Metric WebQuest

As a student we all dislike doing assignments without knowing why.  The United States is one of the few countries still using the English system; all other major nations have either converted to the metric system or committed themselves to conversion.  Have you ever wondered why we are one of these few countries still not using it?  Let's travel through history and the present to see how easy it is to use the Metric System. To begin your inquiry go to TASK. 

For over two hundred years, our country's leaders have tried to convince adult Americans to "Go Metric!", but they have failed. The Department of Education has just formed a special committee called the M.S.S.I to recruit middle school students, who are known to be much more receptive to new ideas than adults are.  Their overall mission: to help get the U.S. on track to be totally metric by the end of the year.

A critical part of the M.S.S.I Committee's plan is to send every sixth grader in the country a postcard with interesting information about the metric system.  And in the true form of students everywhere, these students will share the postcard with older and younger students who will pass the information along to their friends and family members. In a matter of a few days, the entire nation will be on board to make the conversion to the Metric System.

Although this sounds difficult, the committee has located the group of students to perform this task.  After months of searching the nation for talented and technologically sound students, you were chosen. Your task is to design that postcard, and your inquiry is about to begin.

Here is what you are going to do:

 (Follow these in order...)  

1. Get the Information Organizer from the Teacher's Page.  (Hard copies available from teacher)

2. Visit the web sites on the Credits page and collect interesting facts about the history and advantages of the metric system.

3. As you visit each site, fill in the Information Organizer.

4. Make a rough draft of your postcard. The postcard must include the following:

                a. A quick explanation of the purpose of the postcard

                b. A colorful picture and a catchy slogan or title

                c. At least two historical facts about the metric system

                d. At least two advantages of the metric system

                e. Information about how the change to the metric system was

                    accomplished in at least one other country

5. Create your final postcard.

                a. You may use posterboard, construction paper, tagboard, plain

                    paper, colored pens, pencils, markers, etc. Use your imagination

                    but keep it neat and easy to read.

                b. You may write and/or draw on both sides.

                c. Write the name and address of the recipient.

                d. Design a stamp and draw it on your postcard.

                d. The final postcard must be exactly 20 cm by 12 cm - - no larger,

                    no smaller.

6. Evaluate your postcard using the Metric Webquest Rubric on the Evaluation page.

7. Turn in your postcard, and Information Organizer for a grade.

8. Check out on the Conclusion page.

Name _______________________________________________________  Date: __________  Period ____ 

Metric WebQuest Evaluation (Circle one description in each row)

Congratulations! The M.S.S.I Committee has submitted your postcards to the Department of Education. 

The good news is they loved your postcards. They plan on making copies of the postcards and sending them to every middle school student throughout the U.S. in a mass mailing campaign.  Remember, we are talking snail mail so this may take some time. 

In the meantime, make sure you keep using what you have learned about the metric system.  And who knows, maybe in your lifetime you will see the use of the Metric System around the United States. 

1. Metric Definitions:  https://kids.kiddle.co/Metric_system

2. Silly Prefixes:  http://badpets.net/Humor/Jokes/MetricConversion.html

3. Metric Challenge Site:  http://figurethis.nctm.org/challenges/c34/challenge.htm

4. Metric Challenge Site 2:  http://figurethis.nctm.org/challenges/c67/challenge.htm

5. Metric converstions:  http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/metric_conversion_chart.html

6. Why isn't the U.S. on the Metric System?:  http://science.howstuffworks.com/why-us-not-on-metric-system1.htm

7. More about the Metric System in the USA:  https://www.britannica.com/story/why-doesnt-the-us-use-the-metric-system

8. 6 crazy things about metric system:  http://mentalfloss.com/article/19334/6-crazy-things-i-just-learned-abou…

9. 5 things you didn't know about the metric system:  http://science.howstuffworks.com/5-things-about-metric-system.htm

10. Metric System Facts:  http://wiki.kidzsearch.com/wiki/Metric_system

Information Organizer                           Name:___________________________

Use the chart below to record the resources you used to find information.

Use the chart below to write down facts you find, the topic they fit, and where you found them.