What is a webquest?
Bernie Dodge, the original designer,
describes a webquest
as "an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the
information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuests are
designed to use learners' time well, to focus on using information
rather than looking for it, and to support learners' thinking at the
levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation."
A webquest typically includes the following elements: An Introduction,
a presentation of the Task, a list of Resources, a step-by-step
description of the Process, a form or rubric for Evaluation, and a
Conclusion that summarizes what students have learned.
WebQuests were designed to bring together the
most effective instructional practices into one integrated student
activity which emphasizes critical thinking, constructivism,
cooperative learning, authentic assessment, and technology integration.
Webquest Collections
- Bernie Dodge's The Webquest Page
from San Diego University...the creator of this wonderful idea. Learn
all about webquests or go right to the database of
Webquest projects. From here, you can even complete A Webquest About
Webquests for Grades
3-4 or Middle
School.
- San Diego City Schools Webquests
created by classroom teachers as part of Triton and Patterns
Professional Development Projects. Over 700 curriculum units using the
webquest model are divided into projects by features, grade level and
themes. You can link directly to the K-2
Webquests.
- First Grade Webquests from Techno Teens
- Grade Appropriate Webquests from Lake Central School in St. John, Indiana: Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade, Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade.
- SCORE Cyberguides for
Grades
K-3 and Grades
4-5 are supplementary, standards-based, web-delivered units of
instruction centered on core works of literature. Many have a similar
Webquest format. Examples include Cloudy
with a Chance of Meatballs or Joy Cowley's The Hungry
Giant.
- First
Grade Webquests from Mrs. Rowling's class includes links to 42
webquests organized into 8 classroom themes!
- Index
of webquests for each content area from Alleghany County, Maryland
- Yorkville Community Unit School's award-winning website features an extensive compilation of webquests for grades K-12.
- Webquests from Kindergarten to Third Grade from Eduscapes.
Examples of
Specific Webquests for Students in Grades K-2
Hundreds of innovative
teachers are busily creating new Webquests every day and loading them
up onto the Internet. In order to find the latest and greatest
regarding your special topic, you'll be much better off using a good
search engine to find one yourself. Follow the directions below to
quickly locate a webquest related to your classroom themes and
curriculum topics.
| Directions for Locating a Webquest |
- Begin with a good search engine for
teachers like Northern Light
or
Dogpile
- Click in the empty white search box (not the
address bar at the top of the screen). In Northern Light, it's inside
the yellow box near the blue Search button; in Dogpile, it's near the
top next to the Fetch button.)
- Type your topic with a plus sign (+)
directly in front of it.
e.g. +bears ; +whales
The plus sign forces the computer to look for this term.
- If your topic is a phrase (more than
one word), use quotation marks around the phrase and put a plus sign in
front of it.
e.g. +"Ancient Egypt"
The quotes force the computer to only search for the entire phrase, not
just one of the words in the phrase.
- Type a space and then type +webquest.
e.g. +bears +Webquest
e.g. +"Ancient Egypt" +webquest
- Click on the search button next to the
search box.
In Northern Light, it's a blue button that says "Search"; in Dogpile,
it's a grey button that says "Fetch".
- Your search results should include a few
or many Webquests about that topic. If
there's a webquest about it, you'll be able to find it if you follow
these steps. If there's none available, you may just be inspired to
create one yourself. If that's the case, look no further than this
resource on Internet
Webquests to get you started.
This page last updated on May, 2007.
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