A WebQuest for 2nd Grade Media Center Skills

Designed by

Patsy Martin
pmartin@anderson2.k12.sc.us/
 

Duke Ellington--Cultural Ambassador

Band leader Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was a musical genius. A composer of over one thousand works and a performer, Ellington traveled all over the world with his band. They were also featured in motion pictures made by several studios. The Valburn Collection in the Library's recorded sound archives includes eleven thousand Ellington recordings on disc. Performers like Ellington and sports greats like Jackie Robinson helped to break down barriers of racial hostility in the U.S. and in other parts of the world. In 1959, the NAACP awarded Ellington its coveted Spingarn Medal for his contribution to the African American cultural heritage. This image was taken by the famed African American photographer Gordon Parks. Courtesy of American Memory Collection

Gordon Parks. Duke Ellington at the Hurricane Club. New York, N.Y., May 1943. Copyprint. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Collection, Prints and Photographs Division. (8-11)

Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits

Introduction

You have been hired by the Jazzy Publishing Company to author a biography of a musical composer. Since a biography is a book about a famous person's life, you will first need to research facts about this composer; and then write and illustrate your book. You will then submit your book to the editor of Jazzy Publishing (your media specialist) for editing.  Jazzy Publishing will then allow you to publish your book. You will be paid the sum of one coupon for a Wendy's Frosty and one homework pass for the completion of this book. It will be placed in the media center biography section for others to enjoy. 

The Task

 You will research a composer using the Jazz Man Fact Finder. You will print out the Note Page to write your facts found. You will then write and illustrate a book using The Author Station. You will print out the book and a cover will be designed  The book will then be bound. Your book will then be placed in the media center for other students to read and enjoy

The Process

To accomplish this task, you will go through the following steps.

Brainstorm "biography".

1. Read the biography, Duke Ellington, by Andrea Pinkney. 
2. Examine the timeline of his life events which were found in the book. 

1. Choose a composer from the list to research.
2. Use Jazz Man Fact Finder to find facts about your composer and list those on your Notes Page. Save the picture to a disk to use in your book. 
3. Create a timeline on your Notes Page to organize the facts. 

1. Use The Author Station to write your book, putting the facts into your own words and inserting the picture found on the web. 
2. Perform a Spell Check and then print out your book. 
3. Submit the book to the editor (media specialist) for review and suggestions. 
4. Make any corrections to spelling, content, or punctuation. 
5. Design a cover. You may print out another picture from the web to place on the cover if you would like. You may use the binding machine to bind your book. 
6. Collect your royalties from the publication of this book (Wendy's coupon and homework pass). 
7. Present it to the media center to be placed in the collection. 

The following rubric will describe how your authoring skills will be evaluated.
 

	Beginning  1	Developing  2	Accomplished  3	Exemplary  4	Score
Jazz Man Fact Finder Research	At least 3 facts listed on Notes Page.	At least 5 facts listed on Notes Page.	At least 7 facts listed on Notes Page.	At least 9 facts listed on Notes Page.
Book	Completed book with no picture and 3 facts.	Completed book with no picture and 5 facts.	Completed book with picture and 5 facts.	Completed book with picture, 5 facts and extra pictures from American Memory and the Internet.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You are now a published author with a book cataloged in the Marshall Primary Media Center. You have learned to do research to find facts to write a nonfiction book. Use what you have learned to research other topics such as dinosaurs, insects, animals to create other nonfiction books for the media center. You might also want to write a book about your life events called an autobiography so that others can read about your life. Thank you for the time that you have spent writing books for the Jazzy Publishing Company.

Some other jazzy sites to visit:

PBS Jazz Kids:Repeat the Beat

Credits & References 

American Memory Collection of the Library of Congress (images, music and text)

Pinkney, Andrea. Duke Ellington. New York : Hyperion Books, 1998.

World Book Encyclopedia. 1997.

Thanks to Dr. Nellie Hecker and Dr. Pat Pecoy of Furman University for providing instruction and patience.