You are on a camping trip with your family at the Okemos campground. You have set up your campsite and have decided to go wandering around before dinner. Suddenly you hear a loud BANG sound. You turn around to see what it was, but you also trip over a stump and hit your head on a large tree. When you open your eyes, you know you're in the same place, but something is very different. A short man wearing a blanket helps you up, speaking a language that's not English, but for some reason you understand him. The man looks familiar to you, but you can't quite figure out who it is. You have been studying about Native American history in class and realize that this man looks a lot like a picture you saw of Chief Okemos. It is. You have somehow gone back in time. You also know that he was ambushed in 1796 and was almost killed. You look at his forhead and do not see the injury he was said to have suffered. You realize the ambush has not happened yet.
You need to decide whether or not to tell Chief Okemos about the ambush. Should you try to help him, thus altering the course of history? Why or why not?
These are places on the internet that may be helpful to you. Be sure to check the classroom, the school and local libraries, for more information.
Make a timeline that shows all of the events that actually happened from the time just before the ambush, to Chief Okemos's death. Then make another comparison timeline showing what could happen if you tell him about the ambush.
Questions to consider:
1) Okemos was not considered a Chief until after the ambush. Would he remain a brave or still become Chief? Why?
2) Okemos was not killed in the ambush. If he knew about it, would he still survive the battle with the American Army? Why or why not?
3) Okemos and the other braves were fighting with the British troops. If they had won, because you told Okemos about the ambush, what could have been the results for Okemos and his Chippewa tribe? What could have been the results for America as we know it today, or would it have made a difference? Why or why not?
4) After the ambush, Okemos signed a treaty with Lewis Cass, who was the Territorial Governor of Michigan. This treaty was kept. Would this event, or any part of it, be altered if Okemos knew about the ambush? Why or why not?
You will put all of your information on a display board. You need to have one timeline that shows exactly what happened on the left side. In the middle, you need to have each of the four questions above written out, with your answers below each question. You may use index cards or paper, or whatever works best for you. It should be very easy to read. On the right side of the display board, you will have a time line that shows what could have happened. This is based on the answers to your questions. You need to find a way to show which question/answer you have referred to for each outcome on this side. On the bottom of the middle side, you need to explain whether or not you decide to tell Chief Okemos about the ambush, and why. You may add any pictures or graphics you like to enhance your display board.
Checklist:
1) Display Board
2) First timeline - actual events
3) Answers to questions 1-4
4) Second timeline - possible events based on the answers to your questions
5) Refernces shown on second timeline to questions answered
6) Written explanation of your decision whether or not to tell Chief Okemos about the ambush, and why
7) Pictures/graphics
8) Continuation and ending to introduction based on your answers to questions 1-4 (optional)
You have finished your project and made some difficult decisions. What did you learn? How would you continue and end our story in the introduction based on your decisions?
This page written by Jackie May-Baughman
This page was adapted from Bernie Dodge 's WebQuest_Template1.html by Tom March