Celebrate American Heroes A WebQuest for 6th Grade Language Arts

Introduction Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be part of a presidential inauguration? On Friday, January 20, 2017 the 46th president of the United States will take the oath of office. The official Presidential Inauguration Committee has decided to make this ceremony not only about the new president but also about American heroes. They have asked 6th grade students from our school ~ yes, our school ~ to submit American heroes for the honor of 1st Presidential Inauguration Day Hero.

Task Heroes are noble and brave Your job is to convince the committee that your hero is worthy of consideration for this honor. In order to win, you will need to prove that your hero has made or is making positive and meaningful contributions that enrich our country. The committee is requiring several pieces of evidence in support of your hero.   ~ Timeline - show the 10 most important events in your hero's life. ~ Bio Poem - share the essential details about your hero's life with a biography poem. ~ Argumentative Essay - convince the committee that your hero should be selected. ~ Multimedia Presentation - show the hero's life & contributions with a multimedia tool. You will work in teams of 3 students to research your hero's life and create the evidence required by the committee.  In addition to research, each team member will be responsible for a specific job.   1. Time Traveler 2. Bio Poet 3. Graphic Designer

Resources Click the links below to help you gather information. Biography.net Biography Maker Biography.com  My Heroes My Hero.com  TIME's 100 Most Influential People National Women's Hall of Fame Hero Central

Resources Click the links below to find online tools to help you. Heroes to Consider Bio Poem Template Hero Essay Template Biography Powerpoint Template Hero Roll Call Speech Template  Timeline Generator  NoteStar - take notes online Poster Razor Web Poster Wizard Bibliography - online site - fill in the blanks 4 Square writing - fill in the blank - create your paragraphs

Process – Steps 1-5 1. First you will be assigned to a team of 3 students.   2. Pick a team job. Time Traveler Bio Poet Graphic Designer 3. Each team member is responsible for research. Once the research is completed, each team member will complete their task. 4. The Time Traveler will combine the information to complete a timeline showing the 10 most important events in your hero's life. 5.The Bio Poet will look at the information, compare notes, and create a biography poem about your hero sharing essential details about your hero's life.

Process – Steps 6-7 6. The Graphic Designer will choose the most vital information from the timeline, biography poem, and essay and supervise the creation of a multimedia presentation.  This presentation should be the best summary of your hero, so that it will convince the Presidential Inauguration Committee that your hero is the best choice to be honored at this year's inauguration ceremony. It should  illustrate your hero's life and contributions using powerpoint or another multi-media tool. 7. Last, each team member will write an argumentative essay. The essay must include important events from your hero's life that will convince the committee that your hero should be selected.

Process – Step 8 8. Now go to the Resources Page and get started with your research.  Each team member will need to keep his or her notes together.  You may do this in two ways.  

Evaluation Include a rubric that students can consult. Use the rubric to evaluate student work. Use clear and concise language that is aligned in some way to selected standards. Rubric content should be applicable by others – not just your classroom. Use a chart or scale.

Conclusion Congratulations Hero Scholars! As a result of your team's careful research, you created a timeline, biography poem, essay, and multimedia presentation that allowed your hero to be considered for the honor of Presidential Inauguration Hero.  You have learned about American heroes and how they affect individuals and our country.  We hope this quest has opened your eyes, mind, and heart to what people have done for our country and you begin to realize that having freedom today is because of our heroes who stood up in the past and stand up today making a difference.  Enjoy watching our new president take the oath of office on January 20, 2017 as you reflect on your hero and think about how you too can be a hero.