“How Rude!”

Creating a Positive Community:

A WebQuest

Sarah Huntone

sarah.huntone@rcsdk12.org

Introduction

You are sitting in the cafeteria at School Without Walls enjoying lunch with your friends when suddenly you are hit in the head with a milk carton. Your friends are laughing, but you are fuming! You cannot believe someone would be so rude. Then your friends remind you that you were just as rude to your English teacher that morning. You begin to have a conversation with your friends about the declining sense of community in the school. Your group decides to do something to change the problems and to restore respect and a sense of community to our building.

The Task

You will be assigned to three member groups. Your group will research existing school policy regarding respect, as well as policies from other schools and communities. You will conduct surveys with students and staff at our school in order to see what the community’s needs and wants are. You will take your research and design a policy that will help build a more positive community here at School Without Walls.

Each group will be required to create a PowerPoint presentation for the class, along with advertising posters for the school to explain the new policy your group created. Your teacher will also be collecting all your research notes, your survey, and your PPA handouts – so don’t lose them!

The Process

1. As a group, define the problem. Complete worksheet 1.
2. Next, gather evidence to support your definition of the problem with research and your survey. Complete worksheet 2. Create and administer survey.
3. Determine the causes of the problem. Complete worksheet 3.
4. Examine the existing policy. Complete worksheet 4.
5. Develop a series of possible solutions. Complete worksheet 5
6. Select the best solution – one new policy to help solve the problem. Complete worksheet 6.
7. Create a PowerPoint presentation of 10 – 15 slides to present your finding and new policy to the class. Your group must explain the process that brought you to your new policy. You should also explain why your policy is going to make a positive difference in our school community.
8. Your presentation should be 5-10 minutes in length. All members of the group are expected to help prepare the presentation and be active participants in the actual presentation.
9. In addition, you must create a series of posters to advertise your new policy in the school community. These posters should clearly explain your policy, should be easy to read, should be neat, and should demonstrate creativity.
10. Once approved by myself, you will be required to display your posters in the hallway.
11. The last step for this project is a reflection that you will be required to write individually after you have presented.

Resources

Websites

Rochester City School District

School Without Walls

Democrat and Chronicle

Google

Character Counts

Character Education

Survey Monkey - Create your own surveys

Evaluation

Rubric for Worksheets

ü+ : You did all of the worksheets completely and showed tremendous effort

ü   : You did all of the worksheets, some were clear, showed good effort

ü-  : You did almost all of the worksheets and showed little effort

Redo: These worksheets were incomplete and lacked effort

Rubric for PowerPoint

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Content - Accuracy	All content throughout the presentation is accurate. There are no factual errors.	Most of the content is accurate but there is one piece of information that might be inaccurate.	The content is generally accurate, but one piece of information is clearly flawed or inaccurate.	Content is typically confusing or contains more than one factual error.
Sequencing of Information	Information is organized in a clear, logical way. It is easy to anticipate the type of material that might be on the next card.	Most information is organized in a clear, logical way. One card or item of information seems out of place.	Some information is logically sequenced. An occasional card or item of information seems out of place.	There is no clear plan for the organization of information.
Use of Graphics	All graphics are attractive (size and colors) and support the theme/content of the presentation.	A few graphics are not attractive but all support the theme/content of the presentation.	All graphics are attractive but a few do not seem to support the theme/content of the presentation.	Several graphics are unattractive AND detract from the content of the presentation.
Background	Background does not detract from text or other graphics. Choice of background is consistent from card to card and is appropriate for the topic.	Background does not detract from text or other graphics. Choice of background is consistent from card to card.	Background does not detract from text or other graphics.	Background makes it difficult to see text or competes with other graphics on the page.
Text - Font Choice & Formatting	Font formats (e.g., color, bold, italic) have been carefully planned to enhance readability and content.	Font formats have been carefully planned to enhance readability.	Font formatting has been carefully planned to complement the content. It may be a little hard to read.	Font formatting makes it very difficult to read the material.
Spelling and Grammar	Presentation has no misspellings or grammatical errors.	Presentation has 1-2 misspellings, but no grammatical errors.	Presentation has 1-2 grammatical errors but no misspellings.	Presentation has more than 2 grammatical and/or spelling errors.

