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WebQuest
Podcasts for the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument (UMRBNM)
Introduction
On January 17, 2001, President Clinton designated the region surrounding the Missouri River in central Montana as the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument (UMRBNM). UMRBNM joins
the Statue of Liberty, White Sands, Canyon de Chelly, Devil’s Tower, and the Washington Monument as one of the National Monuments administered by the federal government’s Department of the Interior (DOI). According to its official website, the lands of the UMRBNM “hold a spectacular array of plant life, wildlife, unique geological features, endless recreational opportunities and significant historical and cultural values.” The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a division of the United States DOI manages the land and resources of UMRBNM. The BLM would like to provide visitors with easy and portable access to more information about UMRBNM, so they have invited students to create audio tours in the form of podcasts.
For a more thorough introduction to the UMRB National Monument, please see its official website at http://www.mt.blm.gov/ldo/um/index.html.
Task
Your job is to research and create a podcast about the UMRBNM that the BLM can distribute to visitors through its website and at the visitor center. The podcast should cover one of the following aspects of the UMRBNM:
Science and Nature
•geology (geologic features, caves, faults, minerals, rocks, soils)
•paleontology (fossils, excavations)
•hydrology (rivers, streams, springs/seeps, groundwater)
•the river (Upper Missouri Wild and Scenic River or UMWSR)
•biology
•zoology - fish and wildlife (elk, deer, antelope, sage-grouse, black-tailed prairie dogs, white-tailed prairie dogs, mountain plover, burrowing owls, ferruginous hawk, bald eagle, bighorn sheep, amphibians, bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian, fish, invertebrates-mollusks, insects, crustaceans)
•botany - vegetation (sage brush, wheat grass, riparian vegetation, fires, freshwater plants, grasses, lichens, trees, shrubs, wildflowers, prairie, grassland, forest)
•natural resources (oil, gas, mining, water, soil, vegetation, trees, Christmas trees, firewood)
•agriculture (farming, ranching, grazing, private lands, private use)
•landscape
•ecology (ecosystems, biomes, communities, populations, habitat, food webs/chains, biodiversity, endangered species, native vs. invasive/alien species)
Environmental Factors
•weather/climate
•pollution
•air quality
•water quality
•soil quality
•fires
•scenery
•soundscape/noise
History and Culture [2]
•archaeology/prehistory
•history (pre-Lewis and Clark, post-Lewis and Clark, Native Americans, Europeans, war/battles, trading, fur trapping, Steamboat Era)
•historic places/structures
•history of the monument itself (“the making of”, Presidential Proclamation)
•culture (homesteads, cemeteries, local towns and their origins)
Tourism
•recreation (motorized and non-motorized river boating, floating, camping, hiking, picnicking, photography, motorized and non-motorized touring, upland game bird and big and small game hunting, backpacking, horseback riding, sightseeing, pleasure driving, river and the backcountry use of small fixed-wing aircraft on primitive landing strips)
•planning a visit (directions, safety, fees, reservations, visitor services, getting around, hours, seasons, lodging, eating, pets, equipment, accessibility, weather conditions, road conditions)
•geography (map, directions, how to get there)
•special places in the monument
•interpretive sites
•Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center (http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/umrbnm/interpcenter.html)
•town of Fort Benton
•other local attractions
Process
Choose a topic from the list that interests you and potential visitors to UMRBNM. Write at least 10 questions relevant to the topic that you or another visitor to UMRBNM might want answers to. Have your questions reviewed by at least one peer and your teacher. After revising your questions, find answers to them by conducting research using all resources available, particularly Internet resources. During your research, write at least another 5 questions based on the new information you find. Continue your research until all 15+ questions are answered. Each answer written must include proper citations of information sources. Have your answers reviewed by at least one peer and your teacher. Use your questions and your revised answers to write a script for a 2 minute audio recording, or podcast, that could be listened to by a visitor on a portable player before or while visiting the UMRBNM. The script must include a short bibliography listing all of your information sources. Have your script reviewed by at least one peer and your teacher. Use your script and equipment provided by your teacher to record the podcast. Have your podcast reviewed by at least one peer and your teacher. Revise the podcast if necessary, then submit it for posting online on either your school/class website or on the official UMRBNM website. (Templates for the research questions and the script will be provided at a later time.)
