Objectives:
1. Become familiar and knowledgeable in using online databases to find reliable research.
2. Develop a claim about your chosen decade.
3. Support your claim with factual and supportive information from your research.
4. Compose a response in which you synthesize the information about your decade to summarize important information.
5. Create a work cited page with properly formatted MLA citations.
6. Become familiar and knowledgeable in using Glogster.
7. Exemplify your understanding of your decade by creating a Glogster.
Step 1: Choose a decade (1930s - 1990s) to research and find information on five topics listed at the right.
Step 2: Type up your notes (one paragraph per topic). You may use the note taking sheet provided or your own method.
Step 3: Choose one aspect of your decade to research in more depth. Dig a little deeper into a topic that interests you (like the rise of fast-food in the 1950s). Use additional databases to find more information (at least two databases must be used). Look for helpful quotations and facts.
Step 4: Turn all of your research about your subtopic into a two page expository paper. Your paper must contain a thesis statement (your claim that connects your subtopic to your thoughts on the decade as a whole) and information from your sources to support your thesis.
Example Thesis: "The 1950s should be known as the decade that led to our modern day obesity problem, as the fast-food nation we have become all got its start."
Step 5: Make a Work Cited page for all of the sources you have utilized for this project. You must use at least two databases from which you will likely have 3-4 citations. Proper MLA formatting is required. Feel free to use a citation generator to format your source citations.
Step 6: Assemble your project. In total, you must submit your typed notes on your decade, a written response, and a Works Cited page. The neatness, organization, creativity and appearance of your project will be taken into account.
Step 7: Create a Glog that captures your decade through visual and auditory features. You will present the Glog to the class (2 minute presentation) so it will be used to enhance your overview of the decade and support your assertions. (50 points)
Searching in databases is not like searching in Google. Please read below for tips and information:
Pop Culture Universe is a subset of ABC-CLIO. From home, use the Monty Tech username and password. After clicking on the link, click on Explore a Decade or Decades. Click on Introduction to the *your decade* to get started. This overview will briefly discuss political and cultural events that define the decade. Use this database additionally for topics on fashion, music, and popular culture.
Home login and password: montytech1
ABC-CLIO is a Social Studies database. Use the Monty Tech password at home. After clicking on the link, choose a database or search them all at the same time (recommended). Take note of the number of hits per database before you click. You are more likely to find the article you want if there are more hits in the database.
Home login and password: montytech1
U.S. History in Context is a Social Studies database. No password is needed at home. After clicking, type in your search. You can try typing in your decade and the keyword(s), or just type in the decade.
Gale Virtual Reference Library is a collection of 336 reference encyclopedias. No password is needed at home. After clicking, type in your search. As you scroll through the results, read the headings. Because this is more than a social studies database, you may find links to books about different subjects that you find more interesting.
If you find that your topic is very narrow and you need to expand your search, try Gale Online.
MLA citations are at the bottom of every database article. It's an easy copy and paste into your Note-Taking Sheet and/or Easybib.com.
If you would prefer a note taking organzier for your webquest, feel free to use this one:
Record citations while taking notes. You don't want to have to go back and do it later! Remember you need to cite whenever you use someone else's ideas or words. Paraphrase instead of copying word-for-word to avoid plagiarism.
Use the Note-Taking Sheet and/or Easybib.com to keep your citations organzied and for the final Works Cited. Monty Tech has a school account. See the tab above for more directions. Use the "coupon code" to register.
Once again, you must submit your:
- informal research notes (20 pts.)
- typed subtopic notes on a decade (50 pts.)
- 2 page expository report (100 pts.)
- Works Cited page (20 pts.)
- Overall neatness, organziation, creativity, and appearance of the project (20 pts.)
- Glogster (50 pts. Separate rubric to follow.)
Total project is worth 260 points.
Format for Written Response:
- Typed
- 12 point Times New Roman font
- Double spaced
- 1 inch margins