Introduction

Welcome Alphabet Agents! Your mission should you choose to accept is to explore one of our fabulous 50 states and investigate 26 “need to knows” for future fearless travelers. Why 26 you say? Your information will be put together in an ABC “book” that has a fact for each letter of the Alphabet you so proudly represent!

As agents you will be assigned to groups of four by your Alphabet Agent Director, then as a team you will choose a state other than your own to explore! Each team of agents will need to get approval from your Director in order to move forward with your assignment. Once your assignment has been approved as agents you will gather your facts and put them together as a team in an individual presentation to share with the other Alphabet Agents and your Director.

As agents your Director will put you into groups of four. Together you will then decide on a state. Remember we need information on multiple States, so you will work with your Director to choose a State different from other agents in the class.

The goal of this investigation is to find 26 facts about the chosen or assigned State! Each of the 26 facts should represent or correlate to one of the 26 letters of the Alphabet. Similar to an acrostic poem, the fact must start with or somehow connect to each individual letter. These 26 facts are to then be compiled into an “Alphabet book”. This book may be a book in the traditional sense of the word or may be presented in poster or Powerpoint form.

You may want to explore questions such as but not limited to…
The date your state became an official state
The state bird
The state flag
The resources/industries of the state
The climate/seasonal differences of the state
The layout of the state
The culture of the state
The population of the state
The exports of the state
National Parks
State Parks
“Must see” places
Things to do in the state (amusement parks/museums/beaches/mountains/resorts)

Use your creativity as Agents to find interesting facts, fun facts and much more! Remember you will have 2 weeks to collect your facts and put it together in presentation form.

Step 1. As agents you will be assigned to groups of 4 by your director.

Step 2. Groups of 4 will choose a State, other than your own. It may be smart to make a list of your top three choices so that if another group chooses the same one, you have options. Your director should help with this process.

Step 3. Begin the research process by using the websites listed below to gather your facts. It will be necessary for you to take notes as you find facts, and perhaps to reference the site in which you found them so that you may go back for clarification if it is needed. Take your time through your investigative process; it will take several days for you to find all 26 facts. In fact you may want to find more than 26 so that you have lots of options to represent your letters. Also you may want to start with facts that could represent less common letters like X, Z and Y and work your way back toward common letters such as R, S, T, L, N and E.

Use the following sites to collect your information:

1. www.infoplease.com/states.html
2. www.theus50.com
3. www.stateanimals.com/
4. www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/stateknow/skhome.html
5. www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/es
6. www.ers.usda.gov/statefacts/
7. www.census.gov/schools/facts/
8. www.nps.gov/

Step 4. Once you have collected your facts begin to distribute them throughout the letters they represent (if you haven't already). As you do this discuss in your group how you might put your information together in your Alphabet “book.” You may put together a traditional book, a PowerPoint, or a poster.

It must contain the following pieces:

1. A cover, cover slide or central picture on your poster that displays a picture of your state and it's name as well as the agents on this assignment.
2. 26 (one for each letter of the alphabet) facts about your state displayed in alphabetical order.
3. The following facts must be included somewhere in your fact “book” (for any letter of the alphabet that you see fit):
*State Capitol
*State Bird
*State Flower
5. Some sort of illustration for each and every fact, use color.
4. At the end of your report a final page that includes the websites used to find your facts. Sites should be listed by name and web address.
Please note: Sites should be listed by name and web address.

Step 5. As a group of agents you must work together to design the display of your facts, whether you have chosen a book, a poster or a powerpoint presentation. First you should discuss how much information you can fit on one page or one slide. I recommend that you do one fact per page, but if you can display them in another way that is clear to your Director and future agents that is acceptable. Remember to do your best to talk and walk through the layout of your entire project, make a decision and then begin putting your "book" together.

You will be evaluated as a group, this means you will get one grade based on your final projects in each area, but remember your Director will be visible and available for support throughout the research process. You will each get an individual participation grade.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Content	"Book" contains little to none of the required facts and information with few illustrations.	"Book" contains some of the required facts and information with some illustrations.	"Book" contains almost all of the required information and is missing a few illustrations.	"Book" contains all of the required information and all illustrations.	4
Organization	Writing is unclear and difficult to follow. There are few beginnings and ends to sentences and thoughts.	Writing is clear and easy to follow. There are few beginnings and ends to sentences and thoughts.	Writing is clear and easy to follow. Most sentences and thoughts have clear beginnings and endings.	Writing is clear and easy to follow. All sentences and thoughts are clearly started and finished.	4
Conventions	"Book" contains 13 or more errors in the areas of capitalization, grammar, punctuation and spelling.	"Book" contains 8-12 errors in the areas of capitalization, grammar, punctuation and spelling.	"Book" contains 3-7 errors in the areas of capitalization, grammar, punctuation and spelling.	"Book" contains 2 or less errors in the areas of capitalization, grammar, punctuation and spelling.	4
Layout	"Book" is sloppy and difficult to view. It does not display the groups best effort and work. Missing a cover.	"Book" has parts that are sloppy that makes it difficult to view. Cover is present but sloppy.	Overall the "book" is neat and presentable, illustrations are appropriate and the cover is neat and appealing.	The "book" is very neat and visually appealing. The cover catches the viewers eye and is neat as well.	4
Participation	The agent is disruptive off task and does not contribute to the research process or the final product.	The agent contributes little to the group but it not disruptive throughout the research process and in production of the final product.	The agent is present and contributes some to the group and to the production of the final product.	The agent is present and is an active participant in the research process and the final product.	4

CONGRATULATIONS AGENTS! You have officially finished your Alphabet Book! Thank you for upholding your professionalism as agents on assignment! Until next time!

• Thanks to http://www.bedandbreakfastcenter.com/images/map_3.gif for providing the map of the United States at the top of this page.
• Thanks to The Webquest Layout Page for the layout of this Webquest.