WebQuest by Kristin Weathers 5 th Grade Can YOU Save the World?

Welcome to planet Earth. It seems as if our planet’s natural resources are being used up. People are worried our planet is in danger. You live here and want to know what you can do to help. As our world is adopting the idea of going green, YOU have been faced with a question you wouldn’t think of. How does your choice of using tobacco going to affect our Earth? Is our planet worth saving? Can you help save our planet? If we all work together, we just might be able to. Introduction

You have been chosen by an advertising agency to create a T-shirt for elementary school students nationwide to wear during drug-free week. Your task is to research the effects smoking cigarettes have on our planet. You each come from a different background and that is why this agency chose you. You bring a point of view different from any others. The T-shirt you create will be presented to the local agency (our class) and then to the entire company (the school). This task, if you choose to accept it, could save our planet. The project has been deemed urgent because of its importance. The Task

Process Your group will have three members. Each member will be required to complete an assignment that will help your group complete the final project. Decide who will assume each of the roles below. Once each member has completed their individual assignment, your group will meet together and accomplish the final project. Friend Musician Environmentalist GroupTask

Friend You just found out your best friend has begun smoking cigarettes. Your school has just had drug free week and you both sat together through the D.A.R.E. presentation by your local police department. Although your friend pledged to be drug free, he/she is still smoking cigarettes. You will be writing a friendly letter to your friend giving him/her reasons to stop smoking cigarettes. Your letter must follow the friendly letter format and include at least four to five reasons why they should stop smoking. Click on the questions button to help you on your search to save your friend.

As you visit the sites on your resource page, keep the following questions in mind: What does smoking to do your body? What effect does smoking have on other people (effects of secondhand smoke)? How much does smoking cost? Does smoking harm our planet? How does it make you feel when you see your best friend smoking? Questions

Websites o The American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society o Kids Health Kids Health o Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention o Tree Hugger Tree Hugger After you have visited these sites, visit the compiling information button for further assistance.

Compiling Information Before you begin writing your letter, make a list of all the reasons you have found on the internet. If you can think of more reasons, include these in your list. A copy of this list will need to be attached to your letter. You will read your letter to your group members. This letter will help you and your team with your final project. The letter and list will be turned in at the end of the WebQuest.

Musician You have been asked by your record label to write a song for an anti-smoking benefit concert. You will need to follow the rhyme schemes we learned about during our poetry unit while writing your song. You may choose which rhyme scheme to follow. For example you may use the rhyme scheme aa, bb, cc, dd. You will decide how long the song will be. However, it must give at least 4 or 5 reasons why people should not smoke or why they should quit smoking. Click on the questions button to help guide your thinking as you search the internet for information you can use in your songwriting.

Questions As you visit the sites on your resource page, keep the following questions in mind: Why do people smoke? What does it do to our bodies? How does smoking affect other people (secondhand smoke)? Is it hard to quit smoking? How can a person quit smoking? What is smoking doing to our planet?

Websites o Poetry reminders Poetry reminders o American Lung Association American Lung Association o Smoke Free Smoke Free o American Heart Association American Heart Association o Tree Hugger Tree Hugger After you have visited these sites, visit the compiling information button for further assistance.

Compiling the Information Make a list of each piece of information you would like to use in your song. Once this list is compiled, you may reduce it to no fewer than four reasons why people should not smoke or why they should quit smoking. Your song may include reasons for both. Again, you may make the song as long as you would like. You will need to turn in your initial list of information you would like to use in your song along with the completed song at the end of the WebQuest. Remember, your song must follow a rhyme scheme.

Environmentalist You work with a company who is trying to help educate our world about “going green.” You have been all over the world teaching people what it means to “go green.” You have been asked to be the guest speaker at an elementary school. They have asked you to create a poster to use during your presentation. This poster will be given to the school to display in the front foyer. This poster is your chance to educate all those who enter the school what they can do to help save our planet.. Click on the questions button to help guide your thinking as you search the internet for information.

Questions As you visit the sites on your resource page, keep the following questions in mind: What does the term “going green” mean? What are some ways to go green? Is it difficult to go green? Why is going green becoming so popular? What pictures can I use on my poster? Of all the information I have found, what will pertain the most to elementary students?

Websites o Helpful definitions Environmentalism Helpful definitionsEnvironmentalism o The Green Guide The Green Guide o World Watch World Watch o Environmental Working Group Environmental Working Group o Tree Hugger Tree Hugger After you have visited these sites, visit the compiling information button for further assistance.

Compiling the Information You will need to make a list of all the information you would like to include on your poster. This list may increase or decrease as you complete your assignment. The poster you create will need to have pictures and statements that will be easy for elementary age students to understand. You are the expert now and have the freedom to design your poster how you want. It will need to be the size of a poster board. Your initial list of information and the completed poster will be turned in at the end of the WebQuest.

Group Task Part 1 You have each brought with you an individual assignment and come from different backgrounds. You will share your assignments with each other. From there, you will be responsible for creating a T-shirt. Before you begin, you will brainstorm possible slogans for your shirt. The slogan must tie in the effects smoking cigarettes have on our planet or incorporate the idea that not smoking is one way to effectively “go green.” Each of you will complete a T-shirt. You may use any of the art supplies in the room. Each shirt must say the same thing, but the shirts do not have to be designed the same. Now see group work part 2.

Group Task Part 2 Once you have completed your T-shirts, you will be giving a class presentation. Each of you will share the completed individual assignments. One of you will read the letter to a friend, one will read the words to a song, and one of you will present a poster. Then, you will decide how to present your T-shirt. Remember, you are working for an advertising agency, and this agency will pick the best shirt to be presented to their entire company. The T-shirt itself if an important factor, but the presentation is key. See the evaluation button for your rubric.

Group Work Group Work Part 1 Part 1 Group Work Group Work Part 1 Part 1 Group Work Group Work Part 2 Part 2 Group Work Group Work Part 2 Part 2 Evaluation Each of you will print out 3 rubrics. You will score your team members on the first two categories of the rubric (Group Work and Individual Knowledge). I will grade the rest. You will find your rubric here: Rubric Each of you will need to turn in your individual assignments and your rubrics after your presentation.

Conclusion Each of you can now help save our planet, and you can now answer the first question asked: How does your choice of using tobacco going to affect our Earth? Not only do you know the answer to this question, but you have created a product that will teach others the answer to this question too. Great job! Our planet thanks you.