WebQuest

Here's the address for my WebQuest:

http://ia.usu.edu/viewproject.php?project=ia:10023

Using ComicLife can be very useful in the classroom. Children would be much more interested at looking at a poster if it was made to look like a comic rather than just boring information. They would also enjoy making their own comics. When learning about insects, they could get in groups and go take pictures of insects. They could then organize their pictures into a comic. I think it would be cool to photograph a plant as it's going through it's life cycle, starting with it as a seed and going until it's full grown. Students would be able to photograph each stage the plant goes through and then create a comic book about it. They will be able to learn what the life cycle of a plant looks like, research what the stages are called, learn how the plant gets from stage to stage, etc. 

Educational Software

I really enjoyed looking at the educational software in class today. Many of these websites were helpful for teaching concepts and making them interesting. One of my favorite links was "Colonial Williamsburg for kids" (http://online.uen.org/webct/urw/lc129121021.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct). There are fun games with good graphics to teach about colonial life in America. It's easy to use and is appropriate for the grade level. Not only did these games teach about history, but they incorporating spelling, music, etc. into the games. I also liked the "Build a Prairie" link (http://www.bellmuseum.org/distancelearning/prairie/build) because it was very informative on what plants and animals grow in certain areas. It gives the reader an opportunity to explore the different options and create their own prairie. 

I felt like the sites that were the best used games to teach concepts. The best games allowed the player to make choices that didn't have a "wrong" answer. Some sites were strictly to read, and students would definitely be bored with that.

Webquest

The standard I want to use for my Webquest is "describe the life cycle of local plants and animals using diagrams and pictures". My target grade will be 2nd, and I want my webquest to teach them about the life cycle of plants, starting with what a seed needs to grow up until it's a full grown plant.