WebQuest Template

Put the Title of the WebQuest Here

Developed by (put your name, an email link, and your URL)

§ Describe what the lesson is about.

§ Specify content area (mathematics, language arts, etc) and grade level (middle, elementary, early childhood, etc.).

§ Specify strands and objectives from the South Carolina Curriculum Standards that this WebQuest Supports. List by subject area (WebQuests should be interdisciplinary projects).

§ List any special resources that a teacher would need in the classroom or in the media center for the students to complete the activity. For example, print resources in the media center, art reproductions, or video and audio materials.

Introduction

Write an introduction to your WebQuest that will give students some background about your topic. Try to interest them.

§ If your WebQuest is about a place, include some general information, a picture, and/or audio files.

§ If it is about a person, describe something about the person that gives general background to the students.

§ If you are creating a scenario with opposing points of view, describe the views briefly.

Remember, you want to interest the students in pursuing this WebQuest.

Quest(ions) and the Task

§ What are the guiding questions that students need to keep in mind in order to accomplish their task?

§ What is the task that the student(s) must undertake?

§ Why is the job necessary?

§ What are the circumstances surrounding the task or the question that may cause conflict?

§ What led up to this circumstance?

§ Is there more than one way of looking at this? Can you see conflicting roles for people--such as environmentalist and industrialist?

You should briefly outline for student(s) what they are expected to learn. For example: Despite the known risks of space flight should the elderly be encouraged to make space shuttle flights for the sake of gaining potentially beneficial medical knowledge?

Assign various roles to students. A good WebQuest generates some tension or conflict that must be resolved so you should try to develop two to four roles. Remember that you want this to be a collaborative activity for students.

Person 1

Person 2

Person 3

Person 4

Process

1. Explain that students who have similar roles may work together to compare ideas based on the factual information they have collected, or that students may continue to pursue their role individually until the conflict generated by the original guiding question(s) forces them to resolve the issue with the entire group.

Once students have understood their roles and investigated the background material necessary to make informed decisions, then it is time for them to come together as a group and to discuss the issue(s). Group work should result in a consensus document or presentation.

Give students directions on this group work.

Be sure that they understand that their role may place them in conflict with another person's role.

How should they resolve this conflict?

What overall idea should they keep in mind that will allow them to compromise?

Is there a greater good?

2. Provide options for how students may present their information to the group. Here are some ideas:

§ Flowcharts

§ Multimedia Presentations

§ Web Page

§ Summary Tables

§ Concept Maps

§ Venn Diagrams

Resources

Identify for the students which other resources they may use to complete their task(s). Other resources may include:

§ PowerPoint software to develop an informative slideshow

§ Any URL links provided in this section

§ Classroom Encyclopedias

§ Color Printer

§ Periodicals from the Media Center

Evaluation

Provide students with a clear understanding of the grading criteria which will be used to evaluate their efforts.

Provide links to online rubrics which will allow students to know upfront what grading criteria will be used. Following are some examples that could be used for a variety of projects.

Include a phrase such as, "Please click here to review the criteria on which your individual grade will be based."

"You will also receive a collaborative grade. Please click here to review the criteria which will determine you collaborative grade."

Explain how the grades will be counted or averaged.

Conclusion

Explain to students how the conclusion will offer the opportunity to engage in further analysis. For example:

§ Ask students how their roles could have been interpreted in a different light?

§ Ask students if they had interpreted their roles differently, how might the outcome have changed?

§ Ask students if they were flexible enough to compromise with the group and attain resolution, or did they yield to group pressures?

§ Ask students what new questions did the issue(s) generate?
Why would these new questions be important in answering the original question(s)?