Learning about Thanksgiving

Introduction

Welcome!

Thanksgiving may be the most important holiday in the United States of America. For this project you will learn about Thanksgiving and its origin. Then you will be able to answer questions like: Why it is celebrated? What are traditional Thanksgiving dishes or traditions?

For this task you will be working in groups and read and learn about different parts about Thanksgiving. You will also research different topics related to Thanksgiving and then present them.

Your own tasks would be to create a PowerPoint and video presentation.

Good luck!

Task

For this task you will form 4 groups (of 4 to 5 students per group). When you have formed groups please send an email with the names of your group members to your teacher so you know which tasks you have to do.

Each group will first read about and then research a different aspect of Thanksgiving and present their findings.

For your reading assignment you will be provided with a text (you will find them in the part Process). Together you will present it to your classmates. To that end you will create a PowerpointPresentation. Consider that your classmates don't know what the text is about and that your presentation should last between 5 and 10 minutes. So, focus only on the most important information.
At the end of your presentation you will ask your classmates 3 questions about your text. They should be able to answer if they listen to your presentation, so don't make the presentation too hard and the questions should not be discussions questions.
You will also provide your classmates with a handout in which you also include the questions. (The questions are study material for the exam, so pay attention while your classmates are presenting their text.)

As a group you will also research one topic related to Thanksgiving (these topics you will also find in the part Process) and present it in a video presentation that you will upload to smart-school. In that video presentation you will present your researched topic in a creative way and include a critical comment about the topic.

Have fun!

Process

1. Video Presentation: Learning about Thanksgiving

In this activity you will be divided into four groups. Each group will work on a text. The text you will find in the link right below each group and the text's name.

Group 1 will read History of Thanksgiving

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17omVI2kdhzp_u4Jo972hMpcaBvxAojZ8HtNXrLtlFOY/pub

Group 2 will read Thanksgiving Facts

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ShNTXGJWDyNZEw8fn5GhZmkArr4u_GfVBp_a9mfRIOc/pub

Group 3 will read The History of Certain Thanksgiving Dishes

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Viu4a5OZ8WoOCnkn9NBiVb8K6L-HG2ZZJ3UiPg1dZKY/pub

Group 4 will read About the First Thanksgiving

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DGzEXKgb8IBWDTGNIvOjLR4KJ_-8g0fj303Ys4u4PWM/pub

It should be clear that you won't have to understand every word but just do a global reading of each text so you can share the most important information.

The tasks you have to in this part are the following:

1. groups	Form groups and send an email to your teacher with the names of your group members so you know which tasks you have to do.
2. reading	Read the text you are assigned (to be in the links).
3. PowerPoint Presentation	Create an interesting and eye-catching PowerPoint Presentation in which you create the text you have read. Keep in mind that the presentation should last around 10 minutes (max. 15 minutes). So, don't be too specific but include all the relevant information. Also, the workload for the presentation should be divided evenly and every group member should present one part of the text.
4. questions	Think of 3 easy questions about your text that you would like your classmates to answer. The questions should not be discussion questions but the answer should be found in your presentation. Please ask these questions at the end of your presentation and provide your classmates also with an answer afterwards (and incorporate into your PowerPoint Presentation).
5. handout	Provide your classmates with a handout about your presentation so they can follow your presentation better. Only put key points on the presentation. Also include the questions, so your classmates can answer them while they listen to your presentation (but don't put the answers on the handout).
6.deadline	You will present your presentation on November 29th and November 30th, 2017. Therefore you will have two weeks to work on your texts and prepare a presentation.

2. Poster Presentation: A Critical Review on Thanksgiving

In this activity as groups you would research different topics that are related to Thanksgiving and present them critically in a video. The topics are the following:

Group 1: Pardoning the Thanksgiving Turkey
Group 2: Black Friday
Group 3: Thanksgiving and Native Americans
Group 4: Thanksgiving Day Parade

The tasks you have to in this part are the following:

You will have more than a month to create the video. You will hand in the video right before the Christmas holiday: the deadline is the December 20th, 2017.

1. groups	You continue to work in the same groups from the previous exercise.
2. research	Research the topic you are assigned. Find out what it means, research its history and origin and any other interesting information you find interesting. Also look for things one could criticize about it (name the pros and cons) and express your own opinion about it.
3. video	Create an an informative, interesting and entertaining video about the topic you researched. Be as creative as possible. You can include pictures, little interviews, costumes etc. You can even act, if you want. Every group member should talk in the video and also here the workload for the video should be divided evenly. Your video should last at least 10 minutes and max. 25 minutes.
4. handing in video	The video you will upload on smart-school and send an email to your teacher when you have uploaded the video.
5. deadline	You have more than a month to create the video. You will hand in the video right before the Christmas holiday: the deadline is the December 20th, 2017.

Evaluation

For this WebQuest the following table shows the criteria that are relevant for your evaluation. For some criteria you will be evaluated as a group that are Content, Creativity and Graphics/Technical Knowledge as your projects, you prepared as a group, will be evaluated.

