Teacher Process
Materials Needed:
- Computer Lab with Internet Access (to play Adobe Flash Player); But can adapted for 3-4 computer classroom.
- Pencils
- Printer in order to print:
- Questions To Focus On (1 per student)
- Cycle Graphic Organizer (1 per group)
- Microphone for podcasting
- Pre-Approval to Un-block your favorite podcasting site, usually at the district level.
- (You may find your students are already familiar with podcasting, and some may have a podcast already!)
- Poster Paper & Art Supplies
Notes:
- This webquest is designed to take up to 7 (1/2hour) class sessions.
- It's designed for use in a computer lab.
- It uses the cooperative learning format of the "jigsaw".
Basic Lesson Plan
- Students need to be assigned into groups of 5 (or 6, if uneven) that are varying ability levels. One student in each group should be identified as a "leader" and ideally is the most mature student in the group.
- They each choose one part of the water cycle process to become the "expert" on.
- The students are given their "Questions to Focus On" page to fill in as they read the content and do their research on the preselected Web sites.
- Next, they temporarily move into "expert" groups with those from the other groups that studied the same process and compare notes, add details, take incidental details out.
- Return into home group arrangements and each teach about their part in the water cycle process and groups complete online Puzzle, "Water Cycle Process".
- Home groups create a group product: "The Cycle Diagram" filling in each of the 5 main processes, with brief explanations.
- They have to STOP HERE and submit their work so far, for approval, before they continue on to their Final Project.
- Finally each student selects from 1 of 3 projects (poster, podcast, poem/song/rap) to produce as their final product to submit for a grade. The Rubric I created to go with this Webquest was created to score the entire process, including the final project. SEE IT HERE
Modifications
- Come up with your own Final Project Choices
- Students could collaboratively generate their own "Questions to Focus On", that are used by the whole class as they research the Web.
- If fewer computers are available, students could work in their groups at one computer (5 to a computer), taking on additional roles: Scribe, Word Worm, Instrument Manager, Help Desk Engineer, Time Keeper/Focus Controller. Rotating Jobs as they each research their individual process in the Water Cycle.
Hope this is useful for you as you seek to incorporate the Web in your instruction. Please contact me for permission if you want to modify and re-submit this Webquest for the betterment of student learning everywhere! I can be reached at maryflett@gmail.com.