Body : Background:
Using familiar activities such as driving and sightseeing, students take a hypothetical journey from San Diego to San Francisco by either car, motorcycle, or boat. They select from three routes and plan a journey, taking notes and collecting pictures along the way. All of the research materials are provided in the WebQuest, including photographs and maps. However, the students are encouraged to go beyond the information provided to find additional information on the Internet and in the library. The students work in teams and record what they have seen and something of the history of several stopping points. They record the information in a journal, which is produced on a word processor. Images in the form of pictures and maps are used to illustrate the journal. Skills in narrative writing, research, organizing, computer use, and collaborative learning are important activities in the process. The final product is printed and bound. The WebQuest is flexible, allowing for variations according to academic level and limitations in technology. The WebQuest can be adapted to other virtual trips by creating other routes, perhaps in other periods of history. There could be shorter journeys on bicycle or on foot. The journals can be put on a school website and shared with students in other parts of the district or state. This WebQuest requires active teacher involvement at the beginning. Students should have some prior preparation with search engines, word processing, and manipulating graphics.
Opening:
Prior to beginning the WebQuest lesson, the teacher reviews Internet and library research techniques. A preliminary activity might include a discussion concerning automobile trips the students have taken to various places or to places they would like to visit. A discussion concerning what you might see if you went from San Diego to San Francisco could effectively set up the lesson. The teacher could ask the students to look at a map of California to locate and pronounce some of the cities and towns between San Diego and San Francisco. Written accounts of early California, the early Native American population, and the role of Mexican and Chinese cultures in California history would provide some motivation and some prior knowledge. When the stage has been set, the teacher announces that the entire class is going on a journey from San Diego to San Francisco, via the Internet! The teacher uses the included rubric to explain how the activity will be evaluated. Students are given a copy of the rubric for reference. All of the forms required are in the WebQuest. It is important for the teacher to explain to the students how to complete these forms accurately.
Development:
The teacher can "walk" the students through the various steps of the process, discussing some of the activities required to complete "A Traveler's Journal." When the students have an adequate understanding of how to navigate the WebQuest, the lesson can begin. The teacher must monitor the progress of the writing and research and the techniques the students are using to coordinate text with various images. All of the materials for the teacher and the students are on the WebQuest site, but the teacher might want additional resources to accommodate specific students. Only the teacher can determine the length of time required for the class to complete the lesson. After the research and the writing has been completed, the final product is printed and bound. Some teachers my want to have the journal only on the computer to be saved as a Word document or in some other word processing format. You may want the students to use a desktop publishing program such as Microsoft Publisher, Corel Ventura 8 Publisher, or Adobe PageMaker.
Closing:
When the journals have been completed, printed, and bound (or in digital form), the teacher can ask all of the students to look at the journals of the other groups. Each student can refer to the rubric and decide the strengths and weaknesses of each journal. Awards can be given for various categories: writing, graphics, design, and creativity. A web site can be created to showcase the skills of the students. The printed, bound journal approach is highly recommended. It is portable, easy to display, and more realistic than a journal available only on the computer. There is the issue concerning color. Many graphics the students find will be in color. Your school may not have the resources to print pages in color. Although journals with color photographs would be quite effective, it is possible to demonstrate excellence in writing, design, and research without the added benefit of color. You may want to have only the front cover of each journal in color. Publish the journals on the local or District server so that the full effect of the color graphics can be appreciated.
WebQuest Overview
Introduction:
"You have been selected to take an exciting journey. You and some of your classmates will be traveling from San Diego to San Francisco. You will travel by car, boat, or motorcycle, and you won't need a driver's license! You will use the Internet and other sources of information to take a virtual journey, recording your experiences as you visit the cities and towns along a 600 mile route that will take you through big cities, farmland, hot deserts, beach communities, and rugged mountain passes. For the next several days, you will learn how people live, where they work, and how they play. You will record your journey in a Traveler's Graphic Journal. You will join a Travel Team and work together to write a narrative of your experiences illustrated with photographs, maps, charts, and other graphics. Get ready for a wonderful experience. Students..... start your engines!"
Task:
"Using Internet resources, you will create an illustrated journal documenting a simulated journey from San Diego to San Francisco. This journal will include written descriptions of many of the places you may see along the way, including pictures of interesting places, people, map references, historical references, graphics, and references to web sites for additional information. You will be creating this journal as part of a research team. You and your team will combine your talents to create a well written, graphically interesting, and exciting account of a 600 mile journey. Your completed journal will be printed and bound and may also be placed on the Travel Adventure web site so that the whole world can learn from your descriptions, resources, and conclusions."
Process:
Step 1: Arrange the class into groups of four. Although the WebQuest calls for groups of four, you can have two students assume one role. Ask the students to click on the hypertext of each role in "A Traveler's Graphic Journal." You can assign roles or allow the students to select their own. Review the responsibilities of each role as you move from group to group. Model the use of links to other pages and Internet sites. Print out the rubric for the lesson and discuss the details of the assessment process. Give each group a copy of the rubric. Students' roles are listed below:
1. Geographer - Researches the travel route using Internet resources, library reference books, and an assortment of maps to plan each phase of the journey. Works closely with the other members of the team to communicate information about the landscape along the route, topographical information, climate, and relevant information relating to the historical and contemporary culture of specific areas along the route. The Geographer writes specific journal entries.
2. Historian - Uses the Internet and other sources of information to find information about the events that have made an impact on the lives of the people who lived along the route of the journey. Works closely with the Geographer to locate information about former cultures, towns, and important historical events which have shaped the way in which the people of the area live now and how they lived in the past. Works very closely with the writer in describing the contemporary and cultural history of specific areas along the route. The Historian writes specific journal entries.
