Lesson 2 – Lesson Plan
Web Quest on 1940/50 Harlem

Book:  Rage in Harlem or other mystery/detective fiction by Chester Himes.

Grade Level:  11/12

Essential Question:  Why was Harlem an attractive place for African Americans to live?

Connection to Standards:  Writing: Research and Technology 1.6 (11/12) and 1.5 and 1.3

Technology:  The computer is used as a research, word processing and, as the student desires, linking technology to document the search and to communicate directly to another student question of import on the topic chosen. 

Lesson Plan Content: 

            T1. Introduce or revisit the concept of a taxonomy with specific reference to Bloom’s Taxonomy.  

            T2. Practice posing question based on the taxonomy using familiar material or the children’s story on the taxonomy site.

            T3. Design a homework sheet for practicing posing question and have the students complete the sheet.

            M1.  Modeling.  The teacher should model the questioning and search for information to assure the students understand the process.  The teacher can “think aloud” during the question building and search to show the student what goes on in the mind during the process.

            M2.  Modeling by student practice.  Further practice on questioning and searching in student groups will be fruitful.  The teacher should circulate among groups in the classroom or computer lab correcting, checking and encouraging.

            Wq1.  Introduce the idea of a Web Quest which is simply a search engine investigation of a person, place, occurrence, thing or idea.  It is adequately described in the Lesson 1–Web Quest Student Assignment.

            Wq2.  Students could pair up to ask questions, but I find it more productive, requiring a higher quality of product if I randomly distribute the questions (sometimes to another class altogether).  This avoids some collusion which otherwise could occur.

            Wq3.  Assessment – I log the Web Quests in the grade book quickly evaluating one or two of the questions and sites for fidelity to the taxonomy and for conformity to the evaluation check list.   Added assessment is possible when the answers are submitted.

            Wq4.  Student Assessment – The question originator can check for accuracy of the answers, as well as refreshing his/her memory on the answers, by evaluating the answers to their questions for completeness, imagination and accuracy.

            C1.  Concluding assignment.  Have the students share questions in a group setting, choosing, perhaps, the best of each category and, then, sharing those best with the class. 

            C2.  Concluding assessment – see Wq3 for student assessment.

            C3.  The student or teacher can use the rubric below for the final assessment.

	Weak	Strong	Excellent
Questions Follow Bloom’s Taxonomy	Questions are simplified and repetitive	Questions show variety and an understanding of the taxonomy	Question lead to deep thinking and carry a thematic thread throughout.
Questions Require Thinking	Questions lead to obvious, on- the-surface answers.	Questions require some thinking	Question require much thinking and lead to or dovetail with other questions.
Web Site Quality	The site is an commercial encyclopedia or similar	The site is a private well designed and researched site.	The site is a university site or is posted by a leading research institution using archives and academic resourses.
Answers	The answers are brief or missing	The answers are complete but not full	The answers are complete, full and lead to additional thought.