Internet Inquiry Lesson
Example of 
Internet Inquiry Lessons
Animal Farm
Rationale: Through the use of technology, today's student has the ability to master a variety of disciplines. By using multidisciplinary teaching methods, students will research a variety of topics dealing with Animal Farm, a novel by George Orwell. This research will be conducted on school computers. (This should be aligned with state frameworks).
Integration: This lesson integrates Language Arts and Social Studies.
Resources: The students will have access to a computer lab with Internet access for this lesson.
Topic: George Orwell's Animal Farm
Objective: The student will be able to locate information about Animal Farm from Internet sites and collect information to be used throughout the Animal Farm Unit.
and others you find on a search.
Students will answer the attached sheet of questions about Animal Farm. (There is only a pretend sheet, so don't think you've missed it.) (This would contain the procedure).
Closure: Students will share their web sites and findings in their cooperative groups.
There should be some form of assessment or evaluation.
Chemistry Scavenger Hunt
In this type of Internet lesson, you would use the site to incorporate an activity into your lesson. The site activies would be the procedure part of the lesson. This activity leads to many other possibilities.
J. Somers Matthews
MCED 4224
Integrated Technology Unit
12/03/00
“The Universe and Me”
Science
LRSD Standard 4: Understands essential ideas about the composition and structures of the universe and the Earth's place in it.
LRSD Benchmarks: (in order of unit lessons)
4. Knows characteristics and movement patterns of the nine planets in our Solar System.
7. Knows characteristics of our Sun and its position in the universe.
5. Distinguishes between asteroids, meteors, and comets.
6. Knows that telescopes magnify distant objects in the sky and dramatically increase the number of stars we can see.
8. Recognizes and interprets units of measure for distance in the universe.
9. Explains the current theory of the origin of the universe.
Rational for Unit
Required LRSD Benchmarks are listed above. Because the Internet contains a wealth of scientific information, exciting images, and interactive websites concerning the Benchmarks, it is an ideal educational resource for research, investigation, and discovery.
Task Analysis
Computer Operation: power up, shut down, booting, program selection, data storage, and word processing.
Internet browser operation: search engine, links, right click, new window, find, data storage, URL address, back arrow, favorites, and history.
All skills should be taught.
Lesson One - Computer and Browser operation - 1½ hour
Expectation: TLW comprehend and apply basic computer and browser operation.
Preparation: Reserve computer lab. Review computer screen projection capabilities. Obtain one 3.5 data storage disc for each student.
Connection: For some of you this will be old hat, I expect you to share your knowledge with others and to come up with ideas for how we can do things better. For some of you this will be new.
As I have said before, in the future it will not be so much what you know, but do you know how to find the information.
Input Lecture: Computer Operation: power up, shut down, booting, program selection, data storage, and word processing.
Internet browser operation: search engine, links, right click, new window, find, data storage, URL address, back arrow, favorites, and history.
Input Model: Teacher's computer screen image will be projected. The teacher will circulate in the lab.
Input Discovery: Students will operate individual computers.
Output Practice: Students will perform operations at teacher prompt as the teacher circulates in the lab.
Input Review: What have we covered? Power up, shut down, booting, program selection, data storage, word processing search engine, links, right click, new window, find, data storage, URL address, back arrow, favorites, and history.
Output Assessment: Daily Five. Performance assessment. Five operation tasks.
Lesson Two - Virtual Field Trip: Scavenger Hunt - 1½ hour
Expectation: TLW apply Internet research skills will on a virtual field trip.
Preparation: Reserve computer lab. Send home virtual field trip permission letters. Provide copies of, or website for, “Scavenger Hunt.”
Connection: Send home virtual field trip permission letters.
Musk Ox Middle School
Field Trip Permission Form
Dear Parent or Guardian,
We will be going on a field trip (date) to visit our Solar System and the Milky Way Galaxy. We will be selling Moon rocks as our fundraiser to help defray the cost of this multi-billion dollar fieldtrip. We will return from the field trip before you know it as we are only going several hundred light-years from Earth.
