CIA Mission #1 WebQuest

A Celebration of Kwanzaa and African-American Culture

The Kwanzaa Gazette

Introduction    Task     Agent Assignments     Process    Resources

    Villain's Identity Clue   Agent Code of Honor    Learning Advice 

   Evaluation   Conclusion    Reflection

Introduction

Greetings,  Agents!  In millions of mailboxes throughout the nation, someone has mysteriously mailed each person a newspaper that announces that Christmas is being replaced with Kwanzaa.  Children are upset and fear that they will never receive toys again, families in neighborhoods are hysterical and sad because they no longer will have fun filling their homes and communities with Christmas lights, trees, and various Christmas decorations, retailers are screaming after finding out that there will be no more holiday shopping, and Christian religious leaders around the globe are in an uproar that people throughout the world will no longer celebrate the beautiful birthday of a special little baby boy named Jesus Christ.

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Task

This is your mission should you decide to accept.  The Central Intelligence Agency has determined that the best way to handle the fear spreading across the planet is for a team of agents to work together and put an end to bad information being circulated about Kwanzaa.  We are counting on you to work with other agents assigned to the mission while investigating the principals of Kwanzaa. The CIA has selected you to:

  1. Work as a CIA journalist in creating a real and honest newspaper with a team of highly trained experts. 
  2. Create a video or multimedia program and present the concept of your newspaper to your CIA supervisor before it is distributed to the masses.
  3. At the end of your mission, decode a clue to determine the masked crusader's identity who unfortunately turned evil and was responsible for mailing the terrible newspaper to people worldwide.
  4. Successfully complete your mission in informing the public about the true meaning of Kwanzaa.
  5. Submit the newspaper and video or multimedia program to your CIA supervisor.

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Agent Assignments

 Select A Team and Begin Your Mission
"Agent 007"   (Editor-in-Chief and Staff) Oversees entire mission - He's the MAN! (or WOMAN)
"Agent Just the Facts Jack"  (Managing Editors) Guides the editorial content and information published
"Agent 411" (News Reporters & Social and Feature Writers) Investigates stories depicting the principals of Kwanzaa
"Agent Get It Right" (Copyeditors) Responsible for the typed copy and layout of the newspaper
"Agent You're Not Laughing Now"  (Cartoonists) Captures editorial content in drawings
"Agent Click and Run" and "Agent Save Picture As" (Photographers) Gathers pictures or graphics to go along with the editorial content
"Agent Deliver the Package"  (Production Editors and Publisher) Works with the Editorial Team to produce and publish final product
"Presentation Team" (Dream Team for Presentation) Works to create and produce the video or multimedia program

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Process

 Establish the needed roles for each member of your group in order to get the first edition of the paper published. 

Agents in selected teams will meet collectively and hold staff meetings for planning, discussing, and managing the mission.  This is the time to share ideas, raise questions, and delegate tasks to successfully publish The Kwanzaa Gazette.

Research the Internet Resources and gather information that will answer the who, what, where, when and why of Kwanzaa.

Determine a layout for the newspaper.

Determine the graphics, pictures, sections, and material to be featured.

Write the articles.

Edit the articles.

Publish the newspaper and present the newspaper concept to your CIA supervisor in a video or multimedia format.

Decode and reveal the identity of the evil villain.

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Resources

Information at Your Fingertips for Kwanzaa

The Official Kwanzaa Website - Information from the founder of Kwanzaa.

About Kwanzaa - The official site to learn about Kwanzaa.  Information available on Kwanzaa, its meaning, purpose, and custom for celebration.

Kwanzaa An African-American Celebration - Find out the seven principals of Kwanzaa and find out what materials are used to celebrate the Kwanzaa holiday.

Kwanzaa in Your Home

Sankoff - Learn about what kinds of foods people eat during the celebration of Kwanzaa.  Easy to make recipes are available at this site.

Everything About Kwanzaa - A sample of a Kwanzaa program for your very own home.

Simpatico Happy Kwanzaa - How many days do you celebrate Kwanzaa and what does each candle represent?  Find out what is special about each day.

