The Process and Resources
In
this WebQuest you will be working together with a group of three students in
the class. Each group will answer the Task. As a member of the group you will
explore Web pages from people all over the world who care about the Civil War.
Feel free to use a dictionary if necessary to help you with any vocabulary that
you are unfamiliar with.
You'll begin with everyone in your group getting some background information
before dividing into roles where people on your team become experts on one part
of the topic. Once you understand your role, you will come together as a group
to discuss the causes of the war from your viewpoint.
Phase 1 - Background:
Something for Everyone
Use the following Internet sites to determine some of the underlying reasons
or the who? what? where? when? why? and how? While researching the Civil War,
look at some of the varying aspects that defined the war.
General Civil War Sites:
• American Civil War.com (www.americancivilwar.com)
- This site is a general overview of the conflict with rich bibliographies and
a wealth of resource links.
• Civil War.com (http://www.civilwar.com)
- This is a fully comprehensive Internet site covering any and all pertinent
issues and topics of the Civil War.
• Civil-War.net (www.civil-war.net) - This
resource gives a full overview of the conflict with detailed information on
people, battles, and beliefs through primary documents.
• Libray of
Congress Timeline (http://www.germantown.k12.il.us/html/climate.html) -
This Internet site goes through a number of highly detailed links on specific
topics of the Civil War.
• Origins of
the War (http://www.germantown.k12.il.us/html/climate.html) - This covers
many of the primary arguments and ideologies of both the North and South that
led to conflict.
• Social Climate
(http://www.germantown.k12.il.us/html/climate.html) - This site covers the origins
of the war and the beliefs of the major demographic groups involved in the conflict.
• Valley of the Shadow
(http://www.iath.virginia.edu/vshadow2/) - This site goes over the story of
two communities - one Northern and one Southern- that are caught in the conflict.
Phase 2 - Looking Deeper
from Different Perspectives
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Each individual student from your larger WebQuest team will explore one of
the roles below. Click on each link to review each role.
• Confederate Soldier
• Union Soldier
• Southern Slave
• Abraham Lincoln
2. Read through the files linked to your personal role. When looking at these
sites make sure to write down information on paper or note cards. Organize them
into categories or issues so that it will be easier for you to discuss your
viewpoint.
3. Make sure you note the URL so that you don't infringe on copyright laws.
4. Be prepared to focus what you've learned into one main opinion that answers
the Task based on what you have learned from the links for your role.
5. By clicking here, you will find an Acrobat PDF
File with pertinent questions regarding each role.
Phase 3 - Debating, Discussing,
and Reaching Consensus
Upon completing
your research have all learned about a different part of the Civil War. Now
each student come back to the larger WebQuest team with your expertise gained
by searching from one perspective.
You must all now answer
the Task as a group. Each of you will bring a different viewpoint to the discussion:
some of you will agree and others disagree. Using what you have learned about
the war, present your point of view in a debate session. Use any resources that
you may have found to better present your case. From the Internet sites that
you explored, try to convince your teammates that your point of view of the
war is important and should be included of your team's answer to the Task /
Quest(ion).
Phase 4 - Real
World Feedback
You
and your teammates have learned a lot by dividing up into different roles. Now
is the time to put what you learned into a presentation for the class using
Power Point. Your presentation should contain opinions, information, and perspectives
that you have learned. This is the process that you will follow:
1. Begin the Power Point by introducing your character to the class.
2. Then have slides that give background information that shows you understand
the topic and your role.
STATE THE TASK AND YOUR GROUP'S ANSWER.
3. Each person in your group should word process a paragraph that gives two
good reasons supporting his or her opinion. Make sure to be specific in both
the information and the reasoning behind your role. These opinions will be shared
with the class while using Power Point slides to support their content.
4. Have each person on the team prepare notes for the presentations. Make sure
that the notes are organized for easy accessibility.
5. Use several slides to discuss your WebQuest.
6. Finish the Power Point with concluding slides that draw the conclusions of
the group together in a presentable format.