Web+Quest

A WebQuest for 3rd Grade (Science)
 * The Habitats of the World **

[|Introduction] | [|Task] | [|Process] | [|Evaluation] | [|Conclusion] | [|Credits]  National Geographic is in need of information on habitats. They’ve asked all teachers to ask their students if they will help them find out more information about different habitats by answering a few questions. Using the internet to find information and pictures, are you up for the challenge?
 * Introduction **

 You and your group will research a habitat and will create a small book and collage. Using the internet you will look for information on your habitat to put in your book. You will also use the internet to find pictures of your habitat and the many animals found there!
 * The Task **

 1. First, you will be assigned into groups of 3 students. 2. Second, I will assign each group a habitat to research. 3. Once you’ve received your habitat, your group will use the internet to answer questions about the habitat. Here is a list of the habitats and sites that you will find very useful in helping you retrieve this information. · Forests · Prairie (Grasslands/Savannas) · Lakes/Rivers/Wetlands (Freshwater) · Oceans · Tundra · Deserts · Tropical Rainforest This site will be helpful in finding out about the different animals living in each habitat. [|Click here] Just click on the habitat you were assigned and you will receive a lot of information that will help you answer the questions below. [|Click here] If you are doing either of these habitats: deserts, oceans, grasslands, tundra, rain forests, and freshwater you will find this site helpful. [|Click here] Since the prairie group was left out of the above group, here is a site that will be helpful. [|Click here] Here is a site that will be useful in telling about the different habitats and where they are in the world. [|Click here] <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">4. Here are the questions I would like each group to answer: <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">What is the definition of your habitat? What are the characteristics of your habitat? Are there places to hide from predators or is the habitat open space, etc? What type of weather/temperature does your habitat experience? Do the animals and/or plants that live in the habitat have to make any adaptations? What types of animals and/or plants live in your habitat? For example, the animals you will see in a lake or river is going to be much different than what is found in a rainforest. Also, can people be found there? In what parts of the world can your habitat be found in? What types of things can your habitat be used for? Do people use it for hiking, fishing, etc.? Each person in your group will include one fact that they found interesting/fascinating about your assigned habitat. This means there should be a total of 3 facts. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">5. After you have found the answers to the questions above, you are to put your information into book form using Microsoft Word. One person in the group will type and the remaining two will read and/or show their group member what they should be typing. The book should have a title page which includes a picture that you inserted from Google Images. The title page should also include the names of the members of your group. (May I suggest having one page devoted to each question). When creating the book remember to use complete sentences. 6. After you have completed your book, your final job is to create a collage of your habitat. This will be the final page of your group’s book. You will use the internet to find pictures for your collage. Your collage must include different pictures of your habitat and different animals that are found in your habitat. 7. Once all the groups have completed their books, each group will exchange books. With your group, you will read the books and discuss what you have read. For example, you may want to say if you learned something new or found something interesting. After everything is complete, you should have read 6 books other than the book you and your group completed.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 18pt;">The Process **

 <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Describe to the learners how their performance will be evaluated. Specify whether there will be a common grade for group work vs. individual grades. **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">1 ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Developing ** **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">2 ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Accomplished ** **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">3 ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Exemplary ** **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">4 ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Score ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 18pt;">Evaluation **
 * || **<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Beginning **
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Quality of Work || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">The work is poor. Little to no questions answered. Lacking pictures and title page. Did not do what was asked of them. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">The work is not of the highest quality. Not very neat and less than half of the questions have been answered. Lacking a good title page. Collage is lacking pictures. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Provides high quality work. Group may not have answered 1 to 2 questions. There is a title page. The collage includes many pictures. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Provides work of the highest quality. Every question is answered and there is a title page. The collage includes many pictures. ||  ||
 * Time Management || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">The group was never on task. Always needed someone there to be sure they were doing what they needed to do. Did not complete project on time. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">The group easily got off task. Had to be asked many times to focus. Project was not fully completed on time. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">The group is almost always on task. Project was completed on time. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">The group is always on task. Project was completed on time. ||  ||
 * Problem-Solving || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Student does not try to solve problems or suggest solutions. Student lets others do the work. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Student does not suggest or refine solutions, but is willing to try out solutions selected by others. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Student refines solutions suggested by others. || <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Student actively uses the internet to find and suggest solutions to problems. ||  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Working with others || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Student never listens to, shares with, and supports others in the group. Not a ‘team player.’ || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Student rarely listens to, shares with, and supports others in the group. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Student usually listens to, shares with, and supports others in the group. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Student always listens to, shares with, and supports others in the group. A ‘team player.’ ||  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Contributions || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Student did not contribute to this group assignment. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Student almost never provides useful information to his/her group. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Student almost always provides useful information to his/her group. || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">Student always provides useful information to his/her group. ||  ||

 <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">National Geographic would like to thank you for finding this information. Hopefully now you have learned about the habitat that your group researched, as well as the habitats that the other groups researched. After completing your book and reading other groups, you should be able to answer all of the questions that I have asked you to complete without your book in front of you. Can you tell me what animals live in the ocean? How about tundra? Where are grasslands found in the world? What types of adaptations do animals have to make to live in a desert? What are the characteristics of a rainforest?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 18pt;">Conclusion **

 <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Google images
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 18pt;">Credits & References **

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 7.5pt;">Last updated on April 18, 2011. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 7.5pt;">Based on a template from [|The WebQuest Page]