Teacher Page

09/26/07

Background:

I am the Education Technology Teacher at Sutton Middle School. Welcome to my WebQuest. There are only 7 species of Sea Turtles, and they are all on the Endangered or Threatened Species list. This WebQuest can potentially help save them.

This webquest is an inquiry-based activity, suitable for 6 - 8th graders. It integrates Life Science, Geography, Language Arts, and Technology Standards. This WebQuest is intended to educate middle school students on scientific classification, endangered species, and effects of human interference on animal habitats, while working collaboratively using technology. For full objectives and Massachusetts Frameworks addressed, see below.

If you do use the WebQuest, please send me feedback. My goal is to keep this current and useful. I want to address any issues you may have. Please email me at wattsb@suttonschools.net. Thank you.

I hope you and your students enjoy it.

If time is of the essence, you may have students do only a portion of the WebQuest.

Objectives:

By the end of this WebQuest, students will:

	Have a better understanding of a particular sea turtle species and the impact humans have on their chance of survival
	Take on a role to understand an issue
	Compile and organize research collected from specified Internet and other resources.
	Summarize their findings in a word processed document.
	Take a stand on a current issue
	Work collaboratively to construct a multimedia presentation to present their view
	Understand the complexities of real life issues
	Take real-life action on their position of sea turtle conservation

Massachusetts Education Frameworks:

Life Science Standards:

	1. Classify organisms into the recognized kingdoms according to characteristics that they share. Be familiar with organisms from each kingdom.
	12. Relate extinction of species to a mismatch of adaptation and the environment.

National Geography Standards:

14. How human actions modify the Physical Environment

English Language Arts Standards:

	Language Strand - 1.3 - Apply understanding of agreed-upon rules and individual roles in order to make decisions.
	Composition Strand - 24.3 - Apply steps for obtaining information from a variety of sources, organizing information, documenting sources, and presenting research in group projects.
	Media Strand - 27.3 - Create a media production using effective images, text, music, sound effects, or graphics.

Technology Performance Indicators:

	1.13, 1.25, 1.27, 1.28, 1.32 - Save files to an electronic space, identify and use features of a browser, identify basic elements of a Web site, copy an image from a Web site to the desktop, create a slide presentation.
	2.6, 2.7, 2.14 - Demonstrate ethical and legal behavior in copying files, understand school policy regarding Internet use, write correct citations for materials used from electronic sources.
	3.6, 3.9 - Identify electronic sources of information and choose appropriate sources, communicate results of research and learning with others using the most appropriate tools.

Introduction:

This Webquest can be done after a unit of animal classification or environmental studies of any nature.
The Scavenger Hunt will be used to activate prior knowledge about Sea Turtles. This will give them some basic knowledge before they are committed to a certain role.

Link to Scavenger Hunt

Children will use the questions to help them dig deep into some of the sea turtle sites. This way they'll be engaged when they read through their tasks.

Answer to the Bonus Question in the Scavenger Hunt: Scientists believe that sea turtles navigate by using their own innate global positioning system. Hatchlings are born with the ability to navigate using the earth's magnetic field.

Timeline:

This is a multidisciplinary study and it's difficult to say how long it will take. A reasonable guess would be that it might take approximately 2-3 weeks if you worked on it for a block of time each day.

The following is an outline of a possible sequence and timeline.

	Day 1 - Introduction and overview of the question, task and process.
	Day 2 - Scavenger Hunt in pairs.
	Days 3 - Background - Step 1 of Process ~ Understand the Assignment Expectations
	Day 4 - 7 - Step 2 of the Process ~ Research the topic through their role. Write their findings in a summary.
	Days 8 - 9 - Step 3 ~ Group members share their findings. Decision-making on the stand their group will take.
	Days 10 - 11 - Organization of resources and planning of multimedia presentation.
	Days 12 - 14 - Creation of multimedia presentations
	Days 15 - 17 - Viewing of group presentations and concluding activities

Variations: You may vary the amount of time by doing only portions of the WebQuest. For example, the Scavenger Hunt can be done as a stand alone activity. Also, a student can work alone on this and assume whichever role they please. The multimedia project can be scaled down or eliminated.

Resources Needed:

	Computers with Internet access
	Word processing software
	Multimedia software (Power Point, Hyperstudio, Publisher)
	Any other resources on sea turtles and endangered species available at your school and in your community

Skills Needed:

Before starting this WebQuest, students should be able to use an Internet Browser, be able to copy and paste between two applications and be familiar with multimedia software.

Evaluation:

Students should be familiar with the expectations of the project before they begin their multimedia presentation. The teacher and students should discuss the evaluation rubric to help guide their work. Please feel free to adapt the rubricsto suit the needs of your class.

Credits:

This WebQuest was complied by Beth Watts, based on the templates from Bernie Dodge, the WebQuest guru.

Thank you to the Caribbean Conservation Corporation for having such useful and powerful information on their site. I will continue to be an active supporter.

Thank you to my professor, Mary Ellen Dubois, and classmates for help and encouragement in this daunting task.