The Chief Illiniwek
WebQuest
Start out by taking the
Chief Quiz!
Click here
for the quiz!
The
Issue:
Chief Illiniwek is the current
mascot of the University of Illinois, and has been the mascot for
over 70 years. He is portrayed in the the logo above (left), and is
given life every year at the football and basketball games when a U
of I student dresses up as the Chief and dances for the
fans.
For the past several years the
Chief has been a source of controversy at the U of I. The controversy
started about ten years ago when a U of I student named Charlene
Teters (who is Native American) went to a game and saw the chief. She
and her children where shocked and embarassed to see their ancestors
portrayed as a mascot. She began to organized protests against the
use of the chief, and those protests continue today.
Recently, the U of I has
considered getting rid of the chief. It is a difficult decision for
them to make, however, since so many of the U of I fans love the
chief, and believe that he is a positive part of the
college.
Since this issue is so
difficult for the University of Illinois to resolve, they have
decided to ask for a little help. Over the summer, the Board of
Trustees came to me and asked if my class would be willing to
research the issue of the Chief and report back their findings and
any solutions to the problem that they found. Knowing what helpful
and brilliant students I have, I instantly agreed. Now it is time for
us to research this issue and report back to the Board our findings.
The
Task:
- The Board and I have
decided that the best way to help you come to a consensus on this
issue is to make people of differing opinions work together.
Therefore, we have decided that each team will consist of a
Historian, a Pro-Chief Activist and an Anti-Chief Activist.
- Your first task as a team
is to decide who is going to play what role on your team. Spend
some time looking at the job descriptions and then come to a
compromise on the jobs. Do this quickly and without arguing.
Remember ... you may learn a lot by defending a position you don't
necessarily agree with.
- You second task is to read
over your job description again and conduct Internet research to
learn more about your position. You will have a set of questions
to guide you as you conduct your research, and you should use the
attached worksheet
- After completing your
research you will come back together as a team to create your
final report for the Board. They are used to reading professional,
typed reports so I have included some templates for you to use (if
you choose) which will make your report look professional. The
templates are below, simply click on the links to download them to
your computer:
- Each member will be
responsible for their section (History,
Pro
and Anti),
but all three members will be responsible for the final section:
Compromise.
In this section you should describe whatever solutions you can
come up with together as a group. This is the part the Board will
be most interested in, so take some time to think through your
answers - you never know - your solutions just might be used!
- Lastly, in today's world
written reports are often just not enough. The U of I's Board of
Trustees has asked that you also prepare a PowerPoint presentation
for them. They want the presentation to summarize the key points
of your report. The presentation should be visual, but not too
flashy or obnoxious. Remember, this is the Board of Trustees - not
an MTV video contest. You can download a template of the
presentation here:
Chief
Presentation Template
The
Process:
- Divide up the three jobs
among your team members
- Each member goes to his/her
page listed below. There each member will find a job description
which includes:
- your position on the
Chief issue
- background information
on why you hold this position
- a set of questions to
guide you through your research
- links to the Internet to
help you research your position
Historian
- Pro-Chief
Activist
-
Anti-Chief
Activist
- Read your job
description
- Using your notebook,
conduct your research making sure to write down key facts that you
find in an organized way.
- Come back together as a
team and discuss what you have found
- As a team, come up with at
least one really good compromise / solution that you can all agree
on
- Write the report using the
templates above
- Create the PowerPoint
presentation using the template above
- Present your PowerPoint
file and your report in class
- Debate and defend your
position and solutions in class
Evaluation:
You will be evaluated as an
individual and as a team in the following manner:
- As a team:
- As an individual:
Conclusion:
What do you really think about
the Chief Illiniwek issue? Has role-playing and researching this
topic changed your mind about anything? As the football and
basketball seasons continue this year be sure to follow this issue in
the news. Ask questions of people on both sides, and be willing to
share your opinion. Remember - you now know more about this issue
than most people!
Created by Mark
Foley - Urbana Middle
School, Urbana, IL / University of Illinois College of Education
(CTER4 Cohort)
Click here
for Teacher Resources.
Last Update: June 23,
2001