Introduction
You are an historian researching primary and secondary sources of World War I in search of answers to a set of questions for a lecture at your state's university as a guest speaker. You will do in-depth research and inquiry to find answers to potential questions, as well as complete three tasks provided by me.
In this WebQuest, we will explore World War I! We will be navigating through primary and secondary sources, interactive timelines, and summaries of World War I to integrate into our unit.
Task
Students will navigate through five different websites to walk through World War I. While walking through the websites, the students will need to inquire and find aspects that support our three-day unit. Students will need to understand the events from 1914-1920, familiarize themselves with the individuals of World War I, explain the before, during, and after effects of World War I and its impact on world history, and summarize the key points of the war.
The three tasks that we must find answers to are the following: Summarize how global foreign relations were before World War I; identify an individual from World War I that shaped world history; and create a timeline showing the chain of events of World War I, showing cause and effect in events.
Process
- This WebQuest will be completed over three days.
- Students will write down the three tasks assigned to them from the Task that they must complete in the WebQuest.
- Students will go to their laptops and open the WebQuest provided to them.
- Students will begin to navigate the websites provided in the Webquest, using their own inquiry-based learning to follow their own curriculum and complete the assigned tasks on their own.
- Students will act as the guest speaker for the World War I lecture at the university, and will need to analyze and cite their sources.
- Students will complete the tasks in their notebooks throughout three days, completing each task that corresponds to the day's lesson in the 3-Day Unit Plan.
- Once the students have finished their tasks, they will need to find answers to potential questions they anticipate they will be asked in their lecture.
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated on their navigation of the WebQuest and their completion of the provided tasks. Students will be graded on the depth of completion of their tasks, citing of their sources, and accuracy of their answers.
Conclusion
By the end of the lesson, I want the students to be able to perform to the three objectives set for the unit plan: "Students will be able to analyze events from the beginning of the twentieth century and explain what aspects remained the same and what aspects changed world history;" "Students will be able to discuss the events of World War I and how it altered world history;" and "Students will be able to elaborate on the significance of World War I and conclude the overall effect its causes had on world history."
Students will able to navigate technology to find answers to their research questions, while also analyzing the validity of sources and using their own inquiries to guide their learning.
Credits
World War I in Color (2003) is a documentary to further the study of the students in a more descriptive way, for students to form connections between their research and what really happened in the Great War.
Teacher Page
Guide the students through the WebQuest and take a field trip through the various sites, identifying key parts of the cites with the students and setting them on the right track.
Follow the WebQuest to ensure the students fully understand what is expected of them and potential places to look in their research and inquiries.