Homes Around The World
A WebQuest for 1st Grade
Designed by
Stephanie Ashley
ashleyst@hickory.k12.nc.us 

Introduction | Task |Resources|Process | Evaluation | Conclusion
Teacher Page

Introduction 

Our home is the place where we live with our family.  Homes can be found  in all different shapes, sizes and colors.  Look at some of the homes that can be found in the United States.  If we have all kinds of homes in the United States, what do you think homes look like in other countries?  You and your partner will choose a country and learn about homes there.
 


The Task 
Your task will be to help your class create a KidPix presentation about homes around the world.  You will work with a partner to make a slide about the homes in your chosen country.  You will email first grade students in that country to ask for pictures and information about their homes.  You will also use the resources listed below to find information for your slide.  The class will put all of the home pictures that we receive on a world map to show their location.


Resources 
 
 
The Great Adventure:  International Village
Miyake Elementary School's information about Japanese houses
Web66:  WWW School Registry
This Is My House by Arthur Dorros
Houses by Marcia Fries
Homes and Buildings Project
Houses and Homes by Ann Morris
Homes Around the World by Bobbie Kalman



The Process 
  1. With your partner go to Web66 and decide which country you want to learn about.
  2. Choose an elementary school in that country and email a first grade class at that school.  Ask them to send you a picture and some information about a typical home in their country.  You can use this sample message.
  3. Choose at least 2 more schools in that country to email and request the same information.
  4. While you are waiting to receive information from the schools that you emailed, you can visit the International Village to look for information about the homes in the country you chose.  You can use this information on your KidPix slide.
  5. Visit Miyake Elementary School to read about Japanese homes.
  6. Read the following books to find information for your KidPix slide:  Houses, This Is My House, Homes Around the World, and Houses and Homes.
  7. Visit the Homes and Buildings Project to read about what other schools learned about different types of homes.
  8. After you receive a picture of a home from one of the schools that you emailed, work with your partner to design a slide on KidPix about that home.  Explain how that home is different from American homes.  Also describe any similarities.  Also include any information that you learned about how the home is built.
  9. Add the picture of the home to the world map to show its location.
  10. If you do not receive any pictures and information back from the schools that you emailed, use the books listed in the resource section to find a picture of a home in your chosen country.  Then with your partner draw a picture of the home for your KidPix slide.  Then include any information that you can find from the books on your slide.

Evaluation 

 Your work will be checked according to this rubric.
 
Partner's Names
________________________
1 point
2 points
Participation
Partners Participate
Partners cooperate
Thinking Process
Stayed on Task
Able to verbalize what
is learned.
Kid Pix Presentation
Completed presentation
Shows complete understanding
of different types of homes.

0-2 Points-Attempted 
3-5 Points-Acceptable 
6 Points-Accomplished 

Partners' Score________ 
  
 


Conclusion 

Congratulations!  You have cooperated with your classmates to learn about homes all around the world.  Now you know that homes come in all different shapes and sizes, but they all serve the same purpose.  What is the purpose of a home?  Discuss this with your classmates.


TechTraC WebQuest
Based on a template from The WebQuest Page