Red Fern WebQuest

A WebQuest for 7th Grade (Language Arts)

Designed by

Mrs. Baris and Ms. Cerino

Last updated: 10/30/02

Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits


Introduction

Have you ever wondered if a piece of fiction could really be true? You are about to begin a webquest on the novel Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. You will have four weeks to complete this quest. You will be using links that we have set up for you to research topics such as the author's life, buying and caring for a dog, the Ozarks, and Native American legends. Look for the for individual activities and the for group activities. Remember to be creative and have fun!


The Task

In this WebQuest, you will:

1. Conduct research to write a paragraph that compares and contrasts Wilson Rawls and Billy Coleman.

2. Design and create a travel brochure for the Ozark Mountains.

3. Write a five paragraph persuasive essay that convinces your parents to buy you a dog.

4. Research Native American legends, choose one, and present it to the class as a tableau.


The Process

Here are some guidelines for your research in completing this WebQuest:

  • Carefully READ the tasks and be sure to complete each part.

  • Be sure to explore all of the links and resources provided for you.

  • Take notes on all relevant research using notecards. This is a WebQuest not a PrintFest. With the amount of time you will be spending in the media center, there is no need to print the information you find.

 

Compare and contrast paragraph

1. Research the life of Wilson Rawls. Use notecards to take notes. Using these notes make a character web using Inspiration.

http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rawls.html
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/mtai/rawls.html
http://edupaperback.org/showauth.cfm?authid=69
http://ifpl.org/rawls/bio.html

2. Make a character web for Billy Coleman. As you are reading, take notes about Billy .Using Inspiration make a character web for Billy.

3. Complete a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting Wilson Rawls and Billy Coleman.

4. Using your character webs, notes, and Venn diagrams write a paragraph comparing and contrasting the lives of Wilson Rawls and Billy Coleman.

 

Tri-fold Travel Brochure

1. The Ozark Mountains, a remote area in the United States, are not well known by many New Englanders. You will conduct research using the links here as well as Media Center resources to learn about this area. Take notes!

http://camping.miningco.com/travel/camping/library/weekly/aa060198.htm
http://www.lake-ozarks.com/lo/
http://www.azaleafalls.com/hike/
http://www.lakeozark.com/
 http://www.odd.net/
http://www.ozarkmtns.com/

2. Use this information to make a travel brochure that would inspire someone to travel to the Ozarks for a vacation. REMEMBER: to make your brochure neat, colorful, and inviting. It should include pictures, and text that has been revised, edited, and typed. See Mrs. Baris or Ms. Cerino for samples.

 

Five Paragraph Persuasive Essay

1. Write a five paragraph essay convincing your parents to buy you a dog.

2. Use the links provided to research cost and other information to make your request more convincing.

I Love Dogs
http://www.bygpub.com/books/tg2rw/part-time.htm

3. Make sure to include an introduction, three reasons with specific details, and a conclusion that summarizes and leaves the reader with sometihing to think about.

 

Native American Legend Tableau

1. Use the links to read various Native American legends. Choose a legend that appeals to your group.

http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/toccer?id=MclMyth&tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/lv1/Archive/eng-parsed&part=0

Yahoos Indian Legends

2. Print the legend your group has chosen. This is the one activity you are allowed to print!

3. Decide who will read the legend as the other group members act it out.

4. Practice each part, as you will be presenting this to the class.

 

Evaluation

Brochure rubric

Tableau rubric

Persuasive essay rubric

Compare and contrast

Conclusion

Now that you have read Where the Red Fern Grows and explored various aspects of fiction and reality, do you think fiction can be real? How much of the author's own life was included in this story? Are legends completely made-up? The next time you read a piece of fiction, consider the aspects that you might find in real life.


Credits & References

Incorporated some activities from with permission from Mr. Haines http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/ath/library/teachers/ward/fern

Images of people from © 1999-2002 www.barrysclipart.com

Images of dogs from http://www.awesomeclipartforkids.com/

Last updated on August 15, 1999. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page