A Fourth Grade Webquest Created By:
Jennifer Murdoch, Jennifer Leach, and Sarah Ray
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The social studies/language arts web based projects
virtually sends students into colonial America, with the
challenge to create a magazine for Life magazine about
Colonial Life.
The Georgia Performance Standards addressed in this
webquest are:
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SS4H3 The student will explain the factors that shaped
British colonial America.
ELA4R3 The student understands and acquires new
vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing.
understanding and expertise
ELA4W1 The student produces writing that establishes
an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and
engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout,
and signals a satisfying closure.
ELA4W2 The student demonstrates competence in a
variety of genres. ELA4W3 The student uses research and
technology to support writing.
We here at LIFE magazine
have procured a time
machine and would like you
to help us research to make a
magazine about this topic by
traveling to Providence,
Rhode Island in 1675. We
would like you to conduct
interviews with some Colonial
people, finding out what life
was like for them and
reporting back to us!
In colonial America,
life was very
different from how it
is today. People were
coming to this “New
World” from Europe,
in search of new life
and freedoms. Life
in early America was
anything but easy,
and every different
role faced different
challenges. Men,
women, children,
native Americans,
land owners, small
merchants, ship
builders, and whalers
all had their place in
Colonial Life
Click below to watch movie:
Click on these pictures to travel
back in time and interview
several Colonial persons:
You and your team have all been
hired by LIFE magazine as
writers and editors! Your task is
to gather information about
colonial America by
interviewing people who live in
Rhode Island in 1675. Each of
you are to write a letter to the
editor discussing a big issue for
whomever you interview,
review a recipe, and write an
article about the life of that
person. Good luck!
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Small landowners and merchants have a very
important role in colonial New England! There
are so many careers that such people could
choose: blacksmith, shipbuilder, farmer, whaler,
etc. In your reporting, be sure you know at least
two facts on:
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Farmers
Crops and Animals
Merchants
Shipbuilding
Whaling
Fisherman
Blacksmiths
Resources you will need:
 Your social studies textbook
 Small landowner/merchant interview powerpoint
 Colonial
women…
In your reporting, be sure to cover:
-Colonial women’s daily chores.
-Types of food that are grown and eaten.
-Colonial home life.
Resources you will need:
 Your social studies textbook
 Colonial woman interview powerpoint
Wampanoag Indians were original inhabitants on Rhode
Island. Their traditions and culture were firmly
established long before the European's arrived. Be sure
to find out:
-what daily life was like for the Wampanoags
-what sort of homes Wampanoag’s lived in
-What impact European colonials had on the Wampanoag
tribe
Resources you will need:
 Your social studies textbook
 Wampanoag interview slideshow
 http://www.bigorrin.org/wampanoag_kids.htm
 http://tolatsga.org/wampa.html
 http://www.ygtu.com/Wampanoag-Tribe-of-Gay-HeadAquinnah-of-Massachusetts
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You and your teammates will need to follow this process to put together the best possible magazine.
1. Carefully read about the person that you will be interviewing, and ask the chief editor (your teacher) if you have
any questions or need help understanding your topic.
2. Carefully read the evaluation before beginning your project.
3. Review all the sources provided to gather as much information as possible. Remember to make notes and save
pictures that you would like to use in your magazine.
4. If there is a recipe provided in your interview, either make it with the class or at home, if you are going to write
a review.
5. Once you have your information gathered, begin writing a rough draft of your article, letter to the editor, and
recipe review, if applicable.
6. Have a teammate read your drafts and make suggestions for changes and improvements. Make sure that all of the
important information that your interview prep listed is included in your article and letter. Also be sure that
both you and your partner double check for spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors.
7. Write a second draft, revised to include any more ideas that you may have come up with and with errors
corrected.
8. With your teammates, type up your articles, letters, and reviews in Microsoft Word. Remember to use the
pictures you saved, as well as any clip art that works well with your writing. Try to use graphic organizers that
might make your information more clear. Don’t forget to save often! When all work has been written up,
pictures and graphics inserted and it has been spellchecked and proofread, print it out for binding. Don’t forget
to design a cover with highlights of what is written in your magazine!
9. When your team has finished, present the magazine to the class, with all team members playing an important
part in the presentation.
10. Submit your final project to the chief editor (your teacher!) for evaluation.
11. Think about your project and answer the questions on the Conclusion page.
Accomplished
Reporter
Developing
Reporter
Beginning Reporter
Required
Elements
(20 points)
All important details
included and covered
thoroughly, with evidence
that the reporter took
interest in this topic
Most important details
were included and
covered well. Some more
explanation could have
been included
Some required elements
missing. More time should
be spent researching this
topic to develop a more
complete understanding.
Writing Skills
(20 points)
The writing is well done
and enjoyable to read. The
information is presented in
a creative way. Four or
fewer errors in structure,
grammar, or spelling.
The writing is
informative. The writer
should work on creativity
and developing the
structure. Four to eight
errors.
The writing is a good start,
but reporter needs to work
with partner and teacher
to revise, as this in not an
acceptable final draft.
Eight or more errors.
Technology Skills
(20 points)
Technology was used
appropriately and
successfully. The product is
professional and skills were
gained from the progress.
The reporter gained new
technology skills through
the project. The finished
product is either basic or
needs some changes to
make it complete.
The reporter is learning
how to use the required
technology for this project.
Some one-on-one
assistance may be
necessary to assist the
reporter in gaining these
needed skills.
Presentation
(20 points)
The reporter had a
meaningful part in the
presentation. He or she was
well prepared and
confident.
The reporter had a
limited role in the group
presentation. Continued
practice of speaking and
presenting skills needed.
The reporter had little or
no part in the group
presentation. More
planning and practice are
needed
Team
Cooperation
(20 points)
My team worked together
well. If we had problems,
we solved them well
together, without the need
of teacher intervention.
My team had some
struggles, but did not
allow it to effect the
resulting product. We
eventually resolved
conflicts, and may have
needed help.
My team had a lot of
struggles which effected
our ability to complete the
project. We have
unresolved issues and may
need to conference with
teacher to resolve issues
and complete project.
Self
Evaluation
Chief
Editor
Evaluation
Excellent reporting! Colonial LIFE is selling like hotcakes, and everyone is
interested to learn more about the lives of the American colonists and
Wampanoags. Take a moment to contemplate what you accomplisted and
all that you have learned.
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3-2-1 Summary
-Name three important people who lived in Colonial America.
-List two things that people still enjoy doing today that the early
colonists did
-Identify what, or who, in your opinion, is the most important person,
event, or thing to remember about this period in our country’s history.
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Free Writing
-Thinking about the conflicts in colonial America between the colonists
and the Native Americans, what are some things that you think should
have been done differently?
-What conflicts did you and your teammates have while working on this
project? What did you do to resolve these issues? Did this work out, or
what would you have done differently?
-What did you learn about the technology that you used in this project?
What might you use these skills for in the future?
New England Colonies. Houghton Mifflin Social
Studies, Grade Four: United States History: Early
Years. P. 158-184
www.google.com
http://edhelper.com/ReadingComprehension_35_4
10.html
http://www.bigorrin.org/wampanoag_kids.htm
http://www.plimoth.org/