preliminary”. Navigate to the Offense Tabulations Page of the Report which includes the offense tabulations (Tables 1 – 24) from which you will access the information for this project. You should bookmark this page as we will be returning to it throughout this project. If you happen to be using the 2004 report, click on the “Offenses Reported” tab and then the “Offense Tabulations” tab. (Note that subsequent reports may or may not use this navigation scheme.) If you have trouble accessing the offense tables, you may try going directly to Section II of the report which contains the relevant tables.

3. Access Table 2 (Crime in the United States by Community Type), and use this information to fill in Chart A of Worksheet 1. If an area actually reporting is less than 100%, use the estimated total for the number of crimes committed. No calculations are needed as the required rates per 100,000 inhabitants are included in Table 2. Refer to the completed sample worksheet 1 which uses data from the Crime in the United States, 2003 annual publication.

4. Access Table 5 (Crime in the United States by State), find the section of the table that lists your particular state’s data, and use this information to fill in Chart B of Worksheet 1 for your state. For all but the State Totals, you will need to calculate the crime rates per 100,000 inhabitants. If an

7 area actually reporting is less than 100%, use the estimated total for the number of crimes committed. Note that the second column of the table lists the population of the area, the third column of the table lists the number of violent crimes committed, and the eighth column lists the number of property crimes committed.

5. Use the information in Charts A and B of Worksheet 1 to create Bar Graphs A and B of Worksheet 2. Use different colored pencils or pens to distinguish between US and state bars. Refer to the completed sample Worksheet 2 which uses the information from completed sample Worksheet 1 to make the bar graphs.

6. Access Table 8 (Offenses Known to Law Enforcement by City 10,000 and over in Population) and find the particular town or city in which you live. If your town is not listed then choose the town listed that is closest in proximity to your town. Use this information to fill in the information for City or Town #1 in Chart C of Worksheet 1. You will need to calculate the crime rates per 100,000 inhabitants. Next, select an additional nearby city or town and fill in the information for the City or Town #2 in Chart C of Worksheet 1. Note that it would be best if you chose this second city or town such that both the violent crime and property crime rates are significantly different as this will more easily allow you to complete the next step (7).

7. Use the information from Chart C of Worksheet 1 to mark horizontal lines to represent violent crime rates and property crime rates on Bar Graphs A and B (respectively) on Worksheet 2 for your selected local communities (City or Towns #’s 1 & 2). Label each of these horizontal lines with names of your selected cities or towns as shown on the completed sample bar- graphs of Worksheet 2.

8. Answer completely and thoroughly the questions listed on Worksheet 3.

8 Worksheet 1 (page #1 of 2)

Chart A: Year of Report:______

US Crime Rates by Community Type (as gathered from the FBI’s Crime in the United States (CIUS) Annual Report) From Table 2 of CIUS Violent Property Crime Rate Crime Rate Number of Number of Population per 100,000 per 100,000 Violent Property Inhabitants Inhabitants Crimes Crimes US Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) US Cities Outside Metropolitan Areas US Nonmetropolitan Counties US Total

Year of Report:______Chart B: Your State:______

State Crime Rates by Community Type (as gathered from the FBI’s Crime in the United States (CIUS) Annual Report) From Table 5 of CIUS Violent Property Crime Rate Crime Rate Number of Number of Population per 100,000 per 100,000 Violent Property Inhabitants Inhabitants Crimes Crimes State Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) State Cities Outside Metropolitan Areas State Nonmetropolitan Counties State Total

9 Worksheet 1 (page #2 of 2)

Chart C: Year of Report:______

Crime Rates for Selected Cities or Towns with Population 10,000 or More (as gathered from the FBI’s Crime in the United States (CIUS) Annual Report) From Table 8 of CIUS Violent Property Crime Rate Crime Rate Number of Number of Population per 100,000 per 100,000 Violent Property Inhabitants Inhabitants Crimes Crimes Name of Selected City or Town #1

Name of Selected City or Town #2

10 Worksheet 2 (one page only) Bar Graph A

US vs the State of ______Violent Crime Rates by Community Type

600 Violent Crime Rate 500 per 100,000 400 Inhabitants 300

US State US State US State US State Metropolitan Nonmetropolitan Statistical Areas Cities Outside Counties Outside Total (MSAs) MSAs MSAs Bar Graph B

US vs the State of ______Property Crime Rates by Community Type

600 Property Crime Rate 500 per 100,000 400 Inhabitants 300

US State US State US State US State Metropolitan Nonmetropolitan Statistical Areas Cities Outside Counties Outside Total (MSAs) MSAs MSAs 11 Worksheet 3 (page #1 of 2) Questions for Understanding

1. Name the four offenses that make up violent crime.

2. Name four offenses that are included in property crime.

3. Describe the basic difference between violent crime and property crime.

4. Do you live in a Statistical Metropolitan Area (MSA)? If you do live within a MSA, state the official name of your MSA. If you don’t live within a MSA, state the official name of the MSA that is closest to where you live. In either case, also state the names of any counties (or parishes) that are entirely within the MSA. Use Table 6 of the most current Crime in the United States (CIUS) Report to determine this information.

5. Why do you think that the UCR Program breaks down community types into Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), Cities Outside MSAs, and Nonmetropolitan Counties Outside MSAs in presenting crime data? Use data collected in this project to support your answer.

12 Worksheet 3 (page #1 of 2) Questions for Understanding

6. Calculate the crime rates per 100,000 inhabitants for each. Round your final answers to the nearest tenth. You may use a calculator but show your basic set-up for each. Box in your final answers.

a) A town with population 624,786 has 1877 occurrences of violent crimes.

b) A Statistical Metropolitan Area has a population of 5,237,406 and has 292,613 property crime occurrences.

