Use the following 5-day plan to help students conduct this week's Internet inquiry
activity about life during colonial times. Remind students to follow classroom rules
when using the Internet.
Identify Questions Discuss the topic, colonial times. Brainstorm ideas for specific inquiry questions about life in colonial times. For example, students might want to find out what people wore or what people ate in colonial times. Have students work individually, in pairs, or in small groups to write an inquiry question they want to answer.
Navigate/Search Students begin an Internet search using a student-friendly search engine. Have students type in keywords related to their inquiry questions. Discuss how to use an advanced search if too many Web sites are listed. Students should use an advanced search to help narrow the number of sites shown. Students can then read the descriptions to select those sites that contain relevant information.
Analyze Encourage students to explore the Web sites they identified on Day 2. Tell them to scan each site for information that may help them answer their inquiry questions. Have students analyze information for credibility, reliability, and usefulness. Remind them to take notes or print out valuable information.
Synthesize Have students synthesize information from Day 3. Remind them that when they synthesize, they combine relevant ideas and information from different sources to develop answers to their inquiry questions.
Communicate Have students share their inquiry results. They can use a word processing program to create a short informational story on life in colonial times.