9th Grade Webquests

As I approached this posting, I was very excited to begin searching the web for interactive webquests that would help my students engage the various texts we read throughout the year. I felt that this medium would offer a great way for them to use a forum they are comfortable with and interested in to better understand ELA content material. Yet as I continued to search the web, I must say I found myself disappointed with the overall quality of the webquests I encountered. While there were plenty to choose from, most seemed to be pretty basic and followed the same generic formula. With so much technology and possibility out there, I was surprised that I did not find more interactive sites that included video and audio components that would engage more students and help differentiate instruction for all types of learners. It appears as if the medium is still developing, and hopefully there will be a great number of more involved websites once this next generation of internet savvy teachers makes its way onto the internet. All that being said, however, I have no doubt that the webquest genre will continue to evolve into a valuable teaching tool that will greatly supplement classroom instruction. Throughout my search, I was able to find several sites that I found both engaging and informative. Here is a list of the best webquests I found for some of the books I studied with my 9th grade students this past year:

The Outsiders by SE Hinton:
http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/crc/webquest/OutsidersWebQuest/
- offers an interesting task & great pictures from the movie to engage student interest

The Odyssey by Homer:
http://www.janaedwards.com/odyssey.html
- very interactive…includes the full-text, games, picture-book version of the story, animation, sound bites, & various handouts/worksheets

Greek Mythology:
http://home.swbell.net/bobj1/webquestgreek.html
- provides informative links & a good class project

Othello by William Shakespeare:
http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/educators/technology/lessonplan.html
- not really a traditional webquest, but offers a great deal of resources including lesson plans & video clips