Using WebQuests in the Social Studies Classroom

A Culturally Responsive Approach
Margaret M. Thombs - Roger Williams University
Maureen M. Gillis - Educational Consultant, Texas
Alan S. Canestrari - Roger Williams University
Using WebQuests in the Social Studies Classroom
June 2008 | 152 pages | Corwin
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eBook
ISBN: 9781452261195
Available from January 0001
Paperback
ISBN: 9781412959513
Available from January 0001

Description

"Founded on a well-established educational rationale, this book takes the critical and challenging step of helping teachers integrate culturally responsive education into their own practice. By using real student stories, the authors spin an engaging narrative that both informs and entertains."
—Tom March, Codeveloper
WebQuest

Foster student inquiry and higher-level thinking with this powerful Web-based model!

Today's educators face the challenges of making content engaging and relevant for students from diverse backgrounds and incorporating technology in the classroom. Designed to optimize content learning and promote greater intercultural understanding, Using WebQuests in the Social Studies Classroom shows how educators can make social studies personal and real while nurturing globally minded students.

This unique guide presents practical strategies for using WebQuests: inquiry-oriented, collaborative student activities that use Web-based information for solving problems through focused analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Aligned with the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) standards, the American Historical Association criteria for Excellent Classroom Teaching, and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards, this comprehensive resource includes:

  • Real stories portraying culturally diverse classrooms
  • Comprehensive examples of culturally responsive WebQuests
  • Guidelines, tips, and step-by-step instructions for developing WebQuests

Reflective exercises throughout make this guide an ideal professional development resource for teachers interested in learning more about culturally responsive social studies and technologically enhanced instruction.

Contents

Preface

  • Why This Book?
  • Real Voices... Typical Classroom Challenges
  • Practical, Usable Curriculum Content
  • Acknowledgments

About the Authors

About the Authors

1. The Challenge of Culturally Responsive Teaching

  • Meet Harrison Songolo
  • The Need for a Culturally Responsive Context
  • The Larger Narrative
  • Powerful Social Studies... Powerful Citizens
  • Imaginative Entry
  • The Quest for Connections

2. The Technologically Competent Social Studies Teacher

  • The NETS Project
  • Essential Conditions for Successful Technology Integration
  • Technology Resources
  • Special Considerations for Classroom Technology
  • Web Site Accessibility
  • Assistive Technology
  • Legal Implications
  • Online Technology Resources

3. The WebQuest Model

  • Background and History
  • Why Use the WebQuest Model?
  • Example WebQuest No. 1: Exploring Socio-Economic Conditions
  • One Zambia, One Nation?

4. Designing WebQuests

  • Core Components of a WebQuest
  • Introduction
  • Task
  • Process
  • Evaluation
  • Other Components of the Model
  • Design Process
  • Selecting a Primary Design Tool
  • QuestGarden
  • Assessing WebQuests
  • Online Resources

5. Getting Started: Learners, Topics, and Design Patterns

  • Getting Started
  • Anita’s Classroom
  • Meet Happy-Hardy Guinguing
  • Brainstorming WebQuest Ideas
  • General Social Studies
  • Online Resources: Social Studies Topics
  • Culturally Responsive Topics
  • Online Resources: Cultural Sensitivity
  • Anita’s Challenge: Teaching World Religions
  • Design Patterns
  • Example WebQuest No. 2: World Religions and Conflicts
  • Religious Conflict: Is an End in Sight?

6. Authentic and Engaging Tasks

  • Meet Juan Pablo Escoriza
  • Posing Authentic Problems to Challenge Thinking Skills
  • Brainstorming WebQuest Tasks
  • Exercises: Tasks From Example WebQuests in Previous Chapters
  • Chart of Possible Tasks
  • Online Resources
  • Example WebQuest No. 3: Immigration: Past, Present, and Future
  • Lights, Camera, Action! An Immigration Perspective

7. Evaluation Rubrics

  • Meet Vladimir Emilov Evtimov
  • Using Rubrics
  • Online Tools
  • How Many Rubrics?
  • Rubric Dimensions and Scale
  • Exercises: Evaluation Rubrics From Example WebQuests
  • Online Resources
  • Example WebQuest No. 4: Effective Use of Maps and Geographic Tools
  • Calling All Cartographers!

