Courthouse Merchants of St. Louis - A Web Activity
published on: 5/11/2005
Contributing Teacher(s): Jay Buck
Subject Area:
Social Studies/MO History Grade Range: High School (9-12) Materials Needed:
Objective: Students will gain an appreciation of 1850 St. Louis by embarking on a web quest that brings to life the merchants of the Courthouse district of St. Louis. Students will visit various websites in order to answer questions about actual residents of 1850 and gain a better understanding of that period in St. Louis history. After compiling their information, students will produce a brochure that encourages others to patronize these merchants.
Instructional Strategy: Evaluating Student Understanding
Content Standards:
- Social Studies 2. Continuity and change in the history of Missouri, the United States and the world
Time Allowance: 2 Hours
Description: Investigate the various merchants that lived around the St. Louis Old Courthouse in 1850. Then create a brochure that encourages others to patronize these merchants.
Classroom Component: The Courthouse Merchants of 1850 is a web quest that allows students to investigate the merchants living around the “New” Courthouse of St. Louis. Students will navigate this web site to answer questions posed by students from Lafayette High School in St. Louis County. After completing the web quest, students will then create a brochure that encourages others to patronize these merchants. The brochure should inform the reader about the lives, families, and occupations of the merchants of 1850 St. Louis.
The web quest is located here:
http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/lafayette/buck/vcstl/
A sample scoring guide for the brochure:
CATEGORY4321Writing - Organization
Each section in the brochure has a clear beginning, middle, and end.Almost all sections of the brochure have a clear beginning, middle and end.Most sections of the brochure have a clear beginning, middle and end.Less than half of the sections of the brochure have a clear beginning, middle and end.Writing - GrammarThere are no grammatical mistakes in the brochure.There are no grammatical mistakes in the brochure after feedback from an adult.There are 1-2 grammatical mistakes in the brochure even after feedback from an adult.There are several grammatical mistakes in the brochure even after feedback from an adult.Content - AccuracyAll facts in the brochure are accurate.99-90% of the facts in the brochure are accurate.89-80% of the facts in the brochure are accurate.Fewer than 80% of the facts in the brochure are accurate.Attractiveness & OrganizationThe brochure has exceptionally attractive formatting and well-organized information.The brochure has attractive formatting and well-organized information.The brochure has well-organized information.The brochure's formatting and organization of material are confusing to the reader.Knowledge GainedAll students in the group can accurately answer all questions related to facts in the brochure and to technical processes used to create the brochure.All students in the group can accurately answer most questions related to facts in the brochure and to technical processes used to create the brochure.Most students in the group can accurately answer most questions related to facts in the brochure and to technical processes used to create the brochure.Several students in the group appear to have little knowledge about the facts or technical processes used in the brochure.Spelling & ProofreadingNo spelling errors remain after one person other than the typist reads and corrects the brochure.No more than 1 spelling error remains after one person other than the typist reads and corrects the brochure.No more than 3 spelling errors remain after one person other than the typist reads and corrects the brochure.Several spelling errors in the brochure.
For additional information contact :
Jay Buck
Lafayette Sr. High
Rockwood R-VI
(636) 458-7200
EMAIL: lst20@rockwood.k12.mo.us
