This web quest was created for the course, Literature, Technology, and Instruction under the guidance of Dr. Wegmann and Dr. Messner at Appalachian State University.

The web quest will expand the students' knowledge of Brazilian history, culture, literature, and biology.  This lesson is intended for individuals but it can be completed as teamwork if the teacher feels it would be a benefit to the students. 

The web quest is designed for the tenth grade level.  However, it can be adjusted for more advanced classes or to appeal to younger students.  For example, teachers can require only the three facts, only the major assignments, or only the relevant content matter for their specific class.  Also, teachers can choose not to require the journal format.

Students will need to have basic computer skills such as linking from one page to another, navigating around a web page, cutting and pasting into a word document, copying pictures, and utilizing word processors.  They should have a rudimentary working knowledge of how to create an organized journal. 

Teachers should remind students to practice ethical responsibility on the Internet.  Download a parent/student computer usage agreement below.

World Cultural Standards:

• 1.2 Analyze elements of a culture
• 3.1 Describe the absolute location of the culture and its locaton relative to other pertinent cultures.
• 3.2 Examine the possibilities and constraints of the physical environment as seen by different cultural groups.
• 3.3 Explain how the physical and human characteristics of place combine to influence cultural identity.
• 6.1 Identify distinguishing characteristics of the economic system of various cultures.
• 7.1 Identify distinguishing aspects of the political systems of various cultures.

• 6.1 Analyze the forces that both caused and allowed European nations to acquire colonial possessions and trading privileges in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
• 9.1 Analyze and trace developments in literary, artistic, and religious traditions over time as legacies of past societies.

• 1.1 Describe the locations of places using relative terms.
• 3.1 Describe human characteristics of places.
• 3.2 Explain how different culture groups view the use and modification of the physical environment.
• 5.2 Describe ways people interact with the environment to satisfy their wants and needs.
• 5.3 Elaborate on ways people modify and adapt to the environment.

• 4.01 Identify the interrelationships among organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, and biomes.
• 4.04 Assess and describe successional changes in ecosystems.
• 4.05 Assess and explain human activities that influence and modify the environment.
• 5.01 Evaluate the survival of organisms and suitable adaptive responses to environmental pressures.

• 1.01 Produce reminiscences (about a person, event, object, place, animal) that engage the audience by using specific and sensory details with purpose, explaining the significance of the reminiscence from an objective perspective, moving effectively between past and present, and recreating the mood felt by the author during the reminiscence. 
• 1.02 Respond reflectively (through small group discussion, class discussion, journal entry, essay, letter, dialogue) to written and visual texts by relating personal knowledge to textual information or class discussion, showing an awareness of one’s own culture as well as the cultures of others, exhibiting an awareness of culture in which text is set or in which text was written, and explaining how culture affects personal responses.
• 2.01 Create responses that evaluate problems and offer solutions.
• 2.02 Create responses that examine a cause/effect relationship among events. 
• 2.03 Pose questions prompted by texts and research answers.
• 3.01 Examine controversial issues by sharing and evaluating initial personal response, researching and summarizing printed data, compiling data to organize the argument, and presenting data in such forms as a graphic, an essay, a speech, or a video. 
• 3.03 Respond to issues in literature in such a way that requires gathering of information to prove a particular point, effectively uses reason and evidence to prove a given point, and emphasizes culturally significant events. 
• 4.01 Interpret a real-world event in a way that makes generalizations about the event supported by specific references, reflects on observation and shows how the event affected the current viewpoint, distinguishes fact from fiction and recognizes personal bias.
• 4.02 Analyze thematic connections among literary works by showing an understanding of cultural context, using specific references from texts to show how a theme is universal, and examining how elements such as irony and symbolism impact theme.
• 4.03 Analyze the ideas of others by identifying the ways in which writers introduce and develop a main idea, choose and incorporate significant, supporting, relevant details, use effective word choice as a basis for coherence, and achieve a sense of completeness and closure.
• 5.01 Read and analyze selected works of world literature by using effective strategies for preparation, engagement, and reflection, building on prior knowledge of the characteristics of literary genres, including fiction, non-fiction, drama, and poetry, and exploring how those characteristics apply to literature of world cultures, analyzing literary devices such as allusion, symbolism, figurative language, flashback, dramatic irony, situational irony, and imagery and explaining their effect on the work of world literature, analyzing the importance of tone and mood, analyzing archetypal characters, themes, and settings in world literature, and understanding the importance of cultural and historical impact on literary texts.
• 6.01 Demonstrate an understanding of conventional written and spoken expression by employing varying sentence structures (e.g., inversion, introductory phrases) and sentence types (e.g., simple, compound, complex, compound-complex), analyzing authors’ choice of words, sentence structure, and use of language, using word recognition strategies to understand vocabulary and exact word choice (Greek, Latin roots and affixes, analogies, idioms, denotation, connotation), examining textual and classroom language for elements such as idioms, denotation, and connotation to apply effectively in own writing/speaking, using correct form/format for essays, business letters, research papers, bibliographies, and using language effectively to create mood and tone.
• 6.02 Edit for subject-verb agreement, tense choice, pronoun usage, clear antecedents, correct case, and complete sentences, appropriate and correct mechanics (commas, italics, underlining, semicolon, colon, apostrophe, quotation marks), parallel structure, clichés, trite expressions, spelling. 

