|
The 167th Annual
Sons of the Republic of Texas
Grand Exposition Alamo Challenge
An
Interdisciplinary Alamo WebQuest for Intermediate Grades
by
Alan Engle
Introduction |
Task
| Process
| Resources
| Evaluation
| Conclusion
Introduction
"Five hours that changed history." -- "Remember the Alamo!"
The Alamo is world renown as the symbol of heroic
courage in the face of death and the struggle against oppression. Before
it was launched into its present place in history, it was a simple Spanish
mission, run by missionaries and visited by many significant people
throughout its time. The Sons of the Republic of
Texas is sponsoring a new Alamo exposition in the James W.
Fanin Hall. Your reputation as an expert in Texas history has led the
Sons of the Republic of Texas
to you. The Exposition Committee has asked you to assemble a team of other
experts to contribute projects for
presentation at the Grand Exposition on the eve of the 167th anniversary
of the siege. However there is one small detail in their challenge
that makes you and your fellow historians nervous...
[Return
to the Top]
Task
Yes, it is a well known fact
that you all have extensive experience in several areas of Texas history.
However, the committee has asked that your team prepare presentations in
four topic areas, none of which any of you feel you are an expert. This means
each of you
will have to not only select a topic from one of these four areas, but
also have to do extensive research in preparation. Fortunately for your
team, the
committee will allowed someone on your team to petition for approval a
project of their own creation if they are not motivated by any of the
other four choices.
Project
#1
Use Microsoft Word or Microsoft
Excel to construct a
timeline leading to the battle of the Alamo. Be prepared to present your
findings and explain how you feel this time in Texas
history impacted Texas today.
Project
#2
Using Microsoft
Publisher, write a newspaper article of
the events of the battle from the viewpoint of one of the participants
(such as Santa Anna, James Bowie, Davy Crockett, or
William Travis). Be prepared to present
your findings and explain how you feel these people,
or groups of people, in Texas history impacted Texas today.
Project
#3
Create a Microsoft
PowerPoint slide show to justify which
communication device today would you take back
to change the outcome of the battle of the Alamo.
Be prepared to present your
findings and explain how you feel these devices might
have changed the course of Texas history.
Project
#4
Using
the drawing tools in Microsoft Word, create a drafting plan for a new stronger version of the Alamo.
Be prepared to explain your newly drafted plan.
Be prepared to present your findings
and explain how you feel this design might have changed the outcome of
the battle, therefore changed the history of Texas
Project
Option #5
Outline and prepare a brief
petition to the Exposition Committee to accept a project of your own
creation.
[Return
to the Top]
Process
In an effort to
prepare for the Grand Exposition, you and your
team members will need to do some
team building. One of the
very first thing you will need to do is to
divide the four projects
among the group. The group is responsible for
making project assignments -- this might require some positive discussion
and compromise. Remember this is a team effort, so you will all have to
work together.
Once
each team member has an assigned project, have each team member
take notes from their assigned Web sites. Next,
you will need to get together as a team, review
your notes and create a plan to complete your projects.
Some things to consider as you continue your team
projects are:
How can
you help each other?
How will
the team ensure everyone has what they, and are on task?
How will
the team prepare for the group presentation at the Grand Exposition?
[Return
to the Top]
Resources
[Return
to the Top]
Evaluation
|
Description |
Beginning
-
1 |
Developing - 2 |
Accomplished - 3 |
Exemplary - 4 |
|
Project #1
Use Microsoft Word or Microsoft
Excel to construct a
timeline leading to the battle of the Alamo. |
Containso graphics,
wrong dates, names, and locations, aesthetically
unappealing, inappropriate materials used. |
Contains
1 or 2 graphics only. It has spelling and grammar errors. Dates are
not listed sequentially. Includes 1 or 2 names and locations. It is
not very aesthetically appealing. |
Contains graphics for most events. Has few
spelling and grammar errors. Includes
sequential dates, some locations and some names of persons involved.
Is colorful, and includes
a title.
|
Contains sequential dates, accurate
locations, actual persons involved. Includes
graphics for every event. Has no spelling or grammar errors.
Aesthetically appealing with borders,
title, colorful, etc.
|
|
Project #2
Using Microsoft
Publisher, write a newspaper article of
the events of the battle from the viewpoint of one of the participants
(such as Santa Anna, James Bowie, Davy Crockett, or
William Travis).
|
Not a final
copy, appears to be a first draft.
Incomplete information, lacking who, what. where, when, or
how. No vivid verbs used. No organization. The wrong purpose is addressed and is not written in first
person. Mostly grammatically incorrect with many misspellings. |
Appears to be
a draft copy. Answers
some of the who, what, where, when, and how. Includes a few
vivid verbs and details. Is somewhat organized but lacks
sequence. Has many grammatical errors and misspellings.
|
Final copy,
in the first person. Includes the who,
what, where, when, and how. Includes some vivid verbs and details
and most of it is organized sequentially. Has a some grammatical
errors and misspellings. |
A final copy
account in the first person. Includes the who, what, where, when,
and how. Includes vivid verbs and details,
in sequential order, and a conclusion. Is
grammatically correct with correct spelling. |
|
Project #3
Create a Microsoft
PowerPoint slide show to justify which
communication device today would you take back
to change the outcome of the battle of the Alamo.
|
Briefly describes the communicating device. No graphics or photos
of the device. Mostly grammatically incorrect with many
misspellings. Is not aesthetically appealing. |
Attempts to
describe the use of the communicating device and how it would be
used in battle. Limited graphics or photos of the device.
Has some spelling or grammatical errors.
Is not
very aesthetically appealing. |
Describes
the use of the communicating device and how it
would enhance the fighting plans and the change the outcome of
the battle. Includes graphics or
photos of the device. Has few spelling or
grammatical errors. Contains backgrounds,
colorful layout and title. |
Describes
in detail the use of the communicating device and how it would
enhance the fighting plans and the change the outcome of the
battle. Includes graphics with animation
and photos of the device. Has no spelling
or grammatical errors. Is aesthetically
appealing with title, backgrounds, colorful layout, and word
animation. |
|
Project #4
Create a drafting plan for a new stronger version of the Alamo
using the drawing tools in Microsoft Word. |
Includes description of necessary
materials. Does not explain how the model design can better
defend itself against invasion. Model or drafting plan
not labeled. |
Includes
description of necessary materials. Explain how the model
design can better defend itself against invasion. Model
or drafting plan labeled. |
Includes
description of necessary materials and their purpose. Explains
how the design can better defend itself
against invasion. Is labeled,
but not all engineering features are
justified. |
Includes
description of necessary materials and their purpose. Explains
how design can better defend itself against invasion.
Labeled in detail,
and engineering features are justified. |
[Return
to the Top]
Conclusion
When you and your team have
finish this project, you will have created a
timeline that shows the events leading to the battle of the Alamo. You
will have gained a new and
different perspective to the battle of the Alamo. You will be able
to discuss which communication device from today could have changed the
outcome of the battle of the Alamo. You will have determined how to create
a stronger fort .
Are you better prepared to
support and defend your understanding of the events of 167 years ago?
To extend your learning consider
these questions and generate activities
to help you answer them:
"Should Texas
have remained a part of Mexico?"
"Should Texas
have been annexed?"
"How was
Texas impacted by the loss at the Alamo?"
"If the
battle of the Alamo had been won by the Texans, how would it have
impacted the future of Texas?"
[Return
to the Top] |
