Monday, October 31, 2011

Civil War Webquest BAD

http://www.barrow.k12.ga.us/hes/classrooms/html/civil_war_webquest.html

I felt that this webquest had a lot of potential. It is very attractive, contains nice pictures and ideas on the main page and the tasks seem simple yet challenging for middle school students.  However, this webquest fails at even getting off the ground. Many of the links are broken or not found.  How students are supposed to complete it is unknown.  The resources you provide for the webquest content are one of the most important aspects and they are few and far between with this one.  I do like how students are divided by their individual roles, so the webquest is unique for each student. It is clear what is expected of the students, and the websites that work are good sources. However, the broken links kill this site. Also, the main page and introduction could be confusing for students with reading disabilities.

Civil War Webquest GOOD

http://www.fcps.edu/LondonTowneES/Webquests/civwarwbq/cwadvice.htm

This Civil War Webquest is very eye-catching with its red/white/blue theme.  It provides multiple tasks, each student assigned a different role.  These tasks contain many different resources with very clear cut instructions.  The questions challenge students to critically think, and place themselves in the shoes of historical figures.  The anticipatory set lets the students imagine they are visited by a historical figure, making the lesson imaginative and fun. Most of the links are trustworthy off the bat (.org, .edu) and those that needed a closer look also appear to be reputable. I would say this webquest is effective and gives each student a unique opportunity.  The tasks are challenging but not difficult, and there is even an advice page for those who need help completing the final task.