Welcome to the Creative Academy!! You have just met a lot of
creative and interesting characters as you read Surviving the
Applewhites, and secretly, you are probably an interesting and
creative character too! Within this webquest you will have a
variety of projects to choose from to show your creative side,
whatever your choice may be. Now that you've landed yourself at
Wit's End, you will need to show your talents to the Applewhite
family, and certainly now that you have finished the book, you'll
have lots of great ideas!!

    In order to become a true Applewhite, you will have several
options. After completing whatever you may choose to create, you
will have shown your special interests and hobbies and fit right in
at the Creative Academy! Whether you write a song, research home
schooling or describe your secret hobby or create an article like
Jeremy Bernstein, you will represent your real, creative self and
shine like the star that you are!!

    "You, Edith Wharton Applewhite, have talent. Very real, very
important talent. Just because somebody like Jeremy Bernstein is
obsessed with artists doesn't mean that artists are the msot
valuable people in the world. Or that art's better than everything
else human beings do," said Zedediah Applewhite to his granddaughter
E.D. Applewhite.

You too have special talents and now is your time
to shine! For this webquest you will have a choice of several
projects. Completing one of the tasks below, you will develop a
project that will show your creative side, show your understanding
of Surviving the Applewhites and show your 'real and important
talents.'Click on a link below to open a blank word document on
which to display your project.
   * My Project
   * Musical lyrics

* click to download

Step 1: When Cordelia Applewhite was in seventh grade, she tried to paint a
zebra black and purple. When her teacher told her that this was not
allowed, her family decided to homeschool Cordelia and her brothers
and sisters. The school would be called the Creative Academy and
would be taught by the family members of the Applewhite family.
Your task is to research the topic of homeschooling and answer the
following questions:

What does it mean to be homeschooled?
What are the pros and cons of homeschooling?
What are the pros and cons of public education? (Within your
experience and through researching)
Would you want to be homeschooled? Why or why not?

After answering those questions in essay form, write a short speech
taking the side of someone for or against homeschooling. You may
choose to support the side that you do not agree with, but write
your speech as if you are trying to persuade someone to agree with
you. Depending on how many people choose this option, these
speeches may be performed!

Links:
• Getting to Know Homeschoolers
• Public Education
• Frequently Asked Questions about homeschooling

Step 2: Jeremy Bernstein moved in with the Applewhites in order to
understand the artistic, expressive people that the Applewhites
truly are. Using your book as a guide, write an article describing
the Applewhite family in detail.Pretend that your article will be
included in People Magazine, so remember to be creative and grab
your readers' attention! Be sure that your article makes sense and
flows like a real article. You may choose to add
characteristics that you feel would fit in, but try to remain true
to the way Stephanie Tolan describes her characters. Try to think
of what current projects each member of the family might be working
on. Add yourself into the Applewhite family and describe what your
talent would be.

Use the link below titled Applewhite info to find more information
about each of the characters in the story. The other link called
search engine will lead you to Google.com to find more information
about the skill you would bring to the Applewhite family.

Links:
• Applewhite Info
• Search Engine
• Search Engine 2

Step 3: Each member of the Applewhite family (including Jake!) adds a
special talent to the Creative Academy. Now it's your turn to try
some of their talents! Choose two of the following activities to
see how artistic you can be!
1. Write a poem like Lucille- click the link below to see
examples of styles of poems.
2. Write a song for Jake to sing- click the link titld
musical lyrics by the introduction to see lyrics of songs
from Musicals to gain some inspiration.
3. Write a lesson plan for E.D. to use in a classroom using
the model attached to the link below.
4. On a separate sheet of paper draw a map of Wit's End.
You may want to use your book as a resource to help you know
the details of the land.(For example: The names of the
cottages, who lives next door to whom, who lives with whom)

Links:
• Writing Poetry
• Lesson plan examples
• Lesson Plan Outline

A. Book Resources

While completing your webquest, please use your book to provide
examples, give you ideas and guide your project. Refer back to the
characters and their personalities in order to gain a better
understanding of the Creative Academy.

• Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie Tolan

B. Reference Materials (ie videos, magazines, newspapers, dvd's, etc.)

C. URLs/Websites

    While creating this webquest, there were several websites that
provided helpful tools and references.
Rubric:
http://www.Teachnology.com
Clip Art:
http://www.free-graphics.com
http://www.stephanietolan.com/applewhites.htm
Musical Lyrics:
http://www.lyricsondemand.com

Click the link below to see a copy of the rubric I will be using the
grade your participation and final product. Throughout this
webquest you will need to manage your time effectively while
creating an awesome final product to turn in! Your project should
demonstrate your understanding of the task you chose while also
showing your knowledge of Surviving the Applewhites. Try your best
and you will always succeed!!

Click here to view the Evaluation Rubric.

    Are you ready to leave Wit's End? Or have you found your own little
cottage next door to Lucille and Archie? Either way, you have
completed your mission towards fitting in with the Applewhites and
provided an example of your creative talents! Thanks for Surviving
the Applewhites!