Splish! Splash! Can I Take a Bath?

A WebQuest for 7th Grade (English, Social Studies)

Designed by Tara Prime and Ellen Phillips

Halifax Regional School Board

tara.prime@ns.sympatico.ca

phillie@staff.ednet.ns.ca

Introduction | Learners | Outcomes | Process | Resources | Evaluation | Credits | Student Page

Introduction

This WebQuest was developed as an introduction to an interdisciplinary unit on water and is suitable for the middle school level.

Students work in partners to investigate a water shortage problem in their community and in the process make a presentation to town council advocating water conservation.

Learners

This WebQuest is intended to be used at the Grade 7 level, but is easily adaptable to the middle school level. Its emphasis is upon English/Language Arts, Social Studies, and the the integration of Information Technologies.

Students should be able to navigate their way through embedded links. Students should have basic skills for using the Internet and as well saving and accessing stored files. They need to be able to use brainstorming software such as Inspiration.

Curriculum Outcomes

As a result of this WebQuest, students will meet the following subject specific curriculum outcomes as per the Nova Scotia Department of Education curriculum documents. 

English/Language Arts

Speaking and Listening:

-Express clearly and with conviction, a personal pint of view, and be able to support that position

-Follow instructions and respond to questions and directions

-Demonstrate active speaking and listening skills such as making eye contact, rephrasing when appropriate, clarifying comments, extending, refining and/or summarizing points of view already made.

Reading and Viewing:

-Become increasingly aware of and use periodically the many print and non-print avenues and sources (Internet, documentaries, interviews) through which information can be accessed and selected

-Use research strategies like issue mapping and webbing to guide research

-Extend personal responses, either orally or in writing, to print and non-print texts by explaining in some detail initial or basic reactions to those texts

Writing and Other Ways of Representing:

-Experiment with a range of strategies (brainstorming, sketching, free-writing) to extend and explore learning, to reflect on their own and others’ ideas, and to identify problems and consider solutions

-Understand that note-taking is purposeful, and has many purposes (e.g. personal use, gathering information for an assignment, recording what has happened and what others have said) and many forms, (e.g., lists, summaries, observations and descriptions)

-Learn to recognize and begin to use more often the specific prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, and presentation strategies that most effectively help to produce various texts

Integration of Information Technologies

Basic Operations and Concepts:

-Students will demonstrate effective use of computer keyboards, mice, and/or other input devices to produce final documents and presentations with few typographical or layout errors

-Under general supervision as they research, design and create products that represent their learning, students will be able to independently and safely use computer equipment to access and use curriculum-based software, from CD ROMs, hard drives, or other data storage media

Productivity Tools and Software:

-Students will independently use electronic planning software to brainstorm; develop a thought web; outline and map ideas under study; and track their progress toward agreed work deadlines

Communications Technology:

-With teacher assistance and direction as required, students will use curriculum information resources available within the school, district, community and Internet

Research, Problem Solving, and Decision Making:

-Students will independently locate and access school library resources relevant to their personal interests or topics under study

-Using full-text and encyclopaedic electronic resources and teacher-recommended Internet web addresses, designed for use at the junior high level, students will independently search, evaluate and select relevant information on topics under study

Social Studies

Acquiring, Processing and Communicating Information:

-Gather, evaluate and select appropriate information from increasingly complex examples of primary and secondary print materials, visual and graphic sources, electronic sources, statistics, field studies and observation, interviews and reference materials

-Create more detailed summaries, essays, reports and oral and multi-media presentations

-Evaluate and refine their research and learning strategies

Citizenship, Power and Governance:

-Take age appropriate actions to demonstrate civic responsibility and strengthen the common good

Participating:

-Demonstrate age appropriate collaborative skills which contribute to the positive functioning of different types of cooperative groups

-Seek solutions to class, school or community problems through constructive personal and group action

People, Place and Environment:

-analyze the effects and consequences of human modification of the environment on systems within the environment

