9th Grade Webquests

http://www.geocities.com/exploring_citr/tour.htm

I must say, I was quite eager to find a great Catcher in the Rye webquest, because I felt that my unit last year could have used something more engaging. So I was incredibly disappointed when all of the novel's webquests were lackluster. Some webquests simply asked students to answer comprehension questions online after reading different websites, or the questions seemed tedious and lacking meaning. None of the websites were colorful and ready to grab me, let alone a reluctant student. I really enjoyed one website, that wasn't formatted as a standard webquest ala Dodge, but was simply a photo tour of the NYC landmarks and period fashions that Salinger mentions (see above). While this website is also not visually appealing, it provides a wealth of pictures so that our students can actually visualize gladstones, the movies Phoebe mentions, Grand Central Terminal or the Central Park carousel. I'm not sure how to use this website as anything other than a reference. I would ask students to go to the website and look at particular links that align with the reading for that night. More creative ideas are welcome!

Catcher in the Rye webquests:
http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/Lafayette/languagearts/Main%20Dept%20Folder/Class%20Hotlinks/salinger.htm

http://www.asdk12.org/schools/west/pages/education/Haas4/catcherintherye_.htm


I also teach Greek mythology to my ninth graders and found a website that was more appealing than others. The website is colorful and tells students that they are investigative reporters assigned to find out who is the best and worst of the Olympians. The webquest is a group assignment and each student has a role. They must research the Olympians using the provided links and create a powerpoint presentation about the best and the worst. This website has the engagement factor that was lacking from the Salinger webquests, but doesn't necessarily demand higher-order thinking. I think this webquest would be appropriate for a fun pre-reading activity to have students understand who's who on Mount Olympus.

Greek Mythology Website:
http://www.coollessons.org/indexilani.htm