MORE Webquests for LA/Social Studies!

I've really fallen in love with these webquests.  I found some on TPT and made a couple of sets to go with my social studies units.  I love to teach a topic and allow the kids to use the iPads and research further.  I believe these beginning steps into research guide kids into reading information on websites and are a great start for future research.  Kids get to notice important information and read for meaning.   I always let them work in pairs (I found out that three is too many with my iPad minis).  They really love just getting on the floor. I'm waiting for someone to step on one of my iPads, but I just risk it because they love to get out of their seats!

For this webquest, I ask, "when is a turtle not a reptile?"  Answer: "When it's a submarine!"  I let the kids come up with that answer, and your kids will be intrigued about exactly what kind of turtle you are asking about.

Here is one of the benefits of using a webquest.  When students are trying to answer a question about a story they've read, they need to be able to locate information in a text. I find that my students would naturally rather guess the answer than look it up in the text.  Learning to look up an answer and provide text proof takes training.  Webquests are excellent training ground for students to locate information within texts.  The technology aspect is a great  motivator. KIDS LOVE iPADS and technology!
(CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1:  Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. 

Texas TEKS:  3.2B:   Ask relevant questions, seek clarification, and locate facts and details about stories and other texts and support answers with evidence from text)

I like these Liberty's Kids articles because they are short and full of information. Ducksters is another good informational site.

I hope you will try webquests with your students.  If not one of mine, there are tons of other topics on TPT.  I lean toward social studies topics since I have so little time for that subject and I can weave it into language arts.  I hope you enjoy these!

Click {HERE} 

There are five different quests in this set.
They are short and work great for 3-5th grades. 

Happy "questing!"