Students will need the following for the field trip: space suit, really good sunglasses, oxygen tank, sack lunch that is either freeze-dried or comes in a toothpaste tube, tang, favorite binky, and curiosity.
Sincerely,
(teacher)
I hereby give permission for _________________________________
to go on the field trip. Signed ________________________________
Input Discovery: “Scavenger Hunt”
[Click on] Internet Explorer
go to
under Astronomy
[Click on] Nine Planets Solar System Tour
[Click on] Sun
1) How many stars are in our galaxy? {Our solar system is in the
Milky Way Galaxy.}
2) What percentage of matter in our solar system is contained by the Sun?
under More About the Sun
[Click on] Virtual Tour of the Sun
[Click on] English
[Click on] Continue
3) How hot is the center of the Sun?
[Click three times on] Back arrow
you should be at
[Address] http://www .seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/sol.html
at the bottom of the page
[Click on] Mercury
4) What does the picture of Mercury look like?
5) What is the range of temperature {number of degrees from low to high temperature} on Mercury?
at the bottom of the page
[Click on] Venus
6) What problem is caused by Venus' atmosphere of carbon dioxide?
at the bottom of the page
[Click on] Earth
7) If you had never been to Earth before, and saw it from outer space, what would you think?
[Click on] densest
8) The Earth is the densest large body in our solar system. What is the density of the Earth?
[Click on] Back arrow
you should be at
[Address] http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/earth.html
9) How old is the Earth?
at the bottom of the page
[Click on] Moon
10) What was the Roman name for the Moon?
11) In what year did humans first visit the Moon?
at the bottom of the page
[Click on] Mars
12) How warm is a summer day on Mars?
13) What is the largest mountain in the Solar System?
under More about Mars. Deimos. and Phobos
[Click on] Viking Lander images
[Click on] image 22A158/021
Looks like a pretty day on Mars!
[Click two times on] Back arrow
you should be at
[Address] http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/mars.html
at the bottom of the page
[Click on] Jupiter
[Click on] massive
14) How biq is Jupiter compared to the other planets?
[Click on] Back arrow
15) Why are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune known as gas planets?
[Click on] Saturn
under More about Saturn and its Satellites
[Click on] Saturn images
[Click on] Saturn
[Click on] edge-on rings (HST) 33k jpg
16) When we look at Saturn from Earth why do the rings sometimes disappear?
[Click three times on] Back arrow
you should be at
[Address] http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/saturn.html
[Click on] Uranus {pronounced: YOUR a nus}
17) Does Uranus have rings?
at the bottom of the page
[Click on] Neptune
18) Is Pluto always the farthest planet from the Sun?
at the bottom of the page
[Click on] Pluto
19) Which is larger, the Moon or Pluto?
go to
[Address] http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/solar_system/
in the Solar System Model, type in 400mm. {about the size of a basketball}
[Click on] Calculate
20) How big would the Earth be in this model? How far away from the Sun would it be?
go to
[Address] http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weight/index.html
enter your weight
[Click on] Calculate
21) What is your weight on the Moon? On the Sun? {Ouch!}
If you have extra time, go to
[Address] http://www.seds.org/hst/hst.html
and explore the universe.
Output Practice: Answer “Scavenger Hunt” questions.
Output Assessment: Grade “Scavenger Hunt” 50/50 on answers and performance.
Lesson Three - Small Bodies - 1½ hour
Expectation: TL, working as part of a team, will become an expert on one of the following; asteroids, meteors, or comets, and write a brief paper on the subject, as well as make a presentation to his/her team.
Preparation: Reserve computer lab.
Connection: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, did it make a sound? If a scientist makes a discovery and doesn't tell anyone, did the scientist advance scientific knowledge? Publishing scientific results and making presentations is an important part of being a scientist.
Input Lecture: Paper format: Five paragraphs; introduction, three interesting pieces of information, closing paragraph.
