Teacher's guide for All Sunshine Makes a Desert: A WebQuest on Deserts

by Karen O'Sullivan

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Introduction

Use this WebQuest to help third grade students learn about deserts of the world and particular those of North America. The goals are to engage students in critical thinking and collaborative learning.

Overview

Main Topic:	All Sunshine Makes a Desert
Subtopics:	Deserts of the World, North American Deserts, Plants, Animals, Geology, Weather, People, Adaptation, Survival
Grade Level:	K - 3
Subject(s):	Science
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:

Students work collaboratively in groups to complete the WebQuest activities. Most work is completed in school, but some is done at home.

However, what I anticipate probably looks more like:

There are a limited number of computer workstations available for students to use. Teachers have a variety of options that can be used alone or in combination to address this situation:

1. Have students rotate onto the computers in the classroom computers in order complete their research.

2. Arrangements can be made to have students work on computers in other classrooms to complete their research.

3. The WebQuest URL can be provided to students and they can be assigned research to complete as homework at home or at the public library.

The What - If Inventory

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

Technology Resources

Computer workstations with Internet access, printer
Presentation Monitor



Internet Potential

Web sites on the Desert



Possible Collaborations

Third grade classroom teachers can collaborate on the project. Special Education teachers can assist mainstreamed students with project. ESL teachers can assists limited-English speaking students with the project.





Special Events

Students can collaborate with classmates, members of other third grade classes in the school and with third grade students from other schools



General Resources

Deserts by Richard Stephen
Way Out in the Desert by T.J. and Jennifer Word
Magic School Bus Gets All Dried Up: A Book About Deserts (Scholastic)
Desert Giant by Barbara Bash
Welcome to the Sea of Sand by Jane Yolen
Cactus Hotel by Brenda Guiberson
Desert Buddies: Life in a Sunbaked Land by Dabrey Miller Philabaum
Deserts by Seymour Simon
Life in the Deserts by Lucy Baker
Desert Life-Look Closer



Standards

New York State Learning Standards:
-Students will access, generate, process and transfer information using appropriate technologies. (MST-2)
-Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles and theories pertaining to the physical setting and the living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science. (MST-4)

National Educational Technology Standards for Students:
- Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
- Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.
- Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
- Students use technology tools to process data and report results.

Conclusion

Teachers who use this WebQuest should provide feedback on its implementation so it can be modified to work effectively in the classroom.

created by Karen O'Sullivan email: KO'Sullivan@eastchester.k12.ny.us http://www.web-and-flow.com/members/kosulliv/deserts/webquest.htm