Introduction

    What do you know about the country Japan?  Well, this is your chance to find out!  Today, we will begin a project which will give everyone a chance to become investigators and discover many different things about Japan.  We will use web sites, provided links, and other resources.  The class will work in small groups where each group is responsible for finding specific information.  We will then orally share our results and later, have each group submit a written summary that will be part of a class book on Japan.

The Task

    After completing this web quest, each student will:
    1.    Be able to use the computer and use the web to search through web sites,
           links, and other various sources
    2.     Discover different aspects of Japan
    3.     Submit a one to two page summary of assigned topic
    4.     Successfully present information orally
    5.     Be able to successfully be able to answer the following questions
            - What was the most interesting thing you learned about Japan?
            - What was the most interesting thing you learned from the other
               presentations?
            - Overall, how does Japan compare to our country.  Give examples.

Resources

Kids web japan
http://www.jinjapapn.org/kidsweb/

Global Friends- Discover Japan
http://www.globalfriends.com/html/world_tour/japan/japan.htm

Kids Window
http://www.jwindow.net/KIDS/

Destination Japan
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dest/nea/jap.htm

Japanese Culture
http://miyake-es.town.kaminaka.fukui.jp/english/japanese1.htm

World Safari Japan
http://www.supersurf.com/japan/

Japan Guide
http://www.japan-guide.com/

Six Different Parts of Japan
http://www.sover.net/~johnd/categories.html

The Process

    1.  Before we begin this project about Japan, the class will be divided into five groups.
    2.  Each group will be responsible for finding detailed information of a certain aspect of Japan.  The topics are food and clothing, education and career, home and family life, holidays and festivals, recreation and transportation.
    3.  Each group will have access to the computer and must use the web to look through provided links and other resources in order to research that topic.
    4.  After adequately completing the previous task, each group must write a one to two page summary of their findings.  Additional pages of charts, pictures, maps, or any other relevant information can be added.  These reports will be submitted and become part of a comprehensive class book about Japan.
    5.  Each group will be assigned a presentation date.  For this part, the students of each group will give an oral presentation, where every member contributes equally.  It is during this time that the group can bring in items relevant to their topic (example- food, clothing, music, tools).
    6.  Finally, each group will be expected to answer questions from think sheets and complete related worksheets.

Evaluation

    Each group will receive a letter grade for their work.  Grades will be based on the following:
    - Demonstration of the group's ability to work well together
    - Group must be able to provide a list of resources used
    - Summary must reflect the effort that was put into the project (information must be relevant, detailed, interesting, and informative)
    - Summary must also be typed, well formatted, and free of mistakes or errors.
    - Summary must be put into comprehensive class book.
    - Oral presentation must be clear, and each member must demonstrate that he or she has benefited from this lesson.  The group will benefit if they bring in actual items for the presentation.
    - Each student must answer related think sheets and worksheets

Conclusion

It is our goal that the class will learn about Japan from this lesson.  The information learned will be detailed, interesting, and informative.  The presentations will hopefully help students feel more comfortable with public speaking, and the class book will be a comprehensive detailed account of our findings.  Students will be able to use this process when learning abut other countries or other class subjects.