Web Quest on Columbus Day - Essay Example

COLUMBUS AND ME Columbus and Me: A WebQuest Example [Beginning of WebQuest] Columbus and Me A WebQuest for Elementary Students (Social Studies/History)Teacher: [INSERT NAME]E-mail: [INSERT ADDRESS]Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | CreditsIntroduction"We have a holiday called Columbus Day. What do we celebrate on this day Everybody answers that we celebrate the discovery of America, and Christopher Columbus did it! But what does that mean If we really know something we can answer all the questions, or most of them, at least pretty well.

Can you answer these questions about Columbus and the discovery of America, for example, complete answers to who, what, where, when, why, and how And how is Columbus and his discovery important for youOkay, everybody likes to celebrate. So Columbus Day is an important holiday, maybe even a day off from school. But what are we trying to say or remember on this particular day The Task You are an explorer. Explorers keep logs or diaries of what they see and do on their journey--and what they learn along the way.

Your journey is a quest. It takes courage and determination to complete the quest. The prize is discovery. Proof of your discovery is a log of what you discover along your way to answering these three questions.Who discovered America (the Americas) Where--exactly And when--exactlyWhen you are finished, you can share your log with other explorers, which is what we explorers do. Remember, logs show date and time and what happened.The Process The discovery of America is a story told and re-told.

You can find it in history books, the encyclopedia, and online. Here is one story of Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America that you can easily understand. You can also take a quiz to check your understanding, if you want.One question you might ask is was Columbus the first to discover America After all weren't there Indians already in the Americas You can be the explorer yourself to find answers to this question.When and where Columbus landed is a question some history books and stories do not answer.

Here is a good Web site to find this information: www.columbusnavigation.com. Explore it a bit, but you will have to look carefully to find specific answers to the questions you have.HINTSIf you get stuck, look at Columbus's diary. One day is missing from the month of October. What is that day and what happenedFor exactly when Columbus stepped on land first in the Americas, go to the map of the Bahamas. On the map click on the different circles to find "the least number of unsolved problems." Evaluation Present your log to other explorers answering the three questions above.

You can present your log as an oral report in class, or you can put a copy on the Explorer's Forum on our class Web site.Sometimes explorers race to see who will get to the end of the journey first. This is not a race, but you have until the end of next week to eitherschedule your oral report for presentation to the class, orput a copy of your log on the Explorer's Forum.As we say at the beginning of any voyage, good luck!Conclusion You have finished. Now what have you gotFor one, you know more about why we celebrate Columbus Day.

After all, where we are today is a place made possible by acts of exploration and courage. In addition, we who live and work and go to school here share something in common. We are all the sons and daughters of people who have lived here for a long, long time and worked together to keep the best of the past and create the best for the future. It is nice to know where we come from and how we got here, isn't itIf you answer NO, continue reading.Have you ever done something really well and said, "Hey, I can do that again next time.

It really worked"On the other hand, have you ever said, "Boy, I will never do that again. That didn't work at all"If you answered YES to these questions, you have two good reasons for why your experience, your history, is important. Repeat what works and don't repeat what doesn't. But how is an historical event and person important for you like Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America Go to the Explorer's Forum and put one comment on one explorer's log, but not your own. Your comment is about why history is important for you.

You can also read comments from other explorers.HINTRe-read this WebQuest. You have some ideas here you can talk about. Credits & References The elementary story of Christopher Columbus is presented on the BBC's Web site at http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/famouspeople/standard/columbus/index.shtml#focus. This presentation is very easy to read and understand. When exactly did Columbus first step onto land in America The answer is October 12, 1492. This and more than anyone ever wanted to know is located at http://www.

columbusnavigation.com. Elementary students will be overwhelmed by the amount of information here, and so careful guidance through what to look at and what not to bother with is important.On this same site, there is a map of the Bahamas, showing the suggested landfalls of Columbus. This is a complicated subject with lots of research readily accessible. The shortcut to an answer to the question is given in the process section above. The page that holds the map and link to the answer is http://www.

columbusnavigation.com/cclandfl.shtml. The answer is Plana Cays. In answering no to the question of whether Columbus was the first to discover America, the BBC nicely summarizes with all the main contenders for the honor. The link is http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1029313.For Christopher Columbus, see a good history book of the Americas as well as an encyclopedia. Last updated on mo/da/yr.[End of WebQuest]REFERENCESDillenbourg, P. (2008). Integrating technologies into educational ecosystems. Distance Education, 29(2), 127-140.

Granger, D. (2005). Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 6(3), 271-274,291.Mortera-Gutirrez, F. (2006). Faculty Best Practices Using Blended Learning in E-Learning and Face-to-Face Instruction. International Journal on ELearning, 5(3), 313-337.Schrock, K. (1995). Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators. Retrieved December 1, from http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/.