WebQuest

A WebQuest for 8th Grade (Physical Science 214)

Designed by Joanna Petrilli

Introduction|

Task|

Process|

Evaluation|

Conclusion|

Teacher Page

Water plays a vital role in maintaining plant and animal life. Most biological processes such as growth and digestion could not occur without water because of its ability to dissolve. Water transports dissolved materials in both plants and animals.

Water has a myriad of physical properties. Your mission is to learn about a property by using the Internet and explain it to your classmates by way of a demonstration, and to learn about the properties that your classmates have discovered by listening to their presentations. This type of cooperative learning, where everyone becomes an expert on a piece of the puzzle, is called the jigsaw method.

You are to learn as much as you can about the physical properties of water by navigating through the Internet, and you are to become an expert on one of the physical properties listed below or another approved one that is not on the list.

acidity of water

aqueous solutions

boiling point of water

capillary action

compositon of a water molecule

density of water

hardness of water

heat capacity of water

melting point of water

osmosis

polarity of water

potable water

solubility of oxygen in water

structure of ice and water

viscosity of water

the water cycle

You are to formulate a definition as well as a brief explanation of your property that is appropriate for your academic level, then you are to craft a demonstration connected to your physical property.

STEP

PROCEDURE

You are to work with a partner of your choice on this project.

You and your partner will decide which physical property of water you want to become experts on and e-mail the first three choices to me (click on "me" to e-mail choices). Approvals will be on a first e-mail first serve basis.

You are to use the Internet to learn about the physical properties of water and to become an expert on the topic of your choice. I have provided you with what I deem to be reputable websites below, but you are encourged to navigate around the Internet and look for, hopefully, better websites.

Click here	Website
	one
	two
	three
	four
	five
	six
	seven
	eight
	nine
	ten - experiments

You and your partner are to provide me with at least three different websites that you accessed to learn about the properties of water and your property. Make a hard copy of the Watery Experiences form (Click on "form" to get copy) and complete the appropriate section. Please only submit one form for each pair.

You are to provide me with a clear definition and a brief and concise explanation of the property appropriate for your level. Complete the appropriate section of the Watery Experiences form (Click on "form" to get copy). The definiton and explanation is to be as long as you feel it has to be. Please only submit one form for each pair.

You are to craft an experiment that demonstrates your physical property or is related to your physical property, and present this experiment to the class. You are free to reproduce an experiment that you learned about from the Internet. You do not have to provide me with the website address where you found your experiment.

The presentation is to last a maximum of 5 minutes. You can present together or only one partner can do the whole presentation. It is up to you to decide how to present the
demonstration you have crafted. The presentation does, however, have to have the following components:

	You must state your names.
	You must tell the class what property you and your partner worked on and give the definition you came up with. You can write the definition on the board if you want, or a hard copy of the form you completed can be distributed to your classmates, or you may use an overhead projector, or e-mail all this information to each of your classmates, or provide this information in any other way. No extra marks will be given for going over and above the call of duty.
	You must explain, to the class, the property. As was explained above this information can be provided in some written form, but no extra marks will be awarded.
	Next, you are to explain to the class what you are going to demonstrate and ask the class what they think will happen. The question you ask should be challenging, but it should also be fair and at your level. If your classmates did a reasonable amount of reading on the properties of water, then many should be able to predict the outcome of your demonstration.
	You demonstrate your experiment. (See sample demonstration.)
	You explain the outcome verbally in case somebody did not see.
	Submit completed Watery Experiences form.

You will have two class periods with computer access to work on this project with your partner. During those two periods you are to do as much of this project as you can. If you do not finish in two periods, then you will be expected to work on the project for homework.

The presentations will be made one week after the two periods of class work. If you need to borrow lab equipment e-mail me your needs or come and see me anytime.

RUBRIC FOR EVALUATING WATERY EXPERIENCES PROJECT

CATEGORY	0 POINTS	1 POINT	2 POINTS	3 POINTS	4 POINTS
PROPERTY RESEARCHED (TOPIC CHOICE)	Did not obtain green light from teacher, and did project on same property as someone else.	Obtained green light from teacher on one property, but did project on another property that another group received approval on.	Did not obtain green light from teacher, but did project on a property than no one else did.	Obtained green light from teacher on a property, but did project on a property that no one else did.	Topic was approved by teacher, and project was done on topic.
RESEARCH (on form)	Did not submit any websites.	Only provided 1 valid website.	Provided 2 valid websites.	Provided 3 valid websites.	Provided 3 or more excellent websites.
DEMONSTRATION (in class)	For one of the following reasons: __Did not do. __Unrelated to physical property of water studied.	Somewhat related to physical property studied.	Demonstration was good.	Demonstration was very good.	Extremely focused and an excellent innovative demo of the physical property of water you investigated.
DEFINITION AND EXPLANATION OF PHYSICAL PROPERTY (on form)	Did not do both.	Valuable information is missing.	Correct but missing critical information. ex. Water boils at #. (No units!)	Good definitions. A few words could be changed for more exact ones.	Excellent definition and explanation. Words were exact.
OVERALL PRESENTATION	Did not do.	Missing 3 components.	Missing 2 components.	Missing 1 component.	Students were very engaged. Very organized
PARTICIPATION DURING PRESENTATIONS	None	Close to none.	A little bit.	Demonstrated respect, interest and asked questions.	Demonstrated respect, interest and asked questions that reflected you had learned about the other topics.

By the time this project is completed you will have learned the following:

All about the properties of water by searching the Internet.
Learned more about the properties of water by listening to what your classmates learned about the properties of water.
You will have crafted a demonstration on one of the physical properties of water, presented it to your classmates, and tested their comprehension of your explanation as well as your ability to explain.
You will have observed the demonstrations that your classmates crafted and used to test your comprehension of what you read and heard them explain.
You will have practiced cooperative learning.

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws