Introduction

This WebQuest lesson was designed as a final product of a professional growth class, New Digital Tools for New Learning I, offered through CCSD#146.

This WebQuest lesson has been created to provide students with knowledge of Early American History, specifically, that of settling America and colonization in the 1600 and 1700's. 

Learners

This lesson is anchored in second grade social studies and language arts. This lesson can easily be extended to third grade.

Students will need to have a basic understanding of 

• Community (first grade social studies learning standards), 
• the immigration of the English to the New World,
• "wh" questions and how to conduct an interview

Curriculum Standards
Standards and Benchmarks 

• K-2 Social Studies and Fine Arts
• K-2 Language Arts

Follow the steps below should you choose to be a talk show host who interviews your project partner who will act as a real or fictitious historical person from Early American History.

Go to one of the following internet sites or other sources listed under Resources.

Colonial Family & Community
Famous Colonists
Pocahontas 
John Smith

Select a historical person, read and record the given information that you determine to be important.

Develop interview questions based on the information that you have collected.

Create an interview script and rehearse it.

Using props, costumes and other visual aids that you have created or obtained, present your project information to your class in a talk show format.

Follow the steps below should you choose to be a news anchor person and reporter who are reporting the latest news of an English settlement/colony from Early American History.

Go to one of the following internet sites or other sources listed under Resources.

Settlements and Colonies
Colonial America
Jamestown

Select a settlement or colony, read and record the given information that you determine to be important.

Develop "wh" questions based on the information that you have collected.

Create a news script and rehearse it.

Using props, costumes and other visual aids that you have created or obtained, present your project information to your class in a new cast format.

This single-disciplinary lesson is a long-term WebQuest requiring at least one week of class to complete and present the students' final product. 

If students are divided into small groups consisting of two or three.  The WebQuest lesson could be completing independently if a student prefers working alone.

Locating internet sites with a readability level of second grade was challenging.  Students may require assistance with reading the content of the sites.  If possible, older students  with advanced reading skills from another grade may be assigned the role of "reader" in the cooperative group.
 

Resources Needed

• Internet access

Due to the age of the students, additional adult, such as a parent volunteer, help is advised.  As mentioned above, a student from an upper grade can be assigned to the cooperative group as the "reader". 

Evaluation
 

Conclusion

After completing this WebQuest, your students will have...

• learned about real people who were influential in Early American history.  Among the people researched were John Smith, Pocahontas, John Rolf, the Powhatan Indians, George Washington, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson...

• learned about the family life of a settler or colonist.  You know how the settlers worked, worshiped, dressed and played.

• learned events about particular settlements and colonies that contributed to their successes and failures.

• learned to gather important information about a topic from a number of resources, organize it and finally present that information before an audience.

• formulated "wh" questions and conduct an interview.

• cooperated with a peer in the completion of a step-by-step project.

• How could the settlers/colonists have avoided some the difficulties they endured?
• What values (attitudes), events and people caused the settlements and colonies to suceed?
• How would history have been different had a historical person or event never existed or occurred?

www.hfmgv.org/education/smartfun/colonial/que02/que02_a.html
www.mce.k12tn.net/colonial_times/colonial_america.htm
http://www.americaslibrary.gov

A BIG thanks to Jill and Pat who held my hand throughout this WebQuest project and to my husband who spent a vacation day with the kids so I could participate in this professional growth experience.