Teacher's guide for Dollars For Diseases??

by Bari Mannlein

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Introduction

Use this WebQuest to help High School Biology students learn about Genetic Disorders. The goal is to get students engaging in critical thinking and utilizing technology. In order to carry out this webquest to its fullest capacity, you will need to have the following technologies available...the Internet, a word processor capable of making hyperlinks, and FirstClass software or the equivalent.

Overview

Main Topic:	Genetic Disorders
Subtopics:	General Information, Research Outlook, Statistical Information,
Grade Level:	High School
Subject(s):	Biology
Learning Goal:	engaging in critical thinking

Vision and Reality

If the learning goal were achieved in the most ideal of perfect worlds it would look something like:

The students will be assigned a genetic disorder to independantly research using a list of websites given to them as well as their own searches on the world wide web. This will enable them to improve their searching strategies and their research capabilities. After completing a report utilizing hypertext on their assigned disease they will be collaborating, online and off, in small groups to reach a concensus and prioritize moneys given by the federal government for further research. This aspect requires them to read some of the other students work, enabling them to learn about some other genetic diseases besides their own. The online collaboration will be done via First Class, and will be based on questions provided to them by the teacher. These questions will be designed to promote higher order thinking, values assessment and problem solving skills. They will be asked to discuss amd then conclude their decision as a group offline, in the classroom. The final stage of this project will involve peer and self-assessment. At the conclusion of this project, the students will have had the opportunity to practice some previously learned technologies and experience and learn some new technologies, in addition to learning about genetic disorders and the problems that are associated with them.

However, what I anticipate probably looks more like:

The What - If Inventory

To give the activity its best chance at helping students learn, I assembled this list of possible resources:

Technology Resources:
Internet Web Sites
First Class Email Software (or the equivalent)
A Word Processor (capable of doing hyperlinks)

Internet Potential:
Research
On-line Collaboration and Discussion

Possible Collaborations:
Small Group Discussion (for Disease Prioritization)on-line and off-line.
Ask an Expert Email (if desired)

Standards

Conclusion

created by Bari Mannlein email: bmannlei@srsd.org http://www.web-and-flow.com/members/bmannlei/geneticdisease/webquest.htm