A webquest inspired by Barbara, Tricia, and Betty
Modified by Nancy Herb on 2/9/04
| Intro | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits | T/E Home |
You and three other colleagues at a Philadelphia newspaper in 1793 have been assigned the task of writing the last newspaper for what might be months. The yellow fever outbreak is in full swing and there is a shortage of all supplies, namely paper. Your editor asks you to write a 4 page edition recouting the events of this hot summer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the people still surviving in the city. Your articles should demonstrate how the city coped and what was going on with people and businesses.
Using the novel Fever 1793 and Internet links your group will research, write, and edit a 4 page newspaper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1793. There is a shortage of paper, and your group realizes that the next edition will be the last one for awhile. You have just enough paper to put out a four page edition. You may publish it using a computer format or put it together by hand.
Since you will be writing a 1793 newspaper as a group, check out these 1700's newspapers:
When you publish your newspaper, you shall include:
- a minimum of 10 historically accurate vocabulary words.
- 3 or more historically accurate graphics.
- a works cited page for all resources used.
- 4 pages containing at least 8 articles from the list of required topics. Each article should have a title and name of the author.
- a title for the newspaper.
- and edition number and date of the newspaper.
As individual reporters each of you will be using your news writing skills to submit 2 articles on the following topics. No one reporter may choose both the weather forecast and advertisement. You are encouraged to write more than 8 articles incorporating your knowledge of the times and lifestyle of people in the late 1800's.
- Historical Philadelphia
- The yellow fever disease
- An obituary containing 2-4 victims
- The Free African Society
- Dr. Rush and Dr. Deveze
- Common medical practices of the 1700's
- Weather forecast
- Ad for the Cook coffeehouse
Each group will be evaluated using a rubric designed for this webquest. Each individual will complete a reflection paper evaluating their own work and each group member's contribution. The final piece of the evaluation will include teacher observation throughout the process of creating the newspaper. The total number of points from the teacher is left to his/her disscretion, depending on the number of work days.