WebQuest Assignment Goals and Procedures

The die is now cast. The Colonies must either submit or triumph.                      
-- King George III                                 

A little rebellion now and then is a good thing.                             
  -- Thomas Jefferson                               

 Goals:
It is anticipated that successful completion of this project and class discussion will accomplish the following:

          1. You will have a better understanding of the causes of the Revolutionary War
          2. Using an element of the PERSIG model, you will appreciate how various factors can cause an event to occur.
          3. Learning to work in a group situation, with a balanced workload (teamwork).
          4. You will gain skill in performing research and utilizing technology.
          5. Meeting set deadlines and delivering a final product that meets all guidelines.

Often the search proves more profitable than the goal.
           -- E.L. Konigsburg

Materials Required:
- Index cards for note taking and to help you arrange your important points in order before typing your report.
- Internet sites, books, textbooks, magazine articles on the topic of the American Revolution. (*Please note- you
  are expected to cite all sources in your report. Please refer to the section on plagiarism to verify how to cite a source.)
- Computer with internet access for research and to type your rough draft and final reports.
- Individual journal page to track your progress while working on this project

Assignment:
It is the not too distant future, and the study of American History has fallen on hard times.  You have been assigned to a four
person team to uncover the issues that led to the American Revolution, since many of the current textbooks do not explain in
very much detail what caused the split with England.  Your team will focus on one of six key investigative areas; political, economic,
religious, social, intellectual and geographic issues.  In addition, each team will be assigned two differing perspectives to examine;     the British, the Loyalists, or the rebels (or Patriots, depending on your point of view).              
          
The workload will be divided based upon group decision - the four of you will agree as a team how to investigate the assigned area.
You must pick a team leader, whose role is to oversee the progress of the investigation, keep the team on task, make sure that
deadlines for the rough draft and final paper are met, insure that all team members fill out individual logs and a final evaluation, and act as the team spokesperson during class discussions on the project. Each researcher will be responsible for examining their topic from
the two assigned differing group perspectives. Use of the journal page will allow each team member to record their findings and keep track of their time spent on the project.

The area covered should be approximately 2-3 pages in length, double spaced, and typed in 12 point font. Along with each member's
findings on their section, there should be an additional 2-3 page segment covering the team's consensus on what the main factors within their assigned element were that led to the break with England.  The rough draft will be due two weeks from the start of this project, with the final report due two weeks later. Refer to the rubric for details on content and teamwork.
A class discussion will be held on this project on the day that the final reports are turned in.  Project logs and evaluation forms will be due at that time as well.  Each team will report on the findings of their specific area and discussion will allow all participants to interpret how elements combined to lead to the Revolution.

Conclusion:
In addition to the completed team report, all team members are expected to fill out a project evaluation.
Through this project, it is hoped that you will gain an understanding of considering and appreciating        
differing opinions on a topic, the coordinated effort involved in teamwork, and the importance of meeting project       
goals and deadlines.

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
           --George S. Patton, Jr.

A word about Plagiarism
According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, the definition of plagiarize is as follows:
               Plagiarize \'pla-je-,riz also j - -\ vb -rized; -riz·ing vt [plagiary] : to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own :
               use (a created production) without crediting the source vi: to commit literary theft: present as new and original an
               idea or product derived from an existing source - pla·gia·riz·er n
 Plagiarism shows you know how to access information, and possibly how to cut and paste using today's computer techniques, but what it doesn't do is prove that you can take information or someone else's thoughts and process them into your own words or ideas.  Plagiarism is not acceptable, and according to the school Code of Conduct carries specific and heavy penalties.  If you need to refresh your memory on the basics of plagiarism, please visit the Georgetown University web site at: http://www.georgetown.edu/honor/plagiarism.html 
There is a difference between imitating a good man and counterfeiting him.
            --Benjamin Franklin