8. The WebQuest Process: How, What, and When

  • Meet Haseena Niazi
  • Teams and Roles
  • Exercises: Teams and Roles From Example WebQuests
  • Choosing Appropriate Resources
  • Internet Resources
  • Search Engines
  • Selecting Web Sites
  • Social Studies Links
  • Accessibility Issues
  • Copyright, Fair Use, and Citation of Sources
  • Other Resources
  • Exercises: Resources From Example WebQuests
  • Online Resources
  • Example WebQuest No. 5: Voting Rights and Responsibilities
  • Let Our Voices Be Heard!

9. Finalizing Your WebQuest Design

  • Meet Poroma Kanya
  • WebQuest Introductions
  • WebQuest Conclusions
  • Using Images and Other Tools
  • Teacher Page and Credits
  • Assessing Your WebQuest
  • Tom March’s Seven Points for a Great WebQuest

10. The Challenge Ahead: A Quest for Peace

  • Humanistic Education
  • Choices for the 21st-Century Education Program
  • A Workable Peace
  • Freedom Writers
  • A Final Quest
  • Keeping the Quest Alive

Other Resources

  • A. Ten Thematic Strands in Social Studies
  • B. National Education Technology Standards for Students
  • C. Sites for Selecting Specialized Resources
  • D. Standards Associated With Example WebQuests

References

References

Suggested Readings: Cultural Responsiveness in the Classroom

Suggested Readings: Cultural Responsiveness in the Classroom

Index

Index

Description

"Founded on a well-established educational rationale, this book takes the critical and challenging step of helping teachers integrate culturally responsive education into their own practice. By using real student stories, the authors spin an engaging narrative that both informs and entertains."
—Tom March, Codeveloper
WebQuest

Foster student inquiry and higher-level thinking with this powerful Web-based model!

Today's educators face the challenges of making content engaging and relevant for students from diverse backgrounds and incorporating technology in the classroom. Designed to optimize content learning and promote greater intercultural understanding, Using WebQuests in the Social Studies Classroom shows how educators can make social studies personal and real while nurturing globally minded students.

This unique guide presents practical strategies for using WebQuests: inquiry-oriented, collaborative student activities that use Web-based information for solving problems through focused analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Aligned with the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) standards, the American Historical Association criteria for Excellent Classroom Teaching, and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards, this comprehensive resource includes:

  • Real stories portraying culturally diverse classrooms
  • Comprehensive examples of culturally responsive WebQuests
  • Guidelines, tips, and step-by-step instructions for developing WebQuests

Reflective exercises throughout make this guide an ideal professional development resource for teachers interested in learning more about culturally responsive social studies and technologically enhanced instruction.

Contents

Preface

  • Why This Book?
  • Real Voices... Typical Classroom Challenges
  • Practical, Usable Curriculum Content
  • Acknowledgments

About the Authors

About the Authors

1. The Challenge of Culturally Responsive Teaching

  • Meet Harrison Songolo
  • The Need for a Culturally Responsive Context
  • The Larger Narrative
  • Powerful Social Studies... Powerful Citizens
  • Imaginative Entry
  • The Quest for Connections

2. The Technologically Competent Social Studies Teacher

  • The NETS Project
  • Essential Conditions for Successful Technology Integration
  • Technology Resources
  • Special Considerations for Classroom Technology
  • Web Site Accessibility
  • Assistive Technology
  • Legal Implications
  • Online Technology Resources

3. The WebQuest Model

  • Background and History
  • Why Use the WebQuest Model?
  • Example WebQuest No. 1: Exploring Socio-Economic Conditions
  • One Zambia, One Nation?

4. Designing WebQuests

  • Core Components of a WebQuest
  • Introduction
  • Task
  • Process
  • Evaluation
  • Other Components of the Model
  • Design Process
  • Selecting a Primary Design Tool
  • QuestGarden
  • Assessing WebQuests
  • Online Resources

5. Getting Started: Learners, Topics, and Design Patterns

  • Getting Started
  • Anita’s Classroom
  • Meet Happy-Hardy Guinguing
  • Brainstorming WebQuest Ideas
  • General Social Studies
  • Online Resources: Social Studies Topics
  • Culturally Responsive Topics
  • Online Resources: Cultural Sensitivity
  • Anita’s Challenge: Teaching World Religions
  • Design Patterns
  • Example WebQuest No. 2: World Religions and Conflicts
  • Religious Conflict: Is an End in Sight?

