The Quest

Your team has been assigned a country by the German Speaking Country Tourism Bureau because of your previous job and travel experience. You must now become an expert on this country. You will have to collect enough diverse information to create this brochure to attract foreign visitors Think about all of the special needs and interests that have to be included in a successful brochure. Use your imagination and creativity to sell your country as a world class vacation spot.

The Process and Resources

In this WebQuest you will be working together with a group of students in class as a team. Each team will work on the task. As a member of the group you will explore Webpages from people all over the world who care about the german language and where it is officially spoken - our (4) target countries. Because these are real Webpages we're tapping into, not things made just for schools, the reading level might challenge you. Feel free to use the online Webster dictionary or one in your classroom.

You'll begin with everyone in your group getting some background before dividing into roles where people on your team become experts on one part of the topic.

Phase 1 - Background: Something for Everyone

Use the Internet information to gather an overview of the target country with a brief summary and some highlights.Again be as creative as possible in exploring the information so that you can create a colorful, informative and dazzling brochure that will appeal to a variety of people.

Phase 2 - Looking Deeper from Different Perspectives

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Individuals or pairs from your larger WebQuest team will explore one of the roles below.

2. Read through the files linked to your group. If you print out the files, underline the passages that you feel are the most important. If you look at the files on the computer, copy sections you feel are important by dragging the mouse across the passage and copying / pasting it into a word processor or other writing software.

3. Note: Remember to write down or copy/paste the URL of the file you take the passage from so you can quickly go back to it if you need to to prove your point.

4. Be prepared to focus what you've learned into one main opinion that answers the Big Quest(ion) or Task based on what you have learned from the links for your role.

role, job or perspective #1

Use the Internet information linked below to explore this particular area in reference to your target country.

1. Climate and weather conditions for various times of the year. Accomodations for hotels, campgrounds and transportation

role, job or perspective #2

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to role, job or perspective #2:

1.Arts and culture from museums to theaters to Science and Nature. Food from fancy restaurant to the Schnell Imbiss

role, job or perspective #3

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to role, job or perspective #3:

1. Outdoor recreation(from sports to parks and beaches) to Entertainment. Shopping - best buys for this country. Inside travel tips.

role, job or perspective #4

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to role, job or perspective #4:

1. Historic sites with maps and graphics. Sites to visit. Travel advisory.

Phase 3 - Debating, Discussing, and Reaching Consensus

You have all learned about a different part of german travel brochu. Now group members come back to the larger WebQuest team with expertise gained by searching from one perspective. You must all now answer the Task / Quest(ion) as a group. Each of you will bring a certain viewpoint to the answer: some of you will agree and others disagree. Use information, pictures, movies, facts, opinions, etc. from the Webpages you explored to convince your teammates that your viewpoint is important and should be part of your team's answer to the Task / Quest(ion). Your WebQuest team should write out an answer that everyone on the team can live with.

 

Phase 4 - Real World Feedback

You and your teammates have learned a lot by dividing up into different roles. Now's the time to put your learning into a letter you'll send out for real world feedback. Together you will write a letter that contains opinions, information, and perspectives that you've gained. Here's the process:

1. Begin your letter with a statement of who you are and why you are writing your message to this particular person or organization.

2. Give background information that shows you understand the topic.

STATE THE TASK / QUEST(ION) AND YOUR GROUP'S ANSWER.

3. Each person in your group should write a paragraph that gives two good reasons supporting the group's opinion. Make sure to be specific in both the information (like where you got it from on the Web) and the reasoning (why the information proves your group's point).

4. Have each person on the team proofread the message. Use correct letter format and make sure you have correctly addressed the email message. Use the link below to make contact. Send your message and make sure your teacher gets a copy. Your Contact is: the designated contact

Conclusion

So is an elephant smooth, rough, soft, or hard? Well, when you're blindfolded and only *looking* at one part, it's easy to come up with an answer that may not be completely right. It's the same for understanding a topic as broad or complex as german travel brochu: when you only know part of the picture, you only know part of the picture. Now you all know a lot more. Nice work. You should be proud of yourselves! How can you use what you've learned to see beyond the black and white of a topic and into the grayer areas? What other parts of german travel brochu could still be explored? Remember, learning never stops.