Problem/Solution Structure

Practice Passage #4: A Neighborhood Comes Together

     The members of one city neighborhood were becoming concerned about the health of their citizens. The residents realized more people living in their area of the city had weight-related health problems than those who lived in other neighborhoods. After studying the issue, a group of community leaders found two major factors contributing to poor health and weight gain. One cause was not enough affordable ways to exercise and the other was a lack of grocery stores selling fresh fruits, produce, meats, and other healthy food options.

     The community came up with several solutions for providing affordable ways for residents to exercise. The local hospital agreed to open their physical therapy exercise room in the evenings so that neighbors could pay a small fee and use it as a low-cost health club. Area schools began allowing community-sponsored teams to use their gymnasiums, tracks, and ball fields when they weren’t being used for school events. And the Mayor’s office even agreed to apply for a grant to build a walking and biking path through the neighborhood and to add sidewalks on one side of every block that didn’t have them.

*From Empowering Teachers, Florida Center for Reading Research. 2007.