This document presents a case study about a man named Eric Jones who kills a family of four while driving drunk. It includes background information about Eric's drinking problem and discusses the crash where he rear-ended another car and killed its occupants. The document then prompts students to discuss and research various legal and social issues related to drunk driving, including what constitutes an appropriate punishment for Eric and how society can best address the widespread problem of drunk driving.

1. FAMILY MAN DRIVES DRUNK
AND KILLS FAMILY
REAL WORLD PROBLEMS
ELA GRADE 11
BY DEAN BERRY, ED. D.
COPYRIGHT PROTECTED© 2013 DEAN R. BERRY
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
NO PART OF THIS DOCUMENT MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN
PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR
1

2. FAMILY MAN DRIVES DRUNK
AND KILLS FAMILY
• Part One

3. INTRODUCTION
This unit of study will help
you learn the following
important common core
curriculum standards.
3

4. COMMON CORE WRITING STANDARD
Write
informative/explanato
ry texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas
and information
clearly.

5. TEXT TYPES AND PURPOSES
COMMON CORE
STANDARDS
Write arguments to
support claims in an
analysis of
substantive topics
or texts using valid
reasoning and

6. SPEAKING AND LISTENING STANDARDS
Engage effectively in a
range of collaborative
discussions with
diverse partners on
topics and texts,
building on others’
ideas and expressing
their own clearly

7. PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF
WRITING
COMMON CORE STANDARDS
Develop and strengthen
writing as needed by
planning, revising,
editing, rewriting, or
trying a new approach.

8. THE PROBLEM
Eric Jones is a father of three children, and he works two jobs to
support his family. Over the years, Eric has developed a habit of
drinking too much and too often. During the last year, he has
driven while under the influence many times but has never been
arrested for drunk driving. On a Friday evening in May, Eric is
drunk and unable to stop when he suddenly sees a car stopped
at a signal. He rear ends the car and kills a young family of four.
8

9. PAIR SHARE
Meet in pairs
or small
groups and
discuss the 9

10. THINK& DISCUSS
•Did Eric know he was a danger to
others by driving drunk?
•Is Eric guilty of a felony?
•How can we keep drunk drivers off
the road?
•What would be a fair punishment
for Eric?
•If this was your family, what would
you want done?
•Are our current laws adequate to
reduce drunk driving?
10

11. REPORT BACK TO CLASS
SHARE YOUR IDEAS
.
1. Let’s summarize possible
answers to our questions.
2. Include these ideas in your
notes.
3. You may choose to use a
graphic organizer. 11

12. CLASS DISCUSSION
STUDY THE FOLLOWING GRAPHS
AND CHARTS AND ANSWER THE
QUESTIONS

13. WHICH FOUR STATES HAVE THE HIGHEST
ALCOHOL RELATED TRAFFIC DEATHS?

14. WHAT IS THE TREND IN ALCOHOL RELATED
HIGHWAY DEATHS FROM 2001 TO 2010?
APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY DEATHS WERE
REPORTED IN 2010?

15. ACCORDING TO THIS CHART, WHEN DO
THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CRASHES
OCCUR?

16. PREPARE TO RESEARCH THE ISSUES
•Now it is time to research various points of
view and legal positions. Include any court
cases or rulings that may lend support to
your position.

17. RESEARCH
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
• 1. Analyze national statistics on drunk driving.
How bad is the problem?
• 2. Why do we have so many deaths from drunk
driving? What factors contribute to high drunk
driving rates?
• What do most courts do about drunk driving when
fatalities are involved?
• What impact do drunk driving convictions have on
the drunk driver’s own family?
• What programs seem to work best to reduce drunk

18. USE THE FOLLOWING INTERNET SOURCES TO
GATHER INFORMATION ON YOUR RESEARCH
TOPIC.
See the PowerPoint
version of this unit
in order to quickly
access hyperlinked
sources.

