Introduction

    As a member of the Class of 2006, you are taking a leadership role in the Very Influential Person Effecting Reform project.  The Freshman class will put the spotlight on 50 people who have been very important (in both positive and negative ways) in the shaping of human history from its earliest beginnings until 1850.
    We have decided to use a webquest format to guide you in your search because, while the internet is a wonderful source of information, we are aware of the fact that some of the information presented "out there" is not accurate or trustworthy. We have therefore selected a list of 50 people and provided hyperlinks to webpages which we hope will be helpful and accurate. The task of selecting these individuals was an enormous one. Because we study GLOBAL History in the ninth grade, we tried to choose people who are not only important to the Global Studies Curriculum, but are also representative of diverse ethnic backgrounds, regions, cultures and genders. In no way is this list meant to be a complete or exhaustive list of influential people, but rather a diverse sampling of the many people from all cultures and nations who have left their mark on the world.
 

The Task

    Your task is to persuade your teachers and classmates that your V.I.P.E.R. ranks among the five most influential individuals of the time period studied.  In order to support your V.I.P.E.R. as a candidate for one of the top five, you will research your individual and develop a visual display, a resume, and a persuasive essay emphasizing the impact of your V.I.P.E.R. during his/her lifetime and on world history.
 

Standards

    To view the New York State Learning Standards addressed by this project, click here.
 

Resources

    For this project you will be using both print and internet-based resources. You will be looking at resources in the library and using the links below to research your V.I.P.E.R. Choose a category to view the links.

The Process
See Time Frame for deadlines.

GATHER INFORMATION ON YOUR ASSIGNED V.I.P.E.R.
    1.  Take notes on the person's background, life's work, impact in his/her life, and impact on world
         history.  Be sure to get copies of art, diagrams, books, summaries of ideas, etc. that reflect this
         person's lifework and impact.  We will be using the John Jay Library, as well as this website.
 

CREATE A RESUME OR BASEBALL CARD
    2.  Type a resume which is a brief, formal description of an individual on 8.5 x 11 white, unlined
         paper in Times New Roman, 12 point font, with one-inch margins.  The resume includes:
             *Individual's name and dates of birth (and death, if appropriate.)
             *Place of origin
             *Education
             *Life's work
             *Impact on society in his/her lifetime
             *Impact on world history

            -OR-

           Create a baseball-type card for your VIPER.  Display a picture of your VIPER on the front
            (may be drawn, copied, or computer-generated).  Fill the back with an organized series of
            personal information (stats) based upon your research.  See the resume description for types
            of information required.
 
 

DEVELOP A PERSUASIVE ESSAY OR JOURNAL
    3.  Type a 2-3 page paper that:
            *describes the individual's background and life's work
            *evaluates the individual's impact during his/her lifetime and the impact on world history
            *uses at least three sources, one of which is a print source other than an encyclopedia
            *includes parenthetical documentation
            *includes a works cited page in MLA format.

            -OR-

         Write three, one-page journal entries in first person narrative (as if you were the VIPER)
          from these three separate stages of his or her life.  PAST: Choose a day before your VIPER's
          biggest achievment and imagine what he/she would be thinking.  PRESENT: Choose the day or
          week of your VIPER's major achievement and describe the event.  FUTURE: Your VIPER has
          awoken in 2002 and looks for the impact of his/her inventions and/or achievments in our present
          day.  What would he/she see and what would he/she feel? Include parenthetical documentation
          and a works cited page in MLA format.

CREATE A POSTER OR STORY BOARD
    4.   Produce a poster that illustrates the background, life's work of the individual, his/her impact in his/her lifetime, and his/her impact on world history.  The poster must:
            *be a minimum of 18" x 24" or a maximum of 24" x 36"
            *contain images that fill the poster board
            *show examples of the V.I.P.E.R.'s impact
            *use correct spelling
            *have the V.I.P.E.R.'s name boldly printed
            *have the writing, meant to impact the viewer, large enough to be read from 20 fee

            -OR-

        Create a storyboard.  Use original art (not copied or computer-generated) on three sheets of             9"x12" sketch paper pasted or attached to a hard backing such as cardboard.  Complete five
slides (only two frames per page).  Link all three sheets using rings or tacks.
            * Three frames cover significant events and accomplishments
            * Two frames illustrate IMPACT

Evaluation

    The V.I.P.E.R. project will be evaluated based on three out of six individualized RUBRICS. Click on the following links to view the rubrics.

Conclusion

 Our human history has been a time of great achievement that set the stage for the beginnings of the modern world. Many individuals shaped this era as either heroes or villians. How will future historians view our present day? What role will each of us play?
 
 

Christopher Columbus	Ibn Battuta	Ferdinand Magellan
Marco Polo	Vasco da Gama	Zheng He

Archimedes	Ibn Sina	Galileo
Johaan Gutenberg	Sir Isaac Newton	Pythagoras

Aristotle	Dante Alighieri	Confucius
Descartes	John Locke	Martin Luther
Machiavelli	Plato	Socrates
Pope Urban II	Voltaire

Geoffrey Chaucer	Michelangelo	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Edgar Allen Poe	William Shakespeare	Walt Whitman