Webquests are amazing tools that can turn a regular lesson into an adventure for students. It can help them to learn more about resources on the computer as they discover their answers for their mission. I love webquests that involve students finding answers and using their imagination. Most webquests get students excited to learn, which makes it an exciting journey!
While on the search for webquests to evaluate, I came upon “Mars…The Next Colony”. It can be found at: http://www.tenafly.k12.nj.us/~teisenberg2/mars/ . This webquest really caught my eye. Not only does it pull the students in to go on a space adventure, but they are also learning about previous explorers who have taken adventures into space. The students first have to choose an explorer that is famous on land. From this the students have to figure out what it means to explore and what drives them to want to do it. From there, students break their group into three roles. Each person has their own role: Mission Commander, Mission Navigator, or Mission Architect/Engineer. Each person answers certain questions to plan their trip safely and constructively. The students then turn the information that they have found into a research report. Once the students are done with that they get to design their own mission patch to wear on their uniform. Along the entire mission the students also keep a journal that summarizes their mission.
This is a great lesson that involves a research paper; however, it makes it fun for the students! I can see students forgetting that they are writing a research paper. This is the way all lessons should be set up.
Keeping with the space theme, I found another webquest named “Galaxy Quest”. It can be found at: http://www.geocities.com/msbrail/webquest.html . It is still a good webquest for students to complete a well put together project about the solar system. Students are broken up into teams and each team is assigned a planet. The students then design a logo for their team, then research their planet, find out certain facts about their planet that the teacher has specifically asked, and then they create a postcard and a brochure. This is a great project for students to discover the planets.
I like that both webquests had rubrics and questions that pointed students in the right direction as to what they needed to find out to make the lesson meaningful. Lessons should always have direction towards a common goal.
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3 comments:
Jen
I am glad you found a few good nuggets in the bunch. I too have been working on my reviews of webquests and find so many that have been moved or been so broken. I found a really cute one that had the questor becoming a bee and having to find out how to pollinate flowers in order to become a human again. It had neat pictures that change as you pass over them. There were so many sections that were missing or broken I just couldn't review it.
There were some neat ones though I found one about Fairy Tales that had a nice directed discovery. I like that too.
Good work
Kurt
Jen,
Thanks for the great webquests. It is hard to find really good ones. I agree with you that well written webquests make the students forget that they are doing a research project. I'm an LMC Director and need to find a list of good webquests for a variety of grade levels and topics. I hate to recreate the wheel every time. Great blog entry.
Ellen
Thanks you for that great webquest. Wow "Mars the next colony" is definitely eye catching and would engage any students. This is a website I can use with my 4th grade students in Science.
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