19. RESEARCH NOTES
•Collect a minimum of 2-3 pages of notes
•Gather information that will enable you to write
a short two page essay
•Use the following standards based questions to
complete the required reading assignment.

20. COMMON CORE STANDARDS READING
ASSIGNMENT
As you conduct your research, use
the following questions to review
and analyze your sources.

21. Select some of the following hyperlinked
sources or available text sources and
answer the following questions.

22. •1. Select a concept or central idea
from a primary or secondary source,
and cite specific textual evidence to
support the concept or central idea.
Is the evidence sufficient to support
the central idea? Explain

23. •2. Choose a primary or secondary
source and determine the central ideas
or arguments the author is presenting.
Summarize these central ideas and
explain how the various details and
ideas are connected.

24. •3. Review several text sources, and
determine which explanations or
arguments are supported by clearly
presented evidence. Which sources
are not clearly supported by
evidence? Explain why.

25. •4. Choose a source(article). Select key
terms and phrases used by the author,
and use context clues from the article
to determine the meaning of each term
or phrase. List at least three
terms/phrases and explain the
meaning of each.

26. •5. Select two articles that present
different points of view on the topic.
Evaluate each author’s claims,
reasoning, and evidence, and
determine if they present credible and
reliable information to back up their
positions. Which author is the most

27. •6. Select one article that is not
supported by sound arguments and
evidence, and develop arguments
challenging the author’s point of
view.

28. EVALUATE AND VERIFY
RESEARCH SOURCES
• Internet sources will vary greatly in accuracy and
reliability
• Consider the expertise and reputation of each website
• Compare facts and information of different internet
sources
• Select information that is supported on several reliable
websites
• Question or refute information that lacks consistent support

29. USE THE FOLLOWING INTERNET SOURCES TO
GATHER INFORMATION ON YOUR RESEARCH
TOPIC.
See the PowerPoint version of this
unit in order to quickly access
hyperlinked sources.

30. DRUNK DRIVING STATISTICS
•http://responsibility.org
/drunk-driving/drunk-
driving-fatalities-
national-statistics

31. DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUNK DRIVER?
•http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/
13/us/texas-sxsw-crash/

32. DRUNK DRIVER FACES LIFE IN PRISON
•http://www.nydailynews.com/new
s/crime/alleged-drunken-driver-
killed-4-south-southwest-
festival-faces-20-additional-
charges-article-1.1742069

33. THE FACTS ABOUT DRUNK DRIVING
•http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehi
clesafety/impaired_driving/imp
aired-drv_factsheet.html

34. WEALTHY TEENAGER GETS PROBATION FOR
KILLING FOUR PEOPLE WHILE DRIVING
DRUNK
•http://www.wmctv.com/story/
24207729/boy-16-who-
killed-4-people-drunk-
driving-sentenced-to-

35. RICH KID GETS AWAY WITH KILLING FOUR DRIVING
DRUNK
•http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/
12/12/the-affluenza-defense-
judge-rules-rich-kids-rich-kid-
ness-makes-him-not-liable-for-
deadly-drunk-driving-accident/

36. DRUNK DRIVING FACTS
•http://dui.lifetips.com//cat/61
352/drunk-driving-facts-
stats/index.html

37. TWENTY ONE YEAR OLD WOMAN KILLS
SIX DRIVING DRUNK WITH 2ND DUI
•http://www.latimes.com/local/lan
ow/la-me-ln-wrong-way-crash-
dui-
20140210,0,1282000.story#axzz
2xr1HmWqf

38. LEGAL ISSUES WITH KILLING
PEOPLE WHILE DRIVING DRUNK
•http://www.macelaw.com/
Articles/Murder-when-
drinking-and-driving.shtml

39. DRUNK DRIVER GETS 61 YEARS IN
PRISON FOR KILLING POPULAR TEACHER
•http://www.newson6.com/stor
y/24983440/driver-sentenced-
in-dui-wreck-that-killed-
tulsa-teacher