Carolyn Buzanoski

LS521 Web quest

4/22/02

Introduction:

AHOY!!!!

The date is August 10, 1672, a time when Whaling was a large part of New England’s economy. You need $$ and you see an advertisement for crew for hire on a whaling ship. Fun, Travel, Adventure and most of all paid! SOO you sign up… YOU ARE HIRED!!!…AND you set sail tonight! You are told to pack lightly as there isn’t much space in your rack, BUT you manage to slip in a journal for Miss Buzanoski who will be very anxious to read when you return.

Task:

Independently read the links I have set up below to learn what it was like on a Whaling Vessel. These links should provide you with enough insight on the life of a whaler. Write at least 3 journal entries about your adventures at sea, creativity is important. Another part of this assignment is that you must incorporate words that a whaler might use. Such as right side of the boat is called Starboard, left side of the boat is Port. So pay attention as you read.

Resources:

Here is a list of links for sailors to read. They will help to get a good understanding of what a sailor on a Whale ship might choose to write about in a journal. Fill out a KWL form for each link. The KWL will help you organize and remember facts when writing the journals. Include your forms with your journal when you turn it in for a grade.

Why whales were hunted: http://www.whalingmuseum.org/bounty.htm

Encyclopedia information on whaling: http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?ti=05255000

The Charles W. Morgan – the last American wooden whaling ship http://www.northstar.k12.ak.us/schools/upk/mystic/morgan/morgan.html

Life aboard a whaling ship:http://www.whalingmuseum.org/life.htm

Sag Harbor whaling history:http://www.hamptonlife.com/history_whaling.html

A wife on Board?? Some captain’s wives did sail with the men http://www.lihistory.com/5/hs508b.htm

Sailor Vocabulary

The Process:

After you have read the above resources, use your KWL forms and write up at least 3 journal entries on what it is like being a sailor on board a ship like the Charles W. Morgan. Be sure to use some vocabulary that you might hear a sailor use. Please tell me what it means though…for example port side of the ship (left side of the ship). Below I have provided the times during your journey I wish your entries would reflect. I have also added some suggestions of the information I am looking for.

1st entry : ( Setting : First Day aboard ship and setting off to sea) tell me what you are anticipating and your feelings about leaving home. How much do you expect to get paid?? Are you married? Do you have children? What whaling community are you living in? After you set sea….What are your thoughts and feelings on your very first journey?

2^nd entry: ( Setting: aboard ship mid trip ) what has it been like out to sea? How are you feeling now ? For example: Are you sick? Hungry? Homesick? Tired? Bored? Have you seen many storms? How is the crew that you work with? Have you caught anything yet?

3^rd Entry: ( Setting: heading for home!) The captain has just informed the crew that you are heading home! Tell me why the Captain has decided this and share with me the feelings about heading home, how long have you been away? Was the trip a success? Will you be going on another voyage?

Conclusion:

Well you have returned from your time at sea. No longer hungry or sea sick and may have even have taken a bath!!

This lesson hopefully provided an idea of what life was like on a Whaling ship. It was hard work!! Do you think it would have been a profession you would have chosen in the 1700’s for yourself?

If you enjoyed this little study, a wonderful trip with the family is a day or two in an old whaling community such as Mystic Seaport. Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic CT is home of the Charles W. Morgan. One can go there and tour the ships, watch reenactments and get a hands on sense of what life was really like.

Rubric:

Journals

CATEGORY	Excellent	Good	Satisfactory	Needs Improvement
Accuracy of Facts	All facts presented in the story are accurate.	Almost all facts presented in the story are accurate.	Most facts presented in the story are accurate (at least 70%).	There are several factual errors in the story.
Requirements	All of the written requirements (# of pages, # of graphics, type of graphics, etc.) were met.	Almost all (about 90%) the written requirements were met.	Most (about 75%) of the written requirements were met, but several were not.	Many requirements were not met.
Creativity	The story contains many creative details and/or descriptions that contribute to the reader's enjoyment. The author has really used his imagination.	The story contains a few creative details and/or descriptions that contribute to the reader's enjoyment. The author has used his imagination.	The story contains a few creative details and/or descriptions, but they distract from the story. The author has tried to use his imagination.	There is little evidence of creativity in the story. The author does not seem to have used much imagination.
Focus on Assigned Topic	The entire story is related to the assigned topic and allows the reader to understand much more about the topic.	Most of the story is related to the assigned topic. The story wanders off at one point, but the reader can still learn something about the topic.	Some of the story is related to the assigned topic, but a reader does not learn much about the topic.	No attempt has been made to relate the story to the assigned topic.

Date Created: 2002-04-22

Other Webquests created by other teachers that I really liked and would use in my classroom are linked below:

Other Teacher’s work