Transcript U. S. National Parks WebQuest

Our National Parks
A WebQuest for 8th Grade Social Studies
designed by
Erin Starnes
Introduction
Task
Process
Resources
Evaluation
Conclusion
Credits
a brief INTRODUCTION
This morning, the principal at Tripp
Fielders Middle School announced that
the 8th grade class will be going on a
field trip! However, there is a
catch…well, two catches. Not only will
you visit a U.S. National Park, but the entire
grade will have to work together to make a
decision on which park to visit. Two weeks
from today, all eighth grade students will
VOTE on which park to visit.
the TASK at hand
You will work with your group to
determine the historical significance of
your National Park, what activities
students will be able to be a part of and
how will these experiences connect to
your learning. During a National Park Fair,
this information will be presented as a
display to help students choose which park
they want to visit before the big VOTE.
a PROCESS to follow
1.
2.
Each student will rank the National Parks they are most interested
in researching and groups will be determined based on these
selections.
Using the websites outlined on the RESOURCES page, provide the
following information about your National Park.
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Where is the park located?
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Why and when was this land identified as a National Park?
Is there any significance behind the name of the National Park?
Explain the geographical features of the park?
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Include pictures
What indigenous animals, plants, and other living organisms are located there?
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State(s), time zone, latitude and longitude, number of acres , distance of travel
Include pictures
What types of activities are available for visitors?
Interesting fact/historical significance/infamous tales or legends about the
park?
If any, what threats are there to the existence of the park?
** All group will need to submit a list of responsible parties for each information topic.
3.
As a group, you will create a display on your National Park.
4.
Two members of each group will be responsible for overseeing
the display during the National Park Fair.
Remember, you are “selling” this National Park as a destination for your class trip.
available
Use the following websites to find and access information
on your National Park.
National Geographic – Travel
National Park Service
Wikipedia – National Park Service
Wikipedia – List of National Parks
Wikitravel – United States National Parks
National Park Foundation
U.S. National Parks Travel Guide
National Parks USA
National Parks Conservation Association
GORP’s United States National Parks Guide
Fodor’s Travel – National Parks
NPRanger – Guide to the U. S. National Parks
Photo Albums of United States National Parks
National Geographic Kids – Photos
Wikimedia Commons – Maps of the United States National Parks
time for your EVALUATION
CATEGORY
4
3
2
1
Required
Elements
The poster includes all
required elements, as
well as addition
information.
All required elements are
included on the poster.
All but one (1) of the
required elements are
included on the poster.
Several required
elements were missing.
Knowledge
Gained
Student can accurately
answer all questions
related to facts in the
poster and processes
used to create the
display.
Student can accurately
answer most questions
related to facts in the
poster and processes
used to create the
display.
Student can accurately
answer about 75% of
questions related to facts
in the poster and
processes used to create
the display.
Student appears to have
insufficient knowledge
about the facts or
processes used in the
display.
Graphics Relevance
All graphics are related
to the topic and make it
easier to understand. All
borrowed graphics have
a source citation.
All graphics are related
to the topic and most
make it easier to
understand. All
borrowed graphics have
a source citation.
All graphics relate to the
topic. Most borrowed
graphics have a source
citation.
Graphics do not relate to
the topic OR several
borrowed graphics do
not have a source
citation.
Grammar
There are no
grammatical mistakes on
the poster.
There is one (1) or two (2)
grammatical mistakes on
the poster.
There are three (3) to five
(5) grammatical mistakes
on the poster.
There are six (6) or more
grammatical mistakes on
the poster.
Attractiveness
The poster is
exceptionally attractive
in terms of design, layout,
and neatness.
The poster is attractive in
terms of design, layout,
and neatness.
The poster is acceptably
attractive, though it may
be a bit messy.
The poster is distractingly
messy or very poorly
designed. It is not
attractive.
Use of
Class Time
Used time well during
each class period.
Focused on getting the
project done. Never
distracted others.
Used time well during
each class period.
Usually focused on
getting the project done
and never distracted
others.
Used some of the time
well during each class
period. There was some
focus on getting the
project done but
occasionally distracted
others.
Did not use class time to
focus on the project
AND/OR often distracted
others.
in CONCLUSION
Upon completion of this project, the student will
have in-depth knowledge of one U.S.
National Park. In addition, you will have
learned about other Parks during the
National Park Fair. The knowledge you
will gain includes where the Parks are
located, why they are National Parks, any
historical significance, geographical
Features, indigenous plants and
animals found in the Par, and any possible
threats to the Park.
CREDIT and REFERENCES
WebQuest Template: taken from WebQuest.org located at http://webquest.org/index.php
Photos of National Parks: taken from National Geographic Kids located at
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/photos/us-national-parks/
Rubric: created on RubiStar located at http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
Curriculum Standards: from the Tennessee Department of Education located at
Social Studies located at http://www.tn.gov/education/ci/ss/doc/SS_Grade_8.pdf
English/Language Arts located at http://www.tn.gov/education/ci/english/doc/ENG_Grade_8.pdf
Student Resources
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/?source=NavTravPark
http://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Park_Service
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_parks_of_the_United_States
http://www.nationalparks.org/
http://www.us-parks.com/
http://wikitravel.org/en/United_States_National_Parks#Alaska
http://nationalparksusa.com/
http://www.npca.org/parks/?adwords=1
http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/united-states-national-parks-outdoor-pp1-guide-cid62ctid201.html
images: http://www.theusaonline.com/gallery/national-parks/index.htm
images: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/photos/us-national-parks/
http://www.fodors.com/trip-ideas/national-parks/
http://www.npranger.com/
images: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Maps_of_United_States_National_Parks
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this WebQuest, the
student will be able to navigate
websites in order to find
information. He or she will
have knowledge of National
Parks in the U.S., know their
significance in U.S. History
and use persuasive techniques in
the display and presentation.
CURRICULUM STANDARDS
Tennessee Curriculum Standards
8th Grade Social Studies
Geography – Content Standard 3.0
3.01
3.02
3.03
3.04
Understand how to use maps, globes, and other geographic representations,
tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial
perspective.
Know the location of places and geographic features, both physical and human,
in Tennessee and in the United States.
Recognize the interaction between human and physical systems.
Understand the geographic factors that determined the locations of and patterns
of settlements in the United States and Tennessee.
History – Content Standard 5.0
5.02
Understand the place of historical events in the context of past, present and
future.
8th Grade English/Language Arts
Communication – Content Standard 2.0
2.6
2.7
Deliver effective oral presentations.
Participate in work teams and group discussions.
Media – Content Standard 7.0
7.3
Apply and adapt the principles of written composition to create coherent media
productions.