Webquest
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Cell Webquest |
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Notes to Teachers
Subject Matter | Grade Level | WebQuest Length | Indiana Academic Standards | Reflections | Tips | Back to Main Page
This webquest was designed to teach the basics about a cell. Students who completed this quest would know what a cell is, how cells work together, what the functions of specific parts of a cell (organelles) are.
This was aimed at 6th grade students.
This particular quest took twelve days to complete. All of this time was spent on computers. It was designed to replace an entire chapter from our current text book. It could be shortened considerably if you do not have access to a lab for that many consecutive days. Below is a time table explaining how long each step of the process took.
1 day explaining project and walking the students through the webquest itself
3 days completing worksheets using provided links
2 days to research individually assigned cell organelles
1 day to teach PowerPoint basics
3 days to produce PowerPoint slides
1 day of review using activities created at www.quia.com
1 day of testing using test created at www.quia.com
Standard 4 — The Living Environment
People have long been curious about living things – how many different species there are, what they are like, how they relate to each other, and how they behave. Living organisms are made of the same components as all other matter, involve the same kinds of transformations of energy, and move using the same basic kinds of forces. Thus, all of the physical principles discussed in Standard 3 – The Physical Setting, apply to life as well as to stars, raindrops, and television sets. This Standard offers recommendations on basic knowledge about how living things function and how they interact with one another and their environment. In Grade 6, students learn that plants and animals obtain energy in different ways and contain different structures for obtaining energy.
Diversity of Life
6.4.5 Investigate and explain that all living things are composed of cells whose details are usually visible only through a microscope.
6.4.6 Distinguish the main differences between plant and animal cells, such as the presence of chlorophyll* and cell walls in plant cells and their absence in animal cells.
6.4.7 Explain that about two-thirds of the mass of a cell is accounted for by
water. Understand that water gives cells many
of their properties.
Reflections after having taught the WebQuest
I neglected to have a class discussion of the material presented in this unit which turned out to be a mistake. I assumed the students would take it upon themselves to truly study the worksheets and prepare for the test. In retrospect I feel it would have been useful to spend some time talking about the information together as we always do when using the textbook. I think the students enjoyed this experience and would welcome doing it again. I believe I would try to shorten the amount of time with the computers. Overall it was a good experience for both the students and myself.
If possible, use a projector when trying to teach your students how to work with your webquest. I think the projector I used was maybe the most crucial piece of equipment to the success of the project. I shudder to think of just telling the students what to do without being able to show them first. It made things so much easier than they could have been.
Last updated by
Darrell Martin on
January 06, 2003