Definitions

Research Skills Internet Field Trip

A WebQuest for Middle School Students by Joan Baumann and Linda Henderson Get on Board| Tasks | Resources | The Process | Evaluation

Get on Board Your company, El Cheapo, Inc. of Boston, Massachusetts has selected you to be a member of a 3-person team reporting on the best location for this year’s company trip. The convention manager has narrowed it down to Hollywood, California, New York City, New York and Orlando, Florida. Each member of your team will chose one of these locations to report on. You have been chosen for this exciting field trip because within your academic classes in Middle School, you will be asked to follow a WebQuest project using Internet sites to learn problem-solving and decision-making skills. Before you take a journey through a WebQuest, you must learn some basic research and Internet skills. Your WebQuest will be completed when you return home from your journey through the Internet with each task reported on thoroughly.

Remember, because this is a research skills field trip, you will be given directions all the way through on how to complete your final product and move through the WebQuest.

Tasks

During your research quest for the best location to send the company employees, you will be creating a travel brochure with an itinerary from the information you have gathered. The company trip date is set for November 15^th, 1999. Your brochure will include the following:

A bus schedule of times for departure and return
Hotel with location and description
Two restaurants with descriptions of each
Two activities or places of interest to visit, photos included
An itinerary of an employee’s November 15th schedule

Resources

The WebQuest Directions hard copy is needed to learn the six research skills.: If you would like to learn more about Copyrights, the Information and Library Services of the University of Maryland University College has everything you need to know about Copyrights in their site.

The Process

Research Skill #1
Clicking on a Web Site and moving around within the site. You will learn how to go from a Web Site and back into the previous site.

Your first research skill is to learn how to click on the blue text to enter a web site. Your first task is to find departure and return bus times to add to your brochure. Remember, this is El Cheapo, Inc. Arrival date to your destination is November 14^th, and departure is November 16^th. Try to get the best prices. You have a hard copy of directions to follow in moving through the Greyhound site. Please click on the blue text now. Greyhound Bus Lines

Research Skill #2
Copying text from a Web Site to a document. You will learn how to create your own folder and copy text into the folder.

You now need to copy the schedule from Greyhound that you have chosen for your destination. To do this you must create your own folder to store all the images and text you will be gathering. Please read #2 on your hard copy of directions. To get back into the Greyhound Web Site, click on "Forward" icon on the Navigator Toolbar until you reach the correct web page.

Research Skill #3
Citing sources – Most material on the Internet is copyright protected and therefore you must credit the source of your information.
You have now saved your bus info into your own folder. Because you have used information from a source, you must now cite that source. Please look at the hard copy of directions to learn how to save your source as a citation.

Research Skill #4

Printing pages from a Web Site- There will be times when you may need to share information or bring information from the Internet to your home.

Before learning more about Copyrights, you will need to read an article on paraphrasing. Follow #4 on your hard copy to learn how to print out the article called Paraphrasing . Click on the blue text, now.

Research Skill #5
Paraphrasing – When looking through your resources, you will find a great deal of material for your project. It is important you do not write your report "word for word", but only copy the ideas.
Now that you have read about paraphrasing, your task will be to copy important text into a citation file you will create in your folder. Please refer back to your hard copy to follow #5 in the directions. Click on the blue text now to enter the Library Services Web Site.
Now that you have copied text into your folder, please write a short paragraph on the definition of a copyright and two tips on why and how we need to give credit to someone else’s work. Please go to your hard copy now to read directions on where to save your paragraph.

Research Skill #6
Copying an image – To make a report look exciting, images can be taken from Web Sites and copied into your folder.
Your next task will be to find two places for the employees to tour or visit. Along with the description of the event, you will also be asked to include a picture. To first find places to visit, enter the Web Sites to your location as shown in the table below and follow #6 on the hard copy.

