WEBQUESTS

According to Tom March, "A WebQuest is a scaffolded learning structure that uses links to essential resources on the World Wide Web and an authentic task to motivate students’ investigation of a central, open-ended question, development of individual expertise and participation in a final group process that attempts to transform newly acquired information into a more sophisticated understanding."

Reasons For Using Webquests

1. WebQuests prompt higher-level thinking. The questions posed to students require more than just finding and spitting back information. They must take the information they research and transform it into something else.

2. WebQuests increase student motivation. When students are motivated, they are likely to put in more effort, and their minds are more alert and ready to make connections.

3. WebQuest tasks are designed to address problems or issues that exist in the real world, which makes the task authentic. In WebQuests, students use real, timely resources instead of dated textbooks and materials that are only presented from one point of view.

4. WebQuests have students use links that are pre-selected by the WebQuest writer. The focus is on using information rather than looking for it.

5. Web Quests help you to expand your curriculum beyond your classroom walls.

The Ancient Greece webquest is designed for 6th grade students to have an overview of what it was like to live in Ancient Greece. They will go to the library and work on the computers individually. They will Read the introduction which will set the stage and then they will click on the task which will tell what they need to do and tell them the end result of the activity. Students will do all of the research on the computer with the website provided.

For more information, check out these websites:
http://www.webquest.org/index.php
http://bestwebquests.com/