7. Based upon the information that you have gather in this project, what can you conclude about the relative state of lawfulness in your community as compared to other areas across your state and the nation? Use data collected in this project to support your answer.

13 Sample Completed Worksheet 1 (page #1 of 2)

Chart A: Year of Report:__1993___

US Crime Rates by Community Type (as gathered from the FBI’s Crime in the United States (CIUS) Annual Report) From Table 2 of CIUS Violent Property Crime Rate Crime Rate Number of Number of Population per 100,000 per 100,000 Violent Property Inhabitants Inhabitants Crimes Crimes US Metropolitan Statistical Areas 240,773,811 1,244,205 9,108,399 516.8 3,783.0 (MSAs) US Cities Outside 19,753,338 76,043 819,267 385.0 4,147.5 Metropolitan Areas US Nonmetropolitan 30,282,628 61,011 507,857 201.5 1,677.1 Counties US Total 290,809,777 1,381,259 10,435,523 475.0 3,588.4

Year of Report: __1993___ Chart B: Your State:____Texas____

State Crime Rates by Community Type (as gathered from the FBI’s Crime in the United States (CIUS) Annual Report) From Table 5 of CIUS Violent Property Crime Rate Crime Rate Number of Number of Population per 100,000 per 100,000 Violent Property Inhabitants Inhabitants Crimes Crimes State Metropolitan 19,139,661 112,910 933,649 589.9 4,878.1 Statistical Areas (MSAs) State Cities Outside 1,373,327 5,918 56,063 430.9 4,082.3 Metropolitan Areas State Nonmetropolitan 1,605,521 3,373 26,710 210.1 1,663.6 Counties State Total 22,118,509 122,201 1, 016,422 552.5 4,595.3

14 Sample Completed Worksheet 1 (page #2 of 2)

Chart C: Year of Report: __1993___

Crime Rates for Selected Cities or Towns with Population 10,000 or More (as gathered from the FBI’s Crime in the United States (CIUS) Annual Report) From Table 8 of CIUS Violent Property Crime Rate Crime Rate Number of Number of Population per 100,000 per 100,000 Violent Property Inhabitants Inhabitants Crimes Crimes Name of Selected City or Town #1 23,431 26 466 111.0 1,988.8 Pflugerville, TX

Name of Selected City or Town #2 682,319 3,153 42,270 462.1 6,195.0 Austin, TX

15 Sample Completed Worksheet 2 Bar Graph A

US vs the State of _Texas_ Violent Crime Rates by Community Type

600 Violent Crime Rate 500 Austin per Texas 100,000 400 Inhabitants 300

200 Pflugerville 100 Texas

US State US State US State US State Metropolitan Nonmetropolitan Statistical Areas Cities Outside Counties Outside Total (MSAs) MSAs MSAs Bar Graph B

US vs the State of _Texas_ Property Crime Rates by Community Type

7000 Austin 6000 Texas Property 5000 Crime Rate per 4000 100,000 Inhabitants 3000

2000 Pflugerville Texas 1000 US State US State US State US State

US State US State US State US State Metropolitan Nonmetropolitan Statistical Areas Cities Outside Counties Outside Total (MSAs) MSAs MSAs 16 Assessment

The sample rubric given below could be used for assessment.

Sample Rubric:

This two-page worksheet should be completely filled out. Correct data should be included from Worksheet 1 30% the proper CIUS report and crime rates per 100,00 should be correctly calculated.

Bar Graphs A and B should be properly completed. Crime rates Worksheet 2 30% for the Selected City or Town #’s 1 & 2 should be indicated.

Question Correct and thoughtful 30% total (5% each) #’s 1 – 6 answers. Worksheet 3 Question Correct and thoughtful 10% #7 response

17 Links to Course Competencies

This RWLO could be applied in the following courses: Standard Course in Prealgebra (Community College or grade school). Specifically, this RWLO meets the following course competencies for Austin Community College’s MATD-0330 Basic Math Skills:

 Students will feel a sense of accomplishment in their increasing ability to use mathematics to solve problems of interest to them or useful in their chosen fields.

 Students will attain more positive attitudes based on increasing confidence in their abilities to learn mathematics.

 Perform the four basic arithmetic operations on decimals.

 Round decimals and use rounding to estimate values involving decimal arithmetic.

 Interpret graphs (pictographs, circle graphs, bar graphs and line graphs) and analyze data.

18 Supplementary Resources

 http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm: This webpage from the FBI website introduces the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)

 http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucrquest.htm: This webpage from the FBI website gives the answers to many frequently asked questions about the UCR program.

 http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius_04/appendices/appendix_05.html: this webpage from the FBI website gives web links to crime reports for most of the 50 states in the US.

19 Recommendations

Recommendations for Integration: This RWLO is suggested to be incorporated in a group setting where 3-4 students work collaboratively. Students/groups should be encouraged to work together in verifying their calculations. It is strongly encouraged that the students’ written and/or verbal reactions to their findings be discussed in class.

Back-up: If you happen to implement this project in the classroom or school computer lab, then In the event that the FBI website goes down or if the Internet in general is not accessible, it might be a good idea to have a previously printed copy of relevant data from a recent FBI crime report. If access to the FBI website becomes a problem then you could make student copies of the relevant data and the students could then use this to complete the project.

Project Extension: Students could be encouraged to further investigate the crime statistics available from their state and local law enforcement agencies. In many cases, detailed statistics are available for very localized areas including zip codes areas and even individual neighborhoods. Students should check the official website for their city or county in order to obtain such information.