WEBQUEST
A WebQuest is a structured, "inquiry-oriented" activity that asks you
to solve problems by using Web resources. You are given a task and are
asked to use the Web to help them complete the task, which usually
involves drawing a conclusion or solving a problem for which there is
no one correct answer. WebQuests can be very simple or highly complex.
Below is a simple WebQuest to complement the material in Chapter 6. To
learn more about WebQuests and how to design an "official" WebQuest, go
to the provided WebQuest site.
ACTIVITY OUTLINE
Objective Conduct a simple WebQuest to learn more about major cities in the four subregions of the United States.
Task
Go to the Web sites for large American cities and refer to Chapter 6 to
figure out what it might be like to live in them. List in order of
preference the cities you would most and least like to live in. Some
city Web sites are listed below. Use a search engine to find more.
Class Time 2-3 class periods
- Read
pages 145-149, and discuss the similarities and differences between the
four major subregions of the United States. If you have visited other
subregions, share your experiences and observations.
- Pretend that you are considering
relocating to another part of the United States. The only problem is
that you do not really have an idea where they would like to move. Use
the Internet to find out what cities in different parts of the country
have to offer.
- Visit the official Web sites for
several United States cities to learn about what the cities have to
offer newcomers and to help figure out where you would like to move.
(If one of these cities is your home town, skip it and focus on the
others.) Refer to the Web sites and the material on pages 145-149 to
answer these questions for each city: What types of recreation is
available in or near the city? What is the climate like? How many
people live here? What types of jobs are likely to be available? What
would be the best and the worst things about living in this city?
- Look at your notes and at the map on
page 105 and think about the characteristics of each city. List the
cities in order of preference, with the one you would most like to live
in at the top and the one you would least like to live in at the
bottom.
- Summarize your decisions and explain why you ranked cities as you did.