Top of the World - A Trip to Mount Everest
A Web Quest by:
Andrew Basler
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Teachers | Credits
Mount Everest has always captivated peoples imaginations. As the tallest mountain in the world, it is naturally a big challenge to mountain climbers and thrill seekers. The people that climb Mount Everest must overcome extraordinary environmental and physical challenges to reach the summit. From these people, we can learn much about the human spirit. From the mountain itself, we can learn about the history of our world, and the geologic birth of the Himalayan mountains.
Your task is to virtually climb Mt. Everest. You and your group will be given a series of instructions. Following these instructions will guide you along the way to the top. Along the way, you will have to stop and gather information that will teach you all about Mt. Everest. There are several phases of the journey. Before one can climb a mountain like Everest, they must train hard and learn about the mountain they will climb. Secondly, they must journey to the base of Mount Everest. A knowlege of geology and geography will help you get there. Finally, the climb itself requires the climber to be aware of their surroundings. You will shortly begin your journey to the top of Everest.
You will be placed in teams of 3 or more by your teacher. The first step in your journey is to gather some basic information about Mount Everest. Any climber needs to have a good knowledge of the mountain they are climbing. Be sure to record your answers on a sheet of paper. Use the Mt. Everest Website Link to answer the following questions:
1) Who is Mount Everest named for? What did he do?
2) What is the date of the first successful ascent? What two men did it?
3) How tall is Mt. Everest?
4) What section of the mountain is the most dangerous to climb?
5) What is a sherpa?
5) Write down 5 other interesting facts that you think would be important for a climber to know.
Now that you know a little history and facts about Mt. Everest, you will need to learn about it's geology. Use the Mt. Everest Geology Website to learn about the three types of rock that form Mt. Everest. Record the three types and their characteristics.
After you have learned about the three rock layers, use the PBS Everest Website to learn about the formation of Everest and the Himalayan mountain range. Go to the website, and click on the title "Birth of the Himalaya" Read the short explanation and use any internal links to view maps and other visual aids. After you are done exploring the site, give a short summary of how the Himalayas were formed, and any expected changes over the next centuries.
Congratulations!!! Through your research you have learned a lot about Everest that will help you climb it. You have now traveled to the base camp, where you will prepare to make your ascent. Base Camp is where final preparations are made, and the equipment is gathered. You will need to learn about the equipment a mountain climber uses. To do this, use the PBS Everest Website - Gear to compare early mountain equipment with modern equipment. On your sheet list the differences between gear then, and gear now. What gear would you need to climb Mt. Everest?
After you have listed the necessary gear, you are ready to climb Mt. Everest! Use the following website: PBS Everest Climb Link. You will see a picture of Mt. Everest with the South route drawn in yellow. Each dot on the map represents a place on the route. Click on each location to get a 360 degree view of that area. You may use the mouse cursor to direct the view. For each location, answer the following questions. Also, if each picture takes a minute to load, be patient, you'll get there.
Base Camp: What do you see? Refer back to your previous research. What kind of rocks are those most likely to be?
Khumba Icefall: What is the unique distinction of the Icefall that you learned about earlier? Describe what you see. What Kind of dangers do you think exists in the Khumba Icefall.
Camp 1: What do you see? What are the climbers wearing? Do you notice any special equipment that you have listed earlier?
Western CWM: What is the Western CWM? What is directly on the route after it? Describe what you see.
Camp II: What kinds of changes in environment do you notice from Camp 1 and Base Camp? What do you think the climber is doing?
Camp III: Where is Camp III located? What is special about the Lhotse face? What comes after the Lhotse face?
Summit: You have made it!!! You and your team have reached the summit by learning about Everest, it's geology and formation, the equipment necessary to climb it, and by moving step by step. Take a moment to look around. What do you see? How do you think the first climbers of Everest felt when they reached the top? Congratulations, you have virtually climbed Mt. Everest!
You will be evaluated based on the following Rubric:
| Points Possible | Self Evaluation | Teacher Evaluation | |
| Teamwork | 10 | ||
| All Sites Visited | 10 | ||
| All questions Completed | 10 | ||
| Depth of Answers and Research | 20 | ||
| Total | 50 |
Notice that 20 out of 50 possible points are based on the depth of your answers. Make sure that you take your time and completely answer all questions. Some are very simple while others require a longer description. Where a description is required, use complete sentences. Also, when climbing the mountain, look for details that stand out and characterize that section.
Mt. Everest's formidable size has always attracted mountain climbers. Everest's environment makes it very dangerous to climb. Climbers must train hard and know the mountain well in order to survive. When you virtually climbed Mt. Everest, you saw many of the same things that those mountain climbers see. Studying the mountain can help us understand how mountains are formed, and what the geography will look like in the years to come.
Grade Band: 6-8 Social Studies
Tennessee Curriculum Standards
6th Grade - 3.02 Know the location of places and geographic features, both physical and human.
3.03 Understand the characteristics and uses of spatial organization of Earth’s surface.
7th Grade - 3.06 Understand how physical processes shape the Earth’s natural landscapes and affect environments.
3.07 Understand how physical systems and the physical environment affect human systems
Preceding and Ensuing Events of Instruction: Before beginning this Web Quest, the teacher should show the IMAX DVD Everest (45 mins). The DVD will give the student some background on Mount Everest, its location, dangers, and history. The PBS Website on Climbing Mount Everest requires QuickTime player. It can be downloaded, or there is an option to view only a still picture of the different parts of the mountain. Using the player is recommended since it gives a true 360 degree view of the mountain. This project may be altered to include an oral presentation component. This Web Quest may be broken up over several days if necessary to meet time limits.
Purpose: The purpose of this Web Quest is to gain knowledge about Mt. Everest and it's birth in the Himalayas, to promote small group skills through cooperative work, to improve internet research skills.
Learning Improvements: Besides learning about the geography and history of Mount Everest, the Student will gain valuable internet skills that will be important in later education.
Miramax. (1998). Everest [dvd]. Toronto, Canada: Imax.
Mt. Everest (2003). History and Facts. Retrieved November 4, 2003, from http://www.mnteverest.net/history.html
Everest News (2003). The Geology of Everest. Retrieved November 4, 2003, from www.k2news.com/lesson2.htm
Nova Online Adventure (2002). Everest. Retrieved November 4, 2003, from www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/earth/.
Nova Online Adventure (2002). Mountain Gear: Then and Now. Retrieved November 4, 2003, from www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/exposure/gear.html
Nova Online Adventure (2002). Climb Everest South Route. Retrieved November 4, 2003, from www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/climb/