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| A Webquest Developed by Jeanne Waters (2004) |
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| Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion |
Introduction
For hundreds of thousands of years, human beings lived in small communities, seeking to survive by hunting, fishing, and gathering food and supplies in an often hostile environment. Then, in the space of a few thousand years, there was an abrupt change of direction. Human beings in a few widely scattered areas of the globe began to master the art of growing their own food. The production of food led to the settlement of people and, as the population in these areas grew, people began to live in cities, form governments, and develop writing and art. This marked the beginning of the rise of such civilizations as those in the river valleys of Western Asia, Egypt, India, and China.You work for Time Travelers, Inc. as a travel consultant setting up world class vacations for adventurers.
Task
Time Travelers, Inc. has already placed you in a team with four other travel consultants. Each consultant has his/her area of specialty, i.e. Location/Place, Culture, Government, Religion/Philosophy, and History.Your challenge is to become an expert on all aspects of your assigned civilization in order to "sell" it as a world class vacation spot. You will need to gather enough information to create a brochure to attract adventurers. Think about all of the special interests and needs that have to be included in a successful brochure. Use your imagination and creativity!
Additionally, Time Travelers, Inc. wants your team to create a PowerPoint Presentation on your civilization to be presented to their clients. You want to use this opportunity to really "sell" your civilization as these adverturers are going to be choosing from a number of different civilizations. Make them want to travel to your civilization!
Process
- Travel Consultant Team
- Location/Place Consultant - Specialist on the location (relative and absolute), geography, and climate.
- History Consultant - Specialist on the rise and fall of the civilization.
- Government Consultant - Specialist on ruling form of government.
- Religion Consultant - Specialist on the religion/philosophy of the civilization.
- Culture Consultant - Specialist on the people, language, art, science and mathematical achievements, and economy.
- Research and Notes
- Travel Brochure
- PowerPoint Presentation
- Slides should be in bulleted format - - This means NO long paragraphs of information.
- Slides should have no more than 20-30 words per slide - - Again, NO long paragraphs.
- The presentation must include at least two of any of the following: graphics, maps, charts.
- SLIDE ONE - Civilization and Travel Consultant Team Members and their specialist areas
- SLIDES TWO - SIX - One slide each (in any order) on the specialist areas (Location/Place, History, Government, Religion, and Culture)
- SLIDE SEVEN - One slide on why you feel, as a team, that your civilization is the best place to travel to. What significance did your civilization have on world history?
- Final Presentation
- Notes from Time Travelers, Inc.
Your Travel Consultant Team is composed of five travel consultants, each of which have a specialty in one of the following areas. Divide yourself so that each position is filled.
Below there are Internet links pertaining to each specialist area for a given country. Use these links to begin your research. Remember, however, you are expected to research further into your area to ensure expert knowledge. You want your final presentation to be as professional as possible so the adventurers choose your civilization.
IMPORTANT - Be sure to cite all sources. I will be looking for citations at the end of your presentation.
| Links | Ancient China | Ancient Egypt | Ancient Greece | Ancient India | Ancient Rome |
| Location/Place | Outline Map
Country Study Country Profile Profile |
Map
Geography Country Study |
Geography
Map Links |
Geography
Monsoon Outline Map Geography & Topography |
Geography
Interactive Map |
| History | History Links
Timeline Ancient China A brief look |
History
Timeline |
Timeline
History |
History
Timeline |
History
Timelines Links History |
| Government | Dynasties
Imperial China |
Pharaohs
Links Government |
Alexander the Great
Law, Gov't, & Democracy |
Government
History & Politics |
Government
Legacy |
| Religion | Religion Links
Philosophies |
Religion
Links |
Mythology
Links |
Hinduism
Dieties |
Religion |
| Culture | Art
Women Mathematics Zodiac Holidays Index |
Daily Life
Art Writing Architecture Links |
People
Art & Architecture Daily Life Women Olympic Games Medicine |
Caste System
Art Music Mythology Sports and Games |
Agriculture
Architecture Music Art & Entertainment Sports Role of Women & Children |
As a team, compile the information from each specialist into an informative and attractive travel brochure. Be sure to highlight all of the areas. Be creatve - - include graphics, maps, charts, etc.
REMEMBER - You want your brochure to attract adventurers.
Your team is now required to create a professional presentation to "sell" your civilization as a world class vacation spot.
Some general guidelines to follow:
Some more specific guidelines to follow:
REMEMBER - You want your presentation to be professional as you are trying to "sell your civilization. Be sure it is informative and attractive. Be creative.
The last part of your job with Time Travelers, Inc. is to present your PowerPoint Presentation to the clients in the hopes that they choose your civilization as their next travel spot.
EACH team member must present some part of the presentation (i.e. his/her specialty area). Know what you are going to be saying ahead of time as you cannot read from the screen.
The presentation must be 5-10 minutes long.
REMEMBER - Because of the word restriction placed on the slides, it is expected that you, as the expert, will elaborate on the information presented.
Have fun researching and preparing your presentation. If you have any questions, please ask and we can work through it together.
A rubric is set up below to give your more guidance on EXACTLY what I will be grading you on.
Evaluation
You will be graded on your travel brochure, your slides, your presentation, and your overall participation.Travel Brochure
| Criteria | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points |
| Information | Incomplete, inaccurate or irrelevant information | Covers most specialist areas with adequate information | Covers all specialist areas with adequate information |
| Organization | Sloppy & disorganized | Neat but lacks organization | Neat and well-organized |
| Design/Creativity | Lacks style, color, graphics | Limited style, color, graphics | Good use of style, color, graphics |
PowerPoint Presentation
| Criteria | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points |
| Slide Format | Incorrect format (not in bulleted form/too many words) | Inconsistent format | Format follows with established guidelines |
| Title Slide | Missing some information as outlined in the guidelines | --- | Slide includes all information as outlined in the guidelines |
| Specialist Slides | Incomplete, inaccurate or irrelevant information | Contains mostly adequate/appropriate information for all specialist areas or complete information for some and limited for others | Contains complete (adequate and appropriate) information for all specialist areas |
| Concluding Slide | Slide provides little or no explanation | Slide provides limited explanation | Slide provides thorough explanation |
| Design/Creativity | Lacks style, color, graphics | Limited style, color, graphics | Good use of style, color, graphics |
Presentation
| Criteria | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points |
| Participation | Not all group members participated; poor planning and organization | All group members participated but lacked planning and organization | All group members participated with good planning and organization |
| Time | Less than 5 minutes | --- | 5 - 10 minutes |
| Spoken Quality | Read off the screen, back to audience, soft spoken | Inconsistent spoken quality | Spoke to the class clearly and loudly with minimal reading off screen |
| Extended Information | Lacks information beyond what was presented on the screen | Limited information beyond what was presented on the screen | Good use of additional information |
Conclusion
This webquest was designed to give each team a chance to become an expert on one of the ancient civilizations and then from there to "teach" the rest of the class using there expertise on the various specialty areas. With this in mind, you can determine the similarities and differences between each civilization and the mark each civilization has left on world history as a whole. Each presentation can further be used as a form of review come exam time.Which civilization do you want to travel to???