Lesson

Components
Identification of the
Class
Virginia Standards of
Learning & National
Educational
Technology
Standards (Students)

Description
Subject: English
Grade: 8
Number of Students: 20
Virginia SOLs:
8.2 The student will develop and deliver oral presentations
in groups and individually.
g) Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work.
h) Use a variety of strategies to listen actively
8.3 The student will analyze, develop, and produce creative
or informational media messages.
8.7 The student will write in a variety of forms, including
narration, exposition, persuasion, and informational.
a) Identify intended audience.
b) Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas.
8.9 b) Evaluate the validity and authenticity of texts.
NETS-S:
C/T 6-8.2 Identify and use available
technologies to complete specific
tasks.
C/T 6-8.5 Demonstrate digital citizenship by
actively participating in positive activities for
personal and community well-being.
C/T 6-8.6 Understand the nature of information
in a global society and how the characteristics
of various media may influence others.
C/T 6-8.7 Plan and apply strategies for
gathering information, using a variety of tools
and sources, and reflect on alternate strategies
that might lead to greater successes in future
projects.

Lesson Objectives
(KUDs)

The students will know

how to navigate a WebQuest activity in
order to solve a problem.
The students will understand that
working on a team is a key part of the
learning process.
The students will be able to
identify characteristics of a(n) reliable/unreliable
source.
create a multimedia presentation showcasing their
understanding of reliable/unreliable sources.

Big Ideas/Essential
Questions

participate in a debate by applying their new

knowledge.

How do writers present themselves in writing?

How do readers evaluate sources based on the topic,
author, and point-of-view?
How does a learner effectively work as team in order
to solve a problem?
How does a learner work in a competitive
environment while still being respectful of your
colleagues?
How to take a stance on a issue while also
recognizing the counterargument?

Materials

Procedures

Computers/laptops
Headphones (for film viewing if students
want to watch clips more than once)
Completed WebQuest site
Crayons/colored pencils/markers
Posterboard
1. Introduce the process: Hook
Explain to the students that they will be
conducting a WebQuest. It is at this time
that the teacher presents the following
pages in this order: Introduction, Task, and
Conclusion (Students should also be
navigating through these pages on their own
computers). Then return back to the
introduction and have students respond to
the question in their journals. Have
volunteers share their answers.
2. Watch The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs
video and have students answer the
following question (aloud): Is the Wolfs
side of the story believable? Why or why
not?
3. Direct Instruction: Have students go to
the Process page. Go over Determining
the Credibility of Online
Sources handout. Emphasize to

4.

5.

6.
7.

Assessment &
Evaluation

students that they will need this when

they create their online database. (It
might be fruitful to provide students
cloze notes for this step and have them
complete the notes as they are read
aloud.)
Scaffolding: Go over guideline for the
assignment on both the Process page and
the Evaluation page. Make sure to
explain the teacher model for the online
database. It is at this time that the class
can vote to combine teams for the debate
presentation.
Independent Practice: have students
work in their small learning groups to
conduct their research and prepare for
their presentations
Application: Students presents their
online databases.
Extend: Students use the information
from their database and The Tell-Tale
Heart text to participate in a mockdebate. (This could be presented through
an in-class debate or an online discussion
thread.)
Responses in Hook discussion
Completed graphic organizers
Active participation during group work
Database presentations