3. Writer - Responsible for writing most of the journal entries in Microsoft Word. Uses the information provided by the Geographer and the Historian to develop the narrative that describes each phase of the journey. Edits the Journal and coordinates each phase of the writing process. Works closely with the Geographer and the Historian to include information that will result in an interesting, informative, and exciting Travel Journal.
4. Designer - Responsible for locating appropriate graphics. Works closely with the Geographer and the Historian to find appropriate graphics to illustrate the journal narrative. Works closely with the Writer to plan the way the Journal is to be organized and how the text and graphics can be effectively coordinated. Responsible for creating an attractive cover.
Step 2: In this step you can assign the route each group will take in their journey from San Diego to San Francisco. Or, you can have each group make that decision. Although there is no reason why all the groups can't take the same route, a variety of routes might result in a more interesting assignment. Assist each group in making this decision. Ask the students to click on the hypertext for each of the routes they can take. The information on these pages will help them make a decision. You can assist in this decision making by describing some of the wonderful sites and towns they may encounter as they journey along a specific part of the state. Place a time limit on all of this decision making. Many teachers find it much more efficient to assign groups and roles. The three routes are listed below:
1. The Coast Route - Includes the cities and towns along the Pacific Ocean and the cities and towns inland for several miles. If you and your Travel Team use this route, you go through parts of San Diego County, Orange County, Los Angeles County, the Central Coast, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
2. The Central Valley Route - The Central Valley route takes you through San Diego County, into San Bernardo and north to Lancaster and Bakersfield. This is farm country. You will travel through the southern part of the Sierra Nevada and then on to Fresno, Stockton, and then to San Francisco.
3. The Desert and Mountain Route - Your journey on the Desert and Mountain Route will take you east to the Salton Sea and then north to Joshua Tree National Park. You may go through Twentynine Palms and through the Mojave Desert. If you have lots of spare water, you can drive through Death Valley and stop for a while at Scotty's Castle. You will travel north through Sequoia National Park and then north to Yosemite.
Step 3: In this step, each group decides the means of transportation (automobile, boat, or motorcycle). The form of transportation will influence the route they will take. Ask students to click on the three types of transportation and to read the information on each page. There are specific requirements and rules for each means of transportation:
1. If your Travel Team decides to take your journey by automobile, here are some rules of the road...
* Stay on the paved highways and streets.
* You must drive near or at the posted speed limits.
* You can travel up to 300 miles a day.
* You must stop at no fewer than 15 cities, towns, or points of interest along the route you have selected.
* You must complete your journey in no more than five days.
2. If your Travel Team decides to travel by boat, here are some rules of the ocean...
* You cannot travel after sunset.
* You can travel no more than 50 miles each day.
* You must stay within sight of land at all times.
* You can visit no more than 5 seacoast towns.
* You must visit at least 5 inland towns or important sites.
3. If your Travel Team decides to travel by motorcycle, here are some rules of the road...
* You can travel on both paved and dirt roads.
* You can travel no more than 200 miles in a day.
* You can ride two Team Members per motorcycle.
* You must keep within the posted speed limits.
* You must stop to visit at least 10 towns or important sites.
Step 4: Ask students to open the link to the Traveler's Planning Form . Each group should print out one form and complete the information on the first or second day of the assignment. Keep this form for your information and to assess the activity of each group as the assignment begins. Some teachers give points for each completed task along the way. The form contains the following information/questions:
* Names of team members
* What route have you selected?
* What is your form of transportation?
* What cities, towns, and sites will you visit on your journey? (List at least 10)
* What type of information will you find along your route?
* What types of graphics and photos do you plan to include in your Traveler's Journal?
Step 5: Ask students to open the Traveler's Team Activity Log . Ask them to print out one copy or you can have copies prepared in advance. Discuss the purpose of the form and when they must submit it to you. This form is for you to evaluate the progress of each team on a daily basis. Students record the miles traveled along with notes about their research, writing, conferences, and decisions.
Step 6: Students write a Daily Travel Journal. This is the on-going writing and research process. Ask students to use the word processor to take notes and write journal entries. Although the Writer is responsible for most of the narrative, all members of the team should be involved in the writing process. The Historian gives the Writer important information to add to the journal. The Designer gives the Writer suggestions for graphics to illustrate the text. Ask the students to save all the work they have done to a disk on a regular basis. Graphics may be saved on a separate disk or in a separate file. Have an adequate number of blank floppy disks available. Be sure you keep these disks in a safe place and make a copy for each group if necessary.
Step 7: Publishing the Traveler's Graphic Journal - When students have completed the writing process, they can add photos, titles, and other images. Take time for instruction on the effective use of graphics and how to add them to a page of text. Color photos will reproduce in clear and crisp black and white. Use the black ink setting on the printer. Demonstrate how to use the text wrap feature of the word processing program you are using. Provide some suggestions for the front cover of the Traveler's Journal. If possible, ask the students to print the front cover in color. Suggestions for publishing the journal:
* Use Microsoft Word as your word processor.
* Save your daily journal writing to a floppy disk.
* Save graphic files to a floppy disk to add to the journal later.
* Print your final copy on white, 8 1/2" x 11" paper.
* Use the text wrap feature to make the text flow around pictures.
* Do not just write captions. The graphics should only illustrate the information.
* Your last page should list the Internet sites and library materials you used for references. Be sure to include the name of every member of the team.
* Develop an attractive title page.
* Bind your Journal with a card stock cover. Use brads or comb binding to publish your Journal in a professional manner.
* Make 5 copies of your Journal -- one for each member and one for the teacher.
* If possible, publish the Journals on the Internet.
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