US History Webquests
| The Quest for Knowledge | The Nature of a WebQuest |
| The Internet, unlike any other medium before it, is interactive and accessible to a great deal of people at once. It has the ability to provide endless amounts of information that can be used to motivate students to conduct investigations on any given topic. As an interactive tool for learning, teachers can use the Internet to stimulate creative thought and guide students to develop critical thinking in their "quest" for knowledge. But, how does a teacher tame the nature of the Internet to provide his/her students with a beneficial learning environment? |
One model approach for this dilemma is called a WebQuest developed in 1995 by Bernie Dodge of San Diego State University. Simply put, a WebQuest is an inquiry-based activity where students are given a task and provided with access to on-line resources to help them complete the task. It is an ideal way to deliver a lesson over the web. WebQuests are discovery learning tools; they are usually used to either begin or finish a unit of study. |
| Six (6) Reasons Teachers To Use WebQuests |
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1. To begin a unit as an anticipatory set; 2. To conclude a unit as a summation; 3. As a collaborative activity in which students create a product which fosters cooperative learning; 4. To teach students how to be independent thinkers since most of the problems encountered in a WebQuest are real-world problems; 5. To increase competency in the use of technology; 6. As a motivational techniques to keep students on task. |
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| Webquest |
Description |
Time Period(s) |
Skills Assessed |
Individual Pair Small Group |
End Product(s) |
| Webquest - The Constitutional Convention |
In Development
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Individual Pair Small Group |
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| US History - Manifest Destiny (Westward Expansion) Webquest |
The Manifest Destiny Webquest engages students in exploring the causes and effects of the US government policies on Westward Expansion. |
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Individual Pair Small Group |
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| US History - The Causes of the Civil War Webquest | The Causes of the Civil War Webquest engages students by examining the causes of the Civil War for topics; Slavery, States' Rights, Abolitionist Movement, Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Underground Railroad, The Missouri Compromise, Bleeding Kansas, The Raid on Harper's Ferry, Dred Scott Decision, The Election of Abraham Lincoln, and Southern Secession. The students will complete a question workpacket, multiple choice assessment, and a written summary of two causes of the civil war. |
Research, Paragraph Writing, |
Individual Pair Small Group |
Workpacket, Multiple Choice Assessment, Paragraph(s) Summary Writing | |
| US History - The American Civil War InfoQuest |
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Individual Pair Small Group |
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| US History - The Progressive Era Webquest |
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Individual Pair Small Group |
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| World Wars Webquest |
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Individual Pair Small Group |
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| US History Review Webquest |
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Individual Pair Small Group |
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