Sunflower Search A WebQuest for 3rd Grade Science Designed by Lynsey Conner Based on a template from San Diego State Uni

1. Sunflower Search A WebQuest for 3rd Grade Science Designed by Lynsey Conner Based on a template from San Diego State University’s The WebQuest Page

2. Introduction This lesson was developed as part of the Elementary Science Methods course at Roger Williams University, in Bristol, Rhode Island. Inspired by the trade bookThe Sunflower Family by Cherie Winner. I constructed this WebQuest to introduce students at the third grade level to the process of sunflower growth and plant life. Students take on the role of various scientists and are each provided with a link. Each link sends the students to a different website specified to their role. The websites are clear and geared for students of this age level. They are then asked to exhibit skills such as group work, presentation, visual selection, and using the internet. A rubric is provided to help assess each skill.

3. Learners Sunflower Search is designed for third grade science classrooms. However, it can easily be tailored to higher grade levels or fourth or fifth grade by increasing the difficulty level of the questions, having the students do more extensive research, and lengthening the report. This WebQuest assumes that its learners don’t have much prior knowledge on the subject and is designed so that each student does work to help inform each other on various aspects of the subject. Some information that might help students beginning this webquest would be some basic knowledge of plant life. This is not necessary though because one of the roles in the group is to discover the essentials of what a sunflower needs to grow. Benchmarks for Science Literacy

4. Curriculum Standards • As a result of this lesson students will learn physical characteristics of sunflowers, history and where they grow, as well as their growth processes. Students will understand organisms and the life cycles of organisms. • National Science Education Standards • Life Science • CONTENT STANDARD C:As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop understanding of • The characteristics of organisms • Organisms have basic needs. For example, animals need air, water, and food; plants require air, water, nutrients, and light. Organisms can survive only in environments in which their needs can be met. The world has many different environments, and distinct environments support the life of different types of organisms. • Each plant or animal has different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction. For example, humans have distinct body structures for walking, holding, seeing, and talking. • The behavior of individual organisms is influenced by internal cues (such as hunger) and by external cues (such as a change in the environment). Humans and other organisms have senses that help them detect internal and external cues. • Life cycles of organisms • Benchmarks for Science Literacy • The Living Environment • Diversity of Life • By the end of the 5th grade, students should know that • A great variety of kinds of living things can be sorted into groups in many ways using various features to decide which things belong to which group. • Features used for grouping depend on the purpose of the grouping. more

5. Curriculum Standards (continued) • English Language Arts Standards • Standard 4 – Writing – Gathers and uses information for research purposes • Benchmarks: 4. Uses electronic media to gather information (e.g., databases, Internet, CD-ROM, television shows, cassette recordings, videos, pull-down menus, word searches) • 8. Uses strategies to compile information into written reports or summaries (e.g., incorporates notes into a finished product; includes simple facts, details, explanations, and examples; draws conclusions from relationships and patterns that emerge from data from different sources; uses appropriate visual aids and media) • 9. Cites information sources (e.g., quotes or paraphrases information sources, lists resources used by title) • Standard 7 – Reading - Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts • Benchmarks: 1. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of informational texts (e.g., textbooks, biographical sketches, letters, diaries, directions, procedures, magazines) • 3. Uses text organizers (e.g., headings, topic and summary sentences, graphic features, typeface, chapter titles) to determine the main ideas and to locate information in a text • Standard 8 – Listening and Speaking - Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes • Benchmarks: 3. Responds to questions and comments (e.g., gives reasons in support of opinions, responds to others' ideas) • 7. Makes basic oral presentations to class (e.g., uses subject-related information and vocabulary; includes content appropriate to the audience; relates ideas and observations; incorporates visual aids or props; incorporates several sources of information) back

6. Process To save Miss Lynsey’s garden, your task will be to navigate these internet sources. Look through these sites to gather information for your role. After doing your research prepare a brief report (as a scientist would do) and gather a visual. At the end of your search you should have a clear idea of where sunflowers grow, how they grow and what they need to grow. Enjoy your exploration! This is the process given to the students along with a list of the four roles and their duties and questions. Break the class into groups of four and allow the students to choose the roles they would like to take on within their group. To determine how the groups should be formed take into consideration the learning styles and level each individual child is at. The groups should be of mixed abilities or learning styles so that the children can help each other. This lesson involves three classes. The first class will be designated for the research and gathering the information, the second will be to regroup and share their findings within their own group, and the third will be to answer their questions and share with the class. Each of these three lessons will make up one period of the class each day. In order to do this lesson, a teacher must be somewhat technology/computer literate. A teacher must be familiar with the internet, using links, and power-point. I believe it is easy enough for a novice teacher to do in the classroom: the skills are very basic and webquests are not very difficult to do or follow.

7. Resources Needed • Necessities to implement this lesson: • E-mail accounts for all students • Class set of text books • Specific reference material in the classroom or school library • Computers with internet access • Lab access to the Web with at least one-workstation for each small group of 4 students • http://jenefer.speedyweb.com/sunflower.shtml • http://www.dlrcoco.ie/kids/flowers.htm • http://sunflower-guide.netfirms.com/fact.htm • http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Glade/3313/sunflowr.html • http://www.gardenhobbies.com/flower/sunflower.html • http://www.csua.berkeley.edu/~scowan/ • http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/flowers/sunflowerplate/ • http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/subjectTopics.asp?subjectID=7 • I feel that it is only necessary for one teacher to implement this lesson. However, a teacher aid could be helpful to guide any students having difficulty with using the computers.

8. Evaluation I will know if this lesson is successful by students knowledge of organisms, sunflowers basic needs and the environment in which those needs can be met. They will know the structure, physical characteristics, life cycles, and growth processes of sunflowers. Students will be evaluated on: Group and Independent Work, Content, Grammar/spelling/neatness, Visuals, Presentation. For instance, your webquest will be scored using the following rubric:

9. Evaluation Continued…This is what the student rubric looks like

10. Rubric Continued

11. Conclusion This is a great lesson to do in the classroom. Not only will the students learn information on plant life, physical characteristics of sunflowers, their history and location of growth, and growth processes; but students will also gain knowledge about internet research and enhance their technological skills.

12. Credits &References Thanks to… Microsoft Clip Art Winner, Cherie. The Sunflower Family. Carolrhoda Books, Inc:Minneapolis. 1996. http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/subjectTopics.asp?subjectID=7 The WebQuest Page