WebQuest Direct - Where Has All The Water Gone?

Teacher's Guide

For this unit students in year 6/7 will take on the role of investigators of water conservation. As the unit progresses students will become more aware and increase their knowledge on how they can help save water. Students will identify and analyse aspects of water and the need for water sustainability.

Throughout the unit students will be learning about water, water properties, the water cycle, how water gets to our taps, water pollution and wastage, water costs and where we get our water from in our local area. Students will be working independently, in groups and as a whole class. During the unit students will be put into groups and take on the role of an expert in given fields. Students will be required to develop an understanding of their character's role and be able to communicate that knowledge back to their taskforce. They will evaluate their action plan (multimedia presentation) using Debono's Six Thinking Hats.

At the completion of the unit student groups will be required to design a ten minute multimedia presentation to present to members of council on the need for water conservation. They will also have five minutes to field questions from council members on their presentation.

Duration of Unit: 90min/week over 10 weeks

Learning Styles: Through varied activities, visual aids and print-based resources, the WebQuest caters for a variety of learning styles. This is also achieved through a combination of whole class instruction, individual and group work. The students are to be placed in specific groups for the WebQuest and PowerPoint project. These groups should be mixed gender and where possible, mixed race, with varying abilities, to provide for a range of perspectives.

Subject: SOSE, ICT, English

Resources: Computer, Software, Internet access, Electronic whiteboard

Scenario: Your town has run out of water and as a member of a taskforce your team is to investigate alternative water supplies for your community. You will present a multimedia presentation to Local Council advocating different options to maintain a sustainable water supply for your community.

Outcomes: Essential Learnings - SOSE by the end of Year 7

Ways of working:- Students are able to:

identify issues and use common and own focus questions
plan investigations using inquiry models
collect and analyse information and evidence from primary and secondary sources

Knowledge and understanding

Place and Space: Environments are defined by physical characteristics and processes, and are connected to human activities and decisions about resource management.

Sustainability requires a balance between using, conserving and protecting environments, and involves decisions about how resources are used and managed

English by the end of Year 7

Writing and designing

Writing and designing involve using language elements to construct literary and non-literary texts for audiences across wider community contexts.

Knowledge and understanding

Speaking and listening:
Speaking and listening involve using oral, aural and gestural elements to interpret and construct texts that achieve purposes across wider community contexts.

The purpose of speaking and listening includes advancing opinions, discussing, persuading others to a point of view, influencing transactions, and establishing and maintaining relationships
Speakers and listeners use a number of strategies to make meaning, including identifying purpose, activating prior knowledge, responding, questioning, identifying main ideas, monitoring, summarising and reflecting.
The purpose of writing and designing includes evoking emotion, persuading and informing

Writers and designers refer to authoritative sources and use a number of active writing strategies, including planning, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, publishing and reflecting

ICT: In Years 6 and 7, students model scenarios and simulate real-world trends using spreadsheets and abstract trends and conclusions from student-developed and other databases. Students create interactive and non-linear digital texts to engage or persuade audiences, and illustrate the flow of information between concepts and/or storylines. They contribute to eLearning events and take responsibility for portraying a positive online presence. They have digital competence in writing to web applications and can customise their personal digital environment

Links to the Engagement Theory:

Relate: Did you use water today? If you brushed your teeth, used a toilet, took a shower, ate a meal, or even breathed the air, chances are very good that water was involved. We use water in almost everything we do, and for most of the things we do that involve water, there is nothing we could use as a substitute.

Create: In this transdisiplinary unit of work, students take on the role of investigators, conducting research into the different options available to the sustainability of our water supply and also the importance of water conservation. Students create a multimedia presentation to show their journey to maintaining a sustainable water supply in their community. The key question that focuses this unit asks, "How can I make a difference to a more sustainable water supply in our community?" The students create a multimedia presentation on water sustainability.

Donate: Students present their multimedia presentation to members of the Local Council at their monthly meeting. The presentation will be shown to other classes within the school to encourage them to do their bit for the environment and help sustain a healthy water supply. As a culminating activity, students will design and create a water audit for the family home and distribute to students within the school to complete. Once they have gathered their evidence they will make a report and present their findings in the school newsletter. They will also design posters that can be photocopied to be placed in various places around the community advocating water sustainability.

Teacher Use of ICT: WebQuest website, Internet, Computer, Microsoft word, PDF format,

Student Use of ICT: Computer, Internet, Microsoft word, Mulltimedia presentation, Flickr,

Reference List

Ximing, C., McKinney, D., & Lasdon, L. A Framework for Sustainability Analysis in Water Resources Management and Application to the Syr Darya Basin. Retrieved 28 September, 2009 from http://www.ce.utexas.edu/prof/mckinney/papers/aral/LTM-Final.pdf

Credits:

I would personally like to thank Frances Moore from WebQuest Direct and Scot Aldred for their advice on creating this WebQuest.

Many sites and resources have been used to create this WebQuest. All intellectual property and images have been used for educational purposes only. If you have have concerns, please email the author

kbutler65@hotmail.com

All pictures were accessed through google images and WebQuest Direct.

Please acknowledge the URL and Author if using or adapting this WebQuest. This WebQuest was made by Kay Butler as part of a Central Queensland University course.


