H olly A ndress ETE 100 W ednesday, A ugust 31, 2005

L ibrary of C ongress H istorical F igure E xhibit Last updated on June 1, Based on a template from The WebQuest PageThe WebQuest Page

I ntroduction The Library of Congress is building a new visitors center. A committee is currently accepting proposals for commissions to design the main exhibit for the center. The group with the winning design will be awarded college scholarship funds. Your students will design a prototype exhibit that includes animated historical individuals from 1492 to the present. To construct this exhibit, the students will travel back in time with the help of the Library of Congress website and “meet” people who have made significant contributions to American culture. The students will need to "get to know" these historical figures in order to represent them in the exhibit.

L earners This assignment is designed for 9 th -12 th grade students but is easily adaptable for both elementary and middle school students. This is a multi- curricular, cross-discipline assignment for all ability levels. The content of this WebQuest assignment will address social science, fine and performing arts, language arts, science, family and consumer science, foreign language, and psychology standards.

Click here to see a list of Illinois Standards C urriculum S tandards

P rocess How long will this WebQuest take? This should take about two weeks of working 50 minutes in class per day, but could also be spread over several weeks. Students will need to stay on task and remain organized. Where should this WebQuest take place? This WebQuest should be done in a computer lab, library, or the computer section of your classroom so that students have internet access. Students will also need access to large working areas for their costumes and staging of their presentation. Teacher’s role Your role is to guide students through their research and presentation. Students may need assistance in searching The Library of Congress website. There is an excellent teacher website available. You will need to approve the students’ ten historical figures based upon the criteria you develop. You will need to ensure that they have enough material about their individual to work with from the library’s website.website Most importantly, your role is to encourage FUN LEARNING and exploration of the Library of Congress website! This WebQuest is meant to be an exciting and interactive learning experience.

R esources N eeded Some of the possibilities: Software, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Internet Explorer Hardware, including computers with internet access and video/audio players Video or audio materials for presentation Costume materials and props (fabric, buttons, hats, etc.) Equipment needed to construct costumes and props Students will primarily use the Library of Congress website for this project. The website provides biographical information, pictures, movies, artifacts, as well as many other informational links. Students are encouraged to gather information from other teachers/adults who are knowledgeable in a particular area. For example, students may work with a History teacher to gather information on a specific person. Parents are invited to help students with items such as costumes, props, and lighting. A field trip to a museum may be beneficial to the class in order for students to gain ideas about significant people and places that have contributed to America’s history.

P aper Does not meet 1 Meets 2 Exceeds 3 Score Content Historical significance is not present. Some historical information present but lacking in significance to society. Content discussing historical significance throughout paper. Primary Resources from Library of Congress Utilized No resources present from Library of Congress. Minimum resources (3) from Library of Congress present. More than 3 resources from Library of Congress present. Length Requirements (2-3 pages) Does not exceed the minimum of 2 pages. Meets requirement of 2-3 pages. Meets requirement of 2-3 pages with no typing errors. Grammar and Punctuation 25+ grammatical and punctuation errors grammatical and punctuation errors grammatical and punctuation errors.

Does not meet 1 Meets 2 Exceeds 3 Score Script Limited historical content, not informative, no Library of Congress resources. Some historical content, informative, few Library of Congress resources. All historical content, informative, Library of Congress resources. Staging Poor composition, little focus, and very few props utilized. Good composition, some focus given to individual speaking. Limited usage of props. Good composition, focus given to individual speaking at ALL times. Excellent usage of props. Costumes Does not represent era and figure or completely lacking costumes. Represents era and figure. Represent era the figure is from. Props coincide with figure and era. Creativity Lack of flow between script, costumes, characters, and props. Logical flow between script, costumes, characters and props. Logical flow, EXCEPTIONAL costumes, believable characters, and realistic props. P resentation

G roup work  Partner Evaluation Partner Evaluation  Self-evaluation Self-evaluation  Project Survey Project Survey

C redits & R eferences All images courtesy of the Library of Congress.Library of Congress This WebQuest was created using a template from The WebQuest Page.The WebQuest Page

C onclusion Congratulations on the completion of your historical prototype exhibit. Through the process of researching and designing this exhibit your students have encountered a number of historical figures who have significantly contributed to American society. Although important, these are only ten of the people who have been a part of creating what we know today as "American." You may want to encourage students' learning by continuing to ask questions that they can later investigate. Through the Library of Congress students can discover many more interesting people from the past. Your students could think about what questions they would like to have answered by these people if they were to meet them. For example: "Who were the most influential people in your life?" "What event or events changed your life?" "If you could go back in your life, what would you have done differently?" Students may want to think about how they would explain present day American culture to the people of the past. What aspects would students highlight? What might the people of the past find most confusing? What might they have predicted? What could they have not foreseen? What would they find most disappointing? What would they find most pleasing? The Library of Congress website contains over nine million primary sources - let your imagination be your guide!

Q uestions?