Introduction

My Learning Contract


Name:_____________________


Essential Question :  How do we manage waste in our world?


Subsidiary Questions: (choose one and put a checkmark next to your choice)

_____ How does composting help us manage waste?

_____ How does recycling help us manage waste?


How I will Learn:




_____ I will work with a partner on this project



_____ I will work by myself on this project



How I will Share my Learning – After finding the information necessary to answer my question, I will create one of the following products to share my learning:


_____ A PowerPoint slide presentation with 1 title slide plus one slide for each subsidiary question (4-5 slides maximum)



_____ A written report that is organized in paragraphs that answers my subsidiary questions (may include pictures from the Internet)



_____ A triorama that is made from paper that shows the answers to my subsidiary questions.

The Quest

How do we manage waste in our world?

The Process and Resources

In this WebQuest you will be working together with a group of students in class. Each group will answer the Task or Quest(ion). As a member of the group you will explore Webpages from people all over the world who care about Chemistry. Because these are real Webpages we're tapping into, not things made just for schools, the reading level might challenge you. Feel free to use the online Webster dictionary or one in your classroom.

You'll begin with everyone in your group getting some background before dividing into roles where people on your team become experts on one part of the topic.

Phase 1 - Background: Something for Everyone

Use the Internet information linked below to answer the basic questions of who? what? where? when? why? and how? Be creative in exploring the information so that you answer these questions as fully and insightfully as you can.

Phase 2 - Looking Deeper from Different Perspectives

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Individuals or pairs from your larger WebQuest team will explore one of the roles below.

2. Read through the files linked to your group. If you print out the files, underline the passages that you feel are the most important. If you look at the files on the computer, copy sections you feel are important by dragging the mouse across the passage and copying / pasting it into a word processor or other writing software.

3. Note: Remember to write down or copy/paste the URL of the file you take the passage from so you can quickly go back to it if you need to to prove your point.

4. Be prepared to focus what you've learned into one main opinion that answers the Big Quest(ion) or Task based on what you have learned from the links for your role.

Recycling Expert

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to role, job or perspective #1:

• Recycling Coloring Book
• Recycle City
• Kids Web Solid Waste & Recycling

Composting Expert

Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to role, job or perspective #2:

1.

• Composting for Kids
• Kids Composting
• Go 4 Green Composting

Phase 3 - Debating, Discussing, and Reaching Consensus

You have all learned about a different part of Chemistry. Now group members come back to the larger WebQuest team with expertise gained by searching from one perspective. You must all now answer the Task / Quest(ion) as a group. Each of you will bring a certain viewpoint to the answer: some of you will agree and others disagree. Use information, pictures, movies, facts, opinions, etc. from the Webpages you explored to convince your teammates that your viewpoint is important and should be part of your team's answer to the Task / Quest(ion). Your WebQuest team should write out an answer that everyone on the team can live with.

Phase 4 - Real World Feedback

Your Contact is: the designated contact

Conclusion

So is an elephant smooth, rough, soft, or hard? Well, when you're blindfolded and only *looking* at one part, it's easy to come up with an answer that may not be completely right. It's the same for understanding a topic as broad or complex as Chemistry: when you only know part of the picture, you only know part of the picture. Now you all know a lot more. Nice work. You should be proud of yourselves! How can you use what you've learned to see beyond the black and white of a topic and into the grayer areas? What other parts of Chemistry could still be explored? Remember, learning never stops.