Introduction
We have been learning about the events leading up to and during the American Revolution. During our study, we mentioned several individuals who were involved in events in this period. Many of these individuals were ordinary people like you who chose to make a statement, take risks, and lead our country to independence from Great Britain. In this webquest, you will have the opportunity to research and present information on historical figures in early American history and help our class learn more about their lives and experiences.
Task
You will be placed in groups of 2-3 for this webquest. The group will select one individual to research from the list provided. If you have an idea of someone interesting that is not listed but was mentioned in class, please reach out to me to confirm that it is ok to use this individual. Several questions are included in the instructions below. The answers to these questions must be included in your research, but you may also add any more interesting information that you learn about your historical figure. After conducting your research, your group will present the information to our class so that we can all learn about these individuals.
Process
Here is a list of individuals you can choose from to research:
Paul Revere, Betsy Ross, George Washington, Martha Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Abigail Adams, Patrick Henry, Phillis Wheatley, Mary Ludwig Hays (Molly Pitcher), King George III
**If you find another individual that you would like to research, please reach out to me to let me know.
During your research, you MUST answer the following questions:
1. When and where were they born? When did they die?
2. What was their profession?
3. How were they involved in the American Revolution? What side were they on: colonists or Great Britain?
4. What did they contribute to the American Revolution, or why are they famous?
5. Tell me some things about their family life. (This can include their childhood and/or life as adults.)
6. Try to come up with at least 3 more interesting facts or stories about this individual.
Feel free to add any more information you want to add.
Presentation:
Your group will present your research to the class in one of the ways listed below. You must provide some form of visual (see options below) along with a verbal presentation. The presentation must be 3-5 minutes long. If you would like, you can dress up as your individual during your presentation, but this is not required. Here are your presentation options:
1. Create and present a presentation (either through Canva or Google Slides) where you provide information listed above.
2. Create a poster board or project display board with information and pictures.
*You must provide at least 1 picture of the historical figure you chose in your presentation.
**Please cite/state which websites you used to obtain your information.
Here is a list of websites to use for your research.
Biography: https://www.biography.com/search
Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/History-Society OR https://kids.britannica.com/kids/browse/index/biography#/
Ducksters: https://www.ducksters.com/biography/
National Geographic: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history
Museum of the American Revolution: https://www.amrevmuseum.org/learn-and-explore/for-students-and-educators
Evaluation
|
Excellent Work 4 pts. |
Good job! 3 pts |
Getting There 2 pts |
Not Quite 1 pt |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Organization |
All information is neat and easy to understand. |
Most information (at least 75%) is neat and easy to understand. |
|
Over 50% of information is not neat and easy to understand. |
|
| Content | All required items are included, and project reflects depth of research and analysis. | 75% of required items are included and project mostly reflects depth of research and analysis. | At least half of the required items are included, and project somewhat reflects depth of research and analysis. | Less than half of the required items are included, and the project does not reflect depth of research and analysis. | |
|
Presentation Board/Display (Google Slides/Canva or poster board display) |
Makes excellent use of color, font, graphics, etc. to enhance the presentation. | Makes good use of color, font, graphics, etc. to enhance the presentation. | Makes use of font, color, graphics, etc., but occasionally these detract from the presentation content. | Minimal use of color and graphics and when used distract from the presentation content. | |
| Group Presentation to Class | Information is presented with superior knowledge, accuracy, and creativity. | Information is presented with proficient knowledge, accuracy, and creativity. | Information is presented with developing knowledge, accuracy, and creativity. | Information is unclear, lacks accuracy and is presented with minimal creativity. |
Total points = 16
Your score:_______/16
Conclusion
Many brave men and women supported the colonists' fight for independence from Great Britain in the late 1700s. I hope you have learned a lot about your historical figure and how best to research informative websites. I look forward to your presentations and learning new information about the first leaders of our country!