Introduction

You are an intergalactic travel agent. You have just learned that your clients, the Zurgonauts, are planning a vacation to your home state, Oregon. The only problem is that the Zurgonauts are very picky creatures and they always want to know all about the places they visit as well as have a good time. They have told you that if their needs are met they will use you as their permanent travel agent, but if not your world is toast! Your job now is to research the city of Portland, the first stop on the Zurgonauts itinerary, and create a travel brochure to send to the Zurgonauts to prepare them for their trip. You will then share the information in your brochure to your classmates in an informal, small presentation.

Be sure to focus on what makes Portland a unique and interesting city.

You will use the sites in this webquest to gather information for your brochure. Your brochure must include:

• Description of at least two museums, including pricing information, location, two interesting exhibits in the museum, and why you are mentioning it (what makes it worth going to)
• Describe briefly the history of the city including when it was founded, why, and two interesting facts about the history (you may choose these facts)
• Tell about at least one garden that you can visit. Include information about the type of plants that grow there, cost (if any) and when it is open.
• At least two other "attractions" (can be more museums) that you feel are worth visiting, including things to do at those locations and why you feel they are important to visit
• Transportation system used in the city of Portland, including name of the public transit sysem, ticket costs and whether you think it is a good system or if it could be improved.
• Describe the weather in Portland at this time of year by giving the forecast for the next week. Include your opinion about if the weather forecast is typical for weather in Portland.
• Name 2 "symbols" of Portland (such as the city flower, etc.)
• Name at least 2 bridges that are in Portland and tell what type of brigdes they are.

For your final product, the brocure, you may use a word processing program or create it by hand by pasting typed sections onto paper and adding illustrations. 

1. First you will be assigned to groups of 3 or 4.
2. You will next need to determine some way to share the workload of the webquest. For example two people may want to take notes and two people may want to take turns navigating the webquest.
3. Gather supplies needed before starting your search. At least one group member will need notebook paper for taking notes and a pencil. 
4. Begin searching the following websites for the information you need. You will probably not need to use every site, but must visit at least 8 of the sites below and must be able to supply all the needed information on your brochure. You may visit all sites if you wish, but be aware of time constraints. Please document the sites you visit and which ones you get information from.
5. You will want to choose a way to organize the information you gather. One suggestion is to find the information for each question above and group that together (for example, first finding the museum and putting all the information about that museum together). You may use any system that makes sense to you, but please make sure it is readable and understandable as your notes will be turned in with your final project.
6. Finally, please note that you should use the websites listed below to gather information and feel free to move around within these webpages, such as clicking on a link for "ticket prices" on the homepage of a museum site. However, please do not use a search engine such as Google to search for information as the listed websites have been screened for accuracy and content. If you feel the need to search outside the listed websites, get permission from a teacher first.
7. Once you have gathered the information, your group will need to design a brochure that contains the information you gathered as well as illustrations. Make sure that all of your names are on the brochure. 
8. Finally you will need to present your information to the class. Make sure that every member of your group gets to share some information.
   

• Portland Art Museum: http://www.portlandartmuseum.org/
• Oregon Zoo: http://www.oregonzoo.org/
• Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI): http://www.omsi.edu/
• Portland Center Stage: http://www.pcs.org/
• Trimet: http://www.trimet.org/
• Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall: http://www.pcpa.com/events/asch.php
• Chinese Gardens: http://www.portlandchinesegarden.org/
• Japanese Gardens: http://www.japanesegarden.com/
• Pittock Mansion: http://www.pittockmansion.com/
• Rose Festival: http://www.rosefestival.org/
• Saturday Market: http://www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com/
• Trail Blazers: http://www.nba.com/blazers/
• Rose Garden: http://www.rosegardenstore.org/thegardensoverview.cfm
• Pioneer Courthouse Square: http://www.pioneercourthousesquare.org/
• Powells Books: http://www.powells.com/
• Winter Hawks: http://www.winterhawks.com/
• Oregon History Museum: http://www.ohs.org/about/about-visitor-info.cfm
• Portland Children's Museum: http://www.portlandcm.org/
• Oregon History Project: http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/historicviewer/PortlandPanorama/index.cfm
• Bartlby.com (brief history, see definition #2): http://www.bartleby.com/61/86/P0458600.html
• PDX History: http://www.pdxhistory.com/
• Portland Historical Timeline: http://www.portlandonline.com/auditor/index.cfm?c=27408&
• Portland History: http://www.pova.com/media/history.html
• History of Portland Public Transportation: http://www.trimet.org/about/history/transitinportland.htm
• Symbols of Portland: http://www.portlandonline.com/auditor/index.cfm?c=27483&
• Oregonian Weather Forecast: http://www.oregonlive.com/weather/
• Wikipedia, Portland Bridges:
•  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremont_Bridge_(Portland,_Oregon)
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Johns_Bridge

