Global History Webquests
Global History Webquests
| The Quest for Knowledge | The Nature of a WebQuest |
| The Internet, unlike any other medium before it, is interactive and accessible to a great deal of people at once. It has the ability to provide endless amounts of information that can be used to motivate students to conduct investigations on any given topic. As an interactive tool for learning, teachers can use the Internet to stimulate creative thought and guide students to develop critical thinking in their "quest" for knowledge. But, how does a teacher tame the nature of the Internet to provide his/her students with a beneficial learning environment? |
One model approach for this dilemma is called a WebQuest developed in 1995 by Bernie Dodge of San Diego State University. Simply put, a WebQuest is an inquiry-based activity where students are given a task and provided with access to on-line resources to help them complete the task. It is an ideal way to deliver a lesson over the web. WebQuests are discovery learning tools; they are usually used to either begin or finish a unit of study. |
| Six (6) Reasons Teachers To Use WebQuests |
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1. To begin a unit as an anticipatory set; 2. To conclude a unit as a summation; 3. As a collaborative activity in which students create a product which fosters cooperative learning; 4. To teach students how to be independent thinkers since most of the problems encountered in a WebQuest are real-world problems; 5. To increase competency in the use of technology; 6. As a motivational techniques to keep students on task. |
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| Webquest |
Description |
Time Period(s) |
Skills Assessed |
Individual Pair Small Group |
End Product(s) |
| Geography Webquest |
The Global History Geography Webquest explores physical and human geography basics. Topics: Continents, Oceans, Physical Features, 5 Themes of Geography, Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, Central America, North America, Caribbean, The Middle East, and the concept of Geographic Determinism. |
No Specific |
Basic Geography Skills, |
Individual Pair Small Group |
Workpacket with |
| Roman Times Webquest |
The Roman Times Webquest engages students in creating and publishing their own mythical newspaper called "The Roman Times" which would have been available in Ancient Rome during the Imperial years. Students will write five (5) newspaper articles. All the articles need to be written in the present tense, from the perspective of a contemporary (living at the same time) Roman citizen.Bring your subjects to life. Tell the stories in a way that not only informs your readers, but keeps their interest and their subscription to your newspaper. |
Ancient Rome |
Research, |
Individual Pair Small Group |
Roman Times Newspaper
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| Middle Ages Webquest |
The Middle Ages Webquest engages students in topics of European medieval history in "My Country, My King, My Webquest!" Students will explore a brief history of the middle ages, manorialism, feudalism, role of the Roman Catholic Church, social classes of monarchs, nobles, knights, artisans, craftsmen, peasants, role of societies. This webquest culminates in a student choice of one of two possible final products in which they will evaluate and synthesize a feudal society in a post-apocalyptic world.
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The Middle Ages |
Research,
Writing, Critical Thinking |
Individual Pair Small Group (note: Final Product should be an individual activity) |
Workpacket, and |
| Early African Empires Webquest |
The African Empires Webquest is designed for a team of explorers which have the opportunity to explore one of the following African kingdoms - Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. Each group will investigate the kingdom using the Webquest from one of four (4) perspectives (an anrhropologist, an economist, a historian, and a geographer). In this Webquest, each group will use the power of teamwork and the resources of the Internet to learn all about one of these African kingdoms. Each explorer on your team will be responsible for examining one aspect of the kingdom. Then you will come together to present your findings.
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African Empires of
Mail, Songhai |
Assigning Roles, Research, |
Small Group of Four (4) |
Graphic Presentation
|
| The Renaissance Webquest |
The Renaissance webquest will engage student in exploring the most important aspects of the time period with a look at the causes and effects, the philosophy of humanism, the discovery and creation of perspective in painting, and the art that shaped an era and that has impacted our lives today. Students will complete a workpacket that has guided reading questions, critical thinking questions, interpret a map of the spread of the Renaissance, and construct comparative analysis on a variety of topics including the most influential art and artists. |
The Renaissance / Italy / Europe 14th through 17th Centuries (1350-1650) |
Guided Reading Questions, Research, |
Individual Pair Group |
Comparative Analysis Essay
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| First Global Age Webquest |
The First Global Age Webquest engages students to investigate the actions of several people who dared the unknown and set out across the ocean, each with different motives and obstacles.Through this webquest, students will research an explorer and answer and create investigative questions. Students will present your findings to the class in an oral report lasting 5 Minutes. |
Age of Discovery,
The First Global Age, 15th through 17th Centuries |
Research, Citing Sources,
POV Questions, Using Bloom's Taxonomy, Oral Presentation |
Individual Pair Group |
Oral & Graphic Presentation
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| West African Empires (c.1750) Webquest |
The West African Empires Webquest is designed for a team of explorers which have the opportunity to explore one of the following West African Empires - Benin, Ashanti, and Dahomey. Each group will investigate the empire using the Webquest from one of four (4) perspectives (an anthropologist, an economist, a historian, and a geographer). In this Webquest, each group will use the power of teamwork and the resources of the Internet to learn all about one of these African empires. Each explorer on your team will be responsible for examining one aspect (Geographic, Social, Economic, Intellectual) characteristics of the empire. Each student will read about their empire's role in the Atlantic Slave Trade. Then each group will come together to present your findings in a Google Slide Presentation. |
Benin Empire,
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Research, Citing Sources,
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Individual Pair Group |
Oral & Graphic Presentation
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| The World in 1750 Webquest |
The World in 1750 Webquest explores the European Empires, Ottoman Empire, Mughal Empire, and Qing Dynasty in detail. Student will research their Political, Economic, Religious, Social, Intellectual, and Area/Geography aspects and categorize them. Next students will complete comparative analysis on the empires. The students will explore the Transatlantic Slave Trade/Triangular trade and compare it to the Red Sea Slave Trade. Student will complete vocabulary for the era, and finally they will complete a Constructed Response Questions set. |
British Empire,
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Map Skills,
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Individual Pair Group |
Constructed Response
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| The Enlightenment Webquest |
The Enlightenment Webquest engages students on quest for discovering and exploring world and local problems in the lens of using enlightenment principles to create or evaluate public policies. Students will research a social problem affecting the world today and to come up with a solution to that problem using the writings and thoughts of the enlightenment thinkers. In other words, how can the beliefs of the enlightenment thinkers such as Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire, Diderot, Smith, or Wollstonecraft be used to justify your solution to this problem?
