Teacher Resources
Subject Area:
Information Literacy/Library
Grade Level:
5th Grade
Overview
When students think of gathering information they think of the Internet, and the Internet provides them with plenty! Too much!
Selecting the "best information" is the real challenge. If it comes up first they think it’s the best!
It is up to us as educators to help them understand that the quality of information varies greatly. The Internet has no "filter" for quality, or reliability. No editorial board determines the publication of material. Anyone can publish anything on the Internet! Furthermore, it is not illegal to publish incorrect information on the Internet!
We need to give our students strategies to limit their searches and most importantly, we need to offer them guidance and practice in the thoughtful evaluation of sources.
This WebQuest was designed to integrate many areas of Bloom's Taxonomy and several of Gardner's Multiple Intelligences.
Click here to view the integration matrix which shows which parts of the WebQuest hit the various parts of Bloom and Gardner.
How this WebQuest should be used:
This WebQuest ideally is to be used after instructing the students of other reliable resources such as subscription databases, books, and print encyclopedias. They should already have an understanding that searching the Internet via a search engine should be their last resort.
This WebQuest is intended to provide strategies to help students understand why they need to evaluate websites and how to do it.
Before teaching this WebQuest, it is also recommended that your students understand why it is important to give credit to their sources. They should also know how to credit a source.
Standards
The following are Information Literacy Standards as depicted in Information Power: Information Literacy Standards for Learning, prepared by the American Association of School Librarians and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology.
Information Literacy
· Standard 1: The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively.
· Standard 2: The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently.
· Standard 7: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and recognizes the importance of information to a democratic society.
· Standard 9: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.
New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards that this WebQuest is aligned to:
Standard 8.2 (Technology Education) All students will develop an understanding of the nature and impact of technology, engineering, technological design, and the designed world as they relate to the individual, society, and the environment.
Standard 3.3 (Speaking) All students will speak in clear, concise, organized language that varies in content and form for different audiences and purposes.
Standard 3.4 (Listening) All students will listen actively to information from a variety of sources in a variety of situations.
Standard 3.5 (Viewing and Media Literacy) All students will access, view, evaluate, and respond to print, non-print, and electronic texts and resources.
Teacher and Library Media Specialist working together:
This WebQuest will be most effective for students when it is taught by both their classroom teacher and their school library media specialist. The school library media specialist is an expert in selecting and evaluating appropriate resources. The classroom teacher is essential in ensuring that the students understand and utilize these skills. The two need to work hand-in-hand for this WebQuest to determine that the students have enough time to complete this task and that they are staying on target.
It may not be possible for both the classroom teacher and the school library media specialist to be present for every aspect of this WebQuest, but they can each ensure student success through communication. By reflecting on student progress throughout the WebQuest, the classroom teacher and school library media specialist can re-evaluate the pace of the WebQuest and the tasks that the students are given.
You may find it necessary to adjust certain aspects of this WebQuest to ensure success with your students.
Creating effective student groups for this WebQuest:
This WebQuest is designed to incorporate many aspects of Bloom's Taxonomy and numerous learning styles. The WebQuest requires that students select a project to complete based on their interests, therefore it would be helpful if students were placed in groups with similar interests. You may find that you have better success with this WebQuest if you allow the students to select who they want to work with.
Variation of this WebQuest:
If you do not have access to video conferencing equipment, you could have your class teach the information to another class in your building. It could work great as a way to introduce the concept to another classroom, or another grade level.
Have you tried this WebQuest with your students?
If so, please email us and let you know what you think. What worked and what didn't. We welcome any and all comments and suggestions!
Special thanks to the following websites used to help us create our WebQuest:
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
http://www.authorquest.ecsd.net/
http://www.albany.edu/~ef8043/introquest.htm