Evaluation (Rubrics)
All parts of this project (research questions and answers, script, and podcast) will be evaluated using a separate rubric. Copies of the rubrics can be found at the end of this document.
•Research Rubric
•Script Rubric
•Podcast Rubric
Conclusion
Congratulations on successfully completing your podcast and helping the BLM educate the American public about one of its treasured lands—the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument! We hope you learned a lot from this webquest and that your learning inspires you and others to visit the UMRBNM!
To learn more about the UMRBNM, BLM, DOI, or NPS, please check the Resources/Links page.
Credits
This WebQuest was created by Matthew Dawson, Environmental Earth Science and Astronomy teacher at Brockton High School, in Brockton, MA. It was created to meet the requirements of the Web Design for Educators course taught by Michael Purdy for the University of Massachusetts, Boston. The GeoCorps program is sponsored by the Geological Society of America.
Most information about the UMRBNM was obtained from the following sources:
Connie Jacobs, Director, Missouri River Breaks Interpretive Center
http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/lewistown_field_office/UM.html
http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/lewistown_field_office/um_rmp_process/draft_rmp.html
Images were obtained from:
[1] http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/lewistown_field_office/UM.html
[2] http://www.mt.blm.gov/ldo/um/pics/index.htm
Because the creation of this webquest was sponsored by the BLM, a federal agency, the webquest is distributed free of charge. The webquest may only be redistributed for educational, non-commercial purposes, and only if the following credit is given:
Created by Matthew Dawson for the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) while working with the Geological Society of America’s GeoCorps program.
Permission is hereby granted to copy this WebQuest, update, or otherwise modify it, and post it elsewhere provided that the original author's name is retained along with a link back to the original URL of this WebQuest. On the line after the original author's name, you may add Modified by (Your Name) on (date). If you do modify it, please let us know and provide the new URL. http://webquest.sdsu.edu )
Resources/Links
UMRBNM Information
Welcome to the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument – Official home page - http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/lewistown_field_office/UM.html
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement - Very detailed description of the monument’s mission -http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/lewistown_field_office/um_rmp_process/draft_rmp.html
UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT DRAFT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN and ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT SEPTEMBER 2005 – Very detailed description of the monument’s mission, same as previous site -
http://www.mt.blm.gov/rmps/monumentrmp/contents.htm
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument Resource Management Planning Process – Similar to previous 2 sites, but slightly older - http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/lewistown_field_office/um_rmp_process.html
Proposed Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument – Old document discussing the potential for the UMRBNM -
http://www.doi.gov/news/archives/Missour.html
EPA Federal Register Environmental Documents – From the Environmental Protection Agency -
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2002/April/Day-24/i9589.htm
Karl Bodmer, Lewis, Clark (“Lewis and Clark refer to these rock formations as a white castle. Karl Bodmer painted landscapes like this along the Missouri in 1833-34. His patron was a German prince named Maximilian.”) - http://cronkitezine.asu.edu/spring2004/missouri.html
National Landscape Conservation System - Summary of BLM administered National Monuments -http://www.blm.gov/nlcs/monuments/index.html
Fording the Mighty Mo’: The Great Missouri River Hybrid Expedition – News special from MSNBC - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5889724/
Into the heart of the Missouri Breaks: Canoeing the protected currents of the Upper Missouri – Part of the MSNBC news special - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6002754
Hands On The Land – Profile of an educational project to support the UMRBNM Interpretive Center http://handsontheland.org/profiles/profile_details3.cfm?sitecode=upmi
http://www.handsontheland.org/profiles/profile_details.cfm?sitecode=upmi
The Wilderness Society – Summary of their goals in the UMRBNM - http://www.wilderness.org/WhereWeWork/Montana/breaks.cfm
Wikipedia’s entry on UMRBNM - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Missouri_River_Breaks_National_Monument
Friends of the Missouri River Breaks Monument - http://www.missouribreaks.org/
Discover the National Landscape Conservation System - http://www.discovernlcs.org/TheNLCS/Monuments/UpperMissouriRiverBreaks.cfm
Welcome to Central Montana’s Tourism page –
http://russell.visitmt.com/listings/12676.htm
Montana Wildlife Federation – Includes information about hunting - http://www.montanawildlife.com/Breaks.htm
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument: The Wild and Scenic Missouri - a book by Rick Graetz and Susie Graetz.