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The Enlightenment,
18th Centuries 20th and 21st Centuries |
Research, Writing,
Comparative Analysis, Critical Thinking, Evaluation, Synthesis |
Pair, Group |
Workpacket,
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| Nationalism - Webquest | What can a country do for you or what you can do for your country? Consider the following questions. How far would you go to achieve independence for your country? Would you be willing to die for the sake of your country? Willing to kill? Would you fight back? Or would you strike first? The purpose of this Webquest is to explore the concept of nationalism. Nationalism will be explored as a unifying or dis-unifying force. Latin American Independence movements as well as Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire post-WW1 are discussed. The motivations and methods that famous nationalists used in the process of unifying Italy and Germany are explored in detail. |
19th Century World War I 20th Century |
Research, |
Individual Pair Group |
Workpacket, |
| The New Age of Imperialism Webquest |
The New Age of Imperialism will engage students in an overall definition and means by which people were imperialized by Europeans and the Japanese. Imperialized areas include; Africa, China, India, and Japan (both a imperialized and an imperialist country). Students will use critical thinking skills for political cartoons, maps, charts, and graphs as well as questions based upon imperialism. Student will create their own political cartoon based upon imperialism, and complete a unit ending multiple choice assessment.
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Japan India |
Research, |
Individual Pair Group |
Workpacket,
|
| Russian Revolution Webquest |
The Russian Revolution Webquest engages students in a comprehensive high school level exploration in the history of Russia from the rule of the tsars/czars to the Russian Revolution and the formation of the USSR (Soviet Union). Along the journey students will engage with vocabulary, ideas, and concepts specifically unique to the history of Russia.
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History of Russia from tsars/czars through the Russian Revolution
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Research,
Argumentative Writing |
Individual Pair Group |
Workpacket, |
| World Wars Webquest |
The World Wars Webquest engages students in exploring both World War I and World War II with their causes and effects. The students will answer the question as an argument in an essay format as was WWII a continuation of WWII?
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20th Century |
Research,
Argumentative Writing |
Individual Pair Group |
Workpacket.
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| Lessons Learned from the Holocaust Webquest |
The Lessons Learned from the Holocaust Webquest engages students in critical thinking about a genocide and established ideas about humanity. This lesson is not about the Holocaust, but rather its consequences and effects on the people of the world. From the Nuremberg trials to exploring what the world knew, to German Resistance to Nazi Rule, and finally explores how could people commit such atrocities.This webquest discusses the human experience in capacity to comprehend the effects of the sometimes destructive nature of humanity.
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20th Century
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Research, |
Individual Pair Group |
Workpacket
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| The Cold War Webquest | The Cold War Webquest engages students on a journey through the concepts, events, people, and conflicts from 1945-1991. Students will explore the vocabulary, Cold War Beginnings, Hot Conflicts of the Cold War, The Berlin Wall, The Space Race, Weapons & Technology of the Cold War, Spies of the Cold War, Détente. The End of the Cold War, and People of the Cold War.This webquest will explore Political Cartoons of the Cold war and students will complete a sourcing activity. An extension is provided for critical thinking. The webquest contains questions and Summary Activities for all DOK Levels. |
20th Century Cold War |
Document Analysis, Research, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Comparative Analysis Sourcing Analysis |
Individual Pair Small Group |
Workpacket,
Paragraph Summaries, |
| Communist China Webquest |
The Communist China Webquest engages students on a journey through 20th century China from a republic to creating a communist China. Students will explore the transition from a republic, through World War II, to the Long March, Mao's leadership with the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolutions. A look at late 20th century China with the Tienanmen Square Protest is also included. At the end of the webquest students will evaluate the success or failure of communism in China.
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20th Century |
Research,
Argumentative Writing |
Individual Pair Group |
Workpacket.
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| Human Rights & Genocide Webquest |
The Human Rights & Genocide Webquest engages students in exploring Human Rights as defined withing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a deep dive into the context of the United Nations document. Students will explore the concept of genocide and its history. Next, students will research historical human rights violations and genocides as case studies. Students will have a choice of what their final product would encompass.
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20th Century
|
Research, Writing,
Comparative Analysis, |
Individual Pair Group |
Workpacket, |
| Global History Review Webquest |
This Global History Review Webquest engages students in a step-by-step process for content review for the Global History II NYS Regents exam. This can be also utilized for any Global History Course since it is a content review. Vocabulary, Historic Content, Periodization, and Stimulus-Based Multiple Choice.
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All Topics in Global History From 1750 to Present
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Study Review Guides Activities
Stimulus-Based |
Individual Pair Group |
Workpacket, |
