| History & Social Studies - middle |
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"Wouldn't it be terrific to travel back in time to explore a castle and see knights in shining armor and beautiful princesses? Just think of all the magnificent sights and heroic tournaments you would witness! But what was it "really" like to live in Medieval Times? Perhaps you would like to see all this through the eyes of a serf, a knight, a princess, or maybe even a monk.
In your quest you will discover the world of the feudal system and explore Medieval castles. You will complete projects along the way to progress from being a mere serf to attaining the title of king or queen.
Are you ready to learn what is kept in a keep, how a morning star is used, or what (besides water) can be found in a moat? Be alert as you transform your thinking from a fairytale world to a land of reality."
Question: "What was life 'really' like in Medieval Times, and what do we know now that could have made their lives better?"
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"Who are Australians? Where have they come from? In which ways do we perceive our 'Australianess'? Would we all answer these questions in the same way? Food for thought? Chew your way through this WebQuest to satisfy your hunger.
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"It happened in 1918, it happened in 1957, it happened in 1968, and it happened in 1977. Either a pandemic or epidemic of the flu occurred worldwide or in individual countries in those years. Hong Kong of 1996- was that a close call? As a member of a community task force, you will join 3 other people (Virologist, Physician, Public Health Officer, and Historian) and decide if another influenza pandemic, like 1918, can happen again. You will help the public to understand general information about influenza, its history, and its prevention and control."
Questions: How can something as little as the invisible flu virus become a global killer as in 1918? Could this happen again, and if so, can the general public's awareness and vigilance be increased so a potential deadly form of influenza can be prevented or halted in its spread?
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"You have just finished learning all about the Medieval time period. Now, imagine what it might have felt like to enter into a time when beautiful artwork was created and valued, sculptures and architecture, too. And what if people's creativity were at such an all time high that tools and objects for your use were created that had never existed before. How exciting this must have been. And what if new ideas and new ways of thinking started showing up, ways that challenged the ways of thinking that you were used to. How would you have dealt with that? And, what about the leaders of this new time period - what kind of role do you think they would play during the Renaissance? With exploration to new lands at an all time high, going where no man of the Renaissance had been before and using trade to bring back items no one had seen before, it was an exciting time period (kind of like exploring new planets is to us today)."
Question: 'Why is the Renaissance considered to be such an important time period in our history?'
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"Everybody knows that Lewis and Clark made it to the Pacific Ocean and back, yet almost 200 years have passed since the Corps of Discovery set off and Americans are still talking about their journey! A 512-page book about the expedition by historian Stephen Ambrose sold more than 750,000 copies and was on the best sellers list for over 6 months in 1996! Film maker Ken Burns produced a two hour documentary about them in 1997 that has been aired again and again on PBS. Back in 1984, when American Heritage magazine did a survey and asked several hundred noted historians what event in history they would most like to have been a part of, it was the Lewis and Clark expedition that was named most often. "
" As the newest volunteers on the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council, you and your friends are about to find out as you work on planning a special event to commemorate the 200th anniversary of this amazing journey."
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"The Indian River Lagoon estuary is facing some serious problems, both in the water and out. Many different types of groups want to use the waterways for a variety of reasons, most of which appear to conflict with each other. Fish and plants are dying. Manatees are being seriously injured, and even killed. Fishermen are losing money, and the safety of water sports is in jeopardy. Is there a way the groups can work together to preserve both the beauty and recreational pleasures of this unique waterway before the EPA bans use of the estuary completely?"
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You have just been selected to have a foreign exchange student from Egypt who will be staying with you for the year. You want your new friend to feel comfortable and would like to serve foods that he or she will be used to. At the same time you want to be sure that you can help provide a balanced diet being the good host that you are! Are the foods of Egypt different than the foods of the US?
Question: How do the foods of other cultures fit into our American Food Guide Pyramid?
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"As potential future students at the Magnet School, you are being asked to examine the lives and backgrounds of people who are generally considered to be geniuses in their areas of expertise. Your job is to look for anything these individuals have in common that could be a part of the new high school's curriculum."
"Is it possible that all of them have a common characteristic? Is academic or intellectual giftedness enough? Or, could there be something about their education that was similar? Why are these people special? How can a high school be developed to help students achieve greatness?"
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"There has been much discussion lately on the news and in the newspapers about whether the Australian Government should make a formal apology to the Indigenous people of Australia for the Government policies of the past which have affected them."
"The Prime Minister has requested a group be appointed to help advise himself and other central community representatives on how Australian people view saying "Sorry" to the Aboriginal People."
"You have been appointed to that Advisors group, which consists of an historian, a reporter, a health worker, an anthropologist and a librarian. Together with your other team members, you are required to investigate the issue and then report back your findings."
Question: "Should the Prime Minister and the Government say 'sorry' to the Aboriginal People? Why/why not?"
