webquest.htm

An Introduction
to the
WebQuest

It used to be a small town. Four-hundred students in the high school meant everyone got to participate. And government and civic issues were easily discussed across the back fence - settled at a town council meeting that everybody could attend. Then came the suburbs, inching closer to Stilwell each year until now the town may be annexed. Voices speak up and then shout: "You can't burn that trash outside!" "Taxes will probably go up 30%!" "There will finally be a full-time fire department."

In real life, this story is being repeated across the country. In Kansas, the community served by Blue Valley Schools has been growing faster than any other in the state. New schools opening every year, new housing developments, new shopping areas are all around us. As Overland Park continues to grow, though, what happens to the surrounding towns? Are there other implications of the growth besides a larger community?

In this WebQuest, you'll play the role of a community member involved in the decision to annex the town of Stilwell into the larger city of Overland Park. By the end of the WebQuest, you will have researched the issue of suburban growth from the perspective of a community member and collaborated on a plan for appropriate growth of a community.