Introduction · Question · Background Info · Individual Roles · Group Synthesis
Rubric · Conclusion · Teacher's Guide

Introduction

What's the truth and who says so? In the old days (say just before you were born), people could read books, study, and feel pretty sure they knew what was going on. Then things started changing. We realized everyone had an opinion and if we listened, we could learn something. We also found that a lot of topics weren't separate, but connected to each other. So thinking in little boxes didn't work so well. Then along came the Web. Uh-oh... Because anyone can publish a Web page and passionate people tend to want to get their ideas out there, almost any interest, concern or issue has its online community.

Guess what: you're going to use the Web for learning. And grabbing someone else's ideas without giving them a close look is worse than silly. Think of it as intellectual slavery. So let's break the chains.

As a group you're going to explore the topic of Settlers of the 'New World'. Each member of your team will become an expert on one part of the topic. Then you'll have to come back together to answer a question that gets to the heart of 'what's the truth and who says so?' We want you to do a good job, so why not read the evaluation rubric for this WebQuest?

The Question

The main question you will be asked to find an answer for is:

As we study the first European settlers of the 'New World', you are going to uncover differing viewpoints on the effects of European colonization on the 'New World' and its native inhabitants. Drawing from significant viewpoints, argue whether the existence of these European settlers enhanced the lives of or exploited the indigenous peoples of those areas.

Background Information

Before becoming an expert on one aspect of this topic, we'd better make sure that everyone on your WebQuest team knows the basics. Use the links below to answer the six general questions:

Who were the first European settlers of the 'New World'? What were the effects of those settlements on the indigenous peoples of that area: What is the truth about the first Thanksgiving? Were there more Indians and Indian communities when the settlers arrived than we have been led to believe? (What were the real numbers?)? Where were their first settlements? When did these settlers come to the 'New World'? Why did these settlers come to the 'New World'? and How was the impact of each settlement on its indigenous population the same or different? Make sure everyone on your team can answer all the questions before moving into your individual roles.

America's Homepage -- Gateway to the past, present and future of Plymouth, Mass. Includes good articles and related links, esp. article on the true story of the first Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Good historical and primary documents about Thanksgiving.

First Americans for Grade Schoolers Interactive site for Elementary School children to learn and express their feelings and opinions about American Indians

Charles Towne and South Carolina Historical information on the colonization of South Carolina

13 Originals -- Founding the American Colonies Good historical info. and sources

Caleb Johnson's Mayflower Web Pages Good source of genealogical information

Take a trip to Colonial times Hotlist on Colonial History

The Plymouth Thanksgiving Story Historical information

Squanto, A Warrior's Tale Mini biography of Squanto

Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation Primary document

Common Mayflower Myths

The Pilgrims' 1621 Thanksgiving Contains primary source materials

Colonial New England This site gives us a wonderful description of what life was like in the tremendous

A Brief History of Jamestown Wow! You'll love this wonderful history of Jamestown. Photographs and interesting

The Story of Rhode Island This description of Rhode Island gives a historical account of the rise of Rhode Island

Brief History of South Carolina

The Plymouth Colony Archive Project

History of Plymouth

A Factual Rebuttal to a Popular Thanksgiving Lesson Plan: One of his pages, Message to Teachers, refutes much of the information in a contemporary school lesson plan. 'I think he has

Jeffrey Amherst and Smallpox Blankets Lord Jeffrey Amherst's Letters regarding Germ warfare against American Indians

Individual Roles

Now that you have some overall background knowledge, it's time to return to the main question for this WebQuest. Questions this big and important are better answered when a few people are working on it at one time. Things work even better when a group of you decide to look at the question from different perspectives. This way team members can become experts on different aspects of the question and then come together to poll their learning. This is where team work pays off. So are you ready to divide and conquer this question?

Puritan Settler of Plymouth

Use the links below to learn more about your role. Specifically, look for answers to the following questions:

1) What were my reasons for coming to live in America?
2) What kind of impact did my coming to America have on the native people I encountered?

First Americans for Grade Schoolers

Common Mayflower Myths

History of Plymouth

Jeffrey Amherst and Smallpox Blankets

Help Page: Strategy for Analyzing the People's Opinions on the Topic

American Indian from Plymouth

Use the links below to learn more about your role. Specifically, look for answers to the following questions:

1) What was the impact of the European settlers on my people, our land and our lives, in general?

America's Homepage -- Gateway to the past, present

Thanksgiving

The Plymouth Thanksgiving Story

Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation

The Pilgrims' 1621 Thanksgiving

The Plymouth Colony Archive Project

A Factual Rebuttal to a Popular Thanksgiving Lesson

Help Page: Strategy for Analyzing the People's Opinions on the Topic

Plymouth Settlement Leader

Use the links below to learn more about your role. Specifically, look for answers to the following questions:

1) What were my reasons for leading a group of settlers to America?
2) Why did I want to settle in America?
3) What kind of impact did my coming to America have on the native people I encountered?

Squanto, A Warrior's Tale

Help Page: Strategy for Analyzing the People's Opinions on the Topic

Jamestown Settler

Use the links below to learn more about your role. Specifically, look for answers to the following questions:

1) What were my reasons for coming to live in America?
2) What kind of impact did my coming to America have on the native people I encountered?

Caleb Johnson's Mayflower Web Pages

Help Page: Strategy for Analyzing the People's Opinions on the Topic

American Indian from Jamestown

Use the links below to learn more about your role. Specifically, look for answers to the following questions:

1) What was the impact of the European settlers on my people, our land and our lives, in general?

13 Originals -- Founding the American Colonies

Take a trip to Colonial times

Help Page: Strategy for Analyzing the People's Opinions on the Topic

Jamestown Settlement Leader

Use the links below to learn more about your role. Specifically, look for answers to the following questions:

1) What were my reasons for leading a group of settlers to America?
2) Why did I want to settle in America?
3) What kind of impact did my coming to America have on the native people I encountered?

A Brief History of Jamestown

Help Page: Strategy for Analyzing the People's Opinions on the Topic

Group Synthesis

Congratulations! Your team is now full of expertise. Each person (or pair) on your team have become experts on the topic of Settlers or Exploiters of the 'New World'?. You've all learned a lot of information. But guess what, gathering useful information isn't the same as truly understanding a topic. What experts in the field of learning suggest is that you now use that information in a new and challenging way. Then you'll really know about this topic.

So with your team members all gathered together, carefully read and try answering the main question for this WebQuest. See where you all agree and where differences arise.

Use information, pictures, movies, facts, opinions, etc. you explored to convince your teammates that your viewpoint is important and should be part of your team's answer to the Task / Quest(ion). Your WebQuest team should write out an answer that everyone on the team can live with.

Real World Feedback:

Conclusion

At the beginning of this activity, you were asked about the truth. Did you discover it? Was there only one? Did everyone on your team think so? How did you answer the main question for this WebQuest? Have you checked the evaluation rubric to guide what you did?

You deserve a lot of praise for all the work you've done. And so does your brain. You've sure put that gray stuff to the test. You gained background information, developed expertise in one particular area and got into some pretty expert analysis. At times, you must have felt confused with ideas spinning every which way. That's normal when you're building new mental connections. It's funny, with each link between what you already knew and the new learning going on, you broke another different kind of link, remember the intellectual slavery we spoke about earlier? You're free! How will you use these ideas and strategies as you continue to grow and learn? It's all up to you. Good luck.