Introduction -- Uncovering the Past

1. The opening scene of this year´s Florida Quest takes place in Half-Moon Hideaway, the Trackers´ clubhouse. From The News-Journal, clip pictures of items that they could use there. Consider furniture, tracking tools, food, games and other goodies. Make a diorama or set up a clubhouse corner in your classroom and decorate it with clippings and add to it as the Quest continues.

2. The centerpiece of this year´s Quest, an intriguing box from the past, is discovered by the Trackers on the campus of Daytona Beach Community College located on International Speedway Boulevard. During this year´s Quest, the Trackers will spend lots of time there. As the story unfolds over the weeks, clip from The News-Journal, articles about DBCC and other local colleges. Organize them into a bulletin board display about college life. With classmates, discuss the pros and cons of each school.

3. Salty, the Lambert´s golden retriever is along for much of this year´s adventure. With classmates, look through The News-Journal classified ads for different kinds of dogs. After doing research on some of the breeds using the Internet or other sources, hold a debate to determine which dog would make the best pet, best mascot, best service dog, etc.

Chapter One -- The Mystery of the 4 Ever Friends

4. During this Quest you will join the Trackers as they learn about many interesting people, places and events related to this community. To help you understand more, create a classroom bulletin board where, as you progress through the story, you can post and then discuss clippings from The News-Journal about such things from the Quest as:

Notable people and groups -- Mary McLeod Bethune, women in the military

Places -- local parks, museums, libraries, Halifax Hospital

Events -- WWII, historical preservation

5. In this chapter, the Trackers learn about how the local community was affected by WWII. Clip, from The News-Journal, news stories, editorials and letters to the editor about any military actions in which the U.S. is currently involved. If possible, write a letter to the editor expressing your opinion, or make a chart to show the differences and similarities in the reactions to each war by those on the Homefront.

6. Once again, the Trackers find themselves in the middle of a history mystery. Clip articles from The News-Journal about local places of historical interest and play a game of Twenty Questions to see which classmates are the most knowledgeable. Consider proclaiming the winner an honorary Tracker.

Chapter Two -- The Mystery at the Waterfront

7. In this chapter, the Trackers center their attention on the beach and the activities that occurred there during WWII. The beach is still an important economic and recreational resource. From The News-Journal, clip articles that are, in any way, related to the beach. Make a chart or other kind of visual illustrating some of the positive and negative beach issues.

8. Boating activities and boat building were important to this community during WWII. Check the classified and display ads, along with the business and sports sections of The News-Journal, to determine if that is still true. Make a list of all the recreational beach activities you can and conduct a poll to see how many have actually been used by students in your class/school. Discuss your findings with classmates.

9. During WWII, Germany, Japan and Italy were enemies of the U.S. Today, they are considered allies. Clip articles about these countries from The News-Journal, add them to your bulletin board display and then, create fact sheets or sidebars of interesting facts about them.

Chapter Three -- The Mystery at the Airfields

10. In this chapter, the Trackers learn about how local airports were used during WWII. From The News-Journal, clip articles about local airports in the news. Brainstorm with your class and list some of the changes that have occurred. Consider such things as: the housing development along the runways at Spruce Creek, skydiving for sport in DeLand, wing-walking and aerobatic lessons offered at Flagler. Next, imagine that you are a pilot who was stationed here during WWII, that you have come back to visit and that you are recording your thoughts and feelings in a personal journal. Write about the changes you see and how you feel about them.

11. WWII was a time when women and other minorities had chances to break through the limits placed on them by society, and to prove that they could succeed in non-traditional fields. Find one article in The News-Journal that shows this happening today. Make a display highlighting the person or achievement and share it with your class.

12. During WWII, young people did many things to help on the Homefront. From The News-Journal, clip articles showing students at work in this community today. Along with your class decide on a project to help improve your class, school or neighborhood. Send a summary of your project to www.nieworld.com for possible publication on the Web.

Conclusion -- Affecting the Future

13. With your class or family, create a time capsule. From The News-Journal, clip articles, features and ads about important and everyday happenings to include in your capsule. Write a note telling who you are and why you made the selections you did. Put the clippings in polypropylene sheet protectors (purchase from any office supply store) and store all objects in a watertight container. Then, bury it at your school or in your backyard.

14. Throughout this Quest you have had insights into the lives and times of the 4 Ever Friends. Imagine that they are coming to spend the weekend with your class. Look through the Master Calendar and the Go! section of The News-Journal to plan where you would like to take them. Compare your plans with others in your class. If possible, attend some of the proposed events or take part in the activities and then report back to your class on your experiences by making a display ad or creating a song about one event.

15. Using The News-Journal´s TV Journal or daily TV guide, make a list of TV programs and movies that deal with people and events from earlier times. Watch some of these with friends and/or family and discuss what you learned about life during that time period and why you would or would not want to live then. Make a drawing of you and your family/friends in that setting to help you remember.

Newspaper activities on the Web

The Homefront Families Simulation
This simulation will follow the lives of five families during the school year of September 1943-June 1944.

The Library of Congress: Preserving Newspapers
The perception persists that yesterday´s news is no news at all. For librarians and archivists, however, that perception presents a tremendous challenge. As a resource for scholars and researchers, no form of publication captures the day-to-day life of a community and its citizens better than the local newspaper.

The History Detectives: Building Background
What do we really know about any building? Is there a shady past? Do you sense a false front? It´s time for your house to come clean.

Special Project: THE FLORIDA QUEST Laptop Lauren and the Trackers are the main characters in the Florida Quest, a 4-week, multi-media project involving thousands of students in Volusia and Flagler counties. In this quest they discover Homefront and Heritage!