WebQuest

Fabulous

Fifty States

A WebQuest for 4th Grade Social Studies

Introduction

Congratulations! You've just won the lottery! But it's not your typical lottery where you simply win money. No, you have won a brand new dream house! It has every luxury imaginable: a bedroom for each member of your family, an indoor swimming pool, a game room, outdoor hot tub, entertainment room and much more! There's a catch: this dream home must be built in another state. Your family is having a hard time deciding which state to move to. This is where your job comes in: you must persuade your family to move to the state YOU think is the best. You'll do this by researching states from different regions of the United States.

The Task

You and two partners will work together to research different states in our country. You will be looking for specific information to compare and contrast the states. Once your research is complete, your group must work collaboratively to create a video that compares your assigned states. This video will persuade your family to move to the state that your group thinks is the best! The teacher will choose your group as well as assign the states you should research. (Sorry! You can't research your home state!)

The Process

To begin, your teacher will assign you two partners. You will support each other with the researching part of this WebQuest and also when creating the final video.
Our great country is made up of the following regions: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest and West. You must decide which member of your group will complete the following:

Research one state from each of the Northeast and Southwest regions, create a list of pros and cons about living in these states
Research one state from each of the Southeast and West regions, create a list of pros and cons about living in these states
Research one state from the Midwest region and create a list of pros and cons about living in this state

Once you've chosen, inform your teacher and she'll assign the states you should research in each region.
Use the recording sheets provided by your teacher to organize the information you collect as you research.
Find out the following about each of the states you research:

Geography --Where is the state located? What borders the state?

Climate --What is the average temperature and precipitation of the state?

State Capitol --Which city is the capitol located in?

Population --How many people live in this state? How does it compare to the other states in our country?

Tourist Attractions --List at least two things you can do in this state.

Historical Information --When did this state officially join the U.S.? Did anything historically significant happen in this state?

Fun Facts-- What is the state bird, flower, cookie, motto or nickname?

Extra Info --Did you find out something that was cool or something that surprised you?

Check out these great sites to assist you in your research!
www.50states.com A super site for links and info on each state!
www.globalcomputing.com Here you can connect to state home pages! Just click on the area to the left that says "state home pages."
www.ipl.org/youth/stateknow/ This great site has intersting graphs to compare the states!
www.americaslibrary.gov You can find fun facts about the states here and also historical information as well!
www.yahooligans.com More links to all of the 50 states!
www.netstate.com/states/ Look for the geography of each state here and if you look closely, you'll find borders and climate too!
Make sure you are using the recording sheets as you go as this will be a part of your grade!

Now that you've collected all of your research and written a list of pros and cons for each state, compare your notes with your group members and decide which is the BEST state to live in. You must all agree on one state!
With your partners, begin to write a persuasive report that compares each of the states your group has researched. Remember to use persuasive language! Click here for more details. Be sure to include information that you feel supports your choice.
Once you've completed your final draft, practice presenting it with your group. Each member should have a role in the presentation of the report.
Prepare to shoot your video! For extra credit, bring in props that would add to the drama of your video. Some suggestions are: a suitcase packed with things you'll need in your new state, dress in clothing appropriate for you new state, entice your viewers by eating foods prepared in your chosen state. Get creative!
Set up a time with the teacher for your video to be taped. Once completed, sit back, relax and share it with the class!

Evaluation

You will receive an individual grade that will consist of your collection sheets, lists of pros and cons, and collaboration with your group. Your group grade will consist of your persuasive video and team work grades.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Excellent 4	Score
Research Collection Sheets	Few or None of the information fields is completed.	Some of the information fields are completed.	Most of the information fields are completed.	All of the information fields are completed.
Lists of Pros and Cons	Has no more than TWO pros and cons listed for each state	Has no more than THREE pros and cons listed for each state	Has no more than FOUR pros and cons listed for each state	Has at least FIVE pros and cons listed for each state
Collaboration with Group Members	Little or None of the time the student offered help, was polite and respectful of others' ideas and contributed to the project	Some of the time the student offered help when needed, was polite and respectful of others' ideas and contributed to the project	Most of the time the student offered help when needed, was polite and respectful of others' ideas and contributed to the project	All of the time the student offered help when needed, was polite and respectful of others' ideas and contributed to the project
Persuasive Video	Not all members of the group participate, the position is not clearly stated and specific examples are needed.	Most members of the group participate, the position is stated but few examples are given to support the choice.	Each member of the group participates, the position is stated and several examples are given to support the choice. More details are needed.	Each member of the group actively participates, the position is clearly stated and many examples are used to support the choice.
Team Work	The group did a fair job interacting, sharing ideas, listening to one another, and being respectful.	The group did a good job interacting, sharing ideas, listening to one another, and being respectful.	The group did a great job interacting, sharing ideas, listening to one another, and being respectful.	The group did an excellent job interacting, sharing ideas, listening to one another, and being respectful.

Conclusion

Now you've learned about the different regions of our country and what makes each area unique in terms of the requirements of this project. I hope you have a better understanding of what the United States has to offer! It's time to pack your bags! You've done such a fabulous job researching and creating your video that I just know your family will want to move TODAY!

Credits

www.elliottsamazing.com

projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/tpss99/processguides/persuasive.html

www.multimediapalace.com

sungraph.tripod.com

Backgrounds by Marie

teachers.teach-nology.com

www.clipsahoy.com

Last updated on July 15, 2002. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page