Ms. Reyes
Great Depression Web Quest
2006-07

Introduction
In your literature class, you are reading Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. This book presents a fictional character who lived during the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma. For this web quest your research will be about life for the people during the Great Depression and in particular the Dust Bowl.
Task
Each group will teach a lesson about the Great Depression to the class. In order to plan the lesson, each group member must complete reserach using print, database and web resources. After the research is completed, each group will design a lesson that they will present via a PowerPoint presentation to the class as a whole. Finally, each group member will contribute 4 rich test questions to the group's test for students to take after the presentations are completed. To complete the project, each group member will reflect in writing about how this process has helped or hindered their learning.
Process: Groups and Individuals
Groups

The class will be divided into eight groups. Each will have a different group question regarding the Dust Bowl experience during the Great Depression to research and teach.

The eight groups are:
**Farming
**Climate
**Rural Life
**Urban Life
**Migration
**Economics
**Politics
**Global Background


Every group will create a (n):
**Lesson
**PowerPoint Presentation
**Assessment:
**Reflection
Group
Question
Farming
What was the farmer's experience during the Great Depression?
Climate
How did the weather contribute the economic problems during the Great Depression?
Rural Life
What was life like on the plains during the Great Depression?
Urban Life What was life like in the cities during the Great Depression?
Migration
What was the experience of the refugees from the Dust Bowl during their search for work?
Economics How did the crash of 1929 show weakness in the American economy?
Politics How did Roosevelt's New Deal policies ease the difficulties of the depression?
Global Background What was the relationship like between the United States and Europe during the 1930s?
Individuals

Every student will contribute to the lesson by:
**Researching one sub-question;
**Creating two PPT slides;
**Developing 1 assessment question for the test to go with their lesson;
**Reflecting in writing upon their learning for the group reflection.
Resources
You will visit the library to use the resources and take notes on what information you find.
In order to plan the lesson, each group member must complete research using resources in:
**Print,
**Database and
**Net Trekker and WWW.

In addition, your sources must be cited using MLA format via Noodlebib (bibliography composer.)

Resource Page

Document: Research Notes and Citation Information
Requirements & Rubric
Lesson Plan Requirements

PowerPoint Presentation Requirements

Rubric for this project

Reflection Essay
Product

Each student will become a teacher and instruct the class about life during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. The lesson will be presented in a PowerPoint presentation. The students as teachers will evaluate how well the students have understood their presentation by answering student-generated test questions. Finally, each student will evaluate their research process through written reflections.


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Last Update: April 10, 2007