Brief Description

The basis for the activity is to enable students to become familiar with their school community in a manner that is interesting and meaningful to them. This lesson was written for third grade, but it could easily be adapted for higher grade levels.  It encompasses various elements of the curriculum including technology, social studies, language arts, and reading.  Higher level thinking skills are incorporated both in the “Process” and extension activities found in the “Conclusion" portion of the WebQuest.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

Students know and are able to do the following:

• 3T-F1. Use prescribed technology writing or drawing tools for communicating and illustrating
• 3T-F3. Use prescribed technology tools for publishing and presenting information
• 4T-F2. Use technology tools for individual and collaborative communication activities to share products with audiences inside and outside the classroom
• 5T-F1. Recognize electronic information sources
• 6T-F1. Use technology resources for problem solving, self-directed learning and extended learning activities

Students know and are able to do the following:

• W-F1. Use the writing process, including generating topics, drafting, revising ideas and editing, to complete effectively a writing task
• W-F4. Gather, organize and accurately, clearly and sequentially report information gained from personal observations and experiences
• W-F6. Write well-organized communications for a specific audience and with a clear purpose
• LS-F1. Use effective vocabulary and logical organization to relate or summarize ideas, events and other information
• VP-F3. Access, view and respond to visual forms such as computer programs, videos, artifacts, drawings, pictures and collages

Academic

• Students will use the writing process, including generating topics, drafting, revising ideas and editing, to effectively complete a writing task.
• Students will gather, organize and accurately, clearly and sequentially report information gained from personal observations and experiences
• Students will write well-organized communications for a specific audience and with a clear purpose.
• Students will use effective vocabulary and logical organization to relate or summarize ideas and other information gathered in their interviews.

• Students will research our current school web site as a problem solving task to find missing topics for a potential web page.
• Students will work collaboratively to create and publish a web page using template for the purpose of communicating information (text and images) about their school community.

• Students should have prior experience with a digital camera, note-taking and interviewing.

You will need the following to implement this lesson:

• computer with Internet access, Netscape Composer, and printer
• pencil and paper for taking notes
• digital camera
• floppy disks


Our school website will be explored to determine what areas of our school need to be researched.

You may want to print interview sheets and release forms for students and have copies ready.

Human resources (school employees) are needed for interviews concerning possible web site topics.

Depending on disability and IEP, use peer/adult tutoring and cooperative grouping.  Additional time may also be required.

Procedures

• The student page is located at http://www.amphi.com/~llafaye/wilquest/index.htm
• The teacher page is located at http://www.amphi.com/~llafaye/wilquest/t-index.htm
• See the WebQuest above for a detailed list of procedures.

See rubric in the “evaluation” at http://www.amphi.com/~llafaye/wilquest/index.htm

Teacher Name: Lisa LaFaye
Site: Wilson
Date Submitted: May 2002