"Magnificent Journey, A Geologic River Trip with Lewis and Clark through the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument". Published by Woodhawk Press, written by Otto L Schumacher and Lee A. Woodward. Describes the geology of the 149 miles of the Wild and Scenic Upper Missouri River.
"Roadside Geology of Montana", by Alt. Part of a well-known series about the geology visible from roadways.
"Floating on the Missouri, 100 Years after Lewis and Clark", by James Willard Schultz. Riverbend Publishing. A re-print of a book written in 1901. A good historical reference.
"Undaunted Courage" by Steven Ambrose. – About the Lewis and Clark exploration of the Missouri River, including parts of the UMRBNM, such as the “White Cliffs” and "Scenes of visionary enchantment."
“Nez Perce Summer, 1877: The US Army and the Nee-Me-Poo Crisis” by Jerome A. Greene. Published by Montana Historical Society Press – a good account of the military actions during the Nez Perce War of 1877.
Chief Joseph and the Flight of the Nez Perce (the Untold Story of an American Tragedy) by Kent Nerburn. Published by Harper San Francisco – a good account of the Nez Perce people and their accounts of the War of 1877.
Podcast Tutorials
www.mrdawson.wikispaces.com/podcast
www.mrdawson.wikispaces.com/expo
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11293_7-6246557-1.html?tag=nav
http://ipod.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=34338
http://ipod.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=34618
http://ipod.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=34855
http://ipod.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=35076
http://www.pod101.com
http://www.ipodder.org/whatIsPodcasting
www.How-To-Podcast-Tutorial.com
www.PodcastingUnderground.com
http://snipurl.com/podcasttutorial1
http://snipurl.com/podcasttutorial2
http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/21-podcast-hosting.htm
podcast title:___________________________________________________________________ period:_____ date:___________
creators’ names:___________________________________ reviewers’ names:________________________________________
Podcast Research Rubric
Topic
______/5 A general topic is chosen and clearly stated.
______/5 The topic is focused and may potentially interest a wider audience.
Questions
______/5 are clearly and concisely written in complete sentences.
______/5 are written in the students’ own words.
______/5 are written using correct spelling, grammar, and usage.
______/5 are relevant to and focused on the topic.
______/5 are connected by a common theme/thesis.
______/5 cover major, interesting issues rather than insignificant or boring details.
______/5 are sufficient in number for a podcast lasting ____ minutes.
______/5 can probably be answered using available resources.
Answers
______/5 are clearly and concisely written in complete sentences.
______/5 are written in the students’ own words, with quotations used appropriately and
correctly.
______/5 are written using correct spelling, grammar, and usage.
______/5 are accurate and current
______/5 are detailed and relevant
______/5 are sufficient in number and detail for a podcast lasting ____ minutes.
______/5 include correctly formatted citations of all information sources used.
______/5 use reliable information sources.
______/5 use at least ____ different information sources.
______/5 use at least ____ different types of information sources.
______/100 TOTAL
90-100 = A 80-89 = B 70-79 = C 60-69 = D 0-59 = F
Created by: Matthew Dawson, Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center GeoCorps Intern.
