WWI Web Quest Pre-Plan Shannon Herndon

Product URL:
I created the eighteen leveled assignments for the WWI web quest using Blooms
Taxonomy. I found most of the links needed to complete the tasks. I started to create
the Weebly site to house the web quest but it is not completed. The WebQuest URL is
http://wwiwebquest.weebly.com/.
Analysis
Learner Analysis
Diverse learner characteristics and needs-
o Honors World History
Age: 14 16
Reading level: 9 11
Language ability: No constraints
Technical capabilities: Each student will have access to a
computer during class, as well as, before and after school to
complete the WebQuest.
Previous experience: Students have completed many projects
throughout the semester. They completed one individual project
and several small group projects.
Context Analysis
Class characteristics
I teach two Honors World History classes; both classes will
complete the WebQuest. There are thirty four students in one
class and thirty three in the second class.
Harrison uses the traditional block schedule where classes meet
for ninety minutes every day. The schedule is not flexible from
day to day.
Technical considerations
Each student will have access to a computer during class, as well
as, before and after school to complete the WebQuest.
Students can check out a laptop or video camera from the media
center to continue their work at home, if they do not have the
required technologies available to them.
There is one student who uses Alpha Smart and Dragon Naturally
Speak for her assistive technology. She uses the assistive
technologies to help organize her thoughts and alleviate hand-
writing issues.
Teacher characteristics
Being fairly technologically proficient, I do not get nervous or
avoid technology all together for instructional purposes.
Instructional technologies help keep most students focused and
engaged while experiencing history rather than just reading about
events or listening to a lecture.
Standards
Georgia Performance Standards World History:
SSWH16 The student will demonstrate an understanding of long-
term causes of World War I and its global impact.
a. Identify the causes of the war; include Balkan
nationalism, entangling alliances, and militarism.

b. Describe conditions on the war front for soldiers;
include the Battle of Verdun.

c. Explain the major decisions made in the Versailles
Treaty; include German reparations and the mandate
system that replaced Ottoman control.

d. Analyze the destabilization of Europe in the collapse of
the great empires; include the Romanov and Hapsburg
dynasties.

NETS-S Standards:
1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge,
and develop innovative products and processes using
technology. Students:
a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products,
or processes.
2. Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate
and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support
individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
Students:
d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or
solve problems.
3. Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use
information. Students:
b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and
ethically use information from a variety of sources and
media.
c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools
based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct
research, manage projects, solve problems, and make
informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and
resources. Students:
c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make
informed decisions.
d. use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore
alternative solutions.
5. Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues
related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
Students:
a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of
information and technology.
6. Technology Operations and Concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology
concepts, systems, and operations. Students:
b. select and use applications effectively and productively.

Task Analysis
Learning Objectives-
Cognitive objectives-
Essential Questions
o How does European imperialism contribute to
World War I?
o How can nationalism start a war and what impact
did European nationalism have on WWI?
o Why did militarism and alliances lead to WWI?
o What was the impact of military technological
advances on World War I?
o What were the effects of WWI in the trenches and
on the home front?
o How does wartime propaganda reflect the
attitudes toward the war?
o What lasting effects did WWI have on the world?
I want my students to understand the complexities of war.
They need to understand that there are so many factors
that can lead to multi-national wars.
Dispositional objectives- Students will complete most of the
WebQuest on an individual basis. There are a two leveled
activities, in which students are encouraged to work together in
small groups to effectively complete the activity.
Design
Overview
Students will visit key events throughout World War I in a time travel adventure. When
the student returns from their WWI journey, they will complete six assignments to
comprehend the full spectrum of causes, the impact at the front and at home, and the
lasting effects on the world. Once I create the introductory narrative, I will include it in
my final plan.
Students will complete six Blooms leveled tasks. However, the students are able to
choose from eighteen different assignments; there are three activities to choose from
for each Blooms level. The activities and the process for completion is listed in the
chart below. I am in the process of revising a few of the activities; the updated version
will be utilized in the WebQuest and in my final plan. The activities are as follows:

Remembering
Worth 10 Points
Understanding
Worth 12.5 Points
Applying
Worth 15 Points
WWI Causes
Explain the MAIN causes of
World War I by creating a
political cartoon for each cause
using ToonDoo.com.

