A Webquest for 6TH 4Th Grade Social Studies

A WebQuest for 6 TH 4th Grade Social Studies Marion Smith, Newtown Friends School [email protected]

Introduction

You are a member of the Greater Regional Exploration and Tourism (G.R.E.A.T.) Committee for a region of the United States. As a member, your job is to increase public awareness about the unique characteristics of your region. Your committee wants to encourage people and families to relocate to your region, so it will be your job to let people know what makes it a great place to live and work. Individually and as a group, you and the rest of your committee will gather and present information that will help you meet these goals.

There are FIVE REGIONS in the United States: NORTHEAST, SOUTHEAST, MIDWEST, SOUTHWEST, and WEST.

You will join a committee of 3 to 4 students. As part of this committee, you will do work individually and cooperatively to complete a project that highlights the unique characteristics and special features of your region. You will make a presentation about your region to the rest of the class. Each committee will be assigned a region of the United States. Your group will become the experts on this region. Each member of your group will take on the role of a social scientist. You will have an HISTORIAN, a GEOGRAPHER, an ECONOMIST, a SOCIALOGIST and a POLITICAL SCIENTIST.

In these roles, your group will research your region’s industries and products, landforms, climate, crops, population and demographics, resources (natural and economic), historical information, and government statistics.

Each member of your committee will also choose a HISTORIC SITE or NATURAL WONDER in your region to research and showcase as part of your overall presentation.

Your committee will create a presentation to promote your region and persuade families to relocate there. Your final visual product will be a Power Point presentation.

Introduction | Task | Process | Resources Evaluation | Conclusion

Process

To complete this WebQuest, you will be working on the computer, searching the internet and using classroom and library books as resources. Use the list of websites and books listed in the REGIONS and RESOURCES section of this WebQuest.

You will be appointed to a G.R.E.A.T. committee with 2 or 3 other students.

Your committee will be assigned a region of the United States.

Each committee will consist of four different Social Scientists (if your committee has less than four members, you may be asked to combine roles).

Each member of your group will be assigned a different role of Social Scientist to play. See the chart on the next page for role descriptions.

Each student in your G.R.E.A.T. Committee will research his or her role and gather information on special note taking forms which can be completed in Microsoft Word.

Each student will also choose a Historic Site or Natural Wonder in the region to research and share. Use the Historic Sites and Natural Wonders form to take notes. Each student will create Power Point slides for his or her Social Science role and for their Historic Site or Natural Wonder. Social Scientist Roles Historian Economist

HISTORY is the study of the past. ECONOMICS is the study of how people make, buy, HISTORIANS study all kinds of records and and sell things. artifacts to learn not only what happened, but when, where and how it occurred. They investigate who was ECONOMISTS are interested in the choices people involved and they ask explore the reasons why. make every day. They study the ways in which people in a community use resources to meet their wants and In your role as HISTORIAN, you will learn about needs. your region’s: In your role as ECONOMIST, you will learn about Original inhabitants your region’s: People who came from other places to settle in your region Natural and man-made resources When states joined the Union Industry and Products Major historical events Agriculture Population Geographer Political Scientist

GEOGRAPHERS study the features the earth’s POLITICAL SCIENCE is the study of government. surface. They use maps and globes to show: A government’s main job is to make and carry out rules and laws. Governments also supply things that Natural Features which are made by nature, people need, like schools and safe roads. like land, water, plants and animals Constructed Features which are made by POLITICAL SCIENTISTS study how people get people, like towns, roads, bridges and dams. the power to run a city, state, or nation, and how the people in charge use their power. In your role as GEOGRAPHER, you will learn about your region’s: In your role as POLITICAL SCIENTIST, you will learn about your region’s: Landforms Bodies of water Population and demographics Climate Government statistics States, Capitals and Major Cities Political issues or concerns Introduction | Task | Process | Resources Evaluation | Conclusion Let’s Get Started!

Click on your role for your form below. You will use this form for note taking as you research. Remember to save the document in your student folder!

