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Reporting
on theIndustrial Revolution:
A WebQuest for Social Studies 9
Adapted by Maren Chapman, Tara Orme,
and Holly Mair
from the work of Dan
McDowell
Welcome to late 18th century England!
You are an investigative reporter working for a British newspaper that has decided to publish a special edition on the Industrial Revolution. You have been given the responsibility to head up this project. It will be up to you to research, write, and design the newspaper.
In your report you will provide your readers with the facts regarding the successes and failures of your country's move towards mechanization and mass production. In the end, you will write an editorial giving your opinion whether this "progress" has benefited or harmed the society in which you live.
As a reporters for the local newspaper you will be responsible for:
- researching and writing two news stories on different topics from the Industrial Revolution. See List
- spotlighting an inventors of the time - See List
- finding two or more images to supplement your articles
- placing your stories and images together in a newspaper format
Each part must be completed in order to get full credit on the project. Each section will be graded according to the Industrial Revolution Project Rubric.
As with any publication, deadlines can make or break a newspaper. It is important that you know and meet your project's the deadlines. Check the deadlines.
- WebQuest Scavenger Hunt Industrial Revolution Day 1 Assignment
- Select your topics for Part 1 and Part 2
- Record your selection with your teacher
- Begin researching your topics
Part 1 - Investigative News Articles
Create two investigative news articles about important Industrial Revolution topics. These must be written in the standard news story format described in the link below. Research for this section will be done on the Internet in class. Each article should be at least 300 words.
Note: Do not simply select one of the provided resources and summarize it. Your news stories should be an overview of the topic with information drawn from at least 3-5 of the resources provided.
Part 2 - Inventors
Create a profile of an Industrial Revolution inventor. A list of inventors is provided on the website. You must give some basic biographical information, his main invention(s), and the impact the invention(s) have had on society then and now. This article should be at least 200 words.
Note: Make sure you follow the provided guidelines.
Part 3 - Creating the Newspaper
Now that all of the parts are done, it is time for you to bring it all together.
- You should try and put it together in a newspaper format
- You must include the following:
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|
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- The articles do not have to go in the above order
- All articles must be checked for spelling and grammar errors
- Each article must have an appropriate headline
You may also want to ask your teacher for a student sample!
Part 4 - Bibliography
Create a bibliography of all the resources that you used to create your newspapers paper articles. Make sure you copy down all the required information when you are making your notes.
Industrial Revolution Newspaper Rubric - PLEASE NOTE: Any instances of plagiarism will result in a "0" on the entire project and a call home.
A = Excellent |
B = Above Average |
C = Average |
D = Below Average |
|
| Part 1 News Story 1 |
• approximately 300
words • general and specific info provided on topic • quotes or info specific to individuals included • Information from 4-5 sources • no grammar or spelling errors |
• approximately 300
words • general and specific info provided on topic • quotes or info specific to individuals included • Information from 3-4 sources • limited grammar or spelling errors |
• less than 300 words • information focuses on one or two general or specific aspects • quotes or specific info may be included • Information from 2-3 sources • several grammar or spelling errors |
• less than 300 words • information focuses on one or two general or specific aspects • few, if any, quotes or specific info included • Information from 2 or less sources • many grammar and spelling errors |
| Part 1 News Story 2 |
• approximately 300
words • general and specific info provided on topic • quotes or info specific to individuals included • Information from 4-5 sources • no grammar or spelling errors |
• approximately 300
words • general and specific info provided on topic • quotes or info specific to individuals included • Information from 3-4 sources • limited grammar or spelling errors |
• less than 300 words • information focuses on one or two general or specific aspects • quotes or specific info may be included • Information from 2-3 sources • several grammar or spelling errors |
• less than 300 words • information focuses on one or two general or specific aspects • few, if any, quotes or specific info included • Information from 2 or less sources • many grammar and spelling errors |
| Part 2 Inventor Profile
|
• approximately 200
words • includes important biographical info • overview of major invention or inventions • commentary on importance included • no grammar or spelling errors |
• approximately 200
words • includes important biographical info • overview of major invention or inventions • commentary on importance included • limited grammar or spelling errors |
• less than 200 words • includes some biographical information • includes info on inventions; not necessarily most important • commentary on importance not included • several grammar or spelling errors |
• less than 200 words • includes some biographical information • includes info on inventions; not necessarily most important • commentary on importance not included • many grammar or spelling errors |
| Part 1&2 Notes |
• Day 1assignment
sheet complete • News/Inventor notes properly labeled • News/Inventor notes contains significant information that can be used in articles |
• Day 1assignment
sheet complete • News/Inventor notes properly labeled • News/Inventor notes contains information that can be used in articles |
• Day 1assignment
sheet mostly complete • News/Inventor notes partially labeled • News/Inventor notes contains incomplete information |
•Day 1assignment sheet
incomplete or missing • News/Inventor notes not labeled • News/Inventor notes incomplete or missing |
| Part 3 Appearance |
• looks like a
newspaper • two or more images / graphics • masthead • stories in columns • neatly put together, pages filled |
• looks like a
newspaper • two images / graphics • masthead • stories in columns • neatly put together |
• stories stapled
together • one or two images / graphics • masthead • stories in columns • all pages not necessarily filled • poorly put together |
• stories stapled
together • one or no images / graphics • stories not in columns • pages have empty spaces • messy • poorly put together |
| Part 4 Bibliography
|
• correct APA format • 10-13 or more resources |
• mostly correct APA
format • 7 to 10 resources |
• partially correct APA
format • 5 to 8 resources |
• not correct APA
format • Less than 5 resources • missing or incomplete |
Total Score = 100
With all of this information and technology at our fingertips it is sometimes hard to imagine a time when toilets, telephones and light bulbs were things to get excited about. In a sense, this assignment is a result of another revolution – the computer age. So, once you have completed your knowledge "quest" on the Industrial Revolution, be sure to take advantage of all this technology to put together a project you can be proud of. Ask for help, edit carefully and do not forget to reference your work.
We would like to thank Dan McDowell on whose work this Web Quest is based, and all of the authors and artists who so generously post their work on the Web for all to learn from and enjoy.