WebQuest Directions
A WebQuest for World History
Designed by Ms. Hayes
Introduction
Grab your journals, pens, and cameras! You and your partner are headed to Africa. Your jobs at World Explorer Magazine have taken you on an unexpected path...back in time! You will travel through different time periods to uncover the inside details of this fascinating place. Your travel journal will show the world today just what life was like there, and allow all of us to connect the world we know now with the world of the people throughout the history of Africa. Are you ready?
The Task
For this task, you and you partner will become time traveling journalists, journeying back through the history of Africa. You will explore several time periods and create a travel journal documenting your findings. In the end, you will gather with other journalists to share what you have learned.
The Process
Use your textbook and the websites below to find information. You and your partner will need to research and TAKE NOTES first. Just worry about getting the big ideas written down. All of the final writing needs to be in your own words (you are the time-traveling journalists).
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/africa/
A straight-forward website that has basic informaiton about African culture and history. A good place to get started.
http://www.mnh.si.edu/africanvoices/
A great source for first-person stories about the history of Africa from the Smithsonian Institute. Includes a timeline to help you place the information into correct historical context.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/africa/africasbook.html
Very dense text, but this is for the group that isn't afraid of a challenge! Great, scholastic information for the college-level student.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1624_story_of_africa/
BBC stands for "British Broadcasting Company", and their website is dedicated to publishing solid information on world events and cultures. A great website with information on every part of Africa's history.
http://www.library.cornell.edu/africana/internet/africa.html
A gigantic list of online research sources from Cornell Univeristy in New York. This site takes some sorting through, but you will have the most reputable sources at your fingertips if you're up to the challenge! For the ambitious readers!
http://witcombe.sbc.edu/ARTHafrica.html#africa
Don't let the pile of links fool you. This source is a great one with a ton of information on African art. Just start clicking!
http://www.pbs.org/wonders
The online guide and information resource for the PBS series, Wonders of the African World, an exploration of the “wealth of African history and culture.”
http://www.afromix.org/
A site dedicated to African art of all kinds.
http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0093-african-civilizations.php
A site that is easy to navigate and has quick, simple information!
You are also welcome to Google any topic you are interested in. Just make sure you type "Africa," with whatever you are searching!
Evaluation
In your travel journal, you and your partner must write at least five entries describing any of the following (you may do more entries and explain more topics!). Africa's history is full of many diverse cultures and experiences, so you may choose to write a lot on one topic over several regions, or write smaller amounts on several topics:
1. The geography of the different regions of Africa.
2. Religious or spiritual beliefs practiced in the different regions of Africa.
3. The different tribes or civilizations in Africa.
4. The art, music, literature or architecture of Africa.
5. Interactions with other nations/peoples.
6. Any other topics that you come up with that have teacher approval.
Conclusion
Now that you have been worldwide, time-traveling journalists, it is time to reflect on what you have done.
What was interesting about the information you found?
What surprised or shocked you?
What would you like to know more about?
How does this task and information relate to our lives today?
Let's hope that you get to really travel to Africa someday, and other places in the world. And who knows? Maybe someday you really will get to travel through time!
Make sure to turn in your journal before you leave today!
Last updated on March 23, 2009. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page