Summary of Learning Task
This WebQuest, designed for a one-to-one classroom, permits high school students to research notable culturally diverse women. Secondary learners will utilize multiple technology tools to create digital artifacts that encapsulate the lives and contributions of the women they research. As well, students will demonstrate their ability to conduct this research in MLA style by including a brief research essay with their digital artifacts.
This learning experience is couched within an authentic learning task: the development of a comprehensive museum exhibit for Women's History Month. Students will "interview" with the teacher to assume various roles, and they will be divided into several realistic groups, each of which has a specific task within the museum. The scenario requires two tasks of the students. They are to create an exhibit (multiple digital options available), and they must submit a written rationale (i.e. their essay) to the museum director (i.e. the teacher) that explains and justifies their choice in subject and project.
In the English/Language Arts classroom, this webquest meets several of the standards that relate to the research process and formal, academic writing that requires research citations. Thus, the webquest serves as a 21st Century update to the traditional research project, and, by incorporating new technology and multitudes of choice, we hope that it makes research more engaging for students. This webquest could also be implemented in any other content area. Women have made notable accomplishments in all fields, and a teacher can easily adapt the choices to his or her content area. As well, teachers can easily add additional choices, and they can always allow students to choose their own topic for research.
This WebQuest, designed for a one-to-one classroom, permits high school students to research notable culturally diverse women. Secondary learners will utilize multiple technology tools to create digital artifacts that encapsulate the lives and contributions of the women they research. As well, students will demonstrate their ability to conduct this research in MLA style by including a brief research essay with their digital artifacts.
This learning experience is couched within an authentic learning task: the development of a comprehensive museum exhibit for Women's History Month. Students will "interview" with the teacher to assume various roles, and they will be divided into several realistic groups, each of which has a specific task within the museum. The scenario requires two tasks of the students. They are to create an exhibit (multiple digital options available), and they must submit a written rationale (i.e. their essay) to the museum director (i.e. the teacher) that explains and justifies their choice in subject and project.
In the English/Language Arts classroom, this webquest meets several of the standards that relate to the research process and formal, academic writing that requires research citations. Thus, the webquest serves as a 21st Century update to the traditional research project, and, by incorporating new technology and multitudes of choice, we hope that it makes research more engaging for students. This webquest could also be implemented in any other content area. Women have made notable accomplishments in all fields, and a teacher can easily adapt the choices to his or her content area. As well, teachers can easily add additional choices, and they can always allow students to choose their own topic for research.
Relevant Standards
Content Standards - 10th Grade English/Language Arts
Reading - Informational Texts
ELAGSE10RI1 - Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. (Research)
ELAGSE10RI2 - Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. (Research)
ELAGSE10RI3 - Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them. (Research)
ELAGSE9-10RI7 - Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account. (Reading historical and contemporary documents)
ELAGSE9-10RI8 - Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning. (Reading historical and contemporary documents)
ELAGSE9-10RI9 - Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washington’s Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech, King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Nelson Mandela’s Nobel Peace Prize Speech, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights), including how they address related themes and concepts. (Reading historical and contemporary documents for comparison and contrast)
Writing
ELAGSE10W2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
ELAGSE10W5 - Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
ELAGSE10W6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
ELAGSE10W7 - Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
ELAGSE10W8 - Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source, answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoid plagiarism and follow a standard format for citation.
ELAGSE10W9 - Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. a. Apply grades 9–10 Reading Standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare]”). b. Apply grades 9–10 Reading Standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning”).
Speaking and Listening
ELAGSE10SL1 - Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
ELAGSE10SL4 - Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task. (Presentation)
ELAGSE10SL5 - Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. (Presentation)
ELAGSE10SL6 - Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 9–10 Language Standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.) (Presentation)
Language (i.e. Conventions of Standard English)
ELAGSE10L1 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
ISTE-S Technology Standards
1a - Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
1b - Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
2a - Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
2b - Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
2d - Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.
3a - Plan strategies to guide inquiry.
3b - Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
3c - Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
4a - Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.
4b - Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.
Content Standards - 10th Grade English/Language Arts
Reading - Informational Texts
ELAGSE10RI1 - Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. (Research)
ELAGSE10RI2 - Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. (Research)
ELAGSE10RI3 - Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them. (Research)
ELAGSE9-10RI7 - Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account. (Reading historical and contemporary documents)
ELAGSE9-10RI8 - Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning. (Reading historical and contemporary documents)
ELAGSE9-10RI9 - Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washington’s Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech, King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Nelson Mandela’s Nobel Peace Prize Speech, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights), including how they address related themes and concepts. (Reading historical and contemporary documents for comparison and contrast)
Writing
ELAGSE10W2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
- A. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
- B. Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.
- C. Use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
- D. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.
- E. Establish and maintain an appropriate style and objective tone.
- F. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic). (Informative Presentation)
- A. Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
- B. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
- C. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole.
- D. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
- E. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative. (Creative Writing and Point of View of Researched Individual)
ELAGSE10W5 - Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
ELAGSE10W6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
ELAGSE10W7 - Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
ELAGSE10W8 - Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source, answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoid plagiarism and follow a standard format for citation.
ELAGSE10W9 - Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. a. Apply grades 9–10 Reading Standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare]”). b. Apply grades 9–10 Reading Standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning”).
Speaking and Listening
ELAGSE10SL1 - Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
- A. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
- B. Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.
- C. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
- D. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.
ELAGSE10SL4 - Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task. (Presentation)
ELAGSE10SL5 - Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. (Presentation)
ELAGSE10SL6 - Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 9–10 Language Standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.) (Presentation)
Language (i.e. Conventions of Standard English)
ELAGSE10L1 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
- A. Use parallel structure.
- B. Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations. (Presentation)
- A. Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses.
- B. Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation.
- C. Spell correctly.
- D. Produce legible work that shows accurate spelling and correct use of the conventions of punctuation and capitalization. (Presentation)
ISTE-S Technology Standards
1a - Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
1b - Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
2a - Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
2b - Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
2d - Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.
3a - Plan strategies to guide inquiry.
3b - Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
3c - Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
4a - Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.
4b - Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.