Heather Owings
SLM 521
Fall 2003
WebQuest Bibliography
As a media specialist
I would not be limited to just one subject. These five webquests were based
on two factors:
(1)They would engage the interest of middle school students
(2)Students are offered the opportunity to learn something that may or may not
be addressed directly by curriculum standards.
And Now a Word from Our Sponsor
The evils of
advertising and propaganda are explored thoroughly in this middle school webquest.
I know that in 6-8 grades they explore persuasive writing and influencing other
opinions, but students rarely take it a step further and make the connection
to advertising. They can be naive about their own willingness to be persuaded.
http://www.thematzats.com/propaganda/
Edgar Allan
Poe: Father of Horror
With everything
that is required to be taught in the Language Arts department, few teachers
have time to explore the different genres of fiction. This webquest delves more
into the biography of Edgar Allan Poe rather than the history of the horror
genre, but it is educational and fun. Not to mention it validates a genre that
often is undermined. http://www.geocities.com/educationplace/poe/wqpoe.htm
King Tut: Was It Murder?
In the tradition
of great mysteries, this webquest presents the clues and you then investigate
them in detail. But what I love most about this is the "jigsaw" effect.
Every student in the group is given a role, each student then preforms his/her
individual task, and then the students with their pieces of the puzzle rejoin
the group to create and understand the whole picture. http://www.pekin.net/pekin108/wash/webquest/
Quest
for A Swiftly Tilting Planet Like the Edgar Allan Poe webquest, this one also validates a genre of fiction, science fiction. But actually my favorite part of this webquest is the board game activity at the end. It makes students synthesize all that information into something creative. It also promotes active reading, research strategies and peace. http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/offices/di/Burleson/Lessons/planet/index.htm
When I Grow Up...
A career exploration similar to mine but more compact and complex. I think this is a great way to incorporate all of the career searching strategies. Although it seems simple in appearance, that is deceptive. I think it would be an overwhelming webquest for a solitary student. http://whenigrowup1.homestead.com/title.html