Lesson Plan Two: Exploration of Japan Webquest

Michigan Language Arts Standards and Benchmarks:

1. Inquiry and Research

    Content Standard 11: All students will define and investigate important issues and problems using a variety of resources, including technology, to explore and create texts.

        Later Elementary Benchmark 2: Identify and use the kinds of resources that are most useful and most readily available for the particular questions or topics they wish to investigate.

National Educational Technology Standards:

    1. Basic operations and concepts

            1. Use keyboards and other common input and output devices (including adaptive devices when necessary) efficiently and effectively.

    3. Technology productivity tools

            4.Use general purpose productivity tools and peripherals to support personal productivity, remediate skill deficits, and facilitate learning throughout the curriculum.

            5. Use technology tools for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.

Objectives:

    -Students will research information for their specific Japan topic (example: regions of Japan).

Materials:

    -Research worksheet

    -Computer Lab (30 computers)

    -Internet access (Japan Webquest via Deanne Jones' School notes page)

    -pencil

Purpose:

    -Students will learn to research relevant information about their specific topic .  In following lessons, the students will use this information to create a web and write a paper.  Gathering specific information now, will allow the students to become more knowledgeable and organized when it comes to writing their final report.

Anticipatory Set:  

   -Teacher will assign a specific subject to each student and ask them to think about what they know and what they want to know.

Check for Understanding:

   -This will happen on an individual basis once we are in the computer lab.  The teacher will circulate around the computer lab and ask students specific questions as they work.  The teacher will also answer any questions from the students during independent practice.

Modeling:

   -Teacher hands out research worksheet.

   -Teacher will ask students to write their topic on their research worksheet.  Teacher has an example topic to explore using the LCD projector.  Students will follow along by looking at the screen.  Teacher will show how she would find her topic and what she would write down.

Guided Practice  

   -Teacher will show students where the main topic areas are.  She will also show the students two other websites they can look at for additional information.

    -Teacher will circulate around the class to make sure students are on the right topic.  Teacher will emphasize that the questions the students should be researching on the Webquest can be found at the top of their research worksheet.

Independent Practice:

   -Students will research information about their specific topic.  

*This part of the lesson will take several days to complete *

Closure:

   -As students finish their research, they must show the teacher so she can make sure the student has the correct information.  The student is also allowed to print one sheet from the website at this time.