Rubric for Presentation

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Posture and Eye Contact	Stands up straight, looks relaxed and confident. Establishes eye contact with everyone in the room during the presentation.	Stands up straight and establishes eye contact with everyone in the room during the presentation.	Sometimes stands up straight and establishes eye contact.	Slouches and/or does not look at people during the presentation.
Volume	Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members throughout the presentation.	Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 90% of the time.	Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 80% of the time.	Volume often too soft to be heard by all audience members.
Preparedness	Student is completely prepared and has obviously rehearsed.	Student seems pretty prepared but might have needed a couple more rehearsals.	The student is somewhat prepared, but it is clear that rehearsal was lacking.	Student does not seem at all prepared to present.
Enthusiasm	Facial expressions and body language generate a strong interest and enthusiasm about the topic in others.	Facial expressions and body language sometimes generate a strong interest and enthusiasm about the topic in others.	Facial expressions and body language are used to try to generate enthusiasm, but seem somewhat faked.	Very little use of facial expressions or body language. Did not generate much interest in topic being presented.
Speaks Clearly	Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, and mispronounces no words.	Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, but mispronounces one word.	Speaks clearly and distinctly most ( 94-85%) of the time. Mispronounces no more than one word.	Often mumbles or cannot be understood OR mispronounces more than one word.
Listens to Other Presentations	Listens intently. Does not make distracting noises or movements.	Listens intently but has one distracting noise or movement.	Sometimes does not appear to be listening but is not distracting.	Sometimes does not appear to be listening and has distracting noises or movements.

Rubric for Poster

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Required Elements	The poster includes all required elements as well as additional information.	All required elements are included on the poster.	All but 1 of the required elements are included on the poster.	Several required elements were missing.
Attractiveness	The poster is exceptionally attractive in terms of design, layout, and neatness.	The poster is attractive in terms of design, layout and neatness.	The poster is acceptably attractive though it may be a bit messy.	The poster is distractingly messy or very poorly designed. It is not attractive.
Graphics - Relevance	All graphics are related to the topic and make it easier to understand. All borrowed graphics have a source citation.	All graphics are related to the topic and most make it easier to understand. All borrowed graphics have a source citation.	All graphics relate to the topic. Most borrowed graphics have a source citation.	Graphics do not relate to the topic OR several borrowed graphics do not have a source citation.
Mechanics	Capitalization and punctuation are correct throughout the poster.	There is 1 error in capitalization or punctuation.	There are 2 errors in capitalization or punctuation.	There are more than 2 errors in capitalization or punctuation.
Grammar	There are no grammatical mistakes on the poster.	There is 1 grammatical mistake on the poster.	There are 2 grammatical mistakes on the poster.	There are more than 2 grammatical mistakes on the poster.

Rubric for Group Participation

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Preparedness	Brings needed materials to class and is always ready to work.	Almost always brings needed materials to class and is ready to work.	Almost always brings needed materials but sometimes needs to settle down and get to work	Often forgets needed materials or is rarely ready to get to work.
Contributions	Routinely provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. A definite leader who contributes a lot of effort.	Usually provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. A strong group member who tries hard!	Sometimes provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. A satisfactory group member who does what is required.	Rarely provides useful ideas when participating in the group and in classroom discussion. May refuse to participate.
Working with Others	Almost always listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others. Tries to keep people working well together.	Usually listens to, shares, with, and supports the efforts of others. Does not cause "waves" in the group.	Often listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others, but sometimes is not a good team member.	Rarely listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others. Often is not a good team player.
Time-management	Routinely uses time well throughout the project to ensure things get done on time. Group does not have to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person's procrastination.	Usually uses time well throughout the project, but may have procrastinated on one thing. Group does not have to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person's procrastination.	Tends to procrastinate, but always gets things done by the deadlines. Group does not have to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person's procrastination.	Rarely gets things done by the deadlines AND group has to adjust deadlines or work responsibilities because of this person's inadequate time management.
Attitude	Never is publicly critical of the project or the work of others. Always has a positive attitude about the task(s).	Rarely is publicly critical of the project or the work of others. Often has a positive attitude about the task(s).	Occasionally is publicly critical of the project or the work of other members of the group. Usually has a positive attitude about the task(s).	Often is publicly critical of the project or the work of other members of the group. Often has a negative attitude about the task(s).

Conclusion

You and your friends are sitting in the cafeteria eating lunch, however, things are different this time…the environment is much more peaceful. Clearly your project was a success. Respect has been restored to School Without Walls Foundation Academy.

During this Web Quest project, you’ve had to read for information and understanding, critically analyze and evaluate the information, respond and express your knowledge and conclusion through the creation of your PowerPoint, and utilize your communication skills through your presentation.

In order to complete this project successfully, you’ve had to plan, manage your time, and work hard to follow a set schedule in meeting deadlines and achieving your goals.  You also had to work successfully in a small group – not always the easiest task. Congratulations on a job well done!

Now you need to take some time to reflect on the project!  Individually, write up a reflection that focuses on what you’ve learned and why it’s important. Also, what did you find challenging about this assignment?  What did you do well?  What would you change about the assignment if you were to do it again?

Standards

This web quest focuses on the following New York State ELA Standards:

Standard 1:  Students will read, write, listen, and speak for Information and Understanding

Standard 3:  Students will read, write, listen, and speak for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Standard 4:  Students will read, write, listen, and speak for Social Interaction