Location Web Sites

Hollywood, California Orlando, Florida New York City, New York

http://www.gakkos.com/sp_class/holly/d01_1.html
http://chamber.hollywood.com/visitorinfo/
http://www.seeing-stars.com/ImagePages/ChineseTheatre2.shtml
http://www.gatorland.com/
http://www.orlando.com/vacation/attractions/
http://www.bronxzoo.com/
http://www.yahooligans.com/Around_the_World/U_S__States/New_York/Entertainment/
http://www.yahooligans.com/Around_the_World/U_S__States/New_York/Museums__Galleries__and__Exhibits


More Practice #7 Now you must find two restaurants for dinner.	Use the table below to find the site for your company’s eating pleasures. Not too fancy, now. Follow the steps on your hard copy #7.

Dining Sites

Hollywood, California	Orlando, Florida	New York City, New York
http://www.calendarlive.com/LA_Times/Arts_and_Entertainment/Restaurants_Cafes/ (Find drop down menu that says, "All areas" and scroll down to Hollywood)	http://www.orlando.com/cityguide/dining/	http://www.newyorkcity.com/z_links/food/restaurants/restaurants.htm

More Practice #8
Enter the Best Western Web Site to find your hotel.
Follow the steps in #8 on the hard copy to choose your hotel. Click on the blue text now. http://www.bestwestern.com/

Evaluation

Your teacher will assess you on the six skills practiced in this WebQuest (see Rubric). You will be responsible for:: Bus File (Greyhound information); Copyright File (paraphrased paragraph on copyrights); Image Files

You have now completed and learned all of the Research Skills you will need before venturing into other WebQuests. Your team’s travel brochure should be on your boss’s desk for review. Good Work!!

Link to Home page

Link to Teacher page

Glossary

Research Skill #1 Clicking on a Web Site and moving around within the site. You will learn how to go from a Web Site and back into the previous site.	Your first research skill is to learn how to click on the blue text to enter a web site. Your first task is to find departure and return bus times to add to your brochure. Remember, this is El Cheapo, Inc. Arrival date to your destination is November 14^th, and departure is November 16^th. Try to get the best prices. You have a hard copy of directions to follow in moving through the Greyhound site. Please click on the blue text now. Greyhound Bus Lines

Research Skill #2 Copying text from a Web Site to a document. You will learn how to create your own folder and copy text into the folder.	You now need to copy the schedule from Greyhound that you have chosen for your destination. To do this you must create your own folder to store all the images and text you will be gathering. Please read #2 on your hard copy of directions. To get back into the Greyhound Web Site, click on "Forward" icon on the Navigator Toolbar until you reach the correct web page.

Research Skill #3 Citing sources – Most material on the Internet is copyright protected and therefore you must credit the source of your information.	You have now saved your bus info into your own folder. Because you have used information from a source, you must now cite that source. Please look at the hard copy of directions to learn how to save your source as a citation.

Research Skill #4 Printing pages from a Web Site- There will be times when you may need to share information or bring information from the Internet to your home.	Before learning more about Copyrights, you will need to read an article on paraphrasing. Follow #4 on your hard copy to learn how to print out the article called Paraphrasing . Click on the blue text, now.

Research Skill #5 Paraphrasing – When looking through your resources, you will find a great deal of material for your project. It is important you do not write your report "word for word", but only copy the ideas.	Now that you have read about paraphrasing, your task will be to copy important text into a citation file you will create in your folder. Please refer back to your hard copy to follow #5 in the directions. Click on the blue text now to enter the Library Services Web Site. Now that you have copied text into your folder, please write a short paragraph on the definition of a copyright and two tips on why and how we need to give credit to someone else’s work. Please go to your hard copy now to read directions on where to save your paragraph.

Research Skill #6 Copying an image – To make a report look exciting, images can be taken from Web Sites and copied into your folder.	Your next task will be to find two places for the employees to tour or visit. Along with the description of the event, you will also be asked to include a picture. To first find places to visit, enter the Web Sites to your location as shown in the table below and follow #6 on the hard copy.


More Practice #8 Enter the Best Western Web Site to find your hotel.	Follow the steps in #8 on the hard copy to choose your hotel. Click on the blue text now. http://www.bestwestern.com/