Name on Web
Quest:
”Discovering
Jamestown”
Level:
Web Quest
to be used in 8th grade
Introducing
the topic:
Before the
students are to work on their own, it would be a good idea to talk a little
about Jamestown and American history in class.
Many of the
students may know the Disney cartoon movie "Pocahontas" from when
they were little, so maybe you could watch the movie in class. It is a fun and easy way to begin this subject.
You may
also want to show some clips from the movie “The New World” (2005). Which is much more true to the
real story of Jamestown and Pocahontas.
Then you
could make a timeline in class. Exploring the internet for information on the
topic (finding relevant dates and places etc.)
Then as a
teacher you could introduce the blog "Discovering Jamestown" and
explain the tasks which they are going to work with.
As a final
product the students are going to make a prezi (a presentation software and
storytelling tool for exploring and sharing ideas on a virtual way), and a
presentation.
Scenario:
The
students are to imagine that they are going back in time to the year 1607 in
Jamestown. Before going back in time the students have prepared some questions
to interview and find out facts about the people living there, the living
conditions and everyday life, conflicts, overall - the story behind.
Final
product:
The final product is to make a prezi on what they have discovered going back in time.
What did they find out + the answers to their questions. The students present
their prezies in groups (about 30 minutes)
Time
needed:
Three-four
weeks
Culture
Theory:
Our web
quest is about the culture clash that happened when the pilgrims and the Native
Americans met in Jamestown, and how they approached each other and fought
over land.
It is
relevant still today because of the world’s history with racism. With our web quest the students are going to read and speak English, but
also learn about American history, races and cultures.
It is a
great way for the students to learn about these important topics/issues, especially
with today's globalization. Culture clashes are happening every day, but
culture is not only which country we are living in anymore. Culture is
something you are brought up with, but also about what you choose and how
you choose to live. The history about pilgrims and Native Americans
meeting and how they did or did not coexist gives students something to
think about, when it comes to culture and acceptance.
Desired
learning goals:
- The students learn about multiculturalism and how we must coexist, even though we have different cultures. Also, that we can learn things from each other (e.g. the pilgrims learned how to survive with help from the Native Americans)
- The students learn about American History
- The students will write, read and speak a lot of English in many different ways. Taking different intelligences into consideration.
- The students will learn how to form an opinion, when they are to consider how to maintain peace in Jamestown
- The students will learn about prezis
- The students will hopefully get motivated by the fact that they are to make a "role-play" and "travel back to 1607". Instead of just reading a book on the subject.
- The students will have more time to reflect about what they are reading and learning, when they have to write about the subjects in their own words.
