Web-based Scavenger Hunts

You remember the party game scavenger hunt. You are given a list of items to find and bring back by a certain time. The more items you bring back the more points you get. Scavenger hunts have evolved from bringing back physical items to using cameras (both Polaroid and now digital) to take pictures of items on the list. We can use this same concept for teaching and learning with the Internet.

A web-based scavenger hunt is a way for a teacher to direct students to specific readings on the web. This technique allows you to preview the site and choose places for the learner to go that represent the content in a way consistent with your lesson objectives and curriculum standards. It provides for active learning by making the students responsible for reading for a specific purpose, and, since you are looking for a specific answer, is a method that can be used with behaviorist learning or direct instruction. It is not a bad method for checking to see if students have done assigned reading as well.  Technically, it if pretty straight forward:

1) Choose a topic
2) Create a table in a word processing document
3) Write your questions
4) Use a search engine to locate the sites you need
5) Copy and paste the URL into a table
6) Copy the completed table and paste it to a web page your students can access.
 

When you use scavenger hunts you must check and re-check the links to make sure they are still there and still appropriate. Finding links is not hard, a simple query into most search engines can help you find appropriate sites very quickly. There is no right and wrong way to format a scavenger hunt, but here are two common ways to create your table.

One: Two column table posted as a web page

Question you are asking The URL or Link where the answer can be found

Two: Three column table posted as a Word Processed File

Question you are asking The URL or Link where the answer can be found Blank space for the student to answer the question

Examples:

  1. Here is a Web-based scavenger hunt that shows examples of questions from a variety or content areas.
    Use this to see samples of questions you might use.
  2. Here is a Web-based scavenger hunt on Copyright issues that you should do and turn in. (Note For Dr. Jones' Class:  Copyright information will appear on your test. You do not have turn it in, but think of it like a non-graded quiz.)

Your Assignment:

  1. Do the Web-based scavenger hunt on Copyright issues. Turn it in. Use the link above to see the scavenger hunt.
  2. Download this MS Word file to type your answers. Print it out and turn it in.
  3. Create a Web-based scavenger hunt that would be appropriate for your future classroom. Choose a curriculum standard, and create a scavenger hunt that would help students meet that curriculum standard. Include your standard on the same page as your scavenger hunt. You must put your scavenger hunt on your web site and link it from the Work Sample Page.

 

 

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Copyright Marshall G. Jones, Winthrop University, 2007. Use with permission of the author.