50 States WebQuest

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50 States WebQuest

• Maranda Zachmann
• Social Studies Methods Materials
• Fall 2005

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Introduction

• The Whitehouse needs your help. President George
  W. Bush has gone on vacation to different states
  but the secretary lost his itinerary and doesnt
  know where he is. Unfortunately, there is no way
  to contact President Bush. Someone needs to trace
  his steps and track down where hes been, what
  hes seen, and where he is now. The Whitehouse
  has chosen you! Pack your bags and were off on a
  journey through the 50 states!

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Tasks

• Task 1 Journal about each state. Include
  important information such as the state capital,
  major cities, weather, state bird, state tree,
  state flower, nickname, state song, flag,
  interesting places to visit, etc.
• Task 2 Develop a Travel Guide (Handbook for
  Travelers). Make sure you include what clothes to
  wear in each state, points of interest, etc.
  
• Task 3 Make a Timeline of when you traveled to
  each state. Make a separate Timeline of when each
  state was admitted into the United States
  

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Tasks continued

• Task 4 Design a poster for each state. Make sure
  you have pictures and words to describe each
  state.
  
• Task 5 Make a map of each state youve been to.
  Include capital cities, major cities, and places
  of interests (forests, national parks, etc.)
  
• Task 6 As a group, develop and design a travel
  brochure of your favorite state that you visit
  throughout this quest.
  

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Process
Lets stop and think for a momentit would take
us a long time to travel through each of the 50
states so lets split up and spread out!!
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In each group, there will be one job for each
person

• Travel Agent
• Photographer
• Journalist
• Cartographer

• As a group, decide who will take each job. The
  next slides
  
• will show you your job descriptions.
• Each group member should work cooperatively to
  complete
  
• Tasks 1 and 6.

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Travel Agent

• Your job is to make sure that everyone in the
  group stays on task and collects important
  information from each state.
  
• Do Task 3 You will make a timeline of your trip
  to each state as well as a timeline of when each
  state was admitted into the United States.

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Photographer

• Your job is to make sure that the group has the
  supplies needed for the journey.
  
• You will gather pictures of state symbols (flags,
  state bird, state tree, etc.)
  
• Do Task 4 You will make a poster for each state
  including information and pictures.

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Journalist

• Your job is to write down what each group member
  does each day during your travels.
  
• Do Task 2 You will develop information about
  states into a Travel Guide (weather, tourist
  points, etc.)
  

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Cartographer

• Your job is to keep a map of where your group
  members have been.
  
• Do Task 5 Make a map of your route through the
  United States including the state capitals and
  other major cities/places in the state.

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Groups 1, 2, 3, 4

• First of all, make up a new group name. It must
  be related to the 50 states in some way.
  
• Fill out a KWL chart about the 50 States. Just
  fill out what you know and what you want to learn
  about the 50 states. You will complete what you
  learned at the end of your quest.

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Upon your arrival to each state, make sure to
collect key information!

• State Capital
• Major Cities
• State Bird
• State Flower
• State Tree
• State Animal
• Main products
• Natural Resources
• Parks, forests, lakes, rivers, etc.
• Sports teams

• State population
• Nickname
• Motto
• Date of admission into the United States
• Bordering States
• Highest Elevation
• Interesting places to visit
• Famous people from the state

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Here is your first clue

• President Bush was spotted in the Evergreen
  State.
  
• Guess the state and then click on the map.

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Did you find President Bush in Washington?

• Take a covered wagon and go South.
• Once again, guess and then click.

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President Bush was just spotted

• Surf down the West coast to the Golden State.
• You know what to do!

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He wasnt in California. Keep looking!

• Your next stop is the Sagebrush State.

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President Bush found lots of cactus in the next
state he visited

• Watch where you step in the Grand Canyon State!

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President Bush was at the last Jazz basketball
game in this state

• Dribble on over to the 45th state to be admitted
  into the United States.

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Happy Birthday United States

• Next travel to the state that was admitted when
  the United States became 100 years old.

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President Bush learned all about womens right to
vote

• Travel into the Equality state.

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Anyone hungry for mashed potatoes?

• President Bush was seen in the next state helping
  at a potato farm. Lets go there.

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Who likes to fish?

• President Bush went fishing for trout in this
  state.

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Bundle up

• Finally, your last state to explore is the Last
  Frontier.

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Heres a math problem

• If each group went to 12 states and there are 4
  groups, how many states have we been to?