	Level 1 (0 to 1,5 points)	Level 2 (1,5 to 3 points)	Level 3 (3 to 4 points)	Level (4 to 5 points)	Score
Language (grammar, spelling, vocabulary, expression)	The student doesn't demon-strate sufficient command of English: the vo- cabulary is not diverse and the student doesn't short sentences. There a are a lot of spelling or gram- mar errors and the presentation/ video and hard to follow.	The student demonstrates sufficient command of English: the vocabulary is not diverse and the student uses short sentences. There a some spelling or grammar errors and the presentation/ video is not well- structured so it is hard to follow.	The student demonstrates good command of English: the vo- cabulary is fairly diverse and the student uses short sentences. There a some spelling or grammar errors but the presentation/ video is well- structured so it is easy to follow.	The student demonstrates very good command of English: the vocabulary is very diverse and the student uses short sentences. There a no (or very little) spelling or grammar errors and the presentation/ video is well-structured so it is easy to follow.	25%
Content	The students are only able to pre- sent some of the relevant informa- tion about the text and researched topic. Details show little understanding of the topic and the students hardly explain their own opinion or justify it.	The students are not able to present all the relevant infor-mation about the text and re- searched topic. Details show sufficient under-standing of the topic. They also explain their own opinion but don't justify it sufficiently.	The students are able to present most of the relevant information about the text and researched topic. Details also show full understanding of the topic. They also explain their own opinion and justify it.	The students are able to present all the relevant information about the text and researched topic and add interesting things they have found. Details also show full understanding of the topic. They also explain their own opinion and justify it.	30%
Creativity (PPT and video)	The text and video are not presented in an interesting way. The video does not explain the researched topic, doesn't present the infor- mation in an enter- taining way and does not include different kinds of presentation.	The text and video are not always presented in an interesting way. The video explains the researched topic badly, doesn't present the information in an entertaining way and it does not include different kinds of presentation.	The text and video are presented in an interesting way. The video explains the researched topic and presents the information in an entertaining way. But it does not include different kinds of presen- tation (e.g. acting, singing etc.).	The text and video are presented in an interesting way. The video explains the researched topic and presents the information in an entertaining way. It also includes different kinds of presentation (e.g. acting, singing, pictures etc.).	25%
Graphics/ Technical Knowledge (PPT and video)	The presentation shows that the students are not able to use PPT and hardly use different kind of multimedia or colors. The slides are hard to read and even lack information. The video is not edited at all.	The presentation shows that the students are more or less able to use PPT and hardly use different kind of multimedia or colors. The slides are often hard to read and lack or are to full of information. The video is edited badly and is not easy to follow.	The presentation shows that the stu- dents are able to use PPT efficient- ly and hardly use different kind of multimedia or co- lors. The slides are sometimes hard to read and are a little to full of informa- tion. The video is not edited very well and is not always easy to follow.	The presentation re- flects a high know- ledge of PPT and di- verse of multimedia and colors. The PPT is eye-catching and easy to follow. The slides are also easy to read. There is not too much or not en- ough information. The video is easy to follow and seems to be edited in a pro- fessional way.	20%

Conclusion

Well done!

I am sure that you all did a very good job.

In this WebQuest you have learned different facts about Thanksgiving and the history of Thanksgiving and its food. You have created a PowerPoint and shared with your classmates. You also have researched different aspects related to Thanksgiving and made a video about it. You can watch the other videos on smartschool if you wish so you can learn something from them.

But most of all, I hope you enjoyed making the PowerpPoint Presentations and videos and had a good time with your classmates.

Credits

A+E Networks: History.com Staff (2009). History of Thanksgiving. History.com. Retrieved on May 22nd 2017 from http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving

A+E Networks: History.com Staff (2009). Thanksgiving Facts. History.com. Retrieved on May 22nd 2017 from http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-facts

A+E Networks: History.com Staff (2011). First Thanksgiving Meal. History.com. Retrieved on May 22nd 2017 from http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/first-thanksgiving-meal

Andrews, E. (November 27, 2013). Why do Americans watch football on Thanksgiving?. History.com. Retrieved on May 22nd 2017 from http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/why-do-americans-watch-football…

Barksdale, N. (November 21, 2014). The History of Pumpkin Pie. History.com. Retrieved on May 22nd 2017 from http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/the-history-of-pumpkin-pie

Barksdale, N. (November 26, 2014). How many people were at the first Thanksgiving?. History.com. Retrieved on May 22nd 2017 from http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/how-many-people-were-at-the-fir…

Butler, S. (November 15, 2013) Turkey Talk: The Story Behind Your Thanksgiving Bird. History.com. Retrieved on May 22nd 2017 from http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/turkey-talk-the-story-behind…

Klein, C. (November 23, 2015). Did Florida Host the First Thanksgiving?. History.com. Retrieved on May 22nd 2017 from http://www.history.com/news/did-florida-host-the-first-thanksgiving

Teacher Page

Focus: This WebQuest focuses on Thanksgiving. The students would explore different aspects about the holiday and present them to their classmates. They would also research more controversial topics about Thanksgiving (e.g. Black Friday or the Native Americans in the context of Thanksgiving). Through these exercises the students will be able to have a thorough knowledge about Thanksgiving and see it from more than one perspective.

Prerequisites: The students do not need to have any prerequisites as all the information is in the WebQuest. They should be able to understand all the tasks and if they are not able to understand the texts fully they can also look up words or ask their teacher. They also should have prior practice at gathering and recording information online. Furthermore, the students should have prior experience with basic PowerPoint skills and creating a video.

Objectives and Goals: The students should complete this unit with a greater understanding and maybe also appreciation for the (US-)American culture and its most important holiday. This project touches on many aspects of Thanksgiving, including its history, origin, traditions, food and other important facts. By creating a PowerPoint and video as a group the students will also grow in their technology and cooperative learning skills as as they complete the project.