WebQuests!

 

Objective

 

To experience and consider ways in which WebQuests may be used to support teaching and learning of English in primary schools.

 

Introduction

 

A WebQuest is an interactive task that involves pupils in searching the Internet for specific information related to a topic or issue.  The act of searching for the information to complete the task should engage the participants in using language for authentic real-life purposes. 

 

WebQuests are very flexible and can be made easier or more challenging to reflect the abilities of the pupils.

 

When pupils have developed appropriate IT and language skills they can be asked to develop their own WebQuests for pupils in other classes or schools.

 

This task will involve you in completing a WebQuests and discussing relevant implications.  

 

 

A WebQuest on Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel.

 

Arnold Lobel wrote many stories for young children. Many of these stories are suitable for use with primary school pupils learning English in Hong Kong.   Your task today is to complete a WebQuest about this story.  This WebQuest contains activities that you might ask primary age children to do.  By doing this WebQuest, you will understand more about ways in which you can use the Internet as a resource to

 

·        get more information about Arnold Lobel and his stories

·        learn more about frogs and toads

·        find out about the kinds of activities you could do with primary school pupils based on this story

 

 

Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel

 

Name: _______________________________    Date:  ________________

 

Introduction

In this WebQuest you are going to read a story about a frog and toad who are friends.  You will then find information about frogs and toads on the Internet and use that information to write a short description of a frog.

 

The WebQuest

 

1.       Read the story “The letter’ in Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel. 

 

2.     http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/mtai/index.html

Find the names of 3 other books about Frog and Toad that Arnold Lobel wrote.

 

a.      _______________________________________________________

b.     _______________________________________________________

c.      _______________________________________________________

 

3.     http://allaboutfrogs.org/weird/weird.html

Go to this site and find the answers to these questions:

  1. Do frogs have teeth?        ____________________________________
  2. Can frogs hear?___________________________________________
  3. What is special about a frog’s skin? ____________________________
  4. Which animals like to eat frogs? __________________________
  5. What is the biggest enemy of frogs?    __________________________

 

4.     http://www.yahooligans.com/Downloader/Sounds/Animals/Reptiles_and_Amphibians/Frogs/

Open a new WORD document.  Go to this site.  Find the sound of a frog. Download it and insert into your WORD document. 

 

 

 

5.     http://allaboutfrogs.org/gallery/photos/index.html

Go to this site. Find a picture of a frog that you like.   Copy and paste it is your WORD file.

 

6.     http://www.globalclassroom.org/letter.html

Work with your friend.  Go to this site.  Choose 1 question to answer. Write your ideas below.

 

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

 

7.     Now go to your WORD file, and…

 

 

End

 

http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/cyk3.html

If you want more ideas about creating WebQuests, you can explore this site.  There are many WebQuests already created including one for Frog and Toad are Friends, which includes several activities for primary learners to do about Frog and Toad.  However, many of the activities may need to be modified for use by pupils in Hong Kong.

 

 

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec596/about_webquests.html

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquest.html

These pages contain a lot of useful information about WebQuests and how to design them.

 

 

10 Tips for designing a WebQuest

 

Following are some useful points to keep in mind as you design your own WebQuests.  For more information you may refer to the following website.

 

Language and content

1.       Make sure the language in the introduction, instructions, questions and conclusion is appropriate to the language abilities of the target pupils.

 

2.     Make sure the language in the introduction, instructions, questions and conclusion is clear and accurate in terms of grammar, choice of vocabulary, expression and spelling.

 

3.     Make sure the activities provide pupils with opportunities to learn and use English.

 

4.     Make sure the Web Sites in the WebQuest are appropriate to Primary School children in terms of content and language.

 

 

Task Appropriacy

5.     Make sure the topic is likely to be interesting to primary pupils.

 

6.     Make sure that pupils really need to find the answers from the Websites rather than from their general knowledge.

 

7.     Make sure there is a clear outcome that requires pupils to use or transform the information they have found. 

 

 

Design Effectiveness

8.     Make sure the layout and design of the WebQuest Is clear, attractive and supports them to complete the task.

 

9.     Make sure all the links to Websites work.

 

10.  Make sure there is a logical development through the various activities.