Group+Quest+11

A WebQuest for 5th Grade Social Studies Designed by Melissa Len
 * Branches of American Government**

 **Introduction** (//Section 1 of the Quest//) Welcome 5th Graders! You have traveled back in time and found yourself at the Constitutional Convention! Help our founding fathers create a stable system of Government! Create a poster board to help convince our founding fathers of the strong qualities of each branch of government.

 **The Task** (//Section 2 of the Quest//)

Students will explore the branch of government of their choice and express their creativity in a poster board and oral presentation.

 **The Process** (//Section 3 of the Quest//)

1. Define the three different branches of government. 2. Choose one branch to explore more deeply. 3. Create a poster board presentation with your findings. 4. Include answers to the following questions: 5. Give an Oral Presentation of the findings.
 *  What do they do and what are they responsible for?
 * What does the branch consist of?
 * Who leads the branch?
 * What checks and balances power do they have?
 * Who are the current players in the branch?
 *  Why was this branch created?
 * Include pictures and/or graphic representations.

Legislative Branch Links: [|Ben's Guide] [|White House] [|Congress for Kids]

Executive Branch Links: [|Ben's Guide] [|White House] [|Congress for Kids] [|Fun Presidential Facts]

Judicial Branch Links: [|Ben's Guide] [|White House] [|Congress for Kids]

Other Useful Links: [|WhiteHouse.org's Constitution Page]

 **Evaluation** (//Section 4 of the Quest//) Each student will be graded individually on the outcome of their poster board, and the oral presentation will be given a grade of complete/incomplete. Below is the grading rubric for the poster board.


 * [[image:http://www.teacherweb.com/ME/JALeonardMiddleSchoolOldTown/Ecologywebquest/postrubric_files/title.gif link="http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.shtml"]] ||
 * **Making A Poster:** **Poster rubric**
 * Student Name ___** ||


 * **CATEGORY** || **4** || **3** || **2** || **1** ||
 * **Required Elements** || The poster includes all required elements as well as additional information. || All required elements are included on the poster. || All but 1 of the required elements are included on the poster. || Several required elements were missing. ||
 * **Labels** || All items of importance on the poster are clearly labeled with labels that can be read from at least 3 ft. away. || Almost all items of importance on the poster are clearly labeled with labels that can be read from at least 3 ft. away. || Many items of importance on the poster are clearly labeled with labels that can be read from at least 3 ft. away. || Labels are too small to view OR no important items were labeled. ||
 * **Graphics - Relevance** || All graphics are related to the topic and make it easier to understand. All borrowed graphics have a source citation. || All graphics are related to the topic and most make it easier to understand. Some borrowed graphics have a source citation. || All graphics relate to the topic. One or two borrowed graphics have a source citation. || Graphics do not relate to the topic OR several borrowed graphics do not have a source citation. ||
 * **Attractiveness** || The poster is exceptionally attractive in terms of design, layout, and neatness. || The poster is attractive in terms of design, layout and neatness. || The poster is acceptably attractive though it may be a bit messy. || The poster is distractingly messy or very poorly designed. It is not attractive. ||
 * **Grammar** || There are no grammatical/mechanical mistakes on the poster. || There are 1-2 grammatical/mechanical mistakes on the poster. || There are 3-4 grammatical/mechanical mistakes on the poster. || There are more than 4 grammatical/mechanical mistakes on the poster. ||


 * Date Created: 2003-07-28 ||
 * Copyright. © 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 [|ALTec], the University of Kansas ||

 **Conclusion** (//Section 5 of the Quest//) Each student will deeply explore a specific branch of government and share their finding with their classmates. By the end of the WebQuest, students will be able to explain the purpose of their chosen branch of government, active players, and its roles in the separation of powers.

 **Credits & References** (//Section 6 of the Quest//) Thank you to all the links below!

Resources used: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/government/branches.html http://www.congressforkids.net/index.htm http://www.littleknownfactsshow.com/presidents.html http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government

Rubric: http://www.teacherweb.com/ME/JALeonardMiddleSchoolOldTown/Ecologywebquest/page3.htm

