A WebQuest for Knowledge
Updated: March 24, 2004
Infuse higher-order thinking into your curriculum with an online adventure!
By Brenda A. Dyck
A famous team of experts meets to unravel the timeless mystery of how Egyptian boy-king Tutankhamun died. For three days, a medical examiner, a reporter, an archaeologist, a historian and a history professor match wits in an attempt answer the question: "Did King Tut die of natural causes or was he murdered?"
Sounds more like the opening scene from the movie "Tomb of Tutankhamun" than a grade six social studies class, doesn't it? However it's within this unexpected setting of intrigue that students, via role-play, will take the ordinary content of the social studies curriculum and transform it into meaningful, never-to-be-forgotten understanding. The vehicle they will use for this adventure is an online tool called a WebQuest. Take a look: King Tutankhamun was it Murder?
What Is a WebQuest?
WebQuests are an inquiry-oriented activity that draws most of the information to be used by learners from the Web. During the WebQuest, students assume different character roles that will help them deepen their understanding about a given quandary. The roles are generally scaled down versions of jobs that adults do in real life. The Internet is the main information source, but books and articles are also used to gather information. After completing the WebQuest, students develop a "product" -- such as a report or presentation -- that demonstrates their understanding of the problem and presents possible solutions. The focus of a WebQuest is to use information as opposed to just looking at it.
Advantages of Web Quests
As teachers attempt to inject higher level thinking skills into an already saturated curriculum, the WebQuest provides an activity that merges required curriculum content with collaborative learning and authentic thinking skills. Real questions using real resources results in real meaning for students. For a complete discussion of WebQuests, see the article "Why WebQuests?".
What Makes a Good Web Quest?
A WebQuest must be more than a glorified scavenger hunt. A good WebQuest should include the following elements:
| • | An introduction that grabs the learner |
| • | A description of a task, the thing the learner will have accomplished by the end of the lesson |
| • | An explanation of the process |
| • | An explanation of how the learner will be evaluated |
| • | A conclusion that ties everything together |
Where To Find WebQuests
Here are some good getting-started sources:
Matrix of Examples
WebQuests - Social Studies
How To Make Your Own WebQuests
The sites below provide easy to use templates that will walk you through the process of creating your own curriculum-specific WebQuests.
Filamentality
WebQuest Templates
Ozline.com: WebQuests and more