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"Reports have come out of China suggesting some terrible things about the way children are treated in Chinese orphanages. As with most things relating to this complex country, it's hard to tell what's true and what is propaganda. In this WebQuest you and your teammates will explore reports about how children are treated in China, the U.S., and other related topics. Your task is to come up with your team's version of the truth."
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""The Martians," noted Carl Sagan, "will be us." If life has not previously existed on Mars, it's scheduled to exist there by the year 2030. Can you imagine yourself as a Martian architect, sociologist, or fashion designer, living where even colors appear differently than on our earth? This is an opportunity for you and your classmates to imagine, research, and design living and working quarters for a colony of 100 earthling pioneers to live on the surface of Mars for one year, probably 2030. This is a very real mission. NASA is already making plans."
"As teams, you are asked to find out how early pioneers solved the problems of building homes and communities in a strange land. These findings help your group make decisions about what difficulties Martian settlers may face."
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"When you read literature from another cultural setting, comprehension can be a challenge. What does the setting look like? Why do the characters think and behave the way they do? Have you had similar problems? In their shoes, would you have made the same decisions? Just as knowing a language will help you to understand a person's message, understanding the culture of a time and place will deepen your interpretation of the literature, and strengthen your connections to the march of humanity."
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"...At various times in history scholars have sought to collect and recognize the great structures of their times and earlier. As an example, early medieval historians discussed and published their “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World’, a collection of some variety and more than a little imagination. Now, we welcome your participation in our commission project entitled ‘Greece Athena Middle School’s Ten Wonders of the World’, our own listing of great manmade structures from ancient and modern times. And we invite you to consider this: What qualities do you think characterize and distinguish a man-made wonder of the world?"
Question: What makes some structures worthy of the title ‘wonder of the world’?
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"Social injustice is rampant. To end this horrible problem, the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES has created the BUREAU OF PEACE & JUSTICE.
Clever BUREAU scientists have the created the FT98, a device which can transport people through time. The BUREAU will use the FT98 to send SPECIAL AGENTS throughout the past, present, and future to promote equality for all people.
You have been selected by BUREAU CHIEF JANNEY to be among the first SPECIAL AGENTS to use the FT98 to fight social injustice. You will utilize your knowledge of African-American history to ensure CAROL LOGAN SCOTT will become President and eradicate social injustice..."
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"The summer is here!! No more books, no more homework and more importantly, NO MORE TESTS! You and three friends have decided to make your get-away, but get-away to where? Your group has an allowance of $2,000.00 per person for a seven-day trip."
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"Louisiana Wetlands....Here today, gone tomorrow! Will the land near your homes exist in 20 years?
We are losing one acre of land every 24 minutes.
Scientists have been researching ways that we can save our wetlands. The Army Corps of Engineers are looking for some solutions to our wetlands problems. A council of advisors has been assembled to research the current wetland solutions, think about new solutions and make a recommendation to the Army Corps of Engineers.
Question: What is the best way to reclaim our wetlands and benefit everyone?
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"You can't believe it is really happening, but a major publishing firm came to Colton, New York, looking for student authors for a new movie they hope to make with Disney. You feel goofy, but you have decided to take them up on it. They would like it to be a realistic fiction book about the Iditarod Race. It is an offer too good to pass up."
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"You will produce, stage, direct, cast and costume a play about the real and rollicking Gold Rush in California."
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"How many times have you heard, "There is always more than one side of the story?" In this WebQuest, you will use the information you have gathered from reading Grandpa's Mountain by Carolyn Reeder to understand different feelings and perspectives about building the Skyline Drive in the Blue Ridge Parkway. You will show your understanding and explore different perspectives by taking on different roles of people who were involved, and also by continuing different discussions found in the book."
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"The year is 1773. You are all citizens of Boston, Massachusetts. Tensions are running high as colonists are notified that England has decided to implement yet another tax on them. This latest tax is the final straw! Many colonists are considering staging a rebellion.
Your task is to help the colonists decide the best method of peaceful rebellion to make the British understand that enough is enough!"
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"Have you ever thought about how the world was created? Did you ever wonder about where humans came from? Many different stories have been invented to explain how the world began. No creation story is right or wrong--they are all different interpretations of how we came to be. Each culture of people has their own ideas of how the world was created.
The most widely known creation story is the story of Adam and Eve. Many of the myths appear similar, however, they all have significant differences. The stories are special to the cultures to which they belong. If it was your decision, how would you explain how the world began?"
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"The game show, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" has been accused of fostering egocentricism, or personal gains, above philanthropic goals. To combat that perception, the producers want to create a game show that encourages people to find ways of contributing to society--exploring new frontiers of science, finding new medical cures, encouraging tolerance and acceptance of cultural diversity, and trying out new ways of solving social problems (i.e., using mediation instead of the court system). Their overall goal is to support the understanding of our past combined with knowledge of the present to create visions of the future."
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