I used this program in the winter of the fifth grade year. It was an excellent project to do in conjunction with library and research skills. The students and I worked closely with our library Media Specialist to develop research, note taking and bibliography skills.
The students were so excited at the prospect of going on a trip. They could select anyone to go with them, they had an unlimited budget and they could select any date. Some students had difficulty finding prices on flights and hotels when they specified a date. Travel sites give more options if you are open to the dates of travel. When students could not find prices I gave them global costs ($1000 airfare, $100 hotel, $50 meals). Some students wanted to challenge themselves with currency conversion, others wanted extra time for their trip once they discovered flight time was over 20 hours.
The research papers were exceptional (even from the struggling students). The students became personally invested in the trip and used expository elements and descriptive writing to make the reports exciting. The final projects consisted of PowerPoint presentations, video footage and posters. When presenting their projects students were asked to point out their country on the map, share two unique facts, tell the cost of their trip and describe the two days of sightseeing they planned.
This project is easy to implement and student investment is high. Good luck and please share any feedback or suggestions.
Clare Reed
Duffy Elementary
Clare_Reed@whps.org
The purpose of this WebQuest is to diversify and enhance the research process through technology. This WebQuest offers students and teachers an alternate method of gathering information and experiences, sometimes unobtainable through printed resources.
This WebQuest was written to be used with students in grades 4 and up. During this WebQuest, students will investigate foreign cities/countries to develop, create and produce a report and project.
Completing this WebQuest will require library research, computer lab access, classroom instruction and homework assignments. Please allot approximately four weeks for completion of this WebQuest. Some student may work more quickly than others. Please encourage your students to set goals and to adhere to them. We recommend that you guide their progress by implementing a weekly schedule of task accomplishments.
Week 1: Students will navigate through the WebQuest and library text and begin to explore their country and begin taking notes. Students learn how to add data to their spreadsheet and program the total boxes. (three computer lab and library visits). Word documents are included for easier printing: Research, Rubric.
Week 2: Students will complete their research, note taking, and develop title pages and table of contents using word-processing. Teams will start sharing their discoveries and begin planning their trip. (two computer lab visits, library books, and encyclopedias)
Week 3: Students will complete the writing, design and presentation materials. (classroom books, library books, and encyclopedias)
Week 4: Students will finish writing, revising and editing their presentation materials. Teams will practice their presentations and present to the class at end of the week.
Remember that students have access to the Internet and are at risk for venturing beyond the sites provided in this WebQuest. Please monitor their web searching as you are monitoring their progress on this WebQuest.
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It is your job to use this as an addition to any program or series of lessons you already do. It is not intended to be the sole core of research. I strongly encourage you to gather the recommended literature for the core teachings of this unit. |
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It will also be your job to teach students "along the way" throughout this WebQuest. The WebQuest is not a teacher. It is a tool for students to gather information. Like any other activity, it will need to be taught, guided and monitored. You may wish to develop additional assessments for each portion of the WebQuest to ensure its appropriate use and for the students to meet your expectations. |
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Outlines of lesson plans are available for you. Please make any changes necessary to accommodate to your needs. These are only suggested plans. |
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You MUST arrange a schedule in your classroom or in a computer lab for students to have an appropriate amount of time to work on this project. I suggest 30 - 50 minute working sessions. |
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It is the job of the student to use his/her time effectively while engaged in the WebQuest. |
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It is his/her job to use the WebQuest as a tool for researching, nothing else. |
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It is his/her job to ask for help when necessary-to avoid wasting valuable time. |
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It is his/her job to challenge his/her self during the WebQuest. |
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It is his/her job to use materials other than the WebQuest, such as literature, to gather information and complete projects. |
Sample Lesson Plans: (change according to your needs!) *Times, duration and use of each plan may change according to teacher/student abilities and/or needs. Students researched in the library, lab and at home. Homework assignments included writing introduction/conclusion, main idea sentences and rough draft paragraphs.
Plan 1 Gather all materials needed to teach an introductory lesson on note taking and using reference material.
Plan 2 Introduce the term WebQuest and show examples., Develop an "Expectations" or "Rights and Responsibilities" chart for the WebQuest.
Plan 3 Model how to use this WebQuest. Show them how to navigate through it and all of the different functions of it; especially how to research using the links.
Plan 4 Teach students how to gather travel costs and introduce Excel and adding data to spreadsheets.
Plan 5 Work in Excel to add data, program the totals and change the titles.
Plan 6 Work with word-processing to develop title page and table of contents.
Plan 7 Student Work time - (30 - 50 minute working sessions)
Plan 8 Student Work time - (30 - 50 minute working sessions)
Plan 9 Student Work time - (30 - 50 minute working sessions)
Plan 10 Sharing
Plan 11 Evaluation
Students will be graded on both individual work and group work. Students will use a self evaluation rubric for their core grade. This form includes group grading, homework, writing and presenting.