Process

1. Students will be divided into groups of 5.

2. Each student will be assigned a specific role to fulfill and task to complete that will contribute to the project. The roles are listed below.

3. Each student will then examine the responsibilities and requirements of their individual roles and then begin to research and study.

4. Once each student has gained basic knowledge and information about their role, the entire group will brainstorm their ideas into a organized proposal to Congress.

5. As a group, create an organized, cohesive report to Congress. Include your findings, conclusions, and your proposal to have Alaska admitted into the Union as a state.

Roles

 The Communicator      

1. Research the advantages and disadvantages to purchasing Alaska using credible internet sources. 

2. Maintain a daily journal of your group’s expedition through the Alaskan wilderness.  These journal entries should include detailed descriptions about your group’s findings, any problems you encounter, interesting facts about Alaska you learn throughout your journey, information about the group dynamics, and comments your group would like to include. 

3. Develop a report to submit to congress detailing how the nation will benefit from purchasing Alaska.  Describe the geography of Alaska, economic gains such as natural resources and the monetary value of Alaska, the lifestyle of the natives, and the food or diet of the natives and animals.  Any other research your group has compiled that could be used to persuade congress can also be included.  The report should be between 4 and 6 pages, double spaced, size 14 font, 1 inch margins. Use MLA for documentation and Works Cited page.  Focus your report with a centralized thesis supporting or disagreeing with the purchase of Alaska. 

  Geography Junkie           

1. Before you begin the journey with the others, research and analyze as much information as you can about the land formations, climate, and vegetation of the western territories and southwestern Canada.  This will help you plan the route the group will take during the expedition. 

2. Once you get to Alaska analyze the land formations, climate, and vegetation in order to list possible benefits and/or problems with the geography.  This will play a major role in whether or not the United States will annex Alaska.  

   The Scout       

1. Imagine you are a scout of your expedition. Your job is to traverse the Alaskan wilderness in search of civilization (tribes, villages, etc.) to obtain as much information as possible about Alaskan civilization.  

2. Research the culture of the Alaskan population. Utilize the extensive documented material at your fingertips (Internet, library, electronic journals, etc.) You may use information on Alaska's original inhabitants, as well as any of its past or current citizens. In your research, locate cultural trends or  traditions in Alaska. This will assist you in developing the most comprehensive report possible.   

3. From the perspective of a scout on this historic expedition, write a journal about your findings on the Alaskan frontier. Using information gathered during your research, write down a week's worth of journal entries as if you physically encountered the environment that you have researched. Excerpts from this journal will be placed in the proposal to demonstrate the extensiveness of your group's expedition to Alaska.

   Money Miser   

1. The Money Miser is responsible for estimating and itemizing the costs of the expedition, which will include food, clothing, tents, sleeping bags, sled dogs, sleds, harnesses, and other equipment. 

2. The Money Miser is also responsible for estimating the monetary worth of Alaska by analyzing its resources and land value. 

3. The Money Miser must present a detailed explanation of how he or she arrived at the figures and explain where he or she found the information.

   Provisions Planner                  

1. You have been given the challenge of deriving a meal plan for the explorers. This meal plan should include 7 different options for breakfast, 7 different options for lunch, and 7 different options for dinner. Keep in mind...

    ... the explorers can hunt their own food

    ... the explorers must be able to cook this food over a campfire

    ... the explorers have long days ahead; what types of foods would be the best for them to provide endurance?

    ... the explorers have to carry whatever they aren't using, so try and consolidate and combine food choices!

2. The Provisions Planner is also responsible for working with the Money Miser on a food budget that takes into account specific food costs and consolidates food choices for the lowest cost.

3. The Provisions Planner must present a detailed 7-day meal plan that includes types of foods, portion sizes, how they can be cooked, and basic nutrition information (fat, protein, carbohydrates, cholesterol, and sodium); the Provisions Planner must also present (with the Money Miser) a detailed food budget.

The Proposal

The proposal to Congress MUST....

... include a brief introduction explaining the situation; set the stage (time period, historical significance); REMEMBER, you are trying to persuade Congress to admit Alaska into statehood. Therefore, you must write an attractive introduction that will grab Congress' attention.  

... Show evidence of equal (or near equal) efforts from each member of the group

... read like a GROUP effort; to effectively persuade Congress, the proposal cannot read like five different pieces of work. Therefore, it is vital that you work together in the actual writing of the proposal (you CAN NOT just throw all the material at one person and have them write the report individually)

... include a short explanation of how each group member acquired their particular information

... include a conclusion or concluding statement that sums up your argument

    ***Each role should be researched diligently and appear as a significant contributor to the proposal              

How to Manage Your Time:

To effectively manage your time spent on this project, you should set specific times during which you will do research and meet with your group. Some class time will be given for group work, but a large portion of the project will be done outside of the classroom. Therefore, you need to arrange at least one meeting time outside of class where you can brainstorm your ideas and create an organized proposal to Congress.

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