A WebQuest by:

Ms. C. Rowan Ellis

Fourth Grade

P.S. 175

Henry Highland Garnet School For Success

After the end of the Civil War, during the period known as Reconstruction, when the once divided country was trying to rebuild, the 14th Amendment in 1868 gave national citizenship to former slaves, and the 15th Amendment granted black men the right to vote in 1870. Yet, just because these amendments were the laws of the land did not mean that all citizens abided by them.

Professor Sally B. Good from New York University has asked your class to help her. She has been asked to write story about the period of History known as the Reconstruction Period for Harper’s Weekly. She is going to look specifically at the rights of African Americans to vote. But there is more to this story that meets the eye. She is writing the story as if she were an African American woman at that time. What can you discover that can help the Professor understand this right to vote (the 15^th) Amendment. You will write a one page story that you will give to the Professor so that you can help her with this assignment.

You will work on this project with a group. Your teacher will inform you which group you will work with and what member you will be. Each group will have four members as follows:

Group Leader – Keep the group on target and helps with all aspects of the final story.

Story Writer – With the help of all members of the group you will write a one page story for the Professor.

Researcher – You will make sure that the research information is accurate and that it is included in the final story.

Public Policy Analyst-You will make sure that you have completed all five steps of the worksheets for the PPA.

Step 1:

You will be assigned to work in a group of 4 people. You will use the worksheets described in the Public Policy Analyst worksheets to record your research. These worksheets can be found using the links below and are to be used to help you complete your project.

Step2:

In preparing your story, each member of your group will contribute information on the following worksheets:

1. Identify problem

2. Gather evidence

3. Determine causes

4. Evaluate the policy

5. Comparative analysis

Step3:

During class time you will meet with your group and will work to develop your story for the Professor. Each group will present their story to their fellow classmates before giving the story to the Professor.

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/html/amdt15.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

http://www2.edgate.com/elections/inactive/history_of_the_vote/

http://teacher.scholastic.com/researchtools/researchstarters/women/

Each group will be graded according to the following table:

Performance	Needs improvement 1	Satisfactory 2	Good 3	Excellent 4
Completion of Worksheets 1 – 5	Does not have a good understanding of the social problem and its causes, and public policy that arose from it.	Partial understanding of the social problem and its causes, and public policy that arose from it.	Has a good understanding of the social problem, its causes, and public policy that arose from it.	Fully understands the social problem, its causes, and public policy that arose from it
Completion of a one-page story.	Briefly analyzed the social problem existing, explained the policy solutions, and evaluated these solutions.	Partially analyzed the social problem existing, explained the policy solutions, and evaluated these solutions.	Thoroughly analyzed the social problem existing, explained the policy solutions, and evaluated these solutions.	Comprehensively analyzed the social problem existing, explained the policy solutions, and evaluated these solutions.
Oral Presentation	Did not communicate facts and ideas clearly during the story reading.	Partially communicated facts and ideas during the story reading.	Communicated facts and ideas somewhat clearly during the story reading.	Communicated facts and ideas clearly during the story reading.

A= 10-12 POINTS B=7-9 POINTS C= 4-6 POINTS F=BELOW 3

IN CONFORMANCE WITH SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS, STUDENTS WILL:

1. Use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.

2. Study of the major social, political, cultural, and religious developments in world history while learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals and groups.

3. Use the skills of historical analysis to explain the importance of historical evidence, and understand the concepts of change and continuity over time.

IN COMFORMANCE WITH ELA STANDARDS, STUDENTS WILL,

1. Read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas, discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information. As speakers and writers, they will present, in oral and written language and from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

2. Read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will present, in oral and written language and from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues

As a result of this project you will have learned to identify public policy as it relates to the 15^th Amendment-The Right of Black Men to Vote. You have used the five steps of the History Public Policy Analyst and you have completed all of the worksheets. You have also done research using the Internet. You have written a story for a Professor to help with a magazine article for Harper’s Weekly.