The Title of your WebQuest goes here

Destination Investigation

A WebQuest for 4th Grade Social Studies and Science

Emily Emerson, Lori Duke, Kevin Morris, Matt Yanchar, Pam King
Chimboodle04@aol.com, LDuke@kent.edu, KEMorri1@kent.edu, MYanchar@kent.edu, Pking@kent.edu

Congratulations!

You have been selected by our Great Leader Brog to explore a new planet we have just found. We hear the natives call it “Earth”. Your mission is to investigate this planet’s different landforms. We hope to establish a colony on one of these landforms and it is your duty to determine which one is the best choice. You need to investigate each landform and record your findings. Then, based upon the data you have gathered you need to prepare a presentation including a poster explaining what landform you recommend we colonize and why.

The fate of our species rests in your hands!

Task

Each one of you will assume one of the following roles:

Environmental Detective- Your duty will be to research the climate and any possible hazards that may be encountered living on or around the landform. Record these findings on your Fact Sheet.

Population Expert- Your job is to investigate if there is enough room for future population growth. Will there be enough food, water and space? Record your information on your Fact Sheet.

Natural Resource Investigator- Your job is to find out what resources are available (ex. trees, minerals, and animals). Propose which type of industries would thrive there. Record your findings on your Fact Sheet.

Navigator- Your job is to operate the computer so that your other teammates will be able to obtain the required information that will allow for the completion of this mission. You will also record the latitude and longitude of these various landforms on a map on your fact sheet so that we will be able to find them when we arrive.

Your Mission- After gathering your information and deciding which landform you believe would be the best choice for our colony, you will create a presentation and poster demonstrating your viewpoint. You will present this view to Our Leader Brog and the Borrilian High Council (your classmates), where you will defend your decision and answer questions based on your recommendation.

Process

Step One- As a group, you will decide who will take on the roles of the Navigator, Natural Resource Investigator, Population Expert, and Environmental Detective.

Step Two- Print out the four Fact Sheets and distribute them to the appropriate person.

Step Three- The Navigator will scroll to the Resource section of this page, and visit each of the links provided for the various landforms.

Step Four- While visiting those sites, each team member will read, participate, and record relevant information on their Fact Sheet.

Step Five- As a team, you will discuss your choices in relation to your findings, and decide which landform you believe to be the best choice.

Step Six- As a team, you will create your poster and prepare a summary explaining your choice. The navigator will present the poster and location of the landform, and direct each other member to present their specific findings. You will also create and perform a national anthem. See the rubric below for details about what is expected.

Resources

Volcano (Mt. Saint Helens)-

http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/description_msh.html

Look under Mt. Saint Helens Volcano

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Hazards/What/hazards.html

Click on Lahars, Landslides, Pyroclastic flows, and Tephra

http://www.nearctica.com/ecology/ecoreg/m242.htm

Canyon (Grand Canyon)-

http://grand.canyon.national-park.com/weather.htm

Look at charts.

http://grand.canyon.national-park.com/info.htm#size

Look at SIZE

http://kaibab.org/gc_new.htm

Look under “Tracking the Inhabitants”, and “Beyond the Limits of Land”

Mountains (Rocky Mountain National Park)-

http://www.jorn.com/ssc/romo/tundra.htm

Follow the instructions on this page.

http://www.nps.gov/romo/

After reviewing information on this page, click on the link labeled facts on the right hand

column

http://Mtns.MartianBachelor.com/Climate.html

http://www.50states.com/facts/colorado.htm

Island (Kelley’s Island)-

http://www.kelleysisland.com/history.htm

http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/USclimate/state.pl?lane=fast&state=OH

Click on Toledo

Plateau (Appalachian/Allegheny Plateau)-

http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/A/alleghp1lat.asp

http://www.scott.k12.va.us/martha2/allegheny.htm

http://www.wm.edu/geology/virginia/app_plateau_kids.html

http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/USclimate/state.pl?lane=fast&state=OH

Click on Zanesville

Longitude and Latitude of Landforms-

http://www.bcca.org/misc/qiblih/latlong_us.html

Click on the state where your landform is located.

Evaluation

Evaluation Rubric

Interdisciplinary and Disciplinary Criteria	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Effective Use of Class Time	Fact sheets are accurately completed for two or one landforms, or three inaccurately completed fact sheets	Fact sheets are accurately completed for three landforms, or four inaccurately completed fact sheets	Fact sheets are accurately completed for four landforms, or five inaccurately completed fact sheets	Fact sheets are accurately completed for all five landforms
Design Presentation Poster	Contains at least 1 picture and 2 facts or supporting details	Contains at least 2 pictures and 3 facts or supporting details	Using one of the provided formats, contains at least 2 pictures and 5 facts or supporting details on landform	Using one of the provided formats, contains at least 3 pictures and 7 facts or supporting details on landform
Write Group Summary	Summary contains at least 1 fact from all roles, or is missing roles	Summary is written using given format, contains at least 1 fact from all roles	Summary is written using given format, contains at least 2 facts from 2 roles and 1 fact from the other roles	Summary is written using the given format, contains at least 2 facts from each role’s research
Create Song or Anthem	Anthem embeds at least 2 facts about chosen landform	Anthem embeds at least 3 facts about chosen landform	Anthem embeds at least 4 facts about chosen landform	Anthem embeds at least 5 facts about chosen landform
Presentation Participation	1 group member speaks or presents work	2 group members speak or present part of the work	3 group members speak or present part of the work	All 4 group members speak or present part of the work
					Total Score

Conclusion

Now that you have researched different landforms and presented your recommendation to the High Council, you have done our species a great service. We now know the specific characteristics of these landforms, which will allow us to make an informed decision about where to colonize. Thank you for your participation!