A Voyage Back To 1492
A WebQuest on Christopher Columbus
Designed by
Brandi Bargmann
Tasks | Process | Resources | Evaluation | Conclusion | Teacher's Notes
Have you ever traveled back in time? Would you like to? Hop aboard the Magical Ship! Travel back to the year 1492, where Christopher Columbus is about to sail the ocean blue. He needs your help in making his first voyage a success!
Your task will be to gather information on Christopher Columbus and his adventures. Your team will use this information when you journey back in time, to help Columbus with his first voyage. In addition to learning about Columbus, your team will help him convince Queen Isabella I to support the voyage. In completing your time travel, your team will tell the class why you think there is a holiday, in honor of Christopher Columbus and his explorations.
Your team, of two or three members, will explore the resources or web pages provided, before your journey back in time. You need to follow the steps listed and answer the questions in each step. One set of answers to the questions, from each team, should be turned in on a seperate sheet of paper, typed or written.
Step
One - Explore the resources provided,
for information on Christopher Columbus and his adventures. Make
notes on what your team finds, and use these notes throughout
your journey to complete the question(s) in each step.
Why do you think Columbus wanted to set out on a voyage to uncommon waters and land?
Step
Two - The time has finally
come to journey back to 1492! Are you ready? Hold
on!!!!!............... Congratulations! You have finally
journeyed back in time! Your team must help Columbus convince
Queen Isabella I to support the voyage. Your team must prepare
and present a ten-minute speech to Queen Isabella I.
How would you prove to Queen Isabella I that the voyage will lead to great discoveries? that it would benefit her country? What information would you use to defend your viewpoint?
Step
Three - Journey back to
the classroom!!!....... Wow, it's great to have you back! Your
team must now write and share with the class a brief essay on why
you think we have a holiday in honor of Columbus and his
explorations.
Here is a list of web sources to help you gather information:
You will be graded on your team performance, not individual. This is a team project, however, each member is responsible to gather information and work with each other on completing the questions and activities. Your team will be graded on the completion of the following:
| Points | 10-8 |
7-4 |
3-1 |
| Questions | Clearly written and easy
to understand. Thorough, with great detail. Obvious that the team gave it a lot of thought. |
Few spelling and grammar
errors. Somewhat understandable. Could use a little more thought. |
A number of spelling, and
grammar errors. Hard to understand. Needs more thought. |
| Speech | Provides clear
explanation, ideas connected. Eye contact, clear voices. All group members involved. |
Provides rather clear
explantion, most ideas connected. Eye contact and clear voices, most of the time. One member noticeably less involved. |
Briefly presents
explanation, lacks organization. Little eye contact, and voices are low. One or more members not involved. |
| Essay | Provides clear
explanation, ideas connected. No spelling or grammar errors. Obvious that the team gave it a lot of thought. |
Provides rather clear
explanation, most ideas connected. Few spelling or grammar errors. Could use a little more thought. |
Briefly presents
explanation. Many spelling or grammar errors. Needs more thought. |
| Scores | 30-23 |
22-11 |
10-0 |
In completing this WebQuest, your team has accomplished the following:
developed navigational skills on the Internet,
learned about an important historical figure,
created and presented a persuasive speech,
and drafted a brief essay on the purpose of observing Columbus Day.
Congratulations on your journey and discoveries! You can take the information from this assignment and base you own opinion on Christopher Columbus. Can you see an importance in having Columbus Day as a holiday? Do you think we should stop acknowledging Columbus Day?
This WebQuest was created for the third, fourth, or fifth grade levels. It is a short-term WebQuest designed to engage students for one to two class sessions. I incorporated questions of higher order thinking to get the students engaged more in the thinking process rather than just researching and retelling.
My clipart came from http://www.barrysclipart.com/ , and http://www.free-clipart.net
E-mail any questions to bbargmann@netzero.com