Prove it or lose it

A WebQuery for 12th Grade Language Arts

Modified by
Kareem James on 6/1/2015
kjames711@gmail.com
Originally created by Karen Gamblin

Introduction
You are a reporter in the not-so-distant future of a parallel
universe just like our own. You were quite the upstart for
this parallel Earths New York Times, until a story of
yours fell flat. So flat in fact, the editor has plans to fire
you. The only way to secure your job is to write an
incredible storya real one-of-a-kind piece that marries
thoughtful, insightful writing, with the resources to back it
up. One day, it hit you: The Truth Must Be Told! You set
out on the query of all queries. Its time to prove it or lose
it.
Task
You are to write a four page expose/argument that proves,
once and for all, the existence OR nonexistence (your
choice) of a mythic character. In this world, like our own,
no one has seen big foot, or Santa Clause, or the Easter
Bunny. You are either going to prove OR disprove the
existence of one of these characters. (Any creature or
character not mentioned above is up to my consideration).
In order to solve the mystery, you must do the following:
o Research and present 3 key and DISTINCT
reasons for or against

o Present photo evidence (2 minimum)

o Report on the home or place your subject is most
often sighted/spoken of
o Present a convincing argument (4 page minimum
with the 3 key reasons)
o DICLAIMER 1: NO mock interviews allowed.
You will never personally encounter any of the
characters. You CAN write about a SOURCEs
personal account
o DISCLAIMER 2: ALL sources are to be found
on the internet, and cited. You CANNOT pretend
to interview any of the sources. You CAN quote
them, and use the information they provide,
including eye witness information.
In order to succeed you must:
1. Cite your sources (including pictures) correctly.
2. Include all parts of the assignment.
3. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling- mistake-free.
4. Intro paragraph, 3 key reasons, concluding paragraph
5. Edit to make it ready to present.

The Process
Here is a list of questions to help you get started, along
with some ideas for mythical characters to use. You do not
have to answer all of these questions. This list is just here
to help. (In this list, the term subject refers to your
mythical character)
What is the origin of my subject?
How long has my subject existed?
Are there similar myths to my subject?
Is my argument for or against the existence of this
character?
Where should I start?
How reliable are the websites that corroborate my
point?
Have I found 3 distinct reasons?
Have I checked the rubric?
Characters to consider (Again, if you come up
with one, let me know about it BEFORE you
begin the assignment)
Santa Clause

 Easter Bunny
Big Foot
Tooth Fairy
The Loch Ness Monster
Aliens
La Chupacabra
Resources
Here are some example sites. These site do not have to be
used, but they hold some information you may want to
consider.
www.nessie.co.uk Here, you will find some
interesting background information about the
Loch Ness monster.
www.snopes.com Some interesting information
about myths and legends can be found here.
www.urbanghostmedia.com On the fence about a
monsters existence? So are these guys.

Evaluation
This assignment is to be done individually. Please see me for hard copy.
IDEAS

Controlling idea
Supporting ideas
Use of details
Awareness of purpose
Sense of completeness

ORGANIZATION

Introduction/body/conclusion

Sequence of ideas

Grouping of ideas

Effective transitions

Awareness of purpose

STYLE

Sentence variety
Word choice
Audience awareness
Personal voice

CONVENTIONS

Sentence formation

Subject-verb agreement

Standard word forms

Punctuation, spelling, and

capitalization

5
The essay is fully
focused and
contains a wealth
of ideas and cited
examples. The
writer uses
rhetorical
strategies and
addresses
counterarguments
.

4
The essay is
consistently
focused and
contains ample
ideas and cited
examples. The
writer may
employ rhetorical
strategies or
address
counterarguments
.

The organization
of ideas supports
the writers focus.
Ideas are grouped
in a logical
manner. Effective
and varied
transitions are
used.

The organization
is appropriate and
the sequencing of
ideas is logical.
Varied transitions
are used.

The writer utilizes

carefully crafted
phrases to create a
sustained tone
and an
authoritative
voice. Word
choice reflects an
advanced
vocabulary.

The language and

tone of the essay
enhance the
persuasive
purpose. Word
choice is
appropriate.
Sentences are
varied.

The writer
demonstrates full
command of the
conventions of
written English
language. No
errors are evident.

The writer
demonstrates
knowledge of the
conventions of
written English.
Errors are minor
and do not
interfere with
meaning.

3
The essay is
sufficiently
focused and
contains
some ideas
and cited
examples.
The
response is
generally
appropriate
to the
persuasive
purpose.
The
organization
is generally
appropriate
and the ideas
are clearly
sequenced,
but may be
repetitive.
Transitions
are used

The
language
and tone are
appropriate.
Word choice
is adequate,
but may be
simple or
ordinary.
Some
sentence
variety is
evident.
The writer
demonstrate
s sufficient
control of
the
conventions
of written
English.
Errors may
interfere
with

2
The essay is
minimally
focused. The
provided
examples are
vague or
general and
the response
demonstrates
minimal
awareness.

1
The essay
shows little
or no focus
and the ideas
are unclear,
irrelevant, or
repetitive.
The response
is incomplete
or too brief.

The
organization
is formulaic
or
inappropriate
. The
response may
lack a clear
introduction
or
conclusion.
Transitions
are rare.
The language
and tone are
uneven.
Word choice
is simple,
ordinary, or
repetitive.
There is
minimal
variation in
sentence
length and
structure.
The writer
demonstrates
minimal
control of the
conventions
of written
English.
Errors are
frequent and
interfere with
meaning.

The essay
shows little
evidence of
organization
or
sequencing.
Transitions
are not used.
The response
is incomplete
or too brief.

The language
and tone are
inappropriate.
Word choice
is incorrect or
confusing.
The response
is incomplete
or too brief.

The writer
lacks
understandin
g of the
conventions
of written
English.
Errors are
pervasive.
The response
is incomplete

Points Earned

meaning, but
are not
distracting.

or too brief.

Conclusion
The purpose of this assignment is to prepare
students for writing argumentative essays.
Arguments are subjectivearguments come
in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and are only
as effective as the cleverness of the arguer,
and the use of the sources. You dont have to
convince me that Santa is real. All that I
require is a compelling argument.
We all benefit by being generous with our
work. Permission is hereby granted for other
educators to copy this WebQuery, 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 WebQuery. 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 me know and provide the
new URL.

This template is based on the original

WebQuest template.
To learn more about WebQuery, visit The
WebQuery Page. Original webquest by Karen
Gamblin.