Use Mrs. Herndons video as the
activity reference.

http://youtu.be/Thu
6ESyBstI
Zimmerman Telegram
Read the Zimmerman Telegram
at the link provided. Create four
headlines exposing the
Zimmerman telegram to the
public in each of the following
countries: US, Mexico, Germany,
Britain. Write the 1st paragraph
for each of the headlines. Use
Publisher to create the mini-
articles.

www.archives.gov/edu
Key WWI Battles
Create a digital interactive map
of 10 key battles including their
location. Label the battles on the
map and explain their
significance to the war. Link an
academic website to each battle
supplying further details.

www.pbs.org/greatwar/
maps/index.html

www.firstworldwar.com/
cation/lessons/zimmer
mann/
On the actual WebQuest, the is a
link to an audio file of the
Zimmermann telegram.
battles/index.htm
Virtual Timeline
Create a visual timeline of the
events of WWI. Include at least
10 points on the line including
dates, small illustrations, and
brief written explanations. You
may create a PowerPoint or Prezi
presentation.

www.pbs.org/greatwar/
timeline/index.html

www.greatwar.co.uk/time
line/ww1-timeline.htm
Join the military?
If you were old enough to join
the British military in 1914 or the
US military in 1917, would you
have volunteered to fight in
WWI? Why or why not? Write a
letter to your family. Use
information from the following
sites to defend your decision.

www.greatwar.co.uk/peo
ple/ww1-people.htm

http://libcom.org/history
/peoples-history-world-war-i-
howard-zinn
Long Term Causes
Compare and contrast the
hatred/mistrust of France,
Britain, and Russia towards
Germany and Austria by creating
a Soap Opera. Act out the
hatred/mistrust between the
nations listed. Write the script
and videotape the action!

www.schoolhistory.co.uk
/gcselinks/modern/revisi
on/wwirevision.pdf
Weapons of War
Discuss some of the inventions
brought about, or improved,
during the era of World War I:
the U-boat, the machine gun, the
tanks, and the airplane. You pick
the presentation format.

www.firstworldwar.com/
weaponry/index.htm
Christmas Truce
What is the Christmas Truce?
Research the event at the link
provided below. Write a diary
entry for this day in WWI. You
were one of the soldiers who
participated in the truce. What
do you think about the truce?
What do you want to remember
about the events of that day?

www.firstworldwar.com
/features/christmas
truce.htm
S.S. Lusitania
View the videos on the Lusitania.
Discuss and analyze the theories
brought up in the videos. Then
decide what you think really
happened and write an article
explaining your theory about the
fate of the Lusitania.

http://natgeotv.com/uk
/dark-secrets-of-the-lusitania

www.history.com/videos
/u-boats-sink-the-lusita
nia-in-1915#u-boats-sin
k-the-lusitania-in-1915

Analyzing
Worth 17.5 Points
Evaluating
Worth 20 Points
Creating
Worth 25 Points
Propaganda Posters
Analyze 3 propaganda posters,
one from the US, Britain, and
Germany. Fill out a poster
analysis worksheet for each
poster (http://www.archives.
gov/education/lessons/
worksheets/poster_ana
lysis_worksheet.pdf). Discuss
the similarities and differences
for each propaganda poster.

www.firstworldwar.com/
posters/
Woodrow Wilsons 14 Point Plan
Imagine you are President
Woodrow Wilson. Using
Publisher, create a brochure that
describes his 14 Point Plan, in a
way that would convince the
leaders of the Paris Peace
Conference to approve this peace
plan.

www.firstworldwar.com
/source/fourteenpoints

www.thefreeresource.
com/woodrow-wilsons-14-
points-speech-sim
plified-summary-and-resources-
explaining-the-14-points
Make your own modern
Propaganda Poster
Write, act out and film a 60-
second commercial promoting
the reasons for joining the war.
Be sure to include the final script.

http://history.state.gov
/milestones/1914-1920/WWI
Opinions on Profiting
The United States opted to stay
neutral at the beginning of World
War I, but Americans profited
from the war by selling goods to
European countries. What is your
opinion on this? Create two
tweets, one for and one against
profiting from WWI. Do not
forget to invent creative hash
tags for both arguments.