Fun Kwanzaa Activities for the Family

Kwanzaa Activities - Start some special traditions that any family can do.

Kwanzaa Fun from Billy Bear - Great site for children who are interested in celebrating Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa Time at Kid's Domain - Another terrific site for children and their families who want to celebrate Kwanzaa.

Storybook Creations - A wonderful site that allows anyone to create and publish their very own Kwanzaa short-story right off the Internet.

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Villain's Identity Clue

I am the one you see every Christmas holiday and if I show up at your door, I can drive you crazy and steal all of your holiday cheer in a cinch. Who am I?

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Agent Code of Honor

Don't be like the horrible masked villain and tell untruths! The CIA and the world is counting on you to end the ugly rumors!  Maintain the journalism code of honor: remember your journalistic position and your responsibility to present the information objectively to our society.

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Learning Advice 

To assist you with the mission, the following vocabulary terms should help you as you gather information about Kwanzaa.  Pay close attention to these clues to make sure that you have all the information needed to produce The Kwanzaa Gazette.
Dr. Maulana Karenga Kishwahili Tamshi la Tuaonana Africa
Tiamoyo Karenga Bender Ya Taifa Mkeka Kinara
Mishumaa Saba Mazo Munhindi Kikombe cha Umoja
Zawadi Nguzo Saba Umoja Kugichagulia
Ujima Ujamaa Nia Kuumba
Imani Harambee Habarigani Swahili

Once you have gathered your resources and produced your articles, you must work with other agents to publish The Kwanzaa Gazette.  Once the newspaper has been published, you must present it to your CIA supervisor. You can choose to create a  video broadcast or a Hyperstudio multimedia program for your presentation. 

Here are some tips for creating a terrific video broadcast:

For your video broadcast:

Write an outline of the content you would like featured

Write a script and create storyboards on paper modeling what the viewer will see on screen (for each scene)

Pick backgrounds, locations, and props for filming scenes

Rehearse the scenes and script

Film the scenes (in segments or shots) using a video recorder and a VHS tape

Sit back and enjoy the show

Now, some cool tips for an exciting Hyperstudio multimedia program:

For your multimedia program:

Write an outline of the content you would like featured

Create a flowchart that shows the organizational structure of the presentation (how the information will be presented or how it flows)

Determine graphics, buttons, links, pictures, colors and other design elements that will be featured on each screen or slide

Create a storyboard on paper modeling what the viewer will see on each screen or slide and include the design elements
Create the program using Hyperstudio - make your cards
Test out your buttons and transitions, even your links to other pages and finalize the document
Sit back and enjoy the show

Your supervisor, at the Central Intelligent Agency, will review the first edition of The Kwanzaa Gazette, your presentation,  and meet with the entire team of agents to decide on the best method for distributing The Kwanzaa Gazette to the public. 

Most importantly, use the talents of your fellow agents to complete your mission. Divide the tasks, but share the ideas. Discuss your ideas with as many people on your team as possible. You might schedule regular team meetings throughout your project.

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Evaluation

Your project will be evaluated on the following criteria:
Are all clues represented in the project?
Are the articles clear and concise and well written?
Are your articles supported by accurate research?
Is your newspaper or presentation informative, persuasive, and appealing?

A rubric has been developed to assess student research and the presentation for this WebQuest. See Mission Rubric. 

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Conclusion

You are an agent with skills!  The Kwanzaa Gazette is now complete.  Now sit back and enjoy the first issue.  Happy reading!  Cheers to the top journalism team worldwide!

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Reflection

After researching and creating your own newspaper on Kwanzaa, discuss in class what influence you think the final product had on the general population and what it was like to work with other agents in your team.  Also disclose the identity of the masked crusader who was to blame for the mailbox tragedy and discuss how you were able to solve the mystery.

Complete the following form and provide your feedback on this webquest.

Name   

Mission Number    1        2    3

What effect did doing the research for this project have on you and your prior knowledge of Kwanzaa?

How do you think the public will react to your articles featured in The Kwanzaa Gazette?

Congratulations Your Mission is Complete !!!

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Miranda Jackson
North Carolina A&T State University
Last Updated 4/30/00