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For Educators: WebQuests

• Printed Materials: Books

  The Ultimate Guide for Student Product Development & Evaluation

  From animations to WebQuests, this book's second edition by Frances A. Karnes, Ph.D. and Kristen R. Stephens, Ph.D. features all new products that promote the development of 21st-century skills in students. This new edition discusses how the skills and content gained from the development of products can be aligned with state and national standards. A special section is dedicated to how teachers can nurture the habits of the mind necessary for successful product completion. This book offers a step-by-step introduction to using creative projects in your classroom confidently.

• Websites & Other Media: For Educators

  A Black History Tour of Three Illinois Towns

  Students in grades 3 - 5 research Illinois history in three Illinois towns, Alton, Cairo and Springfield in this multidisciplinary WebQuest. They identify important people or events, and use this information to create a map, travel guide and poster promoting their Black History tour. The students are also required to reflect upon their research by writing a letter to the governor about which of the three towns they would live in and why.

  A Rubric for Evaluating WebQuests

  This is a ready-made template for scoring or evaluating student WebQuest projects, complete with scoring categories. Checklists with additional scoring criteria to evaluate project fine points are also provided.

  Biome Zoo Design: A Scientific and Geographic Webquest

  Middle school students will work in research teams to design plans for eight biome zoos around the world. Research will include the flora and fauna of specific biomes and the geographic and economic requirements necessary to support the viability of each zoo. Students will make an oral and visual presentation of their findings and produce a scaled drawing of their zoo design.

  Break the Code

  This WebQuest is about how to use inverse matrices in real life. Cryptogram will be introduce and students will learn how to convert, encode and decode a message.

  CSI: Lord of the Flies

  In this WebQuest, a forensics team has landed on the island depicted in Lord of the Flies just following the book's ending. The team will formulate a hypothesis concerning the events on the island. Their goal is to produce a report which will be presented to an investigative committee (the remaining students in the classroom). They will be prepared to present their hypothesis and present evidence which proves or disproves it.

  Echoes of a Dream

  High school students examine the Civil Rights Movement in historical perspective, the leaders that emerged and laws that grew out of the era in order to answer the question, "How does Dr. King's Dream echo in my life today?

  Genetic Disorders WebQuest

  The purpose of this web quest is to introduce students to the many genetic disorders that can drastically affect human lives. Students will use the internet to research the causes and effects of a common genetic disorder and then present that knowledge in the form of an informational pamphlet. Research findings and the final product will then be presented to the class.

  I Was Part of the Movement

  This Language Arts WebQuest is designed to help high school students deepen their knowledge of the importance of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s by looking through the eyes of those that witnessed it first hand. It will also develop their computer skills and increase literacy, and is designed to celebrate and honor Black History Month.

  I Will Survive!

  This is an animal adaptation WebQuest designed for middle and upper elementary aged students. The students will compare three animal species and identify similar adaptations.

  Imagination Estimation

  This math WebQuest is a way for elementary school students to explore estimation and imagination. In addition to math, they will use front-end, clustering, rounding and compatible numbers estimation to solve problems while planning a party.

  Jonathan Livingston Seagull

  In this multidisciplinary WebQuest, students will read and reflect upon Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull. They will prepare and deliver a speech on, "What I Believe About Life" (Language Arts); analyze the historical context of the book to determine the author's motivation for writing; illustrate how changes in values occur over time (Social Science); and create a model bird to demonstrate the physics of flying (Science).

  Marx and Nietzsche: An Analysis of Philosophy

  This social studies WebQuest helps high school students delve into the realm of philosophy, specifically concerning the philosophical thinkings of Karl Marx and Fredrick Nietzsche.

  Mount St. Helens Re-Awakens!

  In this WebQuest, students work in small groups to explore the geologic underpinnings of another potential eruption of Mount St. Helens and establish an emergency response plan. Students explore the tectonic features of the Cascade area along with the geologic processes contributing to earthquakes and volcanoes. A major component in this WebQuest is a group assignment requiring students to develop an emergency preparedness plan using FEMA and NIMS website guidelines.

  Move over J.K.!

  In this Language Arts WebQuest, students in grades 6 - 8 are both authors and editors. First they write a short story and research how to get it published. They then write a persuasive business letter trying to convince an editor to publish their story. In week two, they become editors. They evaluate each others' work, revise and edit it. Then students write a business letter to the author giving suggestions on how to make the story better.

  Persuasive Techniques

  This English/language arts WebQuest helps high school students discover persuasive techniques and sparks an interest in current events.

  Political Parties: Where Do I Belong?

  This WebQuest allows high school students to study some of the main ideas of America's major political parties. They will then decide where they fit in and design a pamphlet highlighting the importance of their political party.

  Roller Coaster Designer

  In this WebQuest, students have been hired to research the roller coasters of Ohio, and then to come up with an idea for a new coaster. Students will come up with an idea for a new coaster, which will be submitted in writing and also with a drawing.

  The American Revolution, Was It Worth It?

  This WebQuest gives a chance to research key positive and negative effects the Revolutionary War had on Americans. By the end of this webquest, students will decide whether they would have fought in the war had they lived at the time of the American Revolution, and will try to convince people why.

  The Civil Rights Struggle

  This Social Studies WebQuest engages high school students to build timelines that document the development of the civil rights movement in this country for public display.

  The Great Migration

  In this WebQuest, elementary school students will take the point of view of a African American in the South in 1918. They will decide whether to migrate North after having access to information.

  The Machine called the Human Body

  This multidisciplinary WebQuest helps students in grades 3 - 8 gain insight on the hman body's different systems, including the circulatory system, nervous system, digestive system, respiratory system, skeletal system, muscular system, endocrine system and immune system.

• Websites & Other Media: For Fun

  Kids.gov

  Brought to you by USA.gov, Kids.gov is the official kids' portal for the U.S. government. This site links kids, parents and teachers to U.S. government information and services on the web from government agencies, schools, and educational organizations, all geared to the learning level and interest of kids. Kids.gov is organized into three audiences: Grades K-5, Grades 6-8, and Educators. Each audience tab is divided into educational subjects like Arts, Math, and History. Within each subject, the websites are grouped as either government sites (Federal, state, military) or other resources (commercial, non-profit, educational). The sites listed under the other resources category are maintained by other public and private organizations. When users click on these links, they are leaving Kids.gov and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the outside websites.

• Websites & Other Media: Informational

  The WebQuest Page - San Diego State University

  This website, established in 1995, is an outstanding resource for educators, students and homeschooling parents seeking to teach with the web. Find news about the WebQuest model from around the world, a page of reading and training materials, as well as a authorizing tool for creating your own WebQuests.