Introduction
While attending the Maryland Technology Academy in the summer of 1999, I developed this lesson as my first Web Quest and it has not been tried with students yet. For years I have used a "theme park" theme in math classes from K through 12th grade. I have found that theme parks are a wonderful "common" ground to start student discussion and there are so many directions that you can take with students. This particular unit could be used as an interdisciplinary task for primarily high school students and each teacher can make the focus of the unit fit with their curriculum. You could use this lesson with math, history, or English classes. The sites selected can also be used for a physics lesson.
My goals with this particular unit are the Maryland State Core Learning Goals entitled Skills for Success but will probably fit in with the goals for almost any state. These goals are: 1. Learning Skills---the student will plan, monitor, and evaluate his or her own learning experience. 2. Thinking Skills---The student will think creatively, and strategically to achieve goals, make decisions, and solve problems. 3. Communication skills---The student will plan, participate in, monitor, and evaluate communication experiences, in a variety of situations. 4. Technology Skills---the student will understand, apply, and evaluate technologies as labor-enhancing and problem-solving tools. 5. Interpersonal Skills---The student will work effectively with others and participate responsibly in a variety of situations. One of my personal goals is to develop a lesson that students can really "get into" and will be able to lead each other through the activities. This activity has always had an appeal to the students in my classes and the end products have been very creative!
Where to go from here!?!
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