JakeWQT

=G.R.A.S.P.S= //( Feel free to copy and paste what you have on your wiki page for Dr. Grace for the GRASPS portion.)// =// (Copy and paste the big understanding(s) you have listed in your unit for Dr. Grace. What are the academic goals for the unit (which will also be the purpose of the WebQuest).) //Understanding(s)=
 * Goal: ** Create a formal podcast on a topic of your choice. Communicating a well developed, well organized argument after much analysis and revision.
 * Role: ** You are a small town lawyer and must choose a social issue that you have develop a firm opinion on.
 * Audience: ** You are representing Maine and your community in front of professionals from all around the world (e.g. Doctors, Lawyers, educators, ext.)
 * Situation: ** An online forum designed for the investigation of different social issues around the world, you must take into consideration the many different cultures and life experiences existing within your audience.
 * Product/Presentation: ** A podcast and a written piece to be published online.
 * Standards (Criteria from both rubrics - product and presentation): **
 * Product: focus or thesis statement, evidence and examples, sequencing, transitions, audience, grammar and spelling.
 * Presentation: content, professionalism, volume, comprehension, speaks clearly, time limit.
 * 1) writing needs to convey a clear perspective on a given idea.
 * 2) planning and revision are necessary elements in developing a clear, organized argument.
 * 3) writing should have a clear application for the intended audience.

=Introduction= //(Set the stage, give us any background info that we might need to know (but just a hint), this is your HOOK. Provide a segue to the Task . . . make your reader want to click to the next section. There should be nothing that sounds like school work in this section. Don't give away what's going to happen in the Task.)// =Task= //(Tell the story of the Role, Audience, Setting, and Presentation. Be a story teller. Save any classroom-specific information for the Process. Build the scenario and stay in character. You can reference the Introduction but try not to duplicate the information that's in the Introduction.)// You are a lawyer practicing in a small town in central Maine. You have been invited to participate in an online forum of professionals from all around the world. You have been asked to address what you believe to be a major global issue, and to take a stance as to how it should be dealt with. The participants, yourself included, will then vote on whose presentation is best. The winning piece will win a 10,000 dollar grant for the local hospital, as well as a two week vacation to a destination of your choice. Your piece will be presented via podcast; however, the judges also require that you submit a written component. The written piece will be published on the organizations website so listeners can follow along with the podcast as they listen. This is you chance to share your voice with the world, as people from all over will be judging you on your performance. There will also be a commenting segment where you may be asked to answer questions from varying competitors. You must be ready to defend your stance if you want to win the prize and save face with the professional community. =Conclusion= //(Tie everything the participants have done back to the Goal. Why did they go through all of this? Tie the scenario to the real world. Remind them of the "Big Idea" that they were supposed to gain from this, just in case they didn't make the connection on their own. Don't get preachy. If you ask a question here, it has to be rhetorical. No work or assignments should be included. Short is good.)// Do you still think of the world in the same way? There is so much going on everywhere, and in our little pocket of the planet we see but a fraction of everything that is going on. I encourage you from this point onward to remain aware and to stay current with world issues; they affect all of us. There is so much that can be done by merely remaining aware; some of the problems we read about in history books are still very real in the world around us today. These issues will drastically shape how the world reacts to who we are, and what we did while we were here. How do you want to be remembered?
 * The world is quickly transforming. In the last 100 years humanity has developed drastically, changing from a world of horses and arrows to a world of airplanes and nuclear bombs. Many of these changes have drastically improved the world as a whole; we’ve found cures to diseases, we can communicate with friends from all over the world by the click of button, and we can access a lifetimes worth of knowledge by simply starring at a computer screen. However, there have also been consequences. Living in rural America has its benefits; we don’t see the edges of the world that are crumbling away. New technology has allowed for new drugs but our teens are abusing them. Our governments have developed significantly stronger weapons, but as a result innocent families are being killed in the cross fire. The internet has allowed access to knowledge and resources, but it’s also created brand new forms of harassment, stalking, and addiction. Prepare to have your eyes opened as you embark on a journey that is sure to take you places you have never traveled before. You are about to be exposed to the knowledge that so many people choose to ignore. What you find might scare you. Are you ready? **