HistorianForm EconomistForm GeographerFormPolitical Scientist HistorianForm EconomistForm GeographerFormPolitical Scientist

Project Part ONE:

1. Research your Social Scientist information and complete the form. Check your work!

2. Meet with your fellow G.R.E.A.T. Committee members to share what you have learned.

3. You and your team members will combine your information and work together to create a Power Point presentation that will promote your region to families, and persuade them to relocate to your region.

REMEMBER YOUR TASK! Your goal as a Committee is to create a presentation that will inform the public about the benefits of living in your region and persuade them to move there. In addition to answering specific questions about your region, it is important that your group communicate to your audience what is “special” about your region and why it would be a great place to live and work!

Project Part TWO:

1. Select your favorite HISTORIC SITE or NATURAL WONDER in your region to research and use the Historic Sites and Natural Wonders of the U.S.A. worksheet to take notes.

2. From the information on your worksheet, prepare a Power Point slide to be included in your group’s presentation.

Each student is responsible for researching his or her Social Science Role and a Historic Site and Natural Wonder. Each student will create Power Point slides to combine with others from his or her Committee to create a final presentation as a group. You will be assessed on your individual work and your cooperation with your G.R.E.A.T. team. See the EVALUATION section for more information.

Introduction | Task | Process | Resources Evaluation | Conclusion

G.R.E.A.T. Committee

Economistolitical Scientist Site or nATURAL tions Historian economy.,ir Social Science role and for Geographer Political Scientist their toric site otr National wonder. rd. She’s …and also He’s …and also She’s …and also He’s …and also researching ovea Historic researching a Historic researching her a Historic researching a Historic her region’s Site or his region’s Site or region’s Site or the Site or ECONOMY… Natural HISTORY Natural GEOGRAPHY… Natural POLITICS Natural Wonder … Wonder Wonder of his Wonder region…

Resources

The following are the internet resources that you may use to find your Social Science information:

Teachers First website – This is a great place to start! This page will bring you to a list of the states. Click on each state to find facts on each state including Geography, Early Inhabitants, History, Economy, and Sights to See among other information!

Stately Knowledge from the Internet Public Library - This is another site with general information on each state. It includes information on major industries and points of interest.

The US 50 - Lots of facts and trivia on each state as well as many pictures. Each state has its own page list of information in the following areas: History, Geography, Outdoors, Tourism, and links to additional information.

U.S. Census Bureau Kids Corner – Political Scientists or Economists may be most interested in the information found at this site. It is a kid-friendly database of the information our Government collects every ten years through the Census. Click on the states in your region to find out basic information about the people who live there. Click on American Fact Finder at the bottom of the page for more detailed demographic information.

Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids –Political Scientists may be most interested in this page from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Weather Eye – This is a good site for Geographers – Click on links to information about the weather in different regions. Note that they do not divide the regions exactly the way we are, but this website can be helpful just the same.

XPeditions Atlas – for printable maps of the states.

Eduplace – Find all kinds of blank and filled in maps of regions in the U.S.

ThinkQuest – Information on regions of the United States. Click on the map to connect to basic information on Climate, Major Landforms, Manufactured Products and Resources, Natural Products and Resources, and Tourist Attractions for each individual region.

Fact Monster website – From this Factmonster.com page, you can click on categories such as The Fifty States, US Geography, US History, National Landmarks, Population, Race and Ethnicity.

Fact Monster Regions – This page is also from Fact Monster, but the information is grouped into regions. They do not divide the regions exactly the way we do, but you still may find some good information here.