Input Model: Teacher example on separate subject.
Input Discovery: Research. Teacher will circulate in the lab to monitor progress.
Resource: Multilingual. Solar System images. Asteroid, meteor, and comet information. History information.
Resource: Tour of Solar System. Asteroid, meteor, and comet information. Sun information.
Output Practice: Write paper and make presentation.
Output Assessment: Grade paper. Presentation performance assessment. Daily Five: multiple choice quiz on asteroids, meteors, and comets.
Lesson Four - History and Science of the Telescope - 1½ hour
Expectation: TLW analyze the history and science of telescopes.
Preparation: Copy of
concave lenses solid glass or plastic cylinder
convex lenses paper
Florence glass black marker
plain glass overhead projector with arm lowered
Fresnel lens light box with an arrow on a screen
baggie filled with water lens holders
spray bottle with water index card with "AMMONIUM DIOXIDE" written
meter sticks large lens with long focal length
baggies
Connection: It is thought that children may have had a hand in inventing the telescope. We get to reenact that moment today.
Input Lecture: Read history handout.
Input Discovery:
Output Practice: Investigate stations.
Input Review: Team presentation as experts from one station.
Output Assessment: Presentation performance assessment.
Lesson Five - It Takes a Village to Make a Solar System - 1½ hour
Expectation: TLW comprehend and apply distance scale to the Solar System.
Preparation: Arkansas State Highway Map for each student.
Take your pick.
Resource: Solar System and galactic scale model.
Resource: Schoolyard Solar System models.
Resource: Solar System scale model lessons.
Resource: Solar System scale model lessons.
Connection: Explain scale using Arkansas State Highway Map. Now let's make a Solar System Map.
Input Discovery: Teams choose and design model.
Input Review: Teams present their model design idea.
Output Practice: Class decides on which model to make. Class makes model with teacher organization.
Output Assessment: Presentation performance assessment. Model construction performance assessment.
Lesson Six - A Beginners Guide to Origin - 1½ hour
Expectation: TLW research scientific theory of the origin of the universe.
Preparation: Reserve computer lab.
Connection: Where are you? Where is Earth? Where is the Solar System? Where is the Milky Way? Do we really know where we are? Have you ever wondered how this all came to be?
Input Lecture: Discuss scientific knowledge systems and religious knowledge systems. Discuss what is meant by science and theory. Discuss how to analyze credibility. This is an opportunity for your team to show what it has learned about Internet research.
Input Discovery: Teams will conduct Internet research on scientific theory of the origin of the universe.
Output Practice: Team presentations will be made on their findings.
Input Review: Web will be constructed of findings and credibility.
Output Assessment: Presentation performance assessment.
Bibliography of Internet Resources
Resource: Solar System images
Resource: Multilingual. Solar System images. Asteroid, meteor, and comet information. History and biographical information.
Resource: Tour of Solar System. Asteroid, meteor, and comet information. Sun information.
Resource: Solar System and galactic scale model.
Resource: Schoolyard Solar System models.
Resource: Solar System scale model lessons.
Resource: Solar System scale model lessons.
Resource: Earth and Moon images.
Resource: Space art lesson.
Resource: Star maps.
Resource: Solar System interactive model image.
Resource: Solar System formation theory.
Resource: history of the telescope.
Internet Inquiry Lesson
Working in cooperative groups, develop an Internet Inquiry Lesson to present to your classmates.
The grade will be a group grade based on the following criteria.
Evaluation
Lesson enhances science content through the use of Internet 5 points
Site is easy to navigate 5 points
Lesson is aligned to Arkansas Science Frameworks 5 points
Lesson demonstrates one or all of the following NSTA Standards 5 points
1.0 Content, 2.0 Nature of Science, 3.0 Inquiry,
4.0 Context of Science, 6.0 Curriculum
Site Culturally relevant for student age group and population 5 points
Professional Presentation 5 points
Total Possible 30 points