Missouri Council on Economic
Education
Introducing....
A New Resource
for Middle School Teachers and Students..
The Missouri Council
on Economic Education Webquest/Performance Tasks for Integrating Middle
School History and Economics.
| Feudalism | Exploration | Colonization and Mercantilism | American Revolution | Westward Expansion | Civil War |
Interesting
Facts About the MCEE Middle School Web Project:
Integrating Economics and History
- 25 WebQuests Integrating History and Economics
- 6
Historical Themes
Feudalism
Exploration
Colonization and Mercantilism
American Revolution
Westward Expansion
Civil War
- Breakdown
of Alignment to MAP Econ Benchmarks by Theme
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4 WebQuests |
4.1, 4.3, 4.4, and 4.5 |
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3 WebQuests |
4.1, 4.3, 4.4, and 4.5 |
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3 WebQuests |
4.1, 4.3, 4.5, and 4.6 |
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5 WebQuests |
4.1, 4.3, 4.5, and 4.6 |
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5 WebQuests |
4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, and 4.5 |
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5 WebQuests |
4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, and 4.6 |
- Variety of Performance Products of Students
| First Three Themes: | Last Three Themes: |
| Posters Cost-Benefit Charts Journal Entries Decision-Making Grid Chart Map of Trade Routes Papers Venn-Diagrams Newspaper Ad Letter |
An Attorney’s Brief Table Reports Notes for a Debate Editorial for Newspaper Interview Script Letter Newspaper Ad Cost-Benefit Chart Chart Venn-Diagrams |
Understanding Feudalism - After visiting four websites on feudal life students create posters which illustrate why feudalism was adopted, who was involved as well as the specialization and interdependency within their society. Students design posters that illustrate the social classes as well as their role within their society (specialization and interdependency). Next, they construct cost-benefit charts to show both the positive and negative aspects of the feudal and manor systems.
CONTENT STANDARDS : World History 2.4, Economic 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, Individuals and Group 6.2, 6.3.
PROCESS STANDARDS : 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 and 2.1
Economic Wants of the Medieval Period - Students research about the time period in order to learn what children wanted. Next they design five-day journals which represent authentic economic wants the children of that time might have had and how their parents would have been able to provide them. They also construct a decision-making grid that shows how a parent would have made a decision of which additional good or service to provide for his family, given additional resources.
CONTENT STANDARDS: World History 2.4, Economic 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, Individuals and Groups 6.1.
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 and 2.1.
A Basket for Some Bread - Students research the various types of jobs people in a medieval village may have had while producing goods or services and the titles of those people. Next, they prepare a chart which illustrates the goods or services made in the village and who specialized in making them.
CONTENT STANDARDS: World History 2.4, Economic 4.1, 4.5 ,Individuals and Groups 6.1.
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 and 1.8 .
Trading With Other Villages - Students use what they learn from visiting various websites as they develop journal entries that represent a businessman's reflections of a four-week business trip to other villages. Students must address the following issues: competition, supply and demand, specialization of individuals and regions (trade), working conditions, profit, and trade-off.
CONTENT STANDARDS: World History 2.4, Economic 4.1, 4.3, 4.5 .
PROCESS STANDARDS:1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 and 2.1.
Trading with Foreign Lands - Students visit a variety of websites to learn about the trade routes Italian and Muslim merchants traveled (while providing a service) to meet each other in the Middle East, as well as what Asian goods were in demand in Europe and vise versa. Students then design maps to clearly illustrate trade routes between the European and Asian homelands. Next, students write a paragraph explaining how income and investment relate to trading with foreign lands.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.2, Geography 6.2 Movement & Trade Patterns, Economics 4.1 , 4.3 , and 4.5 .
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.1.
Now, How Much Do We Charge? - As students journey through a variety of websites they select a Middle Age product , draw a supply and demand graph, labeling the equilibrium price, and then write a sentence explaining how price is set.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.2, Geography 6.2 Movement & Trade Patterns, Economics 4.1, 4.3,4.5
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 and 2.1.
