We will use the information we learn in our web quest to do two exciting things.  You and your group will be making an interactive bulletin board display that will have a map of our neighborhood community, felt people showing who lives and works in our neighborhood, and fact strips showing facts you collect.  We will also take a community walking tour where you will take digital pictures of the people in our neighborhood to create a community scrapbook showing who are the people in our neighborhood.

1.  Step ONE:  You will be put into a group to work with while we complete our project.  Your group will have 4-5 people in it.  Each person in your group will have a different job.  The jobs are:

Your teacher will tell you what your special job is.  EVERYONE will help to get the work done!

2. Step TWO:  You and your group need to visit this website:

http://pbskids.org/rogers/R_house/build.htm#hold 

This site is part of Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood website.  You will get to practice creating your own "virtual" neighborhood.  When you are done, talk with your group about this question:

Remember your answer because you and your group will discuss this with your teacher and your class.

2.  Step THREE: Now that you know some of the places that are in a community, brainstorm with your group 6 of the most important places in our neighborhood.   See if you can name any of these places:

When you have made your list of places, ask your teacher for a piece of butcher paper.  Your teacher will help your group to get started on making a map of our neighborhood community.  Use a square shape to show where different buildings are.  For now, only draw the map.  Do not color any of the pictures.  You will do that later.

3.  Step FOUR: Get ready to learn about an important place in our neighborhood-the FIRE STATION!  There are some great people that work here!

With your group, visit this website:

http://www.scottiesfirehouse.com/

One of the jobs of a firefighter is to keep us safe from fires in our homes.  When you visit this site, write down on a piece of writing paper 2 ways you can make your house a safer place.

Next, visit this website:

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/kids/jfm.form.htm

Another job of a firefighter is to teach people about fires safety.  Take the fire safety quiz at this site to see how much you know!

When you are done, write down on your writing paper three facts or jobs that a firefighter does.

4.  Step FIVE: Now your group is ready to add our facts about fire fighters to our map.  You have two jobs to do here:

5.  Step SIX:  Now you are going to learn about another very important place in our neighborhood.  The POLICE STATION!

With your group, visit this site:

http://www.hendersonville-pd.org/kids/coloringbook/

Click on at list ten of the pages of this online coloring book to read about how police officers help the people in our neighborhood.  When you are done, write three of these things a piece of writing paper.

Next, visit this site:

http://www.hendersonville-pd.org/hpdkidspage.html  

Scroll down to read the paragraph about Detective Denney.  In your group, write a letter to Detective Denney.  Tell him about our project and ask him 2 questions about being a police officer.  Give your letter to your teacher.  She will help you to mail it.

6.  Step SEVEN:  Now you are ready to add this to your map. 

7.  Step EIGHT: Right now you are at a very special place in our community!  Our church and school!  The next time Father visits our classroom you will be asking him a question about his job at church.  He is another important person in our community!  With your group, think of 2 questions to ask Father.  When he visits your classroom you will need to write down his answer on a piece of writing paper.

8. Step NINE: Color the church on your map.  Look back at your writing paper where you wrote down the answers to the questions that you asked Father.  Write 3 of these facts on sentence strips.  Put these facts inside another long white envelope.  Write church on the flap.  Glue this envelope to your map right next to the church.  Last, create a paper bag puppet like the others you made of Father.  Put this is your church envelope when you are finished.

9.  Step TEN: Almost done!  Now we are going to learn about an important person right here at our school-the principal.  She is another important person in our community.  In your group think of 2 questions to ask Mrs. Buttell when she visits our classroom about her job at school.  When she visits to talk with your class, you will need to write down her answers on a piece of writing paper.

10.  Step ELEVEN: Color the school on your map.  Look back at your writing paper where you wrote down the answers to the questions that you asked Mrs. Buttell.  Write 3 of these facts on sentence strips.  Put these facts inside another long white envelope.  Write school on the flap.  Glue this envelope to your map right next to the school.  Last, create a paper bag puppet like the others you made of Mrs. Buttell.  Put this is your school envelope when you are finished.  Color any places on your map that are still blank.

11. GUIDE A TOUR: You are now an expert on some of the most important people and places in our neighborhood community!  Your map should be finished.  Another class will be visiting us to watch your groups take them on a tour of the neighborhood.  Your teacher will tell you which place on your map your group will talk about.  Three people from your group will each read a sentence strip with a fact on it, and one person will show the puppet you made.  Make sure to explain the parts of the uniform and how you created it.  Take some time to practice reading and talking.

You will get a group grade on your group's map and tour, and an individual grade on your group work skills.

Wow!  What a great job!  You have learned so much about the people and places where we live.  The next time you are somewhere in the neighborhood with your parents or family, you can tell them about the important people and places you see.  The maps you have created will be out for you to use during center time.  You can practice reading the facts, and use the puppets to act out the jobs of the people in your neighborhood.

***Extension Project (Or a challenge for early finishers):

If you liked learning about your neighborhood community, you can do this project.  Go on a community walking tour with your teacher and class.  Take along a digital camera.  Take pictures of the places you see and the people that work there.  When you get back to school, print the pictures and paste them to pieces of construction paper.  Write sentences that describe your pictures.  Put all of the pages into a scrapbook called Who are the People in Our Neighborhood?

You could even put your scrapbook on your classroom website!

Clip Art Used:

www.clipart.com

The template for this activity and pedagogy of a web quest is based on the work of Bernie Dodge, which can be found at The WebQuest Page.