Activities

The Scene

Roles and Tasks

Begin the Process

Research

Fact Sheets

Evaluation

Credits

 A Webquest on the people, the events, and the political and economic developments that shaped the American West between the years of 1840 and 1880.

This unit should take about 12 class periods: one class to lay out the plan, one to do library and other textbook research and to chose a time frame, three classes for fact gathering, three for writing, two for presentations and one for follow-up activities.

This activity is aligned with the 8^th grade social studies and language arts curricula. It includes depending upon the student's choice topics in geography, economics, law and social dynamics. Students are provided with both on-line and off-line research activities as well as organizational, fact finding, and writing activities. Outcomes may vary somewhat due to differences in software programs, and presentation equipment. This Webquest was designed as a companion piece to supplement the subject teacher's coverage of the American West.

Students are asked to take on the role of newspaper employee involved in researching a ten year time span between the years of 1840 to 1880. The purpose of this assignment is for the class to develop a broader understanding of the development of the land that eventually became the 22 states west of the Mississippi River--The American West. Some of the research topics will have already been introduced in the Social Studies textbook.

As a result of this role playing and research students will produce:

• an outline with supporting details about their chosen10 year period. The outline will cover the main points listed below.
• eye-catching newspaper headlines and "intriguing" opening statements for each of the main points of the outline
• three newspaper stories told from a reporter's perspective based upon the supporting details from their outline
• an electronic presentation that will interest the class (students choose from an array of media depending upon what is available: a PPT presentation, Word collage, a series of flyers, or brochure, a Hyperstudio presentation.
• an evaluation of team presentations
• data for "follow-up" activity.

Top

Teams of three are ideal for this exercise, however, the instructor may make adjustments to that number depending upon the composition of the class.

The reporter - The reporter's chief responsibility is to write the stories and research supporting details. In addition, the reporter will work together with the team to develop newspaper headlines and opening statements and will be the main presenter of the electronic presentation. The reporter will maintain the "credits" list associated with the supporting details.

Use the "fact sheet" template provided for this activity.

The researcher - The researcher's chief responsibility is to find the supporting details that describe the main points of the outline. The researcher will also work with the team to develop newspaper headlines and opening statements and will participate in the assembly of the electronic presentation. The researcher will read one of the news stories to the class.

Create a "supporting details" data bank of information using Word. You may cut and paste paragraphs containing these details to be used later during the writing activity. Make sure your reporter has collected all necessary credits for each data item that you collect.

The photographer - The photographer's chief responsibility is to find relevant images of the American West that relate to the time period chosen and to the particular stories that will be written. The photographer will maintain the "credits" list for the images and develop captions for each image to be included in the presentation.. The photographer is also responsible to work with the team to develop newspaper headlines and opening statements. The photographer will assist the reporter in writing the news stories.

Use the "Images of the West" fact sheet to record the URLs and credits for each image.

Top

Imagine that you all work for The Sun Chronicle during the time period that you have chosen to research. Your editor would like to send the team out West to learn first hand about the life and dangers of traveling and settling in one of the western territories.

2. Choose a time period: Look through your textbook or other printed reference source to find a time period you are interested in. List some topics that fit into your time period.

3. Link to: http://americanwest.com/pages/westwrd2.htm This site displays a time line of events.

Before your editor makes his final decision, he requires an outline (see main points). Right now, you will be gathering facts to support these main points and later you will write your stories based upon these supporting facts. You'll need at least five supporting details for each main point.

1. What famous people lived in this territory? What was the source of their fame?
2. What modes of transportation are available to settlers and traders in this territory?
3. How difficult was the pioneer life in this territory? What was the life expectancy?
4. What other dangers such as attacks from Indians, events of nature (droughts, storms), wild animals are associated with the dangers of this territory?
5. Describe the life style of the tribes living in this territory. If there are none, why not?
6. What significant events have happened during this time period to shape the this territory? (Gold Rush)
7. What laws, acts, or political changes have been enacted by the U.S. government to encourage the settlement of this territory?

Bonus credit: How will you travel to your chosen area? How will your stories be sent back home? These answers must be accurate to your time period. List these answers at the bottom of your outline to receive credit.

Top

"Stock-Up Your Wagon With Supplies"

 

Shopping for Information

Gather supporting facts and list the "credits" information (web addresses, etc.) where you find supporting details. This part is very important because you will need to return to these pages when you begin writing your stories.

"Images"

http://www.treasurenet.com/ Click on "American West"

http://CPRR.org/

Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum. You must agree to the permission guidelines.

http://gallery.unl.edu/ Gallery of the Open Frontier, University of Nebraska.

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/CalHeritage The California Heritage Collection

Write an introduction to your outline--mention the time period and territory. Describe what aspect of this time period your team is most interested in.

Write your outline using Word.

Write appropriate headlines and opening statements for each main point. Include these under each main point in your outline.

Submit your outline to your instructor.

Begin writing captions for images. Choose a medium for your electronic presentation and create some preliminary designs of what it will look like.

Write three news stories based on the supporting details in your outline. Use the headlines and opening statements from your outline.

Each story should be about 150 words long. Include one or two images. Write as if you were an "eye witness" who observed first hand the place, person, events, landscape, etc. Submit your story along with the URL fact sheets. One story will be read by each member of your team at the time of the electronic presentation.

Choose an electronic medium for your story. You may use the outline, headlines and images from your story to create a PowerPoint presentation, OR a Word collage, OR a collection of flyers or handbills, or a brochure. Use the point of view that this presentation may be used as an advertisement or travelogue encouraging people to go to your territory.

 "The Presses Roll" --Using the presentation TV, demonstrate your findings. Read your stories and display your electronic presentation.

Student presentation rubric--used by the students to evaluate the presentations

Instructor's grading rubric--given to students at the start of this project. Used to grade the project.

Follow up: Students will prepare a statistical graph of the various outcomes of the project via a survey sheet. The survey questions will be solicited from the class.

Top

This webquest was assembled by Marie Hopkins, Attleboro Public Schools.

A word of thanks to my instructor and classmates who helped me along in this endeavor and to those clever people who have provided webquest generating sites along with "tons" of ideas.

This webquest is the result of an on-line graduate course taken at Framingham State College. The credits listed below indicate some of the many sources that were presented and explored as a result of that undertaking. I have used all of the electronic resources listed in the student section. Source materials such as handouts and fact sheets were in most cases created by others and modified to fit the needs of this project.

References

2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing. Time Line Rubric Assessment Rubrics, Accessed May 2002, Prentice Hall School: http://www.phschool.com/

Arter, Rick. No date. Who Settled the American West. WWW Research Lessons Library. Accessed May 2002. Learning Space: http://www.learningspace.org/instruct/plan/Arter/html

Dodge, Bernie. 1999, Updated 10/27/2001. A Rubric for Evaluating Webquests. The WebQuest Page, Accessed April 2002. Educational Technology Department at San Diego State University: http://webquest.sdsu.edu/

Houghtin Mifflin Co. 1999. The Images of the West. The Erie Canal Accessed May 2002 EduPlace.com: http://eduplace.com/ss/hmss/3/unit/act3.1blm.html

Meet Amazing Americans, No date, America's Story, Accessed April 2002. North Carolina State University, SAS In School: http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/hr/socialstudies.htm

Lindeblad, Bengt. 2001. The American West-A Celebration of The Human Spirit. Accessed April 2002. http://americanwest.com/

PBS Interactive, 2001. New Perspectives on the West, Accessed April, 2002 http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/index.htm

"That's all folks"