Attracting Explorers - Students visit a variety of web sites before constructing a cost-benefit chart of the European explorers, one of someone becoming a space explorer, and then design a Venn-Diagram illustrating the comparison between exploration of the past and exploration today.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.2, Economics 4.1, 4.3,4.5
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6,1.8, 2.1, 3.8 and 4.1.
Colonization and Mercantilism
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Why Establish a Colony?- As students review websites they are constructing a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast countries and colonies. Next, students develop three paragraphs comparing and contrasting countries and colonies. Students' explanations must include the following vocabulary terms: colony, country, supply, demand, and natural resources.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.2, Economics 4.1, 4.3
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.5 , 1.6
Helping Your Colony Grow - Students become members of the Virginia Company as they write a newspaper advertisement to convince more workers from England to come to Jamestown to work. Students then write a paragraph about what would happen if their newspaper advertisement did not encourage enough workers to come to Jamestown. This paragraph must accurately apply supply and demand to the situation. Finally, they write a second paragraph explaining alternative solutions to the problem.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.2, Economics 4.1, 4.4, 4.5
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.1,1.5, 1.6, 1.10, 2.1
Mercantilism - Students review eight websites to gain more knowledge about how the colonists were treated by Britain during the 1500s and 1600s. Next, students write a brief letter to the British Parliament discussing their opinion of this process of the mother country growing rich from the hard work of her colonists and the supply of raw materials from her colonies. Next, students construct a Venn-Diagram which illustrates similarities and differences between mercantilism and market economy. The Venn-Diagram is structured to address the three basic economic questions: What to produce? How to produce? For Whom?
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.2, Economics 4.1, 4.5, 4.6
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6,1.8,1.10, 2.1 and 2.2
Colonial Economy - Students assume the role of an attorney as they prepare a brief maintaining that by 1770 North American colonies were economically ready to become self-governing. Their briefs must indicate extensive research has been completed, address several economic topics, and be well organized.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.3, American Revolution, Economics 4.1, 4.6, Communication Arts 4.
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.5 and 1.10 .
Sugar and Stamps -Students visit four websites in order to learn more about the Sugar and Stamp Acts. Next, they construct a table that illustrates both the date and intended consequences, on the colonies, of each Act. Finally, they write about the colonies' opposition to the Acts, as well as identify actions the colonists took.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.3 American Revolution, Economics 4.6.
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.5 , 1.6 and 1.8
The Boston Tea Party - After visiting a website on the Boston Tea Party, students compose notes of what they will say during a debate on "How the Colonists Could Justify a Boycott on Tea When The Tea Was Being Sold at a Cheaper Price Than Before".
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.3, American Revolution, Economics 4.3, 4.5
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.5, 1.10 and 2.1.
To Tax or Not to Tax - In order to assume the role of an English newspaper editor in the 1770's, students visit two websites to learn about Parliament's justification for taxing the American Colonies. Their editorials must be persuasive, address economic issues, and contain many facts regarding that time period, in order to clearly illustrate the Parliament's viewpoint in taxing the colonists.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.3 American Revolution, Economics 4.6.
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.5, 1.6 and 1.10.
US Constitution and the New Nation's Economy - In preparation of sharing (summarizing) the meaning of the U.S. Constitution to nonreaders in South Carolina, students visit a website on the U.S. Constitution. Students then write a summary of what the constitution says and what the founding fathers want to see happen regarding tariffs, taxes, and banking.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.3 American Revolution , Economics 4.6.
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.5, 1.6 and 1.10.
The Westward March - Students visit a website on migration of the 1800s in order to learn more about each wave of migration and the economic impact of each wave. Next, students create three fictional characters, name them and compose a script for an interview they might have had with the three characters regarding each person's journey related to economic issues.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.5 Oregon Territory, Economics 4.1, 4.2, 4.4.
