Creating a Web Quest
Be a Teacher

     One of the areas that eighth grade has concentrated on learning about government and civics.  Believe it or not, you have learned a lot!!  It is time for YOU to be the teachers.  Through the convenience of the Internet, our eighth grade team will work with some fifth graders at North Yarmouth Memorial School to teach them what you know about our federal government and our state.

Your job is to visit the two web sites listed below.

SITE # 1 – THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
For the first site follow the steps:

1. Read through the contents of the site.  Evaluate: What is important for children to know about our government?  Remember that the students you are working with are 10 years old.  Keep in mind what is appropriate.
2. Select the important facts about government that are presented.
3. Using that information, create 10 essential questions and their answers, as found in the site.
4. Submit the questions to Mrs. Crowley.
5. As a class, we will discuss and evaluate the questions submitted.  Twenty questions will be selected.  These will then be included in a web quest for the 5th graders.

REMEMBER:  You are a TEACHER!  You want the students to learn the IMPORTANT FACTS and INFORMATION.

A site about American government : http://www.congressforkids.net/writingconstitution.htm
On this site, you will enter at the “Writing of the Constitution”.  Read this page.  To proceed to other information, use the “Tour the Federal Government” pull down menu at the left.  Focus your reading and questions on The Structure and Functions of American Government.


SITE #2  FACTS ABOUT MAINE

You learned about Maine’s government  recently.  Help the fifth graders learn some of the main ideas about our state government and our state.  
First go to a site about Maine’s “Branches of Government”
http://www.maine.gov/portal/government/branches.html
1.  Read the page.  Ask some important questions.
2. Then select the link http://www.state.me.us/legis/senate/  This will bring you to the “Maine Senate” homepage.
3. After you enter the “Maine Senate” page, select the link that connects to the “Student Page,” one of the green tabs on the left.
4. You should remember this page!  Familiar?  Scroll down the page and ask some questions about our state.  Focus on important and interesting facts.