WebQuest

Introduction

This lesson was developed as part of Dr. Considine's Media, Literacy, and Technology class at Appalachian State University.

This WebQuest is for students in the fourth grade in North Carolina. It invites students to explore the three regions of the state by creating a plan for a road trip through North Carolina. Students are asked to investigate famous people, landforms, and historical events from each region in a small groups of three students.

Learners

This lesson is anchored in fourth grade Social Studies and also heavily involves Language Arts. It could be adapted to other grades.

Learners will need to know how to access the internet to complete this lesson.

North Carolina Curriculum Standards

4th Grade: Social Studies

Competency Goal 1	The learner will apply the five themes of geography to North Carolina and its people.
	Objectives 1.01 Locate, in absolute and relative terms, major landforms, bodies of water and natural resources in North Carolina. 1.02 Describe and compare physical and cultural characteristics of the regions.
Competency Goal 2	The learner will examine the importance of the role of ethnic groups and examine the multiple roles they have played in the development of North Carolina.
	Objectives 2.01 Locate and describe American Indians in North Carolina, past and present. 2.03 Describe the similarities and differences among people of North Carolina, past and present.
Competency Goal 3	The learner will trace the history of colonization in North Carolina and evaluate its significance for diverse people's ideas.
	Objectives 3.02 Identify people, symbols, events, and documents associated with North Carolina's history. 3.03 Examine the Lost Colony and explain its importance in the settlement of North Carolina.
Competency Goal 4	The learner will analyze social and political institutions in North Carolina such as government, education, religion, and family and how they structure society, influence behavior, and respond to human needs.
	Objectives 4.05 Identify and assess the role of prominent persons in North Carolina, past and present.
Competency Goal 5	The learner will examine the impact of various cultural groups on North Carolina.
	Objectives 5.03 Describe and compare the cultural characteristics of regions within North Carolina and evaluate their significance.

Process

A. Research
In each region, each member of the group will take on a different job for each region and take notes on their findings in their own travel journal. Click here to download your travel journal. Each member will print their travel journal to log their findings.

The jobs are:

Historian - Using the resources provided, the historian finds out about how life in the region has changed over time. Describe one important event that influenced the history of North Carolina and how it is important for today.

Biographer - Using the resouces provided, the biographer finds out about important people in the region. Choose one person and describe where or when that person lived in North Carolina. Also find out why that person is important to North Carolina or the United States.

Geographer - Using the resources provided, the geographer finds out the landforms and geographical sites found in the region. Choose one site that you would like to visit, tell why and describe it.

B. Create a Poster
You are a travel agency! Your group will collect all of the information found and create a poster advertising your road trip and trying to get others to take your road trip.

1. Each group member takes his or her notes and compiles them into a short paragraph of about 3-5 sentences using their own words. Make sure you include all of the information included in your job! (Each group member should have three paragraphs: one historian, one biographer, and one geographer.)

2. As a group, create a poster using pictures and graphics AND the paragraphs written on the information researched by each group member. Design the poster so that it is attractive and easy to read. Poster paper will be given to you by the teacher.

3. Each group,or travel agency, will then present their poster to the entire class.

C. Write an essay
Each group member will then write an essay – individually – of 3-5 paragraphs describing where you would like to live. Make sure to give reasons why.

The lesson is organized over three days. It involves Social Studies primarily but integrates Language Arts.

Students are divided into groups of three. Within each region, each student is assigned a job. For instance, in a group of Susie, Paul, and Joe, Susie might be the biographer in the Coastal Plain, the geographer in the Piedmont, and the historian in the Mountains. Paul might be the geographer in the Coastal Plain, the biographer in the Piedmont, and so on. Students will track their own information found on a Travel Journal, which is provided.

This lesson is organized in such a way that anyone, from a novice teacher to a more experienced, veteran teacher would be able to pull it off. Rubrics are included for grading purposes.

Evaluation

Students will complete this lesson by creating a group poster advertising their particular road trip. Students will also complete an individual essay. Rubrics for both are provided.

Conclusion

This road trip through North Carolina will enable students to start doing research in preparation for more extensive research in later grades. Students will also be learning more about their state through an alternative to the textbook, a medium they are all familiar with - the internet.

Credits & References

Thank you to creators of "Road Trip through Illinois," a WebQuest found at webquest.org. A big thanks to our mothers and God. We could not have done this without you!

And to John Spagnolo - this is for you!

Last updated on August 15, 1999. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page