For this assignment you will create a group of web pages that teaches a lesson on a social studies topic. As with a good paper, the topic of the project should be focused. For example, a good choice of topic would be the Harlem Renaissance. A broad topic, such as the history of the United States, would be a poor choice.
The project should have a home page and at least 8 other pages of information. Name the home page home.htm and give the other pages appropriate names. Part of the grade will be based on the organization of the pages and clearness in organization. All files should be saved on your H drives in a folder title socialstudiesPeriodLFirst (where Period is your period number, L is your last initial, and First is your first name.) Your name should be added to the TITLE tag on each page.
Think of the structure of a web page like the structure of a paper. The home page is like an introductory paragraph. It should state a thesis that will be supported by the other pages. Other pages are like sections of a paper, focusing on one aspect of the topic. Graphics, charts, and animated GIFs are to be used to clarify the topic. Throughout the pages, create links to more information about what you are discussing. All text other than quotes should be your own writing. Any plagiarism will earn a 0 for the student. Advanced students may use images from any source. Honors students must only use images that are public domain or they have permission to use. ( See Copyright-free images for links to pages with images that may be used.
Projects will be graded with the guide below.
Overall
Aesthetics (This
refers to the page itself, not the external resources linked to
it.) Overall
Visual Appeal 0 points There are few or no graphic
elements. No variation in layout or typography. OR Color is garish and/or
typographic variations are overused and legibility suffers. Background
interferes with the readability. 2 points Graphic elements sometimes,
but not always, contribute to the understanding of concepts, ideas and
relationships. There is some variation in type size, color, and
layout. 4 points Appropriate and thematic
graphic elements are used to make visual connections that contribute to
the understanding of concepts, ideas and relationships. Differences in
type size and/or color are used well and consistently. 0
points Getting
through the lesson is confusing and unconventional. Pages can't be found
easily and/or the way back isn't clear. 2
points There are a
few places where the learner can get lost and not know where to go
next. 4
points Navigation
is seamless. It is always clear to the learner what all the pieces are and
how to get to them. 0
points There are
more than 5 broken links, misplaced or missing images, badly sized tables,
misspellings and/or grammatical errors. 1
point There are
some broken links, misplaced or missing images, badly sized tables,
misspellings and/or grammatical errors. 2
points No
mechanical problems noted. Introduction Motivational
Effectiveness of Introduction 0 points The introduction is purely
factual, with no appeal to relevance or social importance OR The scenario posed is
transparently bogus and doesn't respect the media literacy of today's
learners. 1 point The introduction relates
somewhat to the learner's interests and/or describes a compelling question
or problem. 2 points The introduction draws the
reader into the lesson by relating to the learner's interests or goals
and/or engagingly describing a compelling question or
problem. Cognitive
Effectiveness of the Introduction 0 points The introduction doesn't
prepare the reader for what is to come, or build on what the learner
already knows. 1 point The introduction makes some
reference to learner's prior knowledge and previews to some extent what
the lesson is about. 2 points The introduction builds on
learner's prior knowledge and effectively prepares the learner by
foreshadowing what the lesson is about. Task
(The task is the end
result of student efforts... not the steps involved in getting
there.) Connection of
Task to Standards 0 points The task is not related to
standards. 2 point The task is referenced to
standards but is not clearly connected to what students must know and be
able to do to achieve proficiency of those standards. 4 points The task is referenced to
standards and is clearly connected to what students must know and be able
to do to achieve proficiency of those standards. Cognitive
Level of the Task 0 points Task requires simply
comprehending or retelling of information found on web pages and answering
factual questions. 3 points Task is doable but is
limited in its significance to students' lives. The task requires analysis
of information and/or putting together information from several
sources. 6 points Task is doable and engaging,
and elicits thinking that goes beyond rote comprehension. The task
requires synthesis of multiple sources of information, and/or taking a
position, and/or going beyond the data given and making a generalization
or creative product. See WebQuest Taskonomy. Process
(The process is the
step-by-step description of how students will accomplish the
task.) Clarity of
Process 0 points Process is not clearly
stated. Students would not know exactly what they were supposed to do just
from reading this. 2 points Some directions are given,
but there is missing information. Students might be
confused. 4 points Every step is clearly
stated. Most students would know exactly where they are at each step of
the process and know what to do next. Scaffolding
of Process 0 points The process lacks strategies
and organizational tools needed for students to gain the knowledge needed
to complete the task. Activities are of little
significance to one another and/or to the accomplishment of the
task. 3 points Strategies and
organizational tools embedded in the process are insufficient to ensure
that all students will gain the knowledge needed to complete the
task. Some of the activities do
not relate specifically to the accomplishment of the task. 6 points The process provides
students coming in at different entry levels with strategies and
organizational tools to access and gain the knowledge needed to complete
the task. Activities are clearly
related and designed to take the students from basic knowledge to higher
level thinking. Checks for understanding are
built in to assess whether students are getting it. See: Richness of
Process 0 points Few steps, no separate roles
assigned. 1 points Some separate tasks or roles
assigned. More complex activities required. 2 points Different roles are assigned
to help students understand different perspectives and/or share
responsibility in accomplishing the task. Resources
(Note: you should
evaluate all resources linked to the page, even if they are in sections
other than the Process block. Also note that books, video and other
off-line resources can and should be used where
appropriate.) Relevance
& Quantity of Resources 0 points Resources provided are not
sufficient for students to accomplish the task. OR There are too many resources
for learners to look at in a reasonable time. 2 point There is some connection
between the resources and the information needed for students to
accomplish the task. Some resources don't add anything new. 4 points There is a clear and
meaningful connection between all the resources and the information needed
for students to accomplish the task. Every resource carries its
weight. Quality
of 0 points Links are mundane. They lead
to information that could be found in a classroom
encyclopedia. 2 points Some links carry information
not ordinarily found in a classroom. 4 points Links make excellent use of
the Web's timeliness and colorfulness. Varied resources provide
enough meaningful information for students to think deeply. Evaluation Clarity of
Evaluation Criteria 0 points Criteria for success are not
described. 3 points Criteria for success are at
least partially described. 6 points Criteria for success are
clearly stated in the form of a rubric. Criteria include qualitative as
well as quantitative descriptors. The evaluation instrument
clearly measures what students must know and be able to do to accomplish
the task. See Creating a Rubric. Total
Score /50
Resources