A Third Grade WebQuest activity focusing on
Science and Language Arts skills.
By Jill Ball
Introduction | Task |
Sources
| Process
| Guidance
| Conclusion
INTRODUCTION
Have you given much thought to the planets in our solar system?
If you could select one planet to visit, which one would you
choose?
How would you decide on this planet?
How could you help others in their quest to learn more about our
solar system?
You have recently
been selected as a student astronaut at a new space school in
You will have four
tasks to complete on your WebQuest. The first task is to successfully complete
the Solar System Scavenger Hunt. The knowledge gained on this virtual journey
through space will enable you and your crew to select a planet to focus on for
the second task. On this segment of your journey, you will collect specific
data on your chosen planet. Upon completion of the Planet Data Sheets,
you will begin the third task. You will write a brief report and develop a
presentation on your planet that will persuade other student astronauts and the
mission commander to plan a journey to your planet. Your final task is to
practice and perfect a Reader’s Theatre presentation for elementary students
visiting the space school.
Standards:
HCDE Tennessee
Language Arts Content Standards, Reading Standard 1.0, grade 3: Develop oral
language –
·
Participate
in creative responses to text (e.g., choral reading, discussion, dramatization,
and oral presentations).
·
Summarize
orally what has been learned or accomplished after completing an activity or
assignment.
·
Give
oral presentations about experiences or interests, using eye contact, proper
pacing, adequate volume, and clear enunciation.
HCDE Tennessee
Language Arts Content Standards, Writing Standard 2.0, grade 3: Write for a
variety of purposes –
·
Continue
to write to acquire and exhibit knowledge (e.g., paragraphs, reports, and
answer questions).
·
Continue
to write to inform (e.g., friendly letters, reports, invitations, journals,
notes, lists).
HCDE Tennessee
Science Content Standards, Standard 7.0, Earth and Its Place in the Universe,
grade 3: Recognize that different objects appear in the day and nighttime sky –
·
Recognize
that planets are major features of the universe.
Arnet, B. (2004). The nine
planets: A multimedia tour of the solar system. Retrieved March 15, 2008,
from http://www.nineplanets.org/.
Cornish, J. (2001).
Dejoie, J., & Truelove, E. (n.d.). StarChild: The universe [background]. Retrieved March 16, 2008,
from http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/universe_level2/universe.html.
Flynn, R. (n.d.). The adventures
of Captain Planet. Retrieved March 16, 2008, from http://www.rosalindflynn.com/pdf%20files/Planets_CaptainPlanet.pdf.
Hamilton County Department of Education. (2007). Standards/alignments: 3rd grade. Retrieved March 15,
2008, from http://www.hcde.org/media/pdf/items/194.pdf.
Windows to the Universe Team. (1996). Windows to the universe: The solar system. Retrieved March 20,
2008, from http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/our_solar_system/solar_system.html&edu=elem.
.
Step 1:
Determine your four-person crew for this
assignment.
Decide on a name for your crew.
Step 2:
Download
and print the Solar System Scavenger Hunt sheet.
.Use
the link on the sheet to complete the scavenger hunt. You may complete this hunt
individually and meet together as a crew to discuss the results, or you may
work as a team to reach a group consensus on the answers.
Step 3:
Based on your virtual voyage through the solar
system, determine as a crew which planet you would like to spotlight for the
rest of your journey.
Download and print the Planet
Data Sheets. Decide which crew
member will complete each sheet.
Click on one of the Web sites below to begin
your journey to research your planet. Be sure to visit all three sites in order
to collect as much information as possible!
Step 4:
Each crew member should prepare a brief report
using the information documented on the Planet
Data Sheet.
Your crew should then combine the four
individual reports into one written document, and decide on a project (PowerPoint,
brochure, newsletter, etc.) to use while presenting the findings to fellow
student astronauts and the mission commander.
Schedule a time to present your report.
Step 5:
Download
the Reader’s Theatre script The Adventures of Captain Planet.
Assign parts and highlight those lines for
which you are responsible.
Practice your individual part and then
practice as a crew. Emphasis should be placed on fluency, inflection, eye
contact, and projection.
Be prepared to perform this script for elementary
students visiting the space school.
Step 6:
Place all of the documentation from your
crew’s mission into a folder and be prepared to submit it to your mission
commander for evaluation.
Included should be:
3.
Individual
reports
4.
Crew
report
5.
Evidence
of the project used in the presentation (copy of brochure or newsletter, disc
with PowerPoint, etc.)
6.
The
completed WebQuest
Checklist.
REFLECTIONS
Purpose
The purpose of this WebQuest activity is
multi-faceted. Students participating in this educational journey will learn to
navigate through the links and attachments required to complete the on-line tasks.
They will first hunt for information on one site, and will then use data
collection sheets to focus their research as they reference several sites.
Teamwork will be necessary as the crew members combine their research to
produce a report of their findings. The students will use appropriate
communication skills to present both their report and the reader’s theatre
scripts to other students.
Preceding/Ensuing Events
Before using this WebQuest, students should be
familiar with navigational skills such as using hyperlinks, downloading, and
printing documents. They should be taken through a sample WebQuest so they will
have a basic understanding of what the activity encompasses, and any questions
they have may be addressed at this time. After completing the quest, the
teacher should hold a conference with each crew. At this time, students can
reflect on the activity and share what they have learned with their teacher.
The teacher can use this opportunity to evaluate the activity and provide feedback
to the students, both as individuals and as a team.
Debriefing
This activity can improve student learning in
several ways. Students are given ample opportunities to practice their internet
research skills. Students are encouraged to work in teams, which enables them
to share their strengths and learn from each other. Tasks increase in
difficulty throughout the quest, promoting confidence as they successfully work
through the mission. Student-teacher conferences encourage students to reflect and
learn from their performance, and teachers can provide productive and
constructive feedback.
Project Extension
This WebQuest could be expanded in several
ways. Students could be given more specific requirements for the crew project,
including a rubric that would allow them to compare their work to specific
standards before submitting it for evaluation. Students could be given a
variety of reader’s theatre scripts to choose from, or could be encouraged to
write their own script based on what they learned on their journey.
CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully
completed your first official “mission” as a student astronaut! On this journey,
you learned a little bit about each of the planets in our solar system, and a
lot about one planet in particular. Because of your efforts, many of your
fellow student astronauts have included your planet in their upcoming flight
plans. Your enthusiasm about space has also sparked an interest in students
visiting the space school, and many have decided to join the space program, as
well. Hopefully this mission has
inspired you to further your quest to be an astronaut, and will motivate you to
continue your travels……….
OUT OF
THIS WORLD!
The following attachments are the documents
needed for evaluation of the WebQuest Activity: