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Designed for Junior High School Library Users by: Betsy Farquhar And Modified by Martha Lohmann Created with the help of training materials provided by:The WebQuest Page Last updated February 9, 2007 |
Introduction
Once upon a time,
in a far off land, in a world very different from this one.... there was an Internet- a web of information that was accessible to many people. Some of the information on this web was valuable, and some of it was total #$%&@×±. And there were some students whose teachers demanded that they weed through all this stuff....
and well, wait a second. Does any of this sound familiar? ANY of it? Does it sound like it might be... you?
Do you ever wonder:
Who puts information up on the web?
How can I decide if this information is any good, anyway?
Can I find something that might be better than this?
This Webquest is
designed to help you answer these questions and a few others. When you finish
this quest, you will be more able to look critically at web sites.
Before we go any
further, let’s look at these pictures:
Your next step: Proceed to “The Task” below!
The Task
Your task... no, your mission:
Your job in all of this to develop a strategy you could really use to "read" websites. We don't mean just read the words!
You will be able to look for the who, what, when, and why behind any website, and then make a choice about how valuable the site is for you.
You will be able to discuss with you class and your teacher what you've found.
You will be able to create a resource (a poster, a handout, an index card) for your classmates to use in the library or the classroom to help them to evaluate websites on their own.
Your next step: Proceed to “The Process” below to see what’s next.
The Process
1: Your first step is to team up. You don't want to tackle this alone- It could get ugly. Your teacher will pair you with one other student.
2: Once you are with your partner, you will look at the following web site that explains some of the things you are looking at when you decide whether a site is a good site to use. Examine the information carefully.
The Quality Information Checklist: http://www.quick.org.uk/menu.htm
3: As you read
through the above site, write down a list of the
criteria that are presented. Discuss
these questions with your partner:
What things does the author of the site list as important things to
look for?
How does he or she tell you to look for these things?
What advice does the author give?
Does the author give you a checklist, a chart, or a graphic?
As you examine the site, keep who, what, when, and why in mind.
4: Select a web page from the list below. Use your list to evaluate the page.
Buy an Ancestor Online! http://www.fulkerson.org/ancestors/buyfix.html
Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie http://zapatopi.net/afdb.html
Driver’s License Search http://license.shorturl.com/
The Jackalope Conspiracy http://www.sudftw.com/jackcon.htm
The True but Little Known Facts about Women and
AIDS http://www.ithaca.edu/library/research/AIDSFACTS.htm
The Northwestern Tree Octopus http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/animals/comments/4350/
5: Think about the criteria
that you listed. How well did the work at helping you decide
how good the web page is
6: With your partner, examine the pair of sites below. This time, use the Quality Checklists provided by Mrs. Lohmann to evaluate these sites. Use one of your Quality Checklists to evaluate the first site, then use the other Quality Checklist to evaluate the second site. Discuss which site you might choose to use for a paper or project.
http://descy.50megs.com/mankato/mankato.html
8: Have Mrs. Lohmann or Mrs.
Ediger check over your Quality checklist.
When it is considered adequately done, proceed to step 9 below.
9:
You are ready to make a resource for the
library. You can do this in the form of a handout, a poster, a checklist, etc.-
Make it by hand or on the computer. Be creative and have a good time! Remember,
this is something you are going to share with the rest of the class. Make sure
you include all of the following in your resource:
Who made it (your
name!)
A creative title.
At least five
criteria/questions to ask when evaluating a web site
Some artwork- see if
you can choose or create images that add information to your resource
Evaluation
The evaluation of the time spent on this project and on your resource will be done by Mrs. Ediger, based on a rubric that she has.
Conclusion
You made it! Well, you got started, anyway- making smart choices about the information you find is just like making other choices- it really helps to know your options. By completing this Webquest, you and your classmates are that much closer to being expert website evaluators. You have learned valuable things about the importance of thinking about who the author of a web site is, when a web site was created, why it was created, and how much you can trust it. And... you made a real tool that students in your own school can use and learn from.