• 1.1 Students practice ethical behavior in using computer-based technology.
• 2.1 Students practice and refine knowledge and skills in keyboarding and word processing.
• 2.2  Students select and use appropriate technology tools to efficiently collect, analyze, and display data.
• Art:  3.2 Select and use appropriate technologies as a means of artistic expression. 
• English, Science, and Social Studies: 

Other Skills Addressed:

In addition students practice other skills such as:

• creative productions
• reflective thinking
• writing skills
• team work (if teachers use this method)
• organizational skills
• communication/delegation
• presentations

Their journal must include:

1. dates/time periods
2. the area they are currently exploring
3. a copy of their completed activity for each subject and time period
4. at least three interesting facts for each subject in each time period and why they find them interesting (keep and eye out for facts that address the culture, the role of women, and/or the economy of the different areas)
5. photos (create, save to disk or print and paste in journal) and describe why it is significant to the task

Students will need:

• equal access to the internet and word processors
• adequate time to complete all tasks 
• materials to create a journal (word processing and/or paper, pens, markers, etc.)
• magazines/newspapers for pictures
• access to reference materials to confirm or supplement information found on the web.

One teacher is enough to oversee the web quest.  However, teachers can combine their efforts as an interdisciplinary project.  THey may wish to have a technical assistant to work through basic troubleshooting problems that may occur with the computers. 

Use the following rubric to assess students' performance in the journals.  The downloadable checklist will simplify the list of basic requirements. We trust your judgment to determine the standards of quality for the overall effort and skills of the students.
 

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4
Completed all tasks assigned	Did not complete all tasks (18 facts, activities, journals).	Completed all tasks but did not analyze or give detail.Completed all tasks but did not analyze or give detail.	Completed all tasks but with shallow detail and little analysis.	Completed all tasks with great detail and in-depth thought analysis.
Creativity	Completed all tasks with great detail and in-depth thought analysis.	Some photographs or drawings with no description.  Very little creative thought involved.	A photograph or drawing for some of the tasks with little description.  Not a lot of creative thought shows.	A photograph or drawing for each task complete with a description of why it is significant to the task.  Color and high creative thought is evident.
Organization	Tasks are not clearly labeled.  No transitional flow between journal entries and tasks.	Some labeling.  Little flow between tasks and journal entries.  Hard to follow, confusing to read.	Some labeling.  A transitional flow between tasks and journal entries but unclear separation from section to section.	Very well labeled.  A clear transition between tasks and journal entries.  Easy to read.

The webquest teaches the students how to implement various techniques relevant to technological uses for educational purposes, in addition to the academic knowledge gained about Brazilian biology, history, and literature.  The students also practice their abilities to organize, analyze, reflect, make connections, and present their findings to their classmates.  A focus on interdisciplinary studies, application of higher-level thinking skills, and an emphasis on multicultural materials are key elements of the webquest. 

Special thanks to Dr. Spagnolo, Dr. Wegmann, and Dr. Messner.

"Welcome to the Jungle," by Guns N Roses

http://www.brazilbrazil.com/literary.html
http://www.culturabrasil.pro.br/brazilianliterature.htm
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/8008/literature-br.html
http://www.bartleby.com/65/br/Brazilia.html
http://www.vivabrazil.com
http://www.sumauma.net/amazonia/index.html
http://www.maria-brazil.org/mthys.htm, http://www.indian-cultures.com
http://www.gallary.yahoo.com/animals_and_pets/
http://www.search.gallary.yahoo.com/search/corbis?p=deforestation
http://www.nashvillezoo.org/anaconda.htm
http://www.passporttoknowledge.com, http://rain-tree.com/
http://www.free-backgrounds.com/
http://www.un.int/brazil/brasil/brazil-literature.htm
http://socsci.smith.edu/dept/calc/spirit_path.html
http://socsci.smith.edu/dept/calc/deMello.html
http://socsci.smith.edu/dept/calc/pwada.html
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/8008/literature-br.html
http://www.brazilbrazil.com/literary.html
http://www.maria-brazil.org/
http://www.uky.edu/ArtsSciences/Classics/Harris/rhetform.html
www.geocities.com/~joycava/article.html
http://www.photovault.com/Link/Cities/bLatinAmerica/Brazil/CBBVolume01.html http://www.iei.uiuc.edu/ExChange/projects/colonization.html http://www.as.ua.edu/history/oct7.htm
http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/1492.exhibit/e-Eur.claims.Amer/soAtlant.html
http://www.jkschooling.com/index.cfm
http://www.studyworld.com/
http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/bio/p/post/biograph.html http://www.brazilbrazil.com/influent.html
http://www.brazilbrazil.com/
http://psg.com/~walter/brasil.html
http://www.jkschooling.com/index.cfm
http://www.studyworld.com/ http://www.immigration-usa.com/wfb/brazil_people.html
http://www.brazilbrazil.com/, http://psg.com/~walter/brasil.html
http://www.jkschooling.com/index.cfm
http://www.rainforests.net/home.htm
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
http://www.users.wineasy.se/dg/brazil.htm
http://encarta.msn.com/find/concise.asp?mod=1&ti=761554342&page=7
http://crayon.net/, http://www.canlearn.com/READINGR/TheFurryNews.html
http://www.makestuff.com/kidstuff.html