South Africa Webquest
South Africa is a land of rapid change. In this webquest you will be asked to demonstrate your ability to use Internet resources to investigate one country in depth in this case, South Africa - and prepare a comprehensive presentation, which explores multiple aspects of the government, economy, history, and current situation. You may quote from sources, but you must give proper credit. Your final presentation should be word-processed and be around 6 pages [excluding cover, introduction and references]. Be sure to clearly identify each section and keep each one in the webquest order.
Introduction:
Write your own introduction after you complete the project. This is where you give the summary of your research. If your group decides to create a multi-media presentation as well then you should aim to put your introduction in summarised "notes".
Section 1:
Geography- Draw or cut-and-paste a map and write a geographic description of the country including the following: physical features, mineral wealth, monetary system, major cities, ethnic groups, languages, religions, time zone, and climate. Here is a good general source of geographic, historical, and political information on South Africa from the Library of Congress.
Some useful virtual tours of South Africa include:
Lonelyplanet.com: Destination South Africa
Capetown official home page.
Capetown Tourism.
Port Elizabeth official home page.
Johannesburg in Photos by Neil van Niekerk
Physical
Map of South Africa
City-Net has a good
index to informational sites in South Africa
Kruger National Park: Take a virtual safari.
Excerpts from the book: Journey Through South Africa. This is a coffee-table book brought to your screen. Intense graphics make it slow to load, but its worth it.
Section 2:
People - Identify the following people with short biographical sketches:
Nelson Mandela (You should read some excerpts from his book- Long Walk to Freedom.) Nelson Mandela details his experience of Apartheid.
F.W. de Klerk (Read the historic announcement of the release of Mandela) (photo)
Steven Bantu Biko or Searching for the Truth
Steven Biko: a short biography from the Azanian Peoples Organization
Searching for the Truth: Steven Biko
Section 3:
History you should include a brief historical background in your presentation:
Historical events - Identify each of the following:
Apartheid - Describe this system in some detail annd identify the dates it was in effect. (Map of homelands: 1986)
Release of Nelson Mandela Robben Island Home Page
1994 elections or South Africa's First Free Elections
Timeline of the Transition from washingtonpost.com
Computers and the Apartheid Regime (a student project from Stanford University)
1994 Election Photographs by Joe DeVera of the Detroit News.
CAPE FLATS: This has great cultural insights! Learn about the language, the music, and even the gangs found in this vibrant locale.
Exhibitions from the South African National Gallery in Capetown.
Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika South Africa's National Anthem
Zulu Culture and History from Zulucom.co.za
Section 4:
Government - Identify the current form of government, explaining its structure, and the major political parties.
What aspects of the new constitution are a direct result of the Apartheid experience?
How is this being implemented? (What government programs or reforms reflect the ideals of the new constitution?)
What differences do you find between the civil society in South Africa and our own?
Look especially at the South African Bill of Rights.
What is the 'Truth and Reconciliation Commission'? What were its accomplishments?
Cyberschool Africa gives special insight into South African education with Tutorials currently focusing on components of the South African matric syllabus. It is still in the development stage, but shows promise.
Transforming the Legacy of the Past Chapter 3 from the 1995 White Paper on Education and Training
Project Capetown is a Multimedia account of a project on changing teacher perceptions for integration of schools in South Africa. Developed by the University of Virginia.
Electronic Schoolbook: List of South African schools with
internet connections.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission:
This site has the details of the workings of the commission as well as the
amnesty decisions handed down. Audio files available as well as links to
important background documents.
African National Congress (ANC) This site also offers an alternative news summary.
South African Government Information (Comprehensive Links)
SANGONET is the network of SA Non-Governmental Organizations. They offer valuable links on all aspects of South African culture and human rights.
IDASA The Institute for Democracy in South Africa
Political and government resources on the internet provided by the Mail and Guardian
COSATU: The Congress of South African Trade Unions
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa
Spotlight on Parliament explains democracy in South Africa.
The Southern African Migration Project looks at the effects of immigration to South Africa.
Forms of Transition to Democracy A South African Case Study by Vincent Williams
U.S.-South Africa Binational Commission: Partnership through committees in seven areas of mutual interest to both nations: Agriculture; Conservation, Environment and Water; Defense; Human Resources Development and Education; Science and Technology; Sustainable Energy; and Trade and Investment.
Section 5:
Economics - (1998 data)
What is the monetary system for South Africa?
What is the current exchange rate to the U.S. dollar?
Find the prices of several goods or services in South Africa and compare these to prices in the U.S.
What is the current inflation rate in both countries?
What are the major industries in South Africa?
How does the country produce its wealth?
Domestic economic developments in 1998 reported by the South African Reserve Bank
Statistics from S.A. 1996 Census
Restructuring the South African Labour Market: Report of the Presidential Commission to Investigate Labour Market Policy June 1996 Labour Migration and Wage Determination
Junkmail has links to free ad papers in South Africa. Browse the ads to compare prices.
Section 6:
Current Events - What is happening this week in South Africa? Check the news stories over several days to see what events are important in their press.
Current Elections can be found at Election Day in South Africa from abc.com
Index of South African News Sources
Ananzai: A South African Search Engine
Section 7:
Conclusion Briefly recap what you have learned about the country and what you have learned about using the internet as a source of information.
Section 8:
List all of the sources you used for this report. Include internet addresses for internet sources. Electronic edition may list sources on a "notes" page rather than on-screen.
Cover:
Reproduce the South African flag on the cover of your project. You may add additional illustrations as you wish. Please make note of all copyrights if you intend to produce a multi-media presentation.
