This WebQuest was written for gifted seventh and eighth grade students as a project for a course at ASU West, EMC 545. A special thanks to Dr. Alice Christie for her leadership in the field of educational technology. 

 

In this WebQuest students will develop criteria to identify heroic qualities. They will use that criteria to examine the life of an individual labeled "hero." Finally, based on the sharing of class research on individual heroes, students will select and recommend an individual who exemplifies those heroic qualities for "Hero of the Century."

Prior Knowledge Required

Students will need prior experience creating a multimedia presentation as well as writing a persuasive essay.

The Students Will:

•  Develop a set of criteria to identify a hero
• Create a "Want-Ad" for a hero
• Choose a hero from a predetermined list to examine for heroic qualities
• Conduct research from a variety of sources on their chosen hero
• Evaluate their chosen hero for nomination as "Hero of the Century"
• Explain their rationale for the their selection, (or not) of this hero as "Hero of the Century"
• Create a multimedia presentation to:
  • summarize and share the information gathered on their hero
  • persuade an audience of their peers on the hero's qualifications as "Hero of the Century"
• Evaluate each student's hero by viewing the multimedia presentations and then selecting one individual to nominate for "Hero of the Century"
• Compose a persuasive essay , recommending a hero for the honor of "Hero of the Century"
• Reflect on the process and products of the WebQuest. Reflection should include but is not limited to:
  • attitudes and successes working with technology: (i.e. Research on the Internet vs. standard research with print documents, creating a multimedia presentation vs. standard report writing)
  • the power of persuasion and the analysis of their own decision making skills, (i.e. Did the more creative multimedia presentations, or the factual information about the individual persuade them more?)

• Students may find it easier to understand each individual's contribution if they know something about the era in which the hero lived. Have students work in cooperative groups to research the 20th century, in 10 - 20 year increments, based upon the size of your class. Then have the students present their findings to the rest of the class. Possible resources for this activity include:
  • Panati's Parade of Fads, Follies and Mania, (available from Amazon.com),
  • The Library of Congress, American Memory Collection,
  • Encyclopedias or other reference books covering the history of the United States
• Have students select their own hero and research his or her life, rather than use the preassigned list. Resources include:
  • A & E's Biographies, (over 20,000 listings)
  • American Library Association Biographies
• Have students publish a web page honoring the individual they've nominated.

The above objectives are aligned with the following Arizona State Standards in Language Arts, Technology, and Workplace Skills: 

Standard 1: Essentials (grades 4-8)

• Examine information from electronic media and determine its correctness and worth
• Identify copyright laws that pertain to technology and apply them appropriately

 

Standard 1: Reading Essentials (grades 6-8)

• R-E2. Use reading strategies such as making inferences and predictions, summarizing, paraphrasing, differentiating fact from opinion, drawing conclusions, and determining the author's purpose and perspective to comprehend written selections
• PO 1. Identify the main ideas; critical and supporting details; and the author's purpose, feelings and point of view of the text
• PO 2. Distinguish fact from opinion
• PO 3. Summarize the text in own words (assessed at district level only)
• PO 6. Summarize the text in chronological, sequential or logical order

Standard 2: Writing Essentials (grades 4-8)

• PO 1. Use own words except for material quoted
• PO 3. Contain main ideas of event/article/story plus the most significant details
• PO 4. Present clearly written and organized information
• W-E4. Write an expository essay that contains effective introductory and summary statements and fully develops the ideas with details, facts, examples and descriptions
• PO 1. Write an expository essay that begins by stating the thesis (purpose) with an effective introductory statement or paragraph; provides smooth transitions; and ends with either a paragraph concluding the development of the thesis, a summary or a clincher statement
• PO 2. Use own words (except for quoted material) to develop ideas accurately and clearly with supporting details, facts, examples or descriptions
• PO 3. Use personal interpretation, analysis, evaluation or reflection to evidence understanding of subject
• PO 3. Provide support through facts, details, examples or descriptions that are appropriate, directly related to the topic,
• and from a variety of cited sources
• PO 4. Use personal interpretation, analysis, evaluation or reflection to evidence understanding of subject
• W-E8. Demonstrate research skills using reference materials such as a dictionary, encyclopedia and thesaurus to complete effectively a variety of writing tasks
• PO 1. Implement a research strategy that includes: taking notes that summarize and paraphrase information relevant to the topic incorporating notes into a finished product

Standard 4: Viewing and Presenting Essentials: (Grade 4-8)

• Plan, develop and produce a visual presentation, using a variety of media such as videos, films, newspapers, magazines and computer images

Standard 7: Essentials: (Grades 4-8)

Students demonstrate technological literacy for productivity in the workplace.

• Demonstrate basic computer operation skills in a variety of applications to organize information
• Use technology to organize information resources such as library and interlibrary catalog databases

This WebQuest's objectives are also aligned with the following National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS):

1. Basic operations and concepts

• Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems
• Students are proficient in the use of technology

2. Social, ethical, and human issues

• Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology
• Students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software
• Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity

3. Technology productivity tools

• Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity
• Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, preparing publications, and producing other creative works