6. Authentic and Engaging Tasks

  • Meet Juan Pablo Escoriza
  • Posing Authentic Problems to Challenge Thinking Skills
  • Brainstorming WebQuest Tasks
  • Exercises: Tasks From Example WebQuests in Previous Chapters
  • Chart of Possible Tasks
  • Online Resources
  • Example WebQuest No. 3: Immigration: Past, Present, and Future
  • Lights, Camera, Action! An Immigration Perspective

7. Evaluation Rubrics

  • Meet Vladimir Emilov Evtimov
  • Using Rubrics
  • Online Tools
  • How Many Rubrics?
  • Rubric Dimensions and Scale
  • Exercises: Evaluation Rubrics From Example WebQuests
  • Online Resources
  • Example WebQuest No. 4: Effective Use of Maps and Geographic Tools
  • Calling All Cartographers!

8. The WebQuest Process: How, What, and When

  • Meet Haseena Niazi
  • Teams and Roles
  • Exercises: Teams and Roles From Example WebQuests
  • Choosing Appropriate Resources
  • Internet Resources
  • Search Engines
  • Selecting Web Sites
  • Social Studies Links
  • Accessibility Issues
  • Copyright, Fair Use, and Citation of Sources
  • Other Resources
  • Exercises: Resources From Example WebQuests
  • Online Resources
  • Example WebQuest No. 5: Voting Rights and Responsibilities
  • Let Our Voices Be Heard!

9. Finalizing Your WebQuest Design

  • Meet Poroma Kanya
  • WebQuest Introductions
  • WebQuest Conclusions
  • Using Images and Other Tools
  • Teacher Page and Credits
  • Assessing Your WebQuest
  • Tom March’s Seven Points for a Great WebQuest

10. The Challenge Ahead: A Quest for Peace

  • Humanistic Education
  • Choices for the 21st-Century Education Program
  • A Workable Peace
  • Freedom Writers
  • A Final Quest
  • Keeping the Quest Alive

Other Resources

  • A. Ten Thematic Strands in Social Studies
  • B. National Education Technology Standards for Students
  • C. Sites for Selecting Specialized Resources
  • D. Standards Associated With Example WebQuests

References

References

Suggested Readings: Cultural Responsiveness in the Classroom

Suggested Readings: Cultural Responsiveness in the Classroom

Index

Index

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Using WebQuests in the Social Studies Classroom

A Culturally Responsive Approach

Margaret M. Thombs , Maureen M. Gillis , Alan S. Canestrari
Cancel Print

June 2008 | 152 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781412959513 $37.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781452261195 $35.00

"Founded on a well-established educational rationale, this book takes the critical and challenging step of helping teachers integrate culturally responsive education into their own practice. By using real student stories, the authors spin an engaging narrative that both informs and entertains."
—Tom March, Codeveloper
WebQuest

Foster student inquiry and higher-level thinking with this powerful Web-based model!

Today's educators face the challenges of making content engaging and relevant for students from diverse backgrounds and incorporating technology in the classroom. Designed to optimize content learning and promote greater intercultural understanding, Using WebQuests in the Social Studies Classroom shows how educators can make social studies personal and real while nurturing globally minded students.

This unique guide presents practical strategies for using WebQuests: inquiry-oriented, collaborative student activities that use Web-based information for solving problems through focused analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Aligned with the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) standards, the American Historical Association criteria for Excellent Classroom Teaching, and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards, this comprehensive resource includes:

  • Real stories portraying culturally diverse classrooms
  • Comprehensive examples of culturally responsive WebQuests
  • Guidelines, tips, and step-by-step instructions for developing WebQuests

Reflective exercises throughout make this guide an ideal professional development resource for teachers interested in learning more about culturally responsive social studies and technologically enhanced instruction.


