Internationalizing Curriculum.WebQuests

Quest for Anaconda
A WebQuest for Teachers
Internationalizing the Curriculum

Introduction
The Anaconda is a boa constrictor and the largest of all snakes. It can reach lengths of over 29 feet. It is found throughout tropical South America. The snake prefers to live in water but likes to spend some time basking in the sun near a river’s edge. An anaconda snake can live thirty years or more!

http://www.nashvillezoo.org/anaconda.htm

Task
You are going to help your students write a story about a day in the life of an Anaconda snake. They will use Spanish and English words and illustrate their story with drawings.

Process
Begin by visiting the websites mentioned below and learn as much as you can about the habits of the anaconda. Make sure you understand its physical characteristics, habitat, diet, and range.

Resources
An excellent site that gives a basic introduction to the anaconda:
http://www.nashvillezoo.org/anaconda.htm

This site tells more about the snake:
http://www.extremescience.com/BiggestSnake.htm

Another site that information about the anaconda and includes drawings of this and other snakes:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/reptiles/snakes/Anacondacoloring.shtml

More information about the anaconda:
http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/jeffcorwin/carnival/slithering/anaconda.html

This site is in Spanish and about the anaconda.
http://www.mascotas-plus.com/reptiles/p34.html

This website in Spanish is all about serpientes gigantes: http://www.obelisco.iespana.es/yosoy_es/mundolejano/cy3.html

This site has lots of different pictures of anaconda and other snakes:
http://www.manbir-online.com/snakes/anaconda.htm

This site has a list of animals that students might want to include in their story. http://www.rcaguilar.com/spanish/vocabulary/00-lists/sp-animales-manitas.htm

This website has fun activities to practice Spanish animal vocabulary http://www.syvum.com/squizzes/spanish/

Conclusion
Were your students able to write a story about a day in the life of an anaconda? Did they learn some facts about the snake? Did they enjoy illustrating their stories and did the drawings correspond with the text?

Evaluation

	Good	Better	Best
Personal growth and knowledge of topic	You learned one or two new things about anaconda.	You learned three to five interesting new things about anaconda.	You learned more than five new interesting things about anaconda and want to know more.
Appropriateness of finished product	Your students wrote stories but there was little factual information incorporated in it.	Your students wrote stories about anaconda that contained a few facts and drawings.	Your students wrote stories that had lots of information about the snake and interesting details.
Overall esthetic presentation	Drawings are not clear and do not always correspond with text.	Interesting drawings but text could be improved to correspond better with pictures.	Drawings are colorful, clear and crisp and text corresponds well.