GOLD: ALL THAT GLITTERS
An Elementary Webquest
Created by Karen Pegors
Introduction
Gold has been a source of fascination for people since ancient times. People have searched for it, fought for it, sold it and stolen it. They have found many ways to use it - in art, business, industry and science, and they have written about it in stories, poems and songs. Let's go on our own quest for gold and see what we find!
The Task
Your task will be to read and learn about gold and see how this topic can be studied from different points of view. (Your teacher will assign you to a group, or you may work through each set of tasks together or on your own.) You will also be asked to develop a presentation based on what you have learned in this unit.
As we study about gold, we will take the following roles: (Click on the envelope to read your instructions.) Within each role are questions to answer and or tasks to accomplish. Resources to use for each role will be suggested along with the instructions.
Storyteller Do you know any stories about gold?
What do they teach us?
Scientist What is gold and what is it like?
What are some important uses of gold?
Historian How has the quest for gold changed
history?
Economist/Business Person What is the value of gold?
Where is it found & produced?
Conclusion
As you have studied about gold and looked at it from different points of view, think about what you have learned. What did you enjoy most about these lessons? What was the most interesting thing you found out? What did you learn about people and how they think about gold? Based on what you have learned, think about and discuss the following proverbs or sayings about gold. Can you think of any others?
"All that glitters is not gold."
"Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, and the other gold."
Resources for the Teacher Teachers, please read before proceeding!
Last Updated February 2005 by Trisha Armstrong
