Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Have you been pining to include pertinent webquests in your curriculum? This site allows you to view already created webquests and/or use their online tool to create your own webquest without HTML code or web editor software. This site walks you through a tutorial on creating your own webquest for the parameters YOU want. The tutorial includes planning, building, and getting your webquest published. Best of all-- it is free. This site also includes ready-made webquests in nearly every subject area (math, art, music, social studies, science, etc.) submitted by others like you. There are webquests for all grade level. The webquests are free to use and many include reviews by other educators. An easy to follow webquest matrix is available, with all of the subjects and grade levels. You are also able to do a webquest search for a specific topic. Nearly all of the webquests are in English, but a few are in other languages. Note: the quality of webquests is completely determined by others using the site to create webquests, so PREVIEW before using any webquest in class.

tag(s): calories (9), colors (59), money (130), presidents (112), pyramids (15)

This site's goal is to encourage ESL and language teachers to use technology as yet another tool in language teaching and learning. Guidelines and examples for a number of projects (digital recipes, digital movies) describe every step of the project from start to finish so that even a technological novice can complete them. Other features include a blog, a wiki teachers can contribute to, detailed tutorials for some of the projects, links to other projects including webquest creation, a regular podcast available by free subscription, and the promise of future project additions.

tag(s): blogs (73), wikis (16)

Constructed by a practicing teacher, this webquest is simple, but very good. It takes students through a series of searches that lets them think about the difference between society and theatre of that time. While Mr. Eyerly has constructed the quest in such a way as to take the place of or significantly augment a unit plan (covering 45 days) on Elizabethan drama, with the culminating project being a student film, many parts of this are adaptable to shorter periods and less ambitious outcomes.

tag(s): elizabethan (13)

This simple WebQuest is a great tool to use for introducing your students to the history of July 4th, the meaning of symbols and independence. There is a lot of information available, which can easily be sifted through to find the useful activities for your classroom. A few of the links are no longer active, but the information should be relatively easy to find.

tag(s): july 4th (6), symbols (12)

This site pulls together understanding of environment, geography, the earth and its setting in space, cultures, animals, and more. It forms a "core" for what social studies (and science)is all about. To figure out how the "Big Wide World" works, students will work with partners to investigate one area of the world (globe, plants, people, cultures, language, animals) and come up with rules about how this area works. The individual areas join with other areas and determine how the areas relate to each other. A teacher guide included. Active X is required on some website links.

tag(s): animals (258), cultures (97), environment (219)

For teachers who want to learn more about webquests, this is the original from Bernie Dodge at San Diego State. He and Tom March "invented" the webquest. The term has come to be used in many ways, but this is the "real" thing. With academic articles, complete training materials, exercises, information on design, suggestions for adapting existing webquests, etc., this is a complete resource. The site also contains links to online workshops for those who prefer instruction with feedback. Teachers First also has a step-by-step tutorial on making a web-based activity, Webquest 101.

tag(s): design (82), webquests (22)

This adorable WebQuest has everything you have ever wanted to know about pigs! The task is for students to learn about various breeds of pigs (and if that breed has hair on their "chinny, chinny, chin"). The creative methods used to instruct the students include web tours, games, handouts, detailed diagrams and more.

tag(s): agriculture (44)

This Webquest challenges students, working in small groups, to read, share, and compare/contrast folk tales from different parts of the world. A printable chart is provided to guide the analysis, and a graphic organizer can be downloaded to help students organize their thoughts for the final activity - the creation of an original folk tale. Links to online fairytales are provided.

tag(s): air (108), webquests (22)