Choosing Your New Home: Japan or China…Which Will It Be?

Web Quest for 6th Grade Social Studies

Designed by:Denise Lindsay-Romano

IntroductionIntroduction

Are you ready for an adventure? Your family has been given an opportunity to move to Asia! The only question is which country should you move to? Your parents have narrowed it down to two countries: Japan and China. They are asking for your help to decide which country would be best for YOUR family. Your job will be to research both countries and develop a brochure that highlights which country YOU like best!

During your journey through this Web Quest, you will be using the internet to uncover answers to several questions that your family may have about China and Japan before they decide to move there.

Your goal is to uncover the similarities and differences of each country and to determine which country better suits your family. Good luck!

The main focus of your research will be:

educationculturegovernment

Research Organizer – JapanResearch Organizer - ChinaVenn DiagramBrochure

TasksTasksThere are four major tasks involved in your Web Quest. Each will be graded according to the rubrics that follow and will be in the following order. Your teacher will provide you with copies of each of the projects in a packet.

Use the following web sites and research organizer (provided in your packet) to answer guide questions about China and Japan.  You should be prepared to search the web for sites on your own that will help you as well. Remember to use the search engines we have used in class such as:

www.askjeeve.comwww.dogpile.comwww.google.comwww.yahoo.com

Let the research begin…Let the research begin…

JapanJapanBelow are some links that will help you in answering the questions on your Research Organizer on Japan. You may come across some information that is important to you and your family (because every family is different) when considering such a move! For this reason, there are blank spaces for you to write your own answers and questions.

http://educationjapan.org/jguide/climate.html

http://educationjapan.org/jguide/preparations.html

http://educationjapan.org/jguide/legalities.html

http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/culture/culture.html

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761566679_5/Japan.html#p73

http://educationjapan.org/jguide/education_system.html  

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-203194/Japan  

 

Questions AnswersWhat type of clothing would you need for the four seasons in Japan?

 

Name four things you should do to prepare for a trip to Japan.

 

What is one legality you must take care of within 90 days of coming to Japan?

 

What are the traditional meals in the culture?  

What are the customs of the culture?  

What are the beliefs?  

What are examples of celebrations in the culture?

 

What language is spoken?  

What is the literacy rate in Japan?  

Is there more than one dialect of Japanese?  

Where in Southern Japan are other dialects spoken?

 

How long is their school year?  

How many students are in an average classroom?

 

At what age do they graduate?  

How many people live in each country?  

What form of government does each country have?

 

What type of clothing do they wear?  

What is the weather like?  

(Write your own questions in these spaces)

  

 

Teacher Tip:

You can print this page and make it part of the student packet!

ChinaChinaBelow are some links that will help you in answering the questions on your Research Organizer on China. You may come across some information that is important to you and your family (because every family is different) when considering such a move! For this reason, there are blank spaces for you to write your own answers and questions.

http://encarta.msn.com/media_461520369_761573055_-1_1/Chinese_Language.htmlhttp://encarta.msn.com/media_461539747_761573055_-1_1/Billboard_for_One-Child_Families.htmlhttp://encarta.msn.com/media_701702989_761573055_-1_1/People_of_China.htmlhttp://www.chinatown-online.co.uk/pages/culture/

http://www.pbs.org/kcts/preciouschildren/china/index.html   http://www.liuzhou.co.uk/china/educationin fo.htm   http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9360 604

  http://encarta.msn.com/media_461520369_761 573055_-1_1/Chinese_Language.html

  http://encarta.msn.com/media_461543786_761 573055_-1_1/Chinese_Elementary_School.htm l  

Questions AnswersWhat are the traditional meals in the culture?  

What are the customs of the culture? 

 

What are the beliefs? 

 

What are examples of celebrations in the culture?

 

Name three dialects of Chinese and the provinces in which they are spoken.

 

What is the government “campaigning” for? Why are they encouraging this practice?

 

What is the literacy rate in China? 

 

How long is their school year? 

 

How many students are in an average classroom?

 

At what age do they graduate? 

 

How many people live in each country? 

 

What form of government does each country have?

 

What type of clothing do they wear? 

 

What is the weather like? 

 

Use these spaces to write your own questions and answers

 

   

   

Teacher Tip:

You can print this page and make it part of the student packet!