Adapted from:
http://teachers.greenville.k12.sc.us/sites/blcarter/default.aspx?content=Legal%20Music%20Downloads
http://www.sdlax.net/longfellow/sc/ck/info/teacher/ckpodcastrubric3.pdf
http://www.beaut.org.au/podcastrubric3.pdf
podcast title:___________________________________________________________________ period:_____ date:___________
creators’ names:___________________________________ reviewers’ names:________________________________________
Podcast Script Rubric
______/10 Title – Relevant to topic. Appropriate for audience. Attracts attention. Unique.
______/20 Content – Intro grabs attention. Purpose clearly stated early on. Info is thorough, accurate, and detailed. Info is relevant to purpose and focused on topic. Content organized in logical sequence. Storyline maintains clear focus. Conclusion summarizes key info. Script mentions title, name, location, and date.
______/20 Writing – Writing is in students’ own words. All spelling is correct. All grammar and word usage are correct. Vocabulary is strong and appropriate for level and audience. Writing shows evidence of self- and peer-editing.
______/10 Creativity - Script is interesting and unique. Final podcast is likely to hold audience’s attention. Opportunities exist for personalities to shine through. Humor is used effectively and appropriately. Script includes notes about additional media to be incorporated.
______/20 Sources Cited – All information sources are cited. All media (sounds, images, videos, music) sources are cited. All citations are in proper format.
______/10 Teamwork – Script shows evidence that all team members contributed to writing and editing script.
______/10 Length – Script has enough material for a podcast lasting _____ minutes.
______/100 TOTAL
90-100 = A 80-89 = B 70-79 = C 60-69 = D 0-59 = F
Created by: Matthew Dawson, Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center GeoCorps Intern.
Adapted from:
http://www.sdlax.net/longfellow/sc/ck/info/teacher/ckpodcastrubric3.pdf
http://teachers.greenville.k12.sc.us/sites/blcarter/default.aspx?content=Legal%20Music%20Downloads
http://www.beaut.org.au/podcastrubric3.pdf
podcast title:___________________________________________________________________ period:_____ date:___________
creators’ names:___________________________________ reviewers’ names:________________________________________
Podcast Rubric
______/20 Content - Intro grabs attention. Purpose clearly stated early on. Storyline maintains clear focus. Info is accurate and detailed. Info relevant to purpose. Content organized in logical sequence. Conclusion summarizes key info. Speaker identifies title, name, location, and date.
______/20 Voice - Voice is easy and engaging to listen to. Pace is not too fast nor too slow. Volume is not too high nor too low. Words are enunciated clearly. Tone of voice fits topic and mood. Shows signs of rehearsal, but does not sound like it is read.
______/10 Music - Music has high sound quality. Music stirs emotional response. Theme, tempo, and beat match the feel of the topic. Music used legally and sources cited.
______/10 Other Media (Sound Effects, Images, Video) - Media are high quality. Media compliment and enhance purpose of podcast. Media help audience understand and “feel” the story. Synchronizes with voice/audio. Media used legally and sources cited.
______/10 Technical Aspects - All parts of podcast flow smoothly without noisy or dead space. All parts are easily heard. Audio levels remain constant. Lacks distracting sounds and ambient noise. Saved as _______ file. Saved/uploaded to correct place:____________________.
______/10 Creativity - Podcast is interesting and unique. Audience attention is held throughout. Personalities shine through. Humor used effectively and appropriately.
______/10 Teamwork - Group members have specific roles. All members fulfill roles. All members contribute equally. Everyone cooperates and stays on task
______/10 8. Length - Length of podcast is _____ minutes.
______/100 TOTAL
90-100 = A 80-89 = B 70-79 = C 60-69 = D 0-59 = F
Created by: Matthew Dawson, Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center GeoCorps Intern.
Adapted from:
http://www.sdlax.net/longfellow/sc/ck/info/teacher/ckpodcastrubric3.pdf
http://teachers.greenville.k12.sc.us/sites/blcarter/default.aspx?content=Legal%20Music%20Downloads
http://www.beaut.org.au/podcastrubric3.pdf