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.2, 1.5, 1.6 and 1.10.
Lewis and Clark - Students assume the role of an explorer in the Corps of Discovery. Their job is to make recommendations to the next group of explorers that will be following their expedition. After visiting two websites, students design their letters to the next expedition explaining how to make economic decisions on what to bring with them.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.5 Lewis and Clark, Economics 4.1 and 4.3.
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.6 , 1.8 , 1.10, 2.1, 3.1, 3.8, and 4.1.
Go West, Young Man! - Students visit a website about westward expansion and then assume their role as a promotional artist hired to design an advertisement in order to entice people to move west (to Chicago, Illinois) during the 1800s. Students must include economic reasons why settlers should move to Chicago.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.5 Westward Expansion, Economics 4.1,4.3 and 4.5.
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.6 , 1.10 , and 2.1.
The Transcontinental Railroad - After visiting two websites on the transcontinental railroad, students become economic advisors for President Lincoln as they create a cost/benefit chart to illustrate their predictions of U.S. economic consequences of the transcontinental railroad.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.5 Westward Expansion, Economics 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, and 4.5 .
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.6 , 1.5 ,2.1and 3.8.
Entrepreneurial Spirit of Slaves at the End of the Oregon Trail: Was There A Pot of Gold? - Students click on a website to learn more about slavery in the Oregon Country before writing their predictions of how well slaves brought into the Pacific Northwest fared in business and in their personal lives, while assuming the role of historical forecaster. Next, they review another website and then write a second paragraph comparing their original predictions to the historical facts of whether African Americans found financial success. They must explain why or why not this happened.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.5 Westward Expansion, 2.6 Cultural Interactions Among Groups, Economics 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, and 4.5 .
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.5 , 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, and 3.5.
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The Economics of Two Regions - Students visit three Civil War websites and while serving as economic advisors to the U.S. President, develop a chart listing facts about the differences of the two economies (North and South) between 1860 and 1865.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.8 Civil War, Economics 4.1, 4.2, 4.5, 4.6.
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.5, 1.8 , 1.10, and 3.5.
Slavery and Cotton - Students are now accountants for a firm that finances inventors. Students visit a website to learn more about slavery and the cotton industry during this time period before writing their predictions regarding the effects of a new invention that turns raw cotton into spinning thread 50 times faster than before on the economy of the cotton producing states. Students must demonstrate their knowledge of supply and demand.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.8 Civil War, Economics 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.5.
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.5 , 1.6, 1.10 , 2.1,3.5.
Slavery and the South - As a member of a Canadian group against slavery, students are asked to review three websites before writing their responses to two questions: How did slavery start? Why is the economy of the South tied to the slaves? Their analysis of the situation (response) must involve using the terms supply and demand correctly.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.8 Civil War, Economics 4.1 and 4.5.
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.5 , 1.6, 1.10, 3.5.
Economic Effects of the Civil War on the South - As a Northern Spy sent to the South to find out how the war has economically affected the South, so far (1861) students review two websites before writing their report for General Grant. Grant's army has already seized the railroad center at Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Grant thinks the South's economic funding is in serious trouble, but students must fill him in on all the details, related to economic issues, of the times.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.8 Civil War, Economics 4.1, 4.2, and 4.5.
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.5 , 1.6, 1.10 , 2.1, 2.2
Reconstruction and Tenant Farming - Students visit a special website to learn more about reconstruction of the time period. As students pretend to be researching their heritage they struggle with why their family (some of whom were slaves) stayed in the South after the Civil War and only moved North in 1910. Students create Venn Diagrams that visually explain at least two economic likes and differences of slavery and tenant farming.
CONTENT STANDARDS: American History 2.8 Civil War, Economics 4.1 and 4.4.
PROCESS STANDARDS: 1.5, 1.8 , 1.10.