Student page

RegionQuest

Implementation Page

The Student Page

Task 1:

Students your first task is to choose what region of the United States that you want to study. Each group will consist of at least 4-5 people. Each student in the group will have a responsibility with in the group so that all the work does not fall on one person. The team coordinator puts the report together. The recorder takes the notes during brainstorming. The Geography specialist gathers together all the information and maps that will go into the final product. The correspondent will write letters to places for information. The artist will compile all the pictures and drawings together. Once you have picked the region, you must locate the characteristics that describe it. The characteristics are: location, economy, plants, inventions, animals, famous people, landmarks, food, climate, and weather, natural resources, physical land features, history and places of interest. The research that you have gathered will be used to construct an six-slide PowerPoint program.

Midwestern Region
Southwestern Region
Southeastern Region
Northeastern Region
Western Region
Student worksheet
State Chart Sheet

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Task 2:

The next task that you will do is to pick an individual state from your region and compile information about your state to present to the class. The websites and books gathered in the WebQuest should help you. You should become an expert. These are the categories that you should have in your report. Your states environment: natural resources, climate, natural features, and main industries. Your states people: Compare the populations of the four largest cities in your state by drawing your own bar graphs. Which city is your states capital? Is your state urban or rural? Your states history: Each heading under history should relate to a different period in your states history. You can sue an encyclopedia, an almanac or your history book to gather information.

· Native Americans
· Exploration and Settlement
· Statehood
· 1990-1950 (Depression)
· 1950-2000 (Civil rights)
· Famous people and events of today (9/11)

Next you will gather all your information together and present it on a story board in the form of a newspaper page layout. You will compare some of the stories that we have read in our McGraw Hill reader with the actual true accounts in the history books. The Four Cornered Hat, Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin and the signing of the Declaration of Independence are great examples of fictional and nonfiction accounts in history. Find at least two accounts to put in your newspaper. You can get pictures from the websites that you will visit. Even though your newspaper accounts are to be turned in, individually, you can brainstorm with your reading buddy to make sure your report is correct.

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Task 3:

Your final task is to make a papier-mâché topical map of your state. First you must get an outline of your state and trace it on your particleboard. Next, tear up newspaper into tiny pieces and put them in a pot. Pour a mixture of water and glue into the pot of paper. Make sure you do not get the paper to wet. Make sure that enough glue is in the mixture to form a paste. Mold the paper into the shape of your state. It will take almost a week to dry. Next, paint your state according to the topical map. After that dries, put your state bird, motto, flower and capital city on the your project.

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Process:

1. You're assigned to a group, with a team leader that was appointed by the teacher, to work on the computer, using the Internet to complete the following tasks.

2. The group leader will be responsible for seeing that everyone does his or her job.

3. Complete the outlines on each region that the teacher has given you to help you complete your tasks.

4. As a group, brainstorm what information should go into the program that will slow regional characteristics such as: location, climate, weather, food, famous people, economy and places of interest, for the power point program.

5. Complete the six slide shows according to the teacher's task cards. Be prepared to present the show to another group or class.

6. Next, each person should pick a state in that region to report on and to put into a newspaper format.

7. Go to the Internet and type your states name in the search box and click go.

8. Each team will keep all their findings in a folder, even their letters to the Bureau of Tourism, which they had to write as part for their project.

9. Once everyone in the group has completed their storyboard newspaper for their state, they will orally report it to the group.

10. The final task is to make a papier-mâché map of your state.

11. Each team will present their projects for evaluation to the whole class. The teacher using a rubric that was passed out earlier will evaluate the projects. The maps and newspaper accounts will be displayed in a designated area.

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Evaluation:

Students will be graded on how well they worked together in their groups.
Students will be graded on how well they took notes.
Students will be graded individually on letter writing.
Students will be graded on content neatness and accuracy.
Students will be given a group presentation grade for creativity and cooperation.
Students will be given a grade for having the required elements and how well they used their time.

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Conclusion:

Congratulations! You have completed the WebQuest. You are thoroughly familiar with the regions of the United States. Through Internet research, note taking, letter writing, brainstorming and group work and the creation of a PowerPoint program, newspaper, storyboards, maps and graphs, you have demonstrated that you have talent in being creative. You should be able to recognize the difference between the Northeast region and the MidWest, or the region that you are most familiar with compared to another region.

Credits: Rubistar: It was great help in making a rubric.

In order to implement this lesson, here are some of the required items:
Social Studies and Language Arts Books

These are the web sites that will be used by the students:

Here are some books and magazines that may be used:

Celebrate The States, Benmark Books, 1995 B Melissa McDaniel
Great States, The Good Neighbor Press, 1995, By Cindy Barden
Super States, The Good Neighbor Press, 1995, By Cindy Barden
The National Geographic Atlas of the United States for Young Explorers, 1999
The States and Their Symbols, Hilltop Books, Capstone Press

Here are some films that may be viewed:

Five Themes of Geography (Ed5812)
Understanding World Geography Using Maps and Globes (Ed5813)
Out Of This World (Ed5824)
Southwest (Ed3265)
Northwest (Ed3265)
West (Ed3263)
Middle west (Ed326)
South east (Ed3261)

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Evaluation:

US Regions CATEGORY	4 Excellent	3 Good	2 Satisfactory	1 Needs Improvement
Organization	Information is very organized with well-constructed paragraphs and subheadings.	Information is organized with well-constructed paragraphs.	Information is organized, but paragraphs are not well constructed.	The information appears to be disorganized. 8)
Internet Use	Successfully uses suggested internet links to find information and navigate within these sites easily without assistance.	Usually able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.	Occasionally able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.	Needs assistance or supervision to use suggested internet links and/or to navigate within these sites.
Notes	Notes are recorded and organized in an extremely neat and orderly fashion.	Notes are recorded legibly and are somewhat organized.	Notes are recorded.	Notes are recorded only with peer/teacher assistance and reminders.
Diagrams & Illustrations	Diagrams and illustrations are neat, accurate and add to the reader's understanding of the topic.	Diagrams and illustrations are accurate and add to the reader's understanding of the topic.	Diagrams and illustrations are neat and accurate and sometimes add to the reader's understanding of the topic.	Diagrams and illustrations are not accurate OR do not add to the reader's understanding of the topic.
Quality of Information	Information clearly relates to the main topic. It includes several supporting details and/or examples.	Information clearly relates to the main topic. It provides 1-2 supporting details and/or examples.	Information clearly relates to the main topic. No details and/or examples are given.	Information has little or nothing to do with the main topic.
Sources	All sources (information and graphics) are accurately documented in the desired format.	All sources (information and graphics) are accurately documented, but a few are not in the desired format.	All sources (information and graphics) are accurately documented, but many are not in the desired format.	Some sources are not accurately documented.
Mechanics	No grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.	Almost no grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors	A few grammatical spelling, or punctuation errors.	Many grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.
First Draft	Detailed draft is neatly presented and includes all required information.	Draft includes all required information and is legible.	Draft includes most required information and is legible.	Draft is missing required information and is difficult to read.
Quality of Information	Information clearly relates to the main topic. It includes several supporting details and/or examples.	Information clearly relates to the main topic. It provides 1-2 supporting details and/or examples.	Information clearly relay Information has little or nothing to do with the main topic.
First Draft	Detailed draft is neatly presented and includes all required information.	Draft includes all required information and is legible.	Draft includes most required information and is legible.	Draft is missing required information and is difficult to read.

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Date Created: 2003-08-12