Home Introduction Task Process Roles Resources Conclusion Evaluation Teacher's Guide	Teacher's Guide For this unit students in year 6/7 will take on the role of investigators of water conservation. As the unit progresses students will become more aware and increase their knowledge on how they can help save water. Students will identify and analyse aspects of water and the need for water sustainability. Throughout the unit students will be learning about water, water properties, the water cycle, how water gets to our taps, water pollution and wastage, water costs and where we get our water from in our local area. Students will be working independently, in groups and as a whole class. During the unit students will be put into groups and take on the role of an expert in given fields. Students will be required to develop an understanding of their character's role and be able to communicate that knowledge back to their taskforce. They will evaluate their action plan (multimedia presentation) using Debono's Six Thinking Hats. At the completion of the unit student groups will be required to design a ten minute multimedia presentation to present to members of council on the need for water conservation. They will also have five minutes to field questions from council members on their presentation. Duration of Unit: 90min/week over 10 weeks Learning Styles: Through varied activities, visual aids and print-based resources, the WebQuest caters for a variety of learning styles. This is also achieved through a combination of whole class instruction, individual and group work. The students are to be placed in specific groups for the WebQuest and PowerPoint project. These groups should be mixed gender and where possible, mixed race, with varying abilities, to provide for a range of perspectives. Subject: SOSE, ICT, English Resources: Computer, Software, Internet access, Electronic whiteboard Scenario: Your town has run out of water and as a member of a taskforce your team is to investigate alternative water supplies for your community. You will present a multimedia presentation to Local Council advocating different options to maintain a sustainable water supply for your community. Outcomes: Essential Learnings - SOSE by the end of Year 7 Ways of working:- Students are able to: identify issues and use common and own focus questions plan investigations using inquiry models collect and analyse information and evidence from primary and secondary sources Knowledge and understanding Place and Space: Environments are defined by physical characteristics and processes, and are connected to human activities and decisions about resource management. Sustainability requires a balance between using, conserving and protecting environments, and involves decisions about how resources are used and managed English by the end of Year 7 Writing and designing Writing and designing involve using language elements to construct literary and non-literary texts for audiences across wider community contexts. Knowledge and understanding Speaking and listening: Speaking and listening involve using oral, aural and gestural elements to interpret and construct texts that achieve purposes across wider community contexts. The purpose of speaking and listening includes advancing opinions, discussing, persuading others to a point of view, influencing transactions, and establishing and maintaining relationships Speakers and listeners use a number of strategies to make meaning, including identifying purpose, activating prior knowledge, responding, questioning, identifying main ideas, monitoring, summarising and reflecting. The purpose of writing and designing includes evoking emotion, persuading and informing Writers and designers refer to authoritative sources and use a number of active writing strategies, including planning, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, publishing and reflecting ICT: In Years 6 and 7, students model scenarios and simulate real-world trends using spreadsheets and abstract trends and conclusions from student-developed and other databases. Students create interactive and non-linear digital texts to engage or persuade audiences, and illustrate the flow of information between concepts and/or storylines. They contribute to eLearning events and take responsibility for portraying a positive online presence. They have digital competence in writing to web applications and can customise their personal digital environment Links to the Engagement Theory: Relate: Did you use water today? If you brushed your teeth, used a toilet, took a shower, ate a meal, or even breathed the air, chances are very good that water was involved. We use water in almost everything we do, and for most of the things we do that involve water, there is nothing we could use as a substitute. Create: In this transdisiplinary unit of work, students take on the role of investigators, conducting research into the different options available to the sustainability of our water supply and also the importance of water conservation. Students create a multimedia presentation to show their journey to maintaining a sustainable water supply in their community. The key question that focuses this unit asks, "How can I make a difference to a more sustainable water supply in our community?" The students create a multimedia presentation on water sustainability. Donate: Students present their multimedia presentation to members of the Local Council at their monthly meeting. The presentation will be shown to other classes within the school to encourage them to do their bit for the environment and help sustain a healthy water supply. As a culminating activity, students will design and create a water audit for the family home and distribute to students within the school to complete. Once they have gathered their evidence they will make a report and present their findings in the school newsletter. They will also design posters that can be photocopied to be placed in various places around the community advocating water sustainability. Teacher Use of ICT: WebQuest website, Internet, Computer, Microsoft word, PDF format, Student Use of ICT: Computer, Internet, Microsoft word, Mulltimedia presentation, Flickr, Reference List Ximing, C., McKinney, D., & Lasdon, L. A Framework for Sustainability Analysis in Water Resources Management and Application to the Syr Darya Basin. Retrieved 28 September, 2009 from http://www.ce.utexas.edu/prof/mckinney/papers/aral/LTM-Final.pdf Credits: I would personally like to thank Frances Moore from WebQuest Direct and Scot Aldred for their advice on creating this WebQuest. Many sites and resources have been used to create this WebQuest. All intellectual property and images have been used for educational purposes only. If you have have concerns, please email the author kbutler65@hotmail.com All pictures were accessed through google images and WebQuest Direct. Please acknowledge the URL and Author if using or adapting this WebQuest. This WebQuest was made by Kay Butler as part of a Central Queensland University course. © 2010 WebQuest Direct \| printer friendly