A WebQuest for Grades 7-9
Created by
Danielle de Gregory
Introduction/ Task/ Process/ Evaluation/ Conclusion/Credits/ Teacher's Page
Every time my family sat
down to a delicious pasta dinner my full-bloodied Sicilian father would always
say, Thank God for the Chinese and Thank God for Marco Polo.î
When I was a small child I just let it go over my head, until one day I
finally asked, ìWhy should we all be thankful to the Chinese for this great
Italian dinner?î It was then that
I learned to my amazement that the Chinese were the first to create pasta, and
Italy was not introduced to this delicious and nutrious food until Marco Polo
brought it back from his travels to China.
My amazement continued as my mother informed me that Ireland had no
potatoes until after Spanish Explorers brought it back from the New World after
1580 A.D.
In this WebQuest, you will be studying the
geography of food. You will research a specific country's basic diet in
relation to its geography. Also,you will research historical
incidents that led to a change in dietary habits as in the above example of the
potato arriving in Ireland after 1580 A.D. Student's will also focus on
cultural effects on diet.
Each Group will pick a country to research. Your groups goal is to create a report discussing how the geography of that country affects the cultivation and preparation of foods. Information should be given about how that countries diet has changed (or remained the same) over time. You will create a menu for a typical family's weekly diet, clearly delineating how foods are acquired and prepared.
Students will be assigned to groups of four who will research a country of their choosing. As a group you will decide which country you would like to research. Before you make your final decision, all members should look at the following websites to make sure you will be able to find out the information needed on the country you choose.
The Food Timeline: International Cuisines
Sally's Place: Focus on Ethnic Cuisine
After choosing your country, you will each take one of the following positions:
Geography Specialist: will research and become the expert on the geography of the country choosen. Will focus on how the geography relates to the cultivation of food.
Historical Culinary Specialist: will research and become the expert on the historical diet of that nation's people, how that diet has changed over time and what caused these changes.
Modern Day Culinary Specialist: will research and become the expert on the modern diet of that nation's people, how food is procured and prepared.
Cultural Specialist: will research and become the expert on cultural factors that influence the diet of that nation's people, both historically and currently.
In order to successfully complete this assignment each group will
Turn in a 3-5 page report detailing the affects of a nation's geography and culture on the diet of its citizens.
Create a menu for a typical families diet for a week; including how food is aquired and prepared. (Some meals may be repeated during the week when appropriate.)
Make a short presentation to the class lasting 7-10 minutes about your country's diet. Each member must take part.
In order to successfully complete this assignment each individual will
Write a 1-2 page Project Report stating his or her contribution to the project. It should be focused on the students responsibilities in the group during each stage, what work the student did, and an evaluation of the groups effort.
A scoring rubric is included in the Evaluation section.
Students will be evaluated according to the following rubrics.
Rubric for Group Work
| Level of Accomplishment | Beginning | Developing | Accomplished | Score (Highest Possible Score=10) |
| Group Paper 60% |
2
points
Information given on eating habits of nation in relation to geography is general and undefined. Little information is given about historic eating habits. Menu did not contain a full weeks worth of meals. Poor use of grammar and many spelling mistakes. |
4
points
Information given on eating habits of nation in relation to geography is detailed and specific. Information concerning historic eating habits is given. Menu contains a full week's worth of meals. Some grammar and spelling mistakes. |
6
points
Information given on eating habits of nation in relation to geography is in depth, highly detailed and specific. Information concerning historic eating habits is highly detailed and relates to historical changes. Menu contains a full week's worth of meals and is detailed. Proper use of grammar and minimal spelling errors. |
Maximum 6 points |
| Group Presentation 40% |
1.5
points
Presentation is superfiicial in nature, poorly organized and poorly articulated. |
2.5
points
Presentation is detailed, organized well and articulation is satisfactory. |
4
points
Presentation displays an in depth analysis, excellent organization and are well articulated. |
Maximum 4 points |
Scoring Rubric for Individual Project Report
| Level of Accomplishment | Beginning | Developing | Accomplished | Score (Highest Possible Score=10) |
| Content 60% |
2
points
Project report contains superficial detail of students responsibilities and evaluation of group work. |
4
points
Project report contains satisfactory details of students responsibilities and evaluation of group work. |
6
points
Project report contains in-depth details of student responsibilities and evaluation of group work. |
Maximum 6 points |
| Organization
and Grammar 40% |
1.5
points
Report is poorly organized and contains many grammar and spelling mistakes. |
2.5
points
Report display satisfactory organization and contains some grammar and spelling mistakes. |
4
points
Report displays excellent organization and proper use of grammar and spelling. |
Maximum 4 points |
The typical diet of all peoples is greatly influenced by the geography of the land where they live. Over time, historic changes such as human exploration and development have influenced the diet of many nations. After completing this WebQuest, you should be able to analyze a nation's diet in relation to its geography, identify historic changes to that diet, and construct a typical menu for a family living in that nation.