1. WebQuests Henrico County Public Schools Online Course Created by Jill Baedke cjbaedke@henrico.k12.va.us Edited by Patricia Hassan Plhassan@henrico.k12.va.us

2. Definition… In 1995, at San Diego State University, Bernie Dodge and Tom March created a web base model for Internet projects and called it the WebQuest. They defined the activity as follows:. “A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web.”

3. Objectives of the Web Quest To use the Internet as a resource for information ( Most or ALL resources are web sites.) To engage students in higher order thinking skills (Not just recall of facts or information) To cover all content areas (Math, Sciences, Social Studies, and Language Arts) To adapt for students of all ages (Younger students have more teacher directed activities.)

4. Building Blocks of a WebQuest There are six steps to every WebQuest: 1.Introduction 2. Task 3. Process 4. Resources 5. Evaluation 6. Conclusion

5. 1. Introduction This is a short paragraph to “set the stage”. Interest is raised by setting up a scenario or mystery. Roles are assigned to the student or students. (You are a city planner …scientist …musician … Olympic planner… zookeeper...) The students are given an active role in the Quest to find specific information for their task.

6. 2. Task Another paragraph describes what the end result of the activity will be. (Plan a “lego” city, prepare animals for your zoo, compare ant and human communities in a slide show, make a “Don’t smoke!” poster,... puppet show,...song, …play, etc.) End product requires learners to process and transform information that they find. WebQuests can be short term (1 - 3 class periods) or long term (up to several weeks).

7. 3. Process Clearly describes the steps for the project Builds the project step-by-step Includes the teacher as a guide Leads up to the final product which is some type of presentation. (play, song, poster, puppets, diorama, radio announcement, claymation, map, slide show, report, etc.)

8. 4. Resources Teacher-suggested web resources Not all web resources have to be used Students decide what supports their outcome May include outside resources but focus is usually web-based information

9. 5. Evaluation Rubric designed by teacher Rubric may include working with the team, presentation skills, and project outcome

10. 6. Conclusion Is student-focused Brings closure to the activity Reminds student of journey of steps to reach final project and what has been learned Encourages students to extend experience and interest beyond the final product

11. Where Do You Start? Start with your SOL and look for an issue, event, connection or contradiction that you can build upon. Create a motivating scenario that would lead up to your objective. Make sure it is “doable” for that age group. Decide if this is an individual or collaborative project. Create the roles, jobs, or perspectives that a student may take to complete this task. Look for web pages that would build background, highlight information, construct meaning, and create a means of attaining the goal of the task. Match links to reader’s reading and interest level.

12. How Do You Put it Together? WebQuests need a “launching” document to link the student to the resources on the Internet. At one time this could only be done through an HTML page in Internet Explorer or Safari. However, now teachers have several ways to deliver Webquests that do not require them to write HTML code. First begin developing the sections of your Webquest in MS Word. This will allow you to gather all of the directions and materials for the quest onto one document Then use iWeb to create an interactive website for your students.

13. Questions? Now on with our Quest?