EDUCATION BLOG: WebQuest

DISCOVERING “ITALIA”.

A WebQuest for 8-9 years old. (Geography)

Michela Forzanini

biky1987@libero.it

Introduction

We want to explain something about our country Italy, focusing on social and geographical aspects in a simple and funny way, using animations and learning quiz.

Task

In our lesson we will present the following contents: we will explain the Italian regions and their capitals, subsequently, we will explain the most important monuments and their location. for children 8-9 years old. The duration of the lesson will be about 10-15 minutes. Children will be divided in groups of 4-5 for each in the initial time.

Process

The most important parts of this topics to teach are the following:

name and number of the italian regions.
localization of the regions (North, South, West, East).
name of each region's capital.
name and localization of the monuments shown.
name of italian seas and wich regions are bathed by which seas.

To teach this topic: you have to know the correct names of each italian regions, their localization and to know that cities in wich the most important monuments are placed.

To cover any limitations related to the correct pronunciation of names we will repeat several times together the same word. In the enumeration of the regions we will blew a lot on the shape of each region to store the same shape and to place that in the entire nation. In the theoretical part of learning and as an initial approach, there will be useful to involve the regions in animals-objects that recall the shape. We will discuss the historical monuments placing them in the right city.

We will use drawings, animations and knowledge of the children themselves (eg enhancing interventions, curiosities, showing photographs and devoting time to any direct experience of the children).

The lesson (theoretical part with accompanying practical exercise on web):

Do you know where Italy is placed in the world? Find it in the planisphere.
We will start to speak about Italy, shape and physical characteristics of the peninsula with the addiction of two islands. Clear map of Italy.

Exercise on web.

Which seas bathe Italy? (write correct names and show their location on the map).

Exercise on web.

Usually we divide Italy in three part: northern, central and southern part. Exposition of each region, shape and capital city. Show them on the map, write correct names.

Exercise on web.

The most important monuments: photographs and their placement according to the city.

Exercise on web.

During the explanation of the content:

we will make sure that everything is clear and understood, asking questions, answering to their questions and asking over and over again if a word or content has not been understood or stored.

We will explain clearly to avoid confusion about contents and prevent their bored.

Evaluation

Pupils have geography lesson one hour a week. The teacher’s explanation lasts fourtyfive minutes each argument. The last fifteen minutes the children have to do individual exercises which conceirn the arguments of the lesson. Every child has to have one computer where to do interactive exercises. The teacher recive the results of every pupils on her account and give the graduation from 0-5. These exercises are preparatory to the final test.

The exersises of the lectures are four more a final test (interactive too) which the teacher can graduate the children in all the arguments. In the final test the children have to fill the map of Italy in the following parts: names of regions and each capital city, where the regions are placed (north, south, west and east), the seas and the most important italian monuments. Even in this final test the children will be evaluated from 0-5

Our evaluation is based on a right/wrong answers. The exercises don´t provide open-ended responses.

RUBRIC SCORE	PERCENTUAL	GRADE	CATEGORY
0	0%	U	Unclassified
1	under 55%	U	Unsatisfactory
2	55% - 70%	D	Sufficient
3	71% - 75%	C	Fair
4	76%- 95%	B	Good
5	96% - 100%	A	Excellent

But the teacher after lectures, will do tests in form of games where the children will be divided in groups and they´ll have to describe and explain correctly about the image and the region where is situated.
In this game the children have the opportunity to compare each other and correct if someone makes mistakes.

Level	Category or ´level´		Behaviour descriptions	Examples of activities and demonstrations	Key words
1	Knowledge		Recognize informations	Multiple choice tests and puzzle.	recognize, memorise, decribe
2	Comprehension		learning the differences, the typical things	Create examples about what they´ve learnt	re-write, create, explain, interpret.
3	Application		Put in practice the contents of the lessons	Multiple choices, denominate the images and give a right description of these.	Describe, recognize, interpret, solve, perform.
4	Analysis		Select the right items and construction of them.	Multiple choice and tests where the children must describe images or answer to questions.	Problem solving, organization, select, self confidence about own answers.
5	Synthesis (create/built)		Internalize the characteristics and then know how to reproduce them accurately	Be able to respond to questions, even without images.	Organization, Internalization, reproducing.
6	Evaluation	efficacy and quality of what children have learnt		Be positive about own answers and be able to explain what they have chosen and why.	Explain and teach to peers

Examples of groups discussion.

Differences that help children to recognize, for example, north and south.

(1)

This image represents the Eolie Islands (Sicilia).

The pupil is facilitated to recognize that this place is in the South because in the north we don´t have the sea!

The vegetation will help the children to identify this image as the typical Mediterranean environment, which can resist to the really high temperatures of the south Italy, especially on summer.

(2)

This image represents the Dolomiti Mountains (They cover a big part of two regions: Trentino Alto Adige and Veneto, north - east).

The pupils is facilizated with this image because he recognize this typical Italian mountains in the north-east of Italy.

The natural environment and the little houses will help the children to identify this image as the Dolomiti Mountains.

Differences in architecture/ typical environment in architecture.

(1)

This image represents the city of Venice (The capital of Veneto region) and it´s easy to recognize because of the unique and typical architecture: palaces and bridges.

Of course Venice it will be easily identified for the canals that cross the city and the boats (one of the most known symbols of this city) called “gondola”.

(2)

This image represents the city of Alberobello (situated in the Puglia region).

The children will understand that is situated in the south, especially in Puglia because of the constructions, called “trulli”, typicall of the Puglia region.