• Bridges of Portland: http://www.bizave.com/portland/bridges/

To determine your score on this project, you will be evaluated with a group score as well as an individual score. Your group score will be based off your ability to work together as a team, the brochure, and your presentation to the class. Your individual score will come from evaluations by your group members about your participation and my observations of your participation in the group. 

When you complete the final project, each group member will fill out an evaluation sheet answering questions about their own performance as well as the  performance of other group members. If you feel that someone did not contribute very much to the project, this would be the place to comment on that. Your group must also turn in your notes from the webquest with your brochure. Your brochure and performance will be evaluated using the following rubric:

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Brochure Information	A few pieces of the required information areincluded. There are not many details, and organization is unclear.	Much of the required information is included. Information is organized in some fashion and writing is readable. Word choice is appropriate.	All the required information is included. Information is organized well, and the descriptions and writing are clear. There are some interesting details.	Brochure contains more information than required. The writing is clear, well organized and engaging. Many interesting details are included and word choice is varied.
Brochure Design	There is no clear layout. Information is simply listed on the paper. There are few if any illustrations. Information is hard to locate.	Layout is somewhat clear. There are few illustrations or pictures, and the text is not displayed in an original or attention grabbing manner. It may be dificult to locate some information.	Layout is clear. There are several illustrations or pictures interspersed with the text. Information is easily located, and design shows originality.	Layout is clear and engaging. Pictures and illustrations are mixed with text. The cover or front page grabs the attention of the reader. All information is easily located. The brochure is very creatively put together.
Individual Performance	Group member did not contribute much to the pieces of the task. They were often off task and did not contribute much. There were issues with cooperation.	Group member contributed to some of the pieces of the task. They put some effort into their own work. They mostly got along with other group members.	Group member contributed to all pieces of the task. They completed their own work. The were cooperative with other group members and were an integral part of the team.	Group member contributed to all pieces of the task. They completed their own jobs efficiently and helped other group members as well. They were cooperative, and played a major role throughout the process.
Team Work Performance	Group does not function well together. There was not a lot of cooperation, and not everyone was allowed to contribute equally. Note taking journal is not turned in or is incomplete.	There was some cooperation and discussion. The group struggled with working as a whole team. Not all group members ideas were valued. Sometimes group members worked alone instead of as a team. Note taking journal is disorganized and has little information.	There was good communication and cooperation. All members of the team participated. The group was able to work together throughout the process. Note taking journal has an organization scheme which is clear most of the time (some parts may be slightly confusing) students kept track of websites visited and important information.	The group worked together exceptionally well. There was cooperation and discussion throughout the process. All group member's opinions were valued.  The note taking journal is clearly organized and displays websites visited and many important or pertinent facts from the research.
Presentation to the Class	Only one or two group members share. Only one or two pieces of information are shared. The group members do not seem to know what they are talking about.	Most group members share information. Only some information is shared. There is limited organization to the presentation. Some of the information seems unclear.	Each group member shares some information. Much of the important information is shared. The group members speak clearly so the class can understand. There is some organization to the way info is presented. The group members know and understand the presented info.	Each group member shares an equal amount of information. All important information is shared. The group attempts to get the class excited about the information. Group members speak loudly and clearly. The info is organized clearly. Group members understand all the info presented.

By participating in this activity, you have learned more about the community where you live. You are able to explore websites to gather pertinent information to share. You have learned to present this information in an engaging manner. Maybe now that you know more about Portland, you will be inspired to visit some of the places you have learned about.

The image of the bridge was taken from the website Portland Ground at portlandground.com

NOTE: I grant permission to use this webquest or a modified version of it for any educational purpose. Please simply cite my name and provide a link to the original page. If you do use it or modify it, I would love to hear how you used it and if it proved helpful. You can e-mail me at amckeen@pacificu.edu