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Youre right! Weve traveled to 48 states!

• Wait a minute, arent there 50 states?
• We missed two!
• Lets figure out which states we havent traveled
  to.
  
• Click on the plane.

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North Dakota and Texas!

• So which state is President Bush in?

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The secretary called

• President Bush just emailed the Whitehouse and
  said that he is now visiting the state he grew up
  in.
  
• Did President Bush grow up in North Dakota or
  Texas?
  
• Click on the maps and find out!

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Additional ResourcesHere are some more helpful
websites

• Explore the States
• Stately Knowledge
• State Flags
• Postcards from America
• Watch the Region Grow
• State Facts
• Travel Information and State Websites
• Fun State Facts

• Alaska
• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Idaho
• Montana
• Nevada
• North Dakota
• Oregon
• South Dakota
• Texas
• Utah
• Washington
• Wyoming

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Make sure you have completed each task!

• Did you finish your KWL Chart?
• Did you journal about each state?
• Did you develop a travel guide?
• Did you make two timelines?
• Did you design a poster for each state?
• Did you make a map of each state youve been to?
• Did you make a brochure of your favorite state?

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If you are finished here are some books for you
to read

• Maps and Plans by Pam Robson
• Millbrook, 2001
• An introduction to maps and charts featuring
  photos and drawings.
  
• The Grand Canyon The Wildest Canyon by Aileen
  Weintraub
  
• Rosen, 2001
• A wonderful introduction to the history of the
  Grand Canyon, including how it was created and
  its significance as a tourist attraction.
  
• Firestorm by Jean Craighead George
• Harper, 2003
• Axel and his family are kayaking on Idahos
  Salmon River when they find themselves in the
  middle of a forest fire.

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More books

• Lewis and Clark and Me A Dogs Tale by Laurie
  Myers
  
• Holt, 2002
• Meriwether Lewiss dog, Seaman, tells the story
  of Lewis and Clarks extraordinary expedition.
  
• Salmon Summer by Bruce McMillan
• Houghton Mifflin, 1998
• Just as his ancestors have done for centuries,
  nine-year-old Alex, a native Aleut, catches
  salmon on Kodiak Island, Alaska.
  
• Small Worlds Maps and Map Making by Karen Romano
  Young
  
• Scholastic, 2002
• A tour of many different kinds of maps, including
  how and why maps are used.
  
• Holding the Reins A Ride Through Cowgirl Life by
  Marc Talbert
  
• Harper, 2004
• Readers learn about the lives of four modern
  cowgirls who live and work on ranches in Utah,
  Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico.
  

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Assessments

• Journal
• Travel Guide
• Timelines
• Posters
• Maps
• State Brochure Rubric
• Self-Evaluation

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Congratulations!!!

• Youve made it through all 50 states and tracked
  down President Bush!
  
• He is so happy that you gathered information
  about the 50 states to share with others. He
  wants you to come to the Whitehouse to present
  your Travel Brochure in the near futurebut
  enough traveling for now!

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Resources for teachers

• Apple Learning Exchange 50 States
• http//henson.austin.apple.com/edres/ccenter/state
  s/websites.shtml
  
• Governors Favorite Recipes
• http//www.virtualcities.com/ons/0rec/governor.htm
  
  
• Geoworld State Facts
• http//www.geoworld.org/na/usa/
• Click and Learn
• http//www.clickandlearn.com/Documents2/ReVuFun.ht
  m
  
• Travel Information and State Websites
• http//philville.com/tourism.html
• Biography of President George W. Bush
• http//www.Whitehouse.gov//president/gwbbio.html

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• Explore the States
• http//www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/es
  
  
• Stately Knowledge
• http//www.ipl.org/youth/stateknow/skhome.html
• State Flags
• http//www.law.ou.edu/hist/flags/stflag.shtml
• Postcards From America
• http//www.postcardsfrom.com/t1/arcin.html
• Watch the Region Grow
• http//www.ac.wwu.edu/stephan/48states.html
• Folktales from every State
• http//www.americanfolklore.net/ss.html

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• Online State Games
• http//www.ipl.org/youth/stateknow/capitalgame.htm
  l
  
• http//www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games.htm
• Online Quizzes
• http//lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/usaquiz.html
• http//www.funbrain.com/where/
• State Rulers
• http//www.weeshare.com/rulers/Rulers
• Fun State Facts
• http//factfinder.census.gov/home/en/kids/funfacts
  /funfacts.html
  

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Thank You!!!!