A WebQuest for 5th Grade Science

Designed by Cindy Honma

honm5861@pacificu.edu

http://education.ed.pacificu.edu/sweb/cindyhonma

Introduction | Learners |Standards | Process | Resources | Evaluation | Student Page

Introduction

   This lesson is designed for 5th grade science, specifically units around habitats. This lesson is designed to be an extension of basic Rainforest habitat knowledge. I recommend that teachers have already taught the students about where the Rainforests are located, their physical characteristics, and the differences between the 4 layers (forest floor, understory, canopy and emergent). This lesson is designed to teach students more details about the animals who exist in the Rainforest habitat. They will share their knowledge with the rest of the class. It also serves to teach students to work collaborately, and creatively to teach others. Technically, students should be familiar with using the Internet for research, how to use iMovie to edit and format short movies. Knowledge of PowerPoint or other presentation software will greatly enhance their experience but is optional.

Objectives
    
   1. Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to locate and analyze information by exploring the web sites and books provided and recording relevant information on their questionnaires.
  
    2. Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the Rainforest habitat, its inhabitants and how they have adapted to the environment by completing a questionnaire about their creature and others on their team, creating and delivering an informative presentation, and accurately embodying the characteristics of their creature into the final team movie.
   
   3. Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to work cooperatively in a group by working together with peers to create a script and movie about the animals in their team.

4. Students will be able to demonstrate their abilities using technology by creating an iMovie with their team.

Science Content Standards Addressed:

    1. Describe the relationship between characteristics of specific habitats and the organisms that live there.
  
    2. Describe how adaptations help a species survive.

Language Arts Content Standards Addressed:

1. Listen to, read and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text, including classic and contemporary literature, poetry, magazines, newspapers, reference materials and online information.

2. Understand and draw upon a variety of comprehension strategies as needed --- re-reading, self-correcting, summarizing, class and group discussions, generating and responding to essential questions, making predictions, and comparing information from several sources.

3. Follow multiple-step directions (e.g. for completing an experiment or an activity or for using a product.)

4. Investigate topics of interest and importance across the subject areas, selecting appropriate media sources, using effective research processes, and demonstrating ethical use of resources and materials.

Technology Foundation Standards for Students:

1. Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.

2. Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

3. Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

4. Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.

*Standards taken from the state of Oregon 2004  social studies content standards

1. First, you must divide your class into 4 or more teams. Depending on how many teams you end up with, you might want to assign each one a different tropical rainforest such as Southeast Asia, South America, Africa, and Australia. Due to the amount of research and cooperation required, I suggest you keep teams to 6 students or less.

2. Each team must end up with at least one of each type of animal: mammals, bugs/insects, birds, reptiles/amphibians.  Decide which animals are attached to each team, and create a slip of paper listing one of those animals. You may also just list the animal without the team if you want to assign the teams randomly.

3. In class, each student will draw an animal slip out of a basket. This will be his/her animal to research.  The slip may also indicate with whom they will be teamed. If you prefer to assign the teams, you can match up the students now. (Day 1)

4. Have prepared a questionnaire asking details you'd like students to learn about their animals. Distribute these now. (Day 1)

5. Each student will be given 2 - 3 days to research their animal. They need to use the links and books listed to start. Depending on the Internet savvy of your students, you may need to help students get started. The questionnaire will help them ensure they are getting the info they need. Remind the students that they are responsible for teaching their team about that animal so they need to have a thorough understanding. (Day 1 - 2)

6. After they finish, they will need to prepare a presentation to teach the other members of his/her team about their animal. (Day 3)

7. Each team spends a day to hear each other's presentations. I suggest you ask the students to fill out a questionnaire for each creature as it is presented. (Day 4)

8. Once presentations are complete, the team will start to write their script for a 10- to 15-minute movie. Every team member needs to have a speaking part, and contribute to the script. Each character must show clearly the actual "personality" and habits of the real creature. (Day 5 - 6)

9. You should have simple supplies available for students to make masks, costumes, scenery like construction paper, markers, crepe paper, etc. Students should be encouraged to use these supplies to make their characters come alive.

10. Once their script and costumes are done, they can film their movie. (Day 7)

11. Once the movie is completed, then the entire team participates in editing, voicing and adding music to the movie. (Day 7)

12. Finally, each team presents their team movie to the class. You and any other adult staff members can act as the "producers" and "director" to carry forward the movie analogy.  (Day 8)

Organization

    This WebQuest can be organized in different ways. Either way, the WebQuest should take 8 - 9 45-minute blocks. Teachers can provide a set amount of time for each component and make sure the class progresses through each step at the same time, or give students a set amount of time and allow them to progress at their own rate. If teachers want the class to move through each step together, during the first two blocks, take students to the computer lab and devote the time to research and completing the note sheets.

After the research is complete, devote the third block of time to preparing presentations and the fourth block to delivering the presentations to their teams.  Blocks 5 - 6 are devoted to students preparing and rehearsing their movie plus making any props or costumes they wish. Block 7 is for filming and editing, and the final block is for showing the movies.

If teachers want to allow students to progress at their own rate, I recommend informing students of all the steps in the WebQuest and tell them how much time they will have to complete everything. Teachers should provide daily guidelines and notify students of where they should be in their WebQuest each day. For example tell students, "Tomorrow you should be done with your research and working on your presentations for your team " so that students know they must finish their research during that class period. In addition, I recommend allowing the computer lab to be open to students for two class periods and then closing it so that students stay on track.

   I believe that this WebQuest would be useable for any teacher. The evaluation rubric provided should be easy to follow, and the WebQuest should follow up introductory lessons on the Oregon Trail nicely. Teachers must be able to access the Internet to pull up the WebQuest on student computers, but beyond that no additional technology skills are necessary.

Variations

   If your school does not have a computer lab where all students can access computers at the same time, this WebQuest can be done as an extended project. If you have a computer in your classroom, students can take turns researching their character during center time or free time, and once all students have researched they can write their journals and skits.  In addition, it is possible to print out information from the web sites and distribute it to the class if you do not have access to a computer in your classroom.

1. Access to a school computer lab--preferably 1 computer per child
     
2. Each computer needs access to the Internet
      
3. Video cameras

4. A volunteer or classroom aid may be helpful, especially during the days students are researching. However, no aid is necessary.

5. Materials for masks/costumes - construction paper, ribbon, paint, markers, tape

6. Access to photo and movie editing software programs which are integrated with each other.

7. Additional teacher to teach children to use the movie editing programs may be necessary depending on the existing technical knowledge of the students and teachers.

   The evaluation for this WebQuest should be authentic in means. Teachers should observe students while they work, in addition to reviewing their journals and note papers. A grade should be given in terms of both the quality of the work and the amount of effort the student put into it. Teachers should look for the overarching quality of the work versus looking for specific facts. Below is the evaluation rubric.

I would like to credit the following institutions for providing the web sites used in this WebQuest:

The Belize Zoo
Rainforest Preservation Foundation
Rainforest Live
California Institute of Technology
Michigan State University
Exploratorium.edu

All images used in this WebQuest were obtained from:

The clip art is from: http://www.school-clip-art.com/school_clipart.shtml
The frog photo is from Image After: http://www.imageafter.com/index.php

   We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is hereby granted for other educators to copy this WebQuest, update or otherwise modify it, and post it elsewhere provided that the original author's name is retained along with a link back to the original URL of this WebQuest. On the line after the original author's name, you may add Modified by (your name) on (date). If you do modify it, please let me know and provide the new URL.