A WebQuest for 12^th Grade (English)

Designed by

Jeanie Lepore

JYLepore@aol.com

Last updated on May 27, 2002. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page

Introduction

September 11^th is a day that we will all remember. We felt fear, we felt pain, we suffered great loss, and as a result many of us became angry. This anger led us to want to strike out at those who were responsible. As a result, stereotyping became rampant. Anyone who came from the Middle East was suspect both in our minds on an individual level and on a political level. Hundreds of people hailing from the Middle East were rounded up, people were afraid to fly with passengers who looked like they came from the Middle East. This type of stereotyping does more harm than good. In a city as diversified as New York, we must come to accept and understand the many different races and cultures within our city. At present, since our anger is still fresh, our wounds still raw, it is important that we seek to understand the culture of the Middle East, one so very different from our own.

The Task

Your task will be to determine the cultural factors which lead to discrimination against people from the Middle East Using the six step PPA process, develop a power point presentation that will educate your fellow students.

The Process

To accomplish the task,

You will be assigned a topic. You must research the topic using the Internet, develop an oral presentation including a PowerPoint presentation of at least 6 slides.

Topics-

· History of Palestine

· History of Israel

· Terrorism

· Suicide Bombers (Recruitment and Motivation)

· U.S. Involvement in the Middle East

· Middle eastern Religions

· Involvement of the United Nations in the Middle East

In researching and developing your presentation, be sure to use the PPA process. (All handouts must be printed out and completed)

1. Define the problem- How does your particular topic factor in to the concept outlined in the introduction?

2. Gather evidence (a detailed list of websites must be provided )

3. Identify causes

4. Evaluate a policy

5. Develop solutions

6. Select best solution

7. Benefits & Costs

8. The Prince System

9. Political Strategies

Resources:

The New York Times

Newsweek

PPA website

As seniors you must demonstrate your ability to locate and evaluate information via the internet you may find the following search engines helpful:

www.google.com

www.ask.com

www.yahoo.com

You should brainstorm for searches related to your topic for example:

Topic- Middle East conflict

Possible searches-

· “Palestine”

· “Israel”

· “terrorism”

· “Middle East”

· “Middle East conflict”

· “Middle East” and “conflict”

· “Palestine” and “Israel”

 Evaluation

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Web Site Research	-too few links	-enough links but few relevant to the specific topic chosen.	-many links that are relevant to the specific topic chosen policy.	-excellent use of a variety of links that are all relevant to the specific topic chosen.
Slides	FEWER THAN 6 SLIDES Not clear, too much information on a slide No graphics	6 slides, some graphics, too much wording on a slide .Slides detract rather than enhance material .	6 or more slides graphics clear.	Creative slides with animated graphics and sound clear with bulleted information.
Seven Minute Speech Utilizing Power Point Presentation	Speech is not on assigned topic. Does not meet minimum length. Does not use power point presentation to enhance speech.	Speech on assigned topic but somewhat unfocused. Meets required length. Uses power point presentation but only minimally.	Speech presents assigned topic clearly. Meets required length. Uses power point presentation effectively.	Speech clearly presents assigned topic combing both persuasive and informative techniques. Meets or exceeds the required length. Uses power point presentation to enhance key points.

Curriculum Standards

English Language Arts Standards Addressed

E1c: Read and comprehend informational materials.

E2a: Produce a report of information.

E3a: Participate in one-to-one conference with the teacher.

E4b: Analyze and subsequently revise work to improve its clarity and effectiveness.

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

English

Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding

Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction

Social Studies

Standard 2:   World History

Standard 3: Geography

 Conclusion

By completing this activity, students will learn how to use the Internet to gather information and do research. They will use critical thinking skills to make decisions on what policies would be most effective. They will become familiar with Microsoft PowerPoint.