Stewardship:

-recognize the interconnectedness and interdependence of humans and the natural environment on an increasingly global scale

-Analyze the impact that humans have on the environment and resources both as individuals and as members of society on an increasingly global scale

Time, Continuity and Change:

-demonstrate an understanding that each individual has a responsibility for the sustainability of the environment and resource use

-evaluate solutions to increasingly complex environmental and resource use problems

-make recommendations to improve policies and practices with respect to increasingly complex examples of environmental and resource use problems

Throughout the WebQuest, students will be embarking on an investigative journey that demands team work, critical thinking, creative problem solving and a formal presentation of their findings.

Process

1. Choose a partner – keep in mind that you will be evaluated. You will be responsible for helping one another in your learning.

2. Brainstorm- to complete the KWL  chart provided by the teacher. What do you and your partner already Know about water? What do you Want to learn about water? Save the KWL chart to complete the what you Learned column after you and your partner finish the WebQuest.

3. Internet, Library and Classroom Resources- You and your partner are going to use Internet resources  provided as well as classroom and library materials to find out the importance of water in your lives. Read each resource used carefully and take jot notes of important points which will assist you in the oral presentation. Review your notes on how to give an effective oral report.

4. Concept Map- After viewing all resources, use Inspiration Software to create a concept map.   This is a special form of a web diagram for exploring knowledge and gathering information. Show at least 10 relationships between humans and water that is, how important water is to our daily lives, ways we use water, and suggestions for conservation. Use specific facts and provide examples to support your oral presentation. Your concept map should show what you learned and be easy to understand.

5. Preparation- Prepare your notes for your presentation to city council. Both members must take part in the presentation. Practice your presentation to ensure it is 3-5 minutes in length. Keep in mind you must answer the following in your presentation:

• Who uses water?
• What is water used for in our lives?
• Where does the water come from?
• Why must we respect and conserve this precious natural resource?
• How can this be done?

6. Complete your KWL - With your partner, complete the "What you have learned " section of your KWL graphic organizer. Include facts that you didn’t know before you began this WebQuest. This could include interesting facts, conservation tips, water trivia, etc.

7. Student Showcase – Now you and your partner will present your report to city council. Be sure to bring to their attention the impact that they have on the environment, not only on a local level but also globally. Are you a novice, informed or expert water advocate? 

8. Rubric- Obtain a rubric from the teacher. Place an "X" in the mark that you feel you deserve for each of the criteria listed. Hand in your rubric as well as your concept map to the teacher after your presentation.

This multi-disciplinary WebQuest is simply designed for even the novice teacher. It is adaptable to both a classroom pod or a computer lab situation. Depending upon the situation, the time frame for the WebQuest is from one to two weeks.

Resources Needed

In order to implement this WebQuest, the following resources are suggested:

• Library access
• Internet Accessibility
• Inspiration Software or similar brainstorming software.  A free 30 day trial version of Inspiration is available here.
• The following websites are used:

Clean Water - Life Depends On It! Be sure to check out the links from this page. There is valuable information here.

The importance of water information can be found here.

Conservation Tips - Be sure to check out both indoor and outdoor conservation

Play the Watershed Game to learn how we can keep water pure and fresh.

Click here for Quick Water Facts.

What causes Water Pollution?

Find out about the water cycle.

More about the water cycle

Are You a Water Protector or Contaminator? - take the quiz

Evaluation

Assessment of this WebQuest is on-going. Through teacher observation and checklists, teachers should keep on-going anecdotal records on student progress. Student participation and cooperation within the partnership is vital to their final assessment.  Both partners must complete a self-assessment by obtaining a copy of the rubric from the teacher. As well, the teacher will give a final assessment on the rubric using not only her assessment of the final product, but also her observations during the process of the WebQuest.

Credits & References

All graphics or animated gifs courtesy of Microsoft.

This WebQuest is based on a template from The WebQuest Page and the Design Patterns page.

"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."