WebQuests

 

What is a WebQuest?

A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which students find some or all the information from resources on the Internet.

 

There are two types of WebQuests.

Short Term WebQuest

·        Designed to be completed in one-three class periods.

·        The instructional Goal is knowledge acquisition and integration.

·        The learner makes sense of a significant amount of new information

Longer Term WebQuest

·        Could take up to one month to complete.

·        The instructional goal is extending and refining knowledge.

·        The learner analyses a body of knowledge, and demonstrates understanding by presenting it in a different way.

 

Where can I go to find good examples of WebQuests that I could use with my students?

·        The WebQuest Page: A Matrix of Examples in Content Areas http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/matrix.html

·        Dr. Christie’s WebQuest Pages

http://www.west.asu.edu/achristie/webquest.html

·        Hewitt;s Index of Best WebQuests

http://www.davison.k12.mi.us/academic/hewitt14.htm

·        Richard Levine's Cool Teaching Lessons and Units

http://www.cl.ais.net/rlevine/coolunits.htm

·        Jackie Carrigan’s WebQuest Page

http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/grade.htm

·        ETS: WebQuests and Other Internet Projects

http://www.esc20.net/etprojects/

·        LSU WebQuests

http://asterix.ednet.lsu.edu/~edtech/webquest/

·        SESD Teacher Resources

http://sesd.sk.ca/teacherresource/webquest/webquest.htm

 

How do I make my own WebQuest for my class?

 

Attributes of WebQuests

·        Critical Attributes

o      Introduction

§        Orientation

§        Motivation

o      Task

§        Define the job to be completed

§        Product or verbal presentation

o      Process

§        Clearly defined steps

§        Can provide learning advice

o      Information Sources

§        A list of predetermined web pages to help learner

§        May include resources not on the Web

§        All resources do not have to be used by all

o      Evaluation

§        Measurable results

§        Rubrics are most authentic assessment

http://www.ozline.com/webquests/rubric.html

o      Conclusion

§        Reminds learners about information gleaned

§        Encourages students to extend experience into other domains

§        Brings closure to the quest

·        Non-Critical Attributes

o      Group Activity

o      Role-playing

o      Multidisciplinary or single disciplinary

 

Templates for Teacher Created WebQuests

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/LessonTemplate.html

 

http://www.zianet.com/cjcox/teacherangel/webquests.htm

 

http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/

 

 

Design Steps

·        Become familiar with resources online in your content area.

·        Organize resources into categories such as databases, reference materials, spreadsheets

·        Identify topics that fit in with the curriculum and for which there are materials online.

 

 

Some Good Content Area WebQuests

 

Social Studies

 

Revolutionary War WebQuest http://www.thinkquest.org/library/lib/site_sum_outside.html?tname=11683&url=11683/

 

Sworn to Serve

http://www.itdc.sbcss.k12.ca.us/curriculum/sworntoserve.html

 

Civil War Gazette

http://www.itdc.sbcss.k12.ca.us/curriculum/civilwar.html

 

1930’s WebQuest

http://www.nde.state.ne.us/SS/1930.html

 

Ancient Egypt : A WebQuest in Time http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq33/aegypt.htm

 

Ancient Egypt

http://www.iwebquest.com/egypt/ancientegypt.htm

 

The Holocaust

http://www.greenepa.net/~wgsd/computerlab/Holocaust/Holocaust.html

 

Searching for China: A WebQuest

http://www.ozline.com/webquests/ChinaWebQuest1.html


Mathematics

 

Show Me the Money!

http://www.biopoint.com/WebQuests/DGN2/Welcome.html

 

Go Spurs Go!

http://www.esc20.net/etprojects/formats/webquests/misc99/spurs/Default.htm

 

In Search of the Pythagorean Theorum

http://www.esc20.net/etprojects/formats/scavenger_hunts/spring2000/theorem/default.html

 

The Gang of Fifteen

http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/gang1.htm

 

 

Spanish

 

WebQuests and Web Lessons for Spanish Classes

http://learn-spanish-language.com/webquests.htm

 

Calaveras WebQuest: Dia de los Muertos

http://www.dnai.com/~dogslife/webquest.html

 

¡ Especially Español !

http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/espanol/

 

 

Science

 

EcoQuest: Desert Edition

http://members.aol.com/QuestSite/1/2.html

 

Sunspots: Monitoring Solar Activity

http://www.discover.net/~vmsb/webquest.html

 

International Symposium on Environmental Issues

http://www.itdc.sbcss.k12.ca.us/curriculum/ozone.html

 

BioDesigns, Incorporated

http://www.itdc.sbcss.k12.ca.us/curriculum/biodesigns.html

 

 

Health

 

Personal Trainer

http://www.itdc.sbcss.k12.ca.us/curriculum/ozone.html

 

 

Language Arts

 

Literary Fan Club

http://www.itdc.sbcss.k12.ca.us/curriculum/literaryfanclub.html

 

Shakespeare

http://www.esc20.net/etprojects/formats/webquests/fall99/Shakespeare/default.html

 

The Web World of Shakespeare

http://www.esc20.net/etprojects/formats/webquests/spring2001/taft/webworldofshakespeare/index.html

 

Grapes of Wrath

http://www.esc20.net/etprojects/formats/webquests/Summer2001/floresville_poth/Grapes/default.htm

 

 

Multidisciplinary

 

Winslow Homer: Through the Eyes of an Artist

http://www.ultranet.com/~schene/whomer.html

 

Salem Witch Trials

http://www.geocities.com/salemwitches_ca/index2.html