1700

1700's WebQuest: Creating a Photo Journal
Developed by Stacie Jost
[email protected]

Introduction Objectives The Task The Process Resources Evaluation Conclusion

Overview:

This lesson is an introductory lesson for a literature unit that uses novels that are set in the 1700 time period.
Language Arts, History, and Technology curricula are covered in this WebQuest.
Eighth Grade students are the targeted audience for this WebQuest.

Introduction:
Imagine you are living in a family with three generations that lived in the 1700s. Your grandparents were around during the early 1700's. Your parents lived through the mid 1700's, and you are in the prime of your life in the late 1700's. During this time period, many interesting things happened in America's history. What was it like to live in America in the early 1700's as your grandparents did? in the mid 1700's as your parents did? in the late 1700's as you did?

Objectives:

Students will explore America's history and the time period of the 1700s by creating a photo journal that examines three sub categories of that time period: early, mid, and late 1700s.
Students will gain background knowledge on the 1700s by completing this webquest.
This is an introductory activity for reading novels in literature circles that are set in the time period of the 1700s. In groups, students will read a novel. Three different novels will be read in these groups: My Brother Sam is Dead, Fever 1793, and The Year of the Hangman.
Students will use technology to create a photo journal.
Students will present and discuss their research findings.

The Task:
As you analyze this amazing time in our country's history, you will be keeping a photo journal. This journal needs to include at least five pictures from each of the three sub time periods: early, mid, and late. You will use Microsoft Power Point to organize and display your photo journal. Each photo needs a caption or description that includes what time period sub category it fits with and a brief (1-2 sentence) description. Organize your photo journal in chronological order. You may make a separate slide for each photo, or you may group the slides from each sub category together on one slide. Advanced computer users may find video clips using www.unitedstreaming.com and embed this video into your slide show. Keep clips short and concise, no longer than one minute. Consider editing longer clips using Windows Movie Maker.

The Process:
Using the links provided, find pictures and information about the 1700's.

Themes to think about for the 1700's:

Historical Events and People
Fashion
Entertainment
Inventions
Medicines/Epidemics
Everyday Life

Working individually, try to represent multiple themes for each time period sub category. For example, try not to find all five pictures for the early 1700's on the theme of Historical Events and People. Be selective when finding your photos. Select pictures that are the most interesting or unique. Look through several of the provided sites before you choose the photos and themes you are going to use for that particular part of the project. You will present your slide show to the class and discuss your photos and research findings.

Resources:
Here is a long list of websites to visit. Using the provided sites is part of the requirement for this assignment. Make sure you are choosing events and people that influenced America, as these sites contain American and other cultural events. You may find information and research on the following links but have trouble finding a photo on these links. Use www.google.com/images to find photos of the people or items you are researching. For videos, use www.unitedstreaming.com.

Inventions
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl1700s.htm

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/1700.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18th_century#1700s

Entertainment
http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/era_overview.asp?eraId=1

http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/genre_overview.asp?genreId=1

http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/genre_overview.asp?genreId=2

http://www.paulreverehouse.org/kids/reverechildren.shtml

http://noahwebsterhouse.org/games.html

Cooking/Everyday Life
http://www.paulreverehouse.org/kids/kitchen.shtml

Fashion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1700-1750_in_fashion

http://web.bryant.edu/~ehu/h364proj/sprg_98/powderly/powd_index.htm

http://www.history.org/History/teaching/Dayseries/webactivities/dress/dress.htm

Illnesses/Medicines
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Fever#Philadelphia:_1793

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox#The_Americas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innoculate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_letting#Bloodletting_in_the_2nd_millennium

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_medicine/Ancient_medicine#Medical_inventions

Misc.
http://www.writersdreamtools.com/view/decades/default.asp?Decade=1700#

http://www.history.org/History/teaching/Dayseries/webactivities/index.htm

http://www.history.org/History/teaching/Dayseries/webactivities/household/household.htm

http://www.mediahistory.umn.edu/time/1700s.html

http://www.fm.coe.uh.edu/timeline/1700s.html

http://www.history1700s.com/page1841.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18th_century

http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/rev-col.htm

http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/rev-prel.htm

Evaluation:
You will be evaluated for three components of this project: process, product, oral presentation, using the following rubric.

Conclusion:
Consider the task you have just completed and think about the following questions. Record the answers to these questions in your Discussion Notebook. Following all of the oral presentations, we will have a class discussion using these questions.

How is living in America today similar and different from living in America in the 1700's?
How has the government of America today changed from the government of the 1700's?
In your opinion, which time period is better, living in America today or living in America in the 1700's? Explain your opinion.
What was your favorite and least favorite part of completing this webquest?