Use the Venn Diagram on the next slide to decide which country you would like to move to.

Remember to:Include the information that you have learned from your web searchesFocus on what would be important to YOUR familyLook at the rubric on the “Evaluation” slide and make sure that you did everything you were supposed to do to get full credit

Comparing and ContrastingComparing and Contrasting

Teacher Tip:

You can print this page and make it part of the student packet!

Use the Venn Diagram and your research organizers to determine which country best suits you and your family. The brochure will be used to convince your family of your choice.

Remember to:Include the information that you learned from your web searchesFocus on what would be important to YOUR familyLook at the rubric on the “Evaluation” slide and make sure that you did everything you were supposed to do to get full credit

The Process: Creating your The Process: Creating your brochurebrochure

Put a TITLE for your brochure here

Student’s Name

Teacher’s name: _________________

Grade: _______

Date: ________________________

Cut and paste a picture or photo here from one of the web sites

you researched

Languages

Look at the information you have received from the web quest. Give the reader the information they will need to know about the languages, if they are thinking about moving to this country.

Use the links from the web quest to find a map of this country. Cut and paste it into this.

Free choice

Choose something you have learned from doing the web quest and write about it in this box. Make sure that the topic is important to someone who is interested in moving to this country.

Post a picture or photo in this box to illustrate what you are writing about in this section.

The next slide is a printable slide for students to create their brochure with.

Student’s Name

Teacher’s name: _________________

Grade: _______

Date: ________________________

Education Culture Government

Look at the information you

have received from the web quest.

Give the reader the information they will need to know

about the education system, if they are thinking

about moving to this country.

 

Look at the information you

have received from the web quest.

Give the reader the information they will need to know

about the education system, if they are thinking

about moving to this country.

 

Look at the information you

have received from the web quest.

Give the reader the information they will need to know about

the education system, if they are

thinking about moving to this

country. 

Post a photo in this box to illustrate what you are writing about in this section.

Write a caption for your picture

Post a photo in this box to illustrate what you are writing about in this section.

Post a photo in this box to illustrate what you are writing about in this section.

Write a caption for your pictureWrite a caption for your picture

This is the end of your Quest! We hope that it was a good one for you and that you made a good decision.

Venn Diagram & Research Venn Diagram & Research OrganizerOrganizerRubricsRubrics

  1 2 3 4

ContentContent Included no information about the country

Includes minimal information (1 fact) about the country

Includes information from the research (2-3 facts) and makes inferences about the research

Completely includes information from the research, makes inferences about the research, and includes additional information obtained by the students own web search

MechanicsMechanics Writing cannot be understood or has many errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization

Writing has multiple errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization, but can be understood

Writing has few errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization, and is clear and concise

Writing has less than three errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization, and is clear and concise

  1 2 3 4

Content Does not include information from research and was not appealing

Minimally includes information from the research and is somewhat appealing

Includes information from the research and makes inferences when comparing the two countries – the brochure is appealing

Completely includes information from the research, makes inferences when comparing the two countries and includes additional information obtained by the students own web search – the brochure is appealing

Mechanics Writing cannot be understood or has many errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization

Writing has multiple errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization, but can be understood

Writing has few errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization, and is clear and concise

Writing has less than three errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization, and is clear and concise

Brochure RubricBrochure Rubric

Teacher Resource PageTeacher Resource PageThis Web Quest was created by graduate students at the University of Phoenix. The purpose of the assignment was to collaborate on an idea. It became the goal of the team to incorporate other subject areas into the subject of Social Studies as well as meet technology objectives.

OBJECTIVESOBJECTIVES

English Language Arts•To compare and contrast •To write in complete sentences and paragraphs utilizing appropriate spelling, grammar and punctuation

•Technology Education•To navigate through web pages to find pertinent information

Social Studies•To understanding other cultures•To compare other cultures

This website is designed for middle school students in grade 6, but could also be used with particularly precocious elementary

students. 

This work could easily be completed in groups of two or independently.

Teacher Resource PageTeacher Resource Page

Some websites that the authors found helpful were:

www.webquest.comwww.annettelamb.comwww.teachereducation.comwww.eduscapes.comwww.mapacourse.com

Credits