A webquest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web (
http://webquest.org/index.php). The structure of a webquest can be defined as follows: Introduction; Tasks; Process; Resources; Evaluation; Conclusion.
This type of methodological activity is designed by teachers. The investigation is made by students, using informatics tools to consult online information. All the research elements/tasks are organized so that students are focused on the project.
This particular resource was developed for 11th grade students (~16 years old) which study physics and chemistry and is related to the acid rain thematic.
First, in the introduction, a brief and very general text is provided about acid rains. After, students are invited to read two texts adapted from newspapers. Then, the task is described to students: a large industry wants to install an energy production unit in the area where students live. Though the project is not known yet, the public opinion has already some negative attitude towards it. Therefore the main task is to elaborate a debriefing session to clarify a number of points, in order to promote a more informed opinion on the facility. To fulfill the task, students have to perform a search and identify what is acid rain, what is its main cause, what are the effects of acid rain on biotic and abiotic systems; and identify effective methods to reduce them. The result should be presented in a poster and, in parallel, a summary of the data that includes the group's position regarding the installation of that equipment.
In this webquest, students should work in groups of three, with the following roles assigned to each one of them: 1. Ecologist; 2. Chemist; 3. Environmental engineer. Each specialist will search for information on Internet using the web pages present in the Resources section.
Specific questions are made to each specialist. For example:
1. The chemist: What is acid rain? What substances are responsible for the acid rain?
2. The ecologist: What is the effect of acid rain in biotic systems?
3. The environmental engineer: What steps can be taken to reduce acid rain and to correct its effects?
The research is made on the websites provided in the webquest. The sites have been previously selected and are displayed in alphabetical order. They include institutional sites, and other sources.
The evaluation will consider the degree of participation of each student in the group's work and the correspondent presentations, according to pre-established criteria.
This type of methodological activity can be used as a group work, in the classroom and as homework project.
This specific resource was designed to be developed during three classes (one week),as it is a long term WebQuest.