Other Resources for Social Sciences:  Social Studies Alive! Regions of Our Country Text  Nonfiction books and other Reference materials from our classroom and the Media Center  Classroom and library encyclopedias  Power Point software to develop an informative slide show  Color Printer

The following are some internet resources that you may use to find Historic Site and Natural Wonders information for your region: The Northeast * Ellis Island http://www.nps.gov/elis/ * Statue of Liberty http://www.cr.nps.gov/worldheritage/liberty.htm * United Nations http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/index.shtml * Smithsonian Institution (world's largest museum complex) http://www.si.edu/about/ * Valley Forge (Revolutionary War history) http://ushistory.org/valleyforge/ * Mystic Seaport http://www.mysticseaport.org/home.htm * Pioneer Coal Mine Tunnel http://www.pioneertunnel.com/ Find other special places in your region! Here are some great links! * National Parks http://www.nps.gov/parks.html * U.S. National Parks Net http://www.us-national-parks.net/ * National Register of Historic Places http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/index.htm The Southeast * Colonial Williamsburg http://www.history.org/history * Colonial National Park http://www.nps.gov/colo/home.htm * Mammoth Cave http://www.mammoth.cave.national- park.com/ * Mount Vernon http://www.mountvernon.org/ * Monticello http://www.monticello.org/ * Cumberland Gap National Park http://www.nps.gov/cuga/ * Moundville Archaeological Park http://moundville.ua.edu/home.html Find other special places in your region! Here are some great links!: * National Parks http://www.nps.gov/parks.html * U.S. National Parks Net http://www.us-national-parks.net/ * National Register of Historic Places http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/index.htm The Midwest * Badlands National Park http://www.badlands.national-park.com/ and http://www.nps.gov/badl/ * Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site http://www.cahokiamounds.com/cahokia.html and http://www.explorestlouis.com/factSheets/fact_cahokia.asp?PageType=4 * Crazy Horse Memorial http://www.crazyhorsememorial.org/ * Lincoln's New Salem Village http://www.petersburgil.com/p_newsalem.html * Amana Colonies http://www.iowa-city.com/amanas Find other special places in your region! Here are some great links!: * National Parks http://www.nps.gov/parks.html * U.S. National Parks Net http://www.us-national-parks.net/ * National Register of Historic Places http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/index.htm The Southwest * Petrified Forest http://www.petrifiedforest.org/ or http://www.nps.gov/pefo * The Painted Desert

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painted_Desert,_Arizona * Chaco Culture National Historic Park http://www.tour- tales.com/cc_timbers.html * Meteor Crater http://www.meteorcrater.com/ * Gila Cliff Dwellings http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/amsw/sw58.htm * Navajo National Monument http://www.nps.gov/nava/index.htm Find other special places in your region! Here are some great links!: * National Parks http://www.nps.gov/parks.html * U.S. National Parks Net http://www.us-national-parks.net/ * National Register of Historic Places http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/index.htm The West

* Mesa Verde http://www.mesaverde.org/ * Redwood Forest http://www.nps.gov/redw/index.htm * Yosemite National Park http://www.yosemite.org/ * Angel Island http://www.angelisland.org/ * Klondike Gold Rush National Park http://www.nps.gov/klgo * Dinosaur National Monument http://www.nps.gov/dino/dinos.htm Find other special places in your region! Here are some great links!: * National Parks http://www.nps.gov/parks.html * U.S. National Parks Net http://www.us-national-parks.net/ * National Register of Historic Places http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/index.htm

Introduction | Task | Process | Resources Evaluation | Conclusion Evaluation

As a member of your Greater Regional Exploration and Tourism (G.R.E.A.T.) Committee, you will be assessed for the work you completed individually, and also for what you accomplished in your group. Be sure you have copies of all your notes with resources!

Click HERE to see grading criteria for your individual work!

Click on us to see the grading criteria for GROUP work! Conclusion

Now that you have completed this WebQuest, participated in your Committee’s presentation, and watched other groups make presentations, hopefully you have gained a greater appreciation of each of the United States’ regions unique qualities.

When you think of all the G.R.E.A.T. Committee presentations, what did teams do best to persuade their audience that their region would be a great place to live and work? What were the best “selling points” of yours and other teams’ presentations?

If you had the choice, which region would you choose to live and work in? Why? What are the benefits of living in the region you have chosen? What are some benefits of living in the other regions?

Even if you would not want to live there permanently, which region would you most like to visit? Why?

What was the most difficult part of completing the work on this WebQuest? What was the easiest?

Introduction | Task | Process | Resources Evaluation | Conclusion Marion Smith 2006