www.nber.org/digest/jan
05/w10580.html
Isolationism and Neutrality
The United States was called an
isolationist nation because it did
not want to get involved in
international affairs and then
declared its neutrality. List
the pros and cons of being
concerned only with your
country? What role does the
United States play in the affairs
of the world today and what are
the effects of our actions?

www.ushistory.org/us
/45.asp

www.history.com/this-day-in-
history/us-pro
claims-neutrality-in-world-war-i
In the Trenches
Draw an imaginary trench. How
you would set up your trench?
What strategies might you use to
protect yourself from the
enemy? How would you protect
yourself from the weather and
the elements?

www.firstworldwar.com
/features/trenchlife

www.pbs.org/greatwar/
chapters/ch1_trench

www.spartacus.school
net.co.uk/FWWtrench
system.htm
Battles: Then and Now
Research 3 battles of World War
I. How are they similar and how
do the differ from the battles
fought in todays military
campaigns? Create a virtual
Venn diagram using the digital
presentation format of your
choice.

www.firstworldwar.com
/battles/

www.pbs.org/greatwar
/maps/
Interview a Soldier
Pretend you are interviewing a
soldier that has just returned
from WWI and create responses
in the voice of that soldier.
Minimum of 10 questions and
complete multi-sentence
answers. Use the following
letters and diary entries to help
design and answer appropriate
questions.

www.firstworldwar.com
/diaries/

http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/
index.php/Diaries,_Mem
orials,_Personal_Remini
scences
Victory Gardens
Find out what sacrifices civilians
on the "home front" made to
support the war effort. Using the
information you have gathered,
create a virtual victory garden
and write a letter to a soldier
explaining what you and other
civilians are doing to support the
soldiers.

http://history.nd.gov/exhibits/g
ardening/militaryevents7.html
Click on pages 8 & 9, too.

http://ucanr.edu/sites/thevictor
ygrower/Historical_Models/WW
I_War_Garden_Programs_Summ
ary/ Click on the link to open the
document.

All of the online resources where carefully chosen to reflect the content information
and knowledge required to complete the leveled activities. Some of the links that were
previously used to complete the activities were no longer valid. This will be an area that
I need to address in the creation of the online WebQuest.
The final products vary in format. Some of the activities specify the final product format
or give the student a list of choices; however, some of the activities allow the student to
choose the final presentation format. The list of presentation formats include, but are
not limited to: PowerPoint, Prezi, VUVOX, ToonDoo, Movie Maker/iMovie, Publisher,
etc. Students will turn these items in digitally through email, USB drive, or burned to a
CD.
Details
Because of the implementation of the leveled activities following Blooms Taxonomy,
each student will be able to differentiate the content, process, and final product to meet
their individual needs.
Universal Design Principles:
Multiple Means of Representation-
All students will be able to equally access all materials, such as, videos, images,
and documents. Information will be presented in several different manners
through the use of independent research, informational and lecture videos, and
audio files. Each of the videos included will contain notes embedded in the
video or a transcript posted on the website link; this will help future students
with auditory issues or disabilities be able to access and employ all of the
informational material. One of the videos will be linked to the site and the other
video will be embedded into the activity page.
Multiple Means of Action -
The WWI WebQuest will require students to make a choice whether they work
as an individual for some activities and collaboratively in a small group for other
tasks. Since students are allowed to choose their own path for completion, they
will get to tap into their academic strengths to create a final product for the six
activities. The student who uses the Alpha Smart word processor and Dragon
Naturally Speak will utilize her assistive technologies to help organize, create,
and edit each of the final products.
Comprehensive instructions will be included to help students navigate throughout the
site. Buttons linked to the next step of the WebQuest will be inserted at the end of each
page on the site; the buttons will create easy navigation of the site.

