Quest to Be 21st Century Learners

With the Next Generation Science Standards making their way to the scene in 2017-2018 and the Standards for the 21^st Century Learner, there is a strong emphasis being placed on inquiry-based learning in the classroom. Web Quests, or inquiry-based lessons where students interact with online tools to gather information, are one way to bring inquiry learning into the classroom.

WildWeather (click on link) is an excellent resource for students, grades K-2. This introductory web quest is highly engaging, and offers young students a variety of online tools at different levels for a wide range of abilities. Since it is geared towards primary students, the inquiry is very simplistic and straightforward so students become comfortable with the process of using online tools to gather information. In this web quest, students COLLABORATE, CREATE, SHARE, and EVALUATE their learning! Some Web 2.0 tools are suggested for sharing information with others.

Here are some highlights of Wild Weather:

·    High Interest: Young students, grade K-2, will be learning about weather patterns in the world around them. Many students find severe weather fascinating, so their curiosity leads to inquiry.

·    Simple: This web quest is geared towards primary students. The inquiry question is straightforward, and the directions are clear.

·    User-Friendly: The structure of the web quest is laid out sequentially on one page. Students click on the image for the severe weather type they choose, and all of the online resources are listed together. Usernames and passwords are provided so students do not have to interrupt learning to ask for them.

·    Choice: Students get a choice in their inquiry-based learning. There are four different types of severe weather listed: tornadoes, blizzards, hurricanes, and thunderstorms. The students also get to select the final product to share their inquiry with the rest of the class.

·    Organization: The web quest is organized logically and sequentially. All information students needs about the web quest including the task, process, and evaluation rubric are on one page. This makes navigation through the web quest easy, and primary students will not get lost through the journey.

·    Variety of resources: Students do not just use online print resources, but videos are also included for students to view and listen to. Additional online resources schools have access to can be added to the lists.

·    Collaboration: After the initial process of gathering information independently, students work in small groups according to the severe weather type selected, and they share what they have learned through a guided discussion with questions provided. Questions are open-ended, and allow for debate among students.

·    Creation: Students use their creativity to share the information they learned in a unique way. Students can create a PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation, a brochure, or a blog. Teachers or librarians can add other tools such as PicCollage, Explain Everything, Little Bird Tales digital storytelling, or other new technology tools for students to creatively share the information they learn with others.

·    Sharing: Student groups will share the final product with the rest of the class.  Each member of the group is encouraged to present some part of the information or final product.

·    Evaluation: The rubric is simple. Students evaluate the information gathered, the final product, and their participation within the small group.

If this web quest does not meet the needs of your students, all parts can be modified. For example, some primary students may have a difficult time reading the online articles from Weather Wiz Kids, Scholastic, and Science Kids. The teacher or librarian can plan to have an intermediate class, grade 3-5, partner with the students to help read the information aloud. Another idea would be for the information to be prerecorded on an iPad so that students can listen to it while having the webpage open to follow along.

This web quest is an excellent starting point for inquiry-based learning in the primary grades. With the youngest students, the inquiry process needs to be simple, straightforward, and clear so they are successful using the process and tools. This is just the beginning of their quest to be life-21^st Century learners and life-long information seekers!

References:
Giradi, M. (2016, June 26). Wild Weather Web Quest. Retrieved from 
http://goshenschoolsny.org/Schools/SAS/TeacherPgs/mwest/Weather%20Webquest.cfm