Exploring the Americas

Introduction

The goal of this webquest is to identify and create a pamphlet of three European explorers during the 16th and 17th centuries (1500's-1600's).

Task

Your job is to work with a partner to identify three European explorers who traveled to the Americas in the 16th and 17th centuries. With the information you collect, you will create a pamphlet highlighting key information relating to each of the explorers travels.

Process

1. Watch the following videos about European explorers in the 16th and 17th centuries.

2. From the videos you watched, pick three explorers you want to learn more about and record these in your note-taking chart (provided by the teacher).

3. Using classroom, library, and Internet resources find the following information for each explorer:

Country of Origin (where they came from):
Country of Exploration (where they arrived/discovered):
Major Accomplishments including their dates:
One fun or interesting fact
A relevant image

Image result for 3 section pamphlet

*Remember to critically analyze the sources of your information as we learned how to do in class. You have your partner to help ensure the information you collect is valid/accurate.*

4. Transfer the information from your note-taking chart into a three-section brochure. On the front cover create a title for your project, a relevant drawing or image, and include you and your partners names. Use the three inside sections for each explorer. Include an image relevant to each explorer on their respective pages. On the back cover provide the links/ names of the resources you used.

5. We will be sharing our findings with the class, including the sources of your information. We will discuss the resources that are the most reliable and why.

Evaluation

This is how your work will be evaluated.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Qualified 3	Exemplary 5
The section on explorer #1 contains: Country of Origin (where they came from) Country of Exploration Major Accomplishments including their dates One fun or interesting fact A relevant image	Zero or one requirement is/are met.	Two or three requirements are met.	Four requirements are met.	All five requirements are met.
The section on explorer #2 contains: Country of Origin (where they came from) Country of Exploration Major Accomplishments including their dates One fun or interesting fact A relevant image	Zero or one requirement is/are met.	Two or three requirements are met.	Four requirements are met.	All five requirements are met.
The section on explorer #3 contains: Country of Origin (where they came from) Country of Exploration Major Accomplishments including their dates One fun or interesting fact A relevant image	Zero or one requirement is/are met.	Two or three requirements are met.	Four requirements are met.	All five requirements are met.
Resources are listed on the back cover.	No resources are listed.	Few resources are listed.	Most resources are listed.	All resources are listed.
Written pamphlet is accurate and grammatically correct.	Numerous grammatical errors.	Several grammatical errors.	Mostly free of grammatical errors.	No grammatical errors.

Conclusion

Great job! I hope you had a fun time "exploring" with your classmates.

Credits

Bean, Rita. M. (2015). The reading specialist: Leadership and coaching for the classroom, school and community (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Gambrell, L.B., & Morrow, L.M. (2015). Best practices in literacy instruction (5th ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

International Literacy Association. (2017). Standards for the preparation of literacy professionals 2017. Retrieved from http://literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/resource-documents/draft-ila-standards-2017.pdf

PBS Learning Media for Students (2018). PBS World Explorers. Retrieved from https://whyy.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/wolrd-explorer-vid/.