Table Of Contents:

  • Preface
  • Why This Book?
  • Real Voices... Typical Classroom Challenges
  • Practical, Usable Curriculum Content
  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Authors
  • 1. The Challenge of Culturally Responsive Teaching
  • Meet Harrison Songolo
  • The Need for a Culturally Responsive Context
  • The Larger Narrative
  • Powerful Social Studies... Powerful Citizens
  • Imaginative Entry
  • The Quest for Connections
  • 2. The Technologically Competent Social Studies Teacher
  • The NETS Project
  • Essential Conditions for Successful Technology Integration
  • Technology Resources
  • Special Considerations for Classroom Technology
  • Web Site Accessibility
  • Assistive Technology
  • Legal Implications
  • Online Technology Resources
  • 3. The WebQuest Model
  • Background and History
  • Why Use the WebQuest Model?
  • Example WebQuest No. 1: Exploring Socio-Economic Conditions
  • One Zambia, One Nation?
  • 4. Designing WebQuests
  • Core Components of a WebQuest
  • Introduction
  • Task
  • Process
  • Evaluation
  • Other Components of the Model
  • Design Process
  • Selecting a Primary Design Tool
  • QuestGarden
  • Assessing WebQuests
  • Online Resources
  • 5. Getting Started: Learners, Topics, and Design Patterns
  • Getting Started
  • Anita’s Classroom
  • Meet Happy-Hardy Guinguing
  • Brainstorming WebQuest Ideas
  • General Social Studies
  • Online Resources: Social Studies Topics
  • Culturally Responsive Topics
  • Online Resources: Cultural Sensitivity
  • Anita’s Challenge: Teaching World Religions
  • Design Patterns
  • Example WebQuest No. 2: World Religions and Conflicts
  • Religious Conflict: Is an End in Sight?
  • 6. Authentic and Engaging Tasks
  • Meet Juan Pablo Escoriza
  • Posing Authentic Problems to Challenge Thinking Skills
  • Brainstorming WebQuest Tasks
  • Exercises: Tasks From Example WebQuests in Previous Chapters
  • Chart of Possible Tasks
  • Online Resources
  • Example WebQuest No. 3: Immigration: Past, Present, and Future
  • Lights, Camera, Action! An Immigration Perspective
  • 7. Evaluation Rubrics
  • Meet Vladimir Emilov Evtimov
  • Using Rubrics
  • Online Tools
  • How Many Rubrics?
  • Rubric Dimensions and Scale
  • Exercises: Evaluation Rubrics From Example WebQuests
  • Online Resources
  • Example WebQuest No. 4: Effective Use of Maps and Geographic Tools
  • Calling All Cartographers!
  • 8. The WebQuest Process: How, What, and When
  • Meet Haseena Niazi
  • Teams and Roles
  • Exercises: Teams and Roles From Example WebQuests
  • Choosing Appropriate Resources
  • Internet Resources
  • Search Engines
  • Selecting Web Sites
  • Social Studies Links
  • Accessibility Issues
  • Copyright, Fair Use, and Citation of Sources
  • Other Resources
  • Exercises: Resources From Example WebQuests
  • Online Resources
  • Example WebQuest No. 5: Voting Rights and Responsibilities
  • Let Our Voices Be Heard!
  • 9. Finalizing Your WebQuest Design
  • Meet Poroma Kanya
  • WebQuest Introductions
  • WebQuest Conclusions
  • Using Images and Other Tools
  • Teacher Page and Credits
  • Assessing Your WebQuest
  • Tom March’s Seven Points for a Great WebQuest
  • 10. The Challenge Ahead: A Quest for Peace
  • Humanistic Education
  • Choices for the 21st-Century Education Program
  • A Workable Peace
  • Freedom Writers
  • A Final Quest
  • Keeping the Quest Alive
  • Other Resources
  • A. Ten Thematic Strands in Social Studies
  • B. National Education Technology Standards for Students
  • C. Sites for Selecting Specialized Resources
  • D. Standards Associated With Example WebQuests
  • References
  • Suggested Readings: Cultural Responsiveness in the Classroom
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

"Offers endless resources for the novice or experienced teacher. In a culturally diverse classroom, WebQuests provide students with an opportunity to showcase their cultures and take pride in their learning. While the text is geared to the social studies teacher, the steps of the WebQuest are explained so that any teacher in any discipline may develop and utilize this resource in their curriculum."
Luis M. Oliveira, Spanish Teacher, Middletown High School, RI
"Shows teachers how to create quality WebQuests using constructivist principles while also encouraging teacher reflection. The book has inspired me in my efforts to make my teaching responsive to students’ needs and the real-world requirements of our education system."
Greg Oppel, Social Studies Teacher, Edmond Memorial High School, OK
"Founded on a well-established educational rationale, this book takes the critical and challenging step of helping teachers integrate culturally responsive education into their own practice. By using real student stories, the authors spin an engaging narrative that informs and entertains."
Tom March, Codeveloper, WebQuest

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