Project URL:
www.ccsd.edu/web/secondary/
ffms/mikesh/diseases
How it works:
This unit gives students the opportunity to take facts they have
learned in the classroom and use them to investigate a specific
skeletal or muscular disease or disorder. The students use the
Internet to gather information regarding the disease that they have
selected. They may use the pre-selected websites that are provided in
the web quest or do a keyword search on their own. Some of the sites
allow students to question actual doctors in that field. This allows
those who are reluctant to ask a question in class to feel they can ask anything freely. Once they
have gathered sufficient information, they then complete the worksheet
portion of the web quest. They can check their performance by using
the online grading rubric as they work on the project. At the
completion of the worksheet and information-gathering stage, they are
required to put together a PowerPoint presentation (with pictures) to
demonstrate their knowledge of the disease/disorder to the class. They
are also assessed on the PowerPoint and can check the grading system
for that online as well, using the link on the web quest.
Standards addressed:
Students use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and
engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers,
and develop solutions. They access, generate, process, and transfer
information using appropriate technologies; listen, speak, read,
and write for information and understanding; collect data, facts, and
ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use
knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced
texts. As listeners and readers, students analyze experiences, ideas,
information, and issues presented by others using a variety of
established criteria.
Materials
used:
A
computer with Internet connection and Microsoft PowerPoint or Word is required. All other necessary elements are provided on the
web quest.
The students:
Skeletal
and Muscular Disease Web Quest is designed for sixth grade
students, but it can easily adapted for other grades. The students should be familiar with basic Internet searches. They
should also be able to send and read e-mail, and use Microsoft Word
and PowerPoint.
Overall value:
This is a great activity that can be used in
conjunction with any exploration of body systems or human body
functioning and can be easily modified to differentiate instruction. Students are able to explore a disease that they may have heard of or
that may have affected a family member, friend, or even themselves.
They are motivated because it is something that
they have chosen or it is a topic that is dear to them for some
reason. Allowing them the freedom to explore the Internet and have
questions answered adds to their excitement and learning.
Tips:
Introduce this project after having gone through an explanation on the skeletal and muscular systems so that
students
have some prerequisite knowledge.
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About the teacher:
Mr. Mikesh is a sixth grade teacher at Felix V. Festa Middle
School in
West Nyack, New York, and has been teaching there for the past
five years. He teaches language arts, math, and science. He has been a
member of the building technology team and has created numerous
websites, data- based questions, and other Internet activities for use
with his classes. He recently received his master's degree in
Instructional Technology through the New York Institute for Technology
and continues to take courses centered on utilizing technology in the
classroom. He incorporates technology into many of his lessons and
units across the curriculum and also uses it for communication
purposes with students and parents.
E-mail:
gmikesh@ccsd.edu
Subject Areas:
Science
Language Arts
Technology
Grade Levels:
6
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