New thoughts

After completing the WebQuest evaluation assignment, I have a better idea on what Hong and I need to do for our own project.  We decided to focus on the 13 colonies for our assignment.  Here are our preliminary thoughts.

Storyline:  A group of pilgrims have decided to come to America.  However, they are unsure which colony to go to.  A brief description of the pilgrims will also be provided, such as their religious beliefs, whether they prefer to farm or trade, and lifestyle.  (Students will be making informed decisions based on these descriptions)

Grouping:  The class will be split up into groups (# of students per group depends on the # of roles).  Within each group, each student will be assigned a separate role in which each assigned role will be responsible for researching a certain aspect of each colony (ie. religion, agriculture, lifestyle, etc.).  Once each student has collected their information, each group will compare the information they have collected about each colony and make a decision on which colony would better suit their needs and personal preference.  A comparison chart will be provided to help the students organize the collected information. Once the students have made an informed decision, each group will compose an essay explaining why the colony they have chosen would best fit their needs, lifestyle, and/or personal preference (based on the criterias provided in the intro).

Webquest Assignment -update

From my understanding of the Webquest assignemnt, we are suppose to develop a web-based instructional activity in which students conduct research on a specific topic and collect information from the internet.  However, to direct students' inquires, a list of internet resources will be provided for  them.  Once students have analyzed the information they obtained, the will demonstrate their understanding by creating some kind of project.  A good webquest should include the following attributes: an introduction, a task, a list of information sources, a description of the process, guidance, evaluation, conclusion, and a teacher's page.

I got a partner! Hong and I will be working together on this project. We haven't decided what we are going to do our project on, but we're leaning towards either creating an instructional activity based on the 13 colonies or Earth Science.  

If we do decide to do the project on the 13 colonies, this would be a fifth grade activity.

Here are my thoughts on what we can do:

Storyline: A group of pilgrims are about to make their way to America.  However, they aren't quite sure where they should settle down.

Students will be broken off into groups of 2-3 students.   Each group will be a committee representing either the New England colonies, Middle Colonies, or Southern Colonies.  Within each committee, students will research and collect information about the all the colonies in their region.  Once students developed a strong understanding of their region, they will create a powerpoint presentation to persuade the pilgrims to settle down in one of the colonies in their region.

History - Social Science Content Standards

5.4 Students understand the political, religious, social, and economic institutions that evolved in the colonial era.

1. Understand the influence of location and physical setting on the founding of the original 13 colonies, and identify on a map the locations of the colonies and of the American Indian nations already inhabiting these areas.
2. Identify the major individuals and groups responsible for the founding of the various colonies and the reasons for their founding (e.g., John Smith, Virginia; Roger Williams, Rhode Island; William Penn, Pennsylvania; Lord Baltimore, Maryland; William Bradford, Plymouth; John Winthrop, Massachusetts).
3. Describe the religious aspects of the earliest colonies (e.g., Puritanism in Massachusetts, Anglicanism in Virginia, Catholicism in Maryland, Quakerism in Pennsylvania).
4. Identify the significance and leaders of the First Great Awakening, which marked a shift in religious ideas, practices, and allegiances in the colonial period, the growth of religious toleration, and free exercise of religion.
5. Understand how the British colonial period created the basis for the development of political self-government and a free-market economic system and the differences between the British, Spanish, and French colonial systems.
6. Describe the introduction of slavery into America, the responses of slave families to their condition, the ongoing struggle between proponents and opponents of slavery, and the gradual institutionalization of slavery in the South.
7. Explain the early democratic ideas and practices that emerged during the colonial period, including the significance of representative assemblies and town meetings.

Instructional Project/Webquest

One project done, on to another one.  As my class will be beginning a new project soon (in fact the most important project of the semester), I must start thinking about what I want to do.  From my understanding, we are suppose to develop a web-based instructional activity in which students conduct research on a specific topic and collect information from the internet.  However, to direct students' inquires, a list of internet resources will be provided for  them.  Once students have analyzed the information they obtained, the will demonstrate their understanding by creating some kind of project.  A good webquest should include the following attributes: an introduction, a task, a list of information sources, a description of the process, guidance, evaluation, conclusion, and a teacher's page.

For my webquest project, i'm thinking about creating an instructional activity based on the 13 colonies.  This would be a fifth grade activity.

Storyline: A group of pilgrims are about to make their way to America.  However, they aren't quite sure where they should settle down.

Students will be broken off into groups of 2-3 students.   Each group will be a committee representing either the New England colonies, Middle Colonies, or Southern Colonies.  Within each committee, students will research and collect information about the all the colonies in their region.  Once students developed a strong understanding of their region, they will create a powerpoint presentation to persuade the pilgrims to settle down in one of the colonies in their region.

These are just my thoughts for now.

Classroom website

My classroom website is finally complete! Creating a website was definitely a learning curve.  But once I figured out how to create pages, I was on a role! Check out my website!

https://sites.google.com/site/misstanclassroom/