USF's WebQuest 

WebQuest Title: Mountain Madness
Author:  A Mt. Everest Webquest

Student's Assignment

INTRODUCTION
You left your home planet of Zildros 3 and a half months ago in search of outdoor adventure.  Back at home you enjoyed various outdoor activities that required you to push your body to the extreme.  You often spent days hiking into deep canyons or climbing tall escarpments.  Until recently you thought your planet had it all.  About a year ago an intergalactic traveler showed you a picture of Mt. Everest on planet Earth.  The image stunned you.  Your planet is completely without mountains.  You spent hours daydreaming what it would be like to climb the lofty peaks of Earth's mountains.  One day you make a life changing decision.  You plan to travel to earth to climb Mt. Everest.  You convince your intergalactic traveling friend to take you to earth.  You get 3 of your friends to embark with you on the epic journey.  It took 3 months to get there.  Your outdoor survival intuition reminded you to spend plenty of time preparing for the climb.  Now that you are on Earth you can begin your preparation.  You want to know as much as possible about the mountain and its history.  Its time to begin.  
Task

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  • Your Task is to prepare yourself for your attack on the summit of Mt. Everest.  You must research different aspects of Mt. Everest and develop items that will help your friends understand what you researched. 
  • You have decided on the following items to help your friends understand.  
    • A mountain survey worksheet.
    • Create a website that focuses on an Everest expedition.
    • Develop a Mt. Everest Survival Guide.
    • Write a letter home to some friends and family you left behind.

 
Processes

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  • Step 1:  Your teacher will break you up into groups of 3 or 4.  Give your group a name.
  • Step 2:  Your teacher will assign your group one of the below expeditions.  (More than 1 group may need to be assigned the same expedition.)
    • George Mallory Expedition
    • Edmund Hillary Expedition
    • Rienhold Messner's First Time Without Oxygen Expedition
    • Rob Hall and Scott Fischer Expeditions of 1996.
  • Step 3:  Download and print the Mountain Survey Sheet.  As a group, research the resources to complete the worksheet.
  • Step 4:  Research the Internet and other sources to gather information about the assigned expedition for the development of your website.
    • Print out the Website Scoring Rubric so you know exactly what needs to be done.
    • The information provided within the website must include the below items.  
      • Who took part in the expedition?
      • Where were they from?
      • When did it take place?
      • What major current events where through out the world during that time?
      • Provide a brief biography of member of the expedition.
      • A description of Mt. Everest.
      • A summary of the events of the expedition.
      • At least 8 pictures that include a descriptive textbox.
    • Use the information and pictures you gathered to develop your website.
  • Step 5:  Create a  Mt. Everest Survival Guide to pass out to your friends. 
    • Print out the Mt. Everest Survival Guide Scoring Rubric so you know exactly what needs to be done.
    • The Survival Guide must include sections for the below items.
      • Essential Equipment
      • Acclimatization techniques
      • The effects of high altitude on the body
      • What to do if tragedy strikes:  broken bones, altitude sickness, frost bit, etc.
  • Step 6:  Create a poster for a company you have started that plans and executes expeditions whose members pay to take part.
    • You have recently made a successful summit of Mt. Everest.  It is now the passion of your life.  As a result you and your friends are starting an Everest expedition leadership company.  The company takes paying customers to the top of Everest.
    • Print out the Poster Scoring Rubric so you know exactly what needs do be done.
    • Must include the below items.
      • Company name
      • Company slogan
      • Printed pictures or drawn illustrations of Everest related topics
      • Cost of joining the expedition
  • Step 7:  Prepare to present your website to the class.
    • Print out the Presentation Scoring Rubric so you know exactly what needs to be done.
    • Must include:
      • A full and complete presentation of the expedition your group was assigned
  • Step 8:  Presentations
Resources

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Evaluation

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Print a copy of each of the below items.  Put your name at the top of each one and turn it into your teacher as you complete each activity.  The peer evaluation and the Everest test are the only 2 items you will need to fill out.  Your teacher will fill out the others.

 
Conclusion

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Congratulations!!!  You have successfully completed this quest.  You should now be familiar with Mt. Everest, its place in history and the people who have toiled to conquer it.  Of Course, can Everest ever really be conquered.  Ask those who died during the 1996 tragic expedition.  Your expedition leadership company will hopefully be a smashing success.  Armed with the knowledge you have gained during this quest, you can avoid the mistakes of those who have gone before you.  Perhaps this is your calling.  But, you wonder to yourself, what extreme outdoor conquests are on other planets.  You have heard of a mountain on Mars that is 3 or 4 times as tall as Everest.  Maybe.  Just maybe.