Development
The WWI activity was created approximately eight years ago for use in my Honors World
History class. Students used their notes, the textbook, and reference books to complete
the six Blooms leveled tasks. Since the creation of the initial project, the resources and
virtual product creators have greatly increased. I decided to update this dinosaur of a
project, so students would become more engaged in the process of using prior
knowledge and research to create virtual presentations.
Students are able to select six out of the eighteen different assignments; there are three
activities to choose from for each Blooms level. I am in the process of revising a few of
the activities; the updated version will be utilized in the WebQuest and in my final plan.
I revised one or two Blooms levels per week as I stated in the Pre-Plan. However, I
keep getting caught up in the details for each of the eighteen activities and fell behind.
Once I finalized the activities, creating the website was not too difficult for the Process
portion. It was just a long and tedious process to make sure that everything is perfect,
as well as, creative, innovative and engaging.
Implementation
In order to implement the WebQuest in the classroom, I will acquire access to one of
the seven computer labs at Harrison High School for the introduction of the WWI
WebQuest and the initial research stages of the assignment. Students will have one full
90-minute class period for the introduction to the WebQuest and to begin the research.
Students will then have one week to complete the six leveled activities. I will encourage
students to complete one activity each night for homework and use the last night to
review and check all of the final products for errors.
To encourage on task behavior, classroom management plays an integral part in the
implementation process. Students will have assigned seats while in the computer lab
and I will walk around to maintain proper computer usage and on task behavior.
Since the website took longer than I had anticipated, I uploaded the word document
with the Leveled activity chart to my blog and the students completed the WebQuest.
They are turning in their final products when they take their WWI summative exam on
Thursday, May 2. Once I receive the final products, I plan to upload some examples to
the Teacher page for future use.
Evaluation
Student Learning
Students will use the rubric on the Evaluation page of the WebQuest as a check
off list and a self-assessment tool. They will grade themselves using the attached
rubric and turn it with all of their final products.
When the students turn in their final products on Thursday, May 2, I will be able
to assess their presentations. Plus, they will be taking the WWI summative exam
on that day, as well. This should give me some pretty good data of how well the
WebQuest prepared the students for the exam compared to how well they
completed the WebQuest activities. I will send pictures of some students and
their final products when I receive them.

Product Design
To check for ease of use and proper design, I will ask the students for feedback
during the process and after the all of the assignments are completed. Also, I am
going to send the WebQuest link to the other world history teachers in my
department for a peer review of the site. After the AP World History Exam, I will
ask my AP students evaluate the WebQuest in groups of four and provide vital
feedback concerning the tasks and the final products.
From the WebQuest word document, I sent it to a colleague of mine to read the
assignments for some initial feedback and link checking. She liked the variation
of choices for the students and she found a few minor grammatical errors, a
missing link and a dead link for me to correct. I fixed all of the errors and
researched for new links to replace the dead one. I cannot wait until my AP
students get ahold of the WebQuest, they are brutally honest and I will get a
true student perspective from their feedback. I am sure that I will continue to
make corrections and updates every time I use this WebQuest, especially the
links.
Reflection
Project Development
I learned that creating a truly engaging and comprehensive WebQuest is a
monumental task. I would love to collaborate on another one in the future with
the other world history teachers. The technical portion was the most relaxed
part of the whole project because Weebly makes it so easy to point and click
your way through. Of course, my biggest challenge was staying on track and not
getting lost in the little details of each activity. I spent way too much time
worrying over minor things instead of actual creating it and then go back over it
to make corrections.
I typed everything out in word documents and then transferred it to the Weebly.
I just spent too long on the word documents before actually loading the
information into the Weebly. I would definitely make a better action plan and
then just dive in and start creating.
Instructional Design
I am really proud of the revamped version of all eighteen assignments. They are
more interactive and utilize many new links and tools that I have learned over
the last two semesters. Like I stated earlier, I am sure that I will continue to pick
through the WebQuest for years to come; not only fixing dead links, but building
upon the tools as more become available for free on the web.
I wanted relevant and historically accurate multimedia sources. I also was
careful to incorporate the video and audio file that I created to the activities
where they would have the most impact and benefit on student comprehension.
With the vast amount of resources on the internet, I am sure that there are
better choices for some of the activities; this is where I will continually search for
better resources each time that I implement the WebQuest into the WWI unit.

Personal Growth
I learned that I can create something pretty unique and special for my students
to complete. I have never been afraid to use technology in the classroom, but
sometimes I might implement an activity before it is truly ready for student use.
I must get better at not sweat the small stuff initially, getting the main ideas
completed first, and then going back to go over all of the minute details.
For Others
I would tell them the same thing I stated above; get your main ideas together,
expand on the assignment from your starting point and worry about the little
things during the revision and checking process towards the end of the creative
process. It is important for educators to use valid academic sources and not just
rely on Wikipedia for everything.