1. What is a WebQuest?

"A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet

Short Term WebQuests

The instructional goal of a short term WebQuest is knowledge acquisition and integration, described as Dimension 2 in Marzano's (1992) Dimensions of Thinking model. At the end of a short term WebQuest, a learner will have grappled with a significant amount of new information and made sense of it. A short-term WebQuest is designed to be completed in one to three class periods.

Longer Term WebQuest

The instructional goal of a longer term WebQuest is what Marzano calls Dimension 3: extending and refining knowledge. After completing a longer term WebQuest, a learner would have analyzed a body of knowledge deeply, transformed it in some way, and demonstrated an understanding of the material by creating something that others can respond to, on-line or off-. A longer term WebQuest will typically take between one week and a month in a classroom setting. " (Bernie Dodge, San Diego State University)

To create a web based lesson, you must use your creativity. However, it is helpful to see some examples of effective web pages which teach us something. Some of the following are sample lessons created by students and teachers: **Examples and  PacBell Education activities

Let's examine one at each level
K-3 In search of Stellaluna's family
4-5 Ellis Island - could easily be adapted to Pier 21
6-8 King Tut - Was he murdered?
9-12 Nuclear Power in Seaside
       *News Lesson Plan -Current events - High School Social Studies

Identify a lesson that you could use in your classroom. It should be a lesson that causes students to consult a variety of internet resources, typically online dictionaries, encyclopedia, magazines, etc. it can include activities, games, and connectivity via email and online discussions. The lesson should teach a topic which normally would require approximately a week  to teach. You might wish to discuss ideas for this topic with your methods professor and use it for their courses. Remember not to make it too narrow or too broad. For example:

• Elementary, students could choose a particular aspect of  topics such as weather, plants, environment, Fall/Autumn, Forest/Trees, Outer Space, Holidays  and then do a writing, math, and science activity related to this topic. Include as many subject areas into the lesson as possible - especially language arts, math and arts.
• For English:  Intercultural communications for ESL students- pen pals, teaching Shakespeare - a play, researching Canadian, British, or American writers, popular culture (Magazine, Movies) writing critical reviews, cultural (historical, artistic, geographical, etc.) background information for literature study, cooperative reader response between schools. Students compare their interpretations of texts found on the net.
• First year students in math could do lessons in Geometry. The secondary students might do a project to write activities that focus on applications of number for middle school.A  good interactive lesson requires the learner to participate actively. Some kind of evaluation such as an online quiz, puzzle, rubric, or essay mailed to the teacher should be included for  evaluation.

Search the Internet for resources that would be useful for students in the completion of this project and bookmark them to a folder specifically created for this purpose. Try to locate resources that contain a considerable amount of relevant information. use search engines to locate specific information. Don't forget the Usenet sources such as searching the archives at Ask Eric Mailing List Archives
It is very important to integrate two or more subject areas and provide opportunities for multiple intelligences.

As you have discovered by now, there are many styles which one can use to create a lesson. The best Place on the Web to look for help in executing a weblesson or Webquest is the Webquest Page at San Diego State University : Building Blocks of a Webquest

The easiest way to start is to copy  the Traditional Non-Frame Version Student's and Teacher's templates from SDSU into Composer  and fill in the following:

1. Introduction with links to history and glossary if needed. Some pointers and examples about Introductions are given at: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/bdodge/webquest/introduction.html.
2. Task - spell out clearly what the end product of the lesson should be: such as a report, verbal or multimedia presentation, play, or newspaper. Examples of tasks are given at http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/bdodge/webquest/Task.html
3. Process  which may be in the form of straight information gathering or group activity, with links, picture, sound, movie files, glossary, and Tutorials if appropriate.http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/bdodge/webquest/Process.html

Links to resources and activities such as scavenger hunts, pen pals, puzzles, and other fun ideas to make learning seem effortless.
Resources can be listed separately or embedded within the process.
4. Evaluation  is often accomplished with an evaluation rubric(see King Tut rubric) since the higher order learning you are hoping to promote cannot be readily evaluated with a test . You can however include puzzles, crosswords, or a self test such as an online quiz which you can construct using such sites as http://www.quia.com/
5. Conclusion " provides an opportunity to summarize the experience, to encourage reflection about the process,

to extend and generalize what was learned, or some combination of these. It's not a critically important piece, but it rounds out the
document and provides that reader with a sense of closure. One good use for the conclusion section is to suggest questions that a teacher might use in whole class discussion to debrief a lesson. In The 1960's Museum, for example, Kathy Schrock asks learners to think about the sites they had visited and discern any biases represented at those sites. She also asks the learners to predict the reaction their own creations will receive once posted on the Web."
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/bdodge/webquest/Conclusion.html

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Your assignment is to create a short term webquest that may be delivered online and contains suggested links to Internet resources ( try to keep these down to no more than 6 very selective )  that students will find helpful in completing their lesson. This will be a major part ( 15% ) of your Portfolio.

Make sure there is a link back to your home page, date last updated, and your e-mail address link at the bottom of the Webquest page.

I will use the Site evaluation Form to evaluate the web lesson. Please fill out the top section and include it in your portfolio.

Readings: Chapter 3 of text pp.53-62