School Zone SignCrool Zone - a WebQuest Series on creating non-violent schools

Crool Zone? Series
Users' Guide / Overview

What are the educational objectives of the "Crool Zone?" series of activities?

Each of the seven activities available focus on a specific learning goal. These goals are described in the paragraphs below. The flow charts below highlight how these different activities might work together to support a comprehensive learning process. This is not to suggest that this order is required, but to recommend how you might want to use one of the activities and for what purpose. It also indicates how the separate activities can work together to address many learning goals and needs. Teachers and students should make their own choices about which activities best meet learners' needs.

Topic Hotlist
The purpose of a Topic Hotlist is to present learners with a rich set of resources to use in their investigation of a topic. Think of it as a valuable place to research, like the library, media center, or a field trip. How a person uses these resources depends on them. An evaluation rubric has been prepared to encourage a more sophisticated information literacy / research process.

Subject Sampler
When you want to explore how you feel about different aspects of school violence, try the Subject Sampler. More than most topics, issues related to school safety can be especially disturbing because it touches almost everyone. But instead of jumping to conclusions, put yourself in a variety of situations and see how you feel or would react. An evaluation rubric has been prepared to encourage a personal, affective connection to the subject.

Insight Reflector
Whenever you want to really refine and reflect on ideas, opinions, and feelings, an Insight Reflector is a good option. This prompted writing activity may be most suited to upper elementary and high school students. You might choose to use it early in the process to raise key issues or a culminating activity to arrive at students' most sophisticated thinking. An evaluation rubric has been prepared to encourage thoughtful questioning and insightful writing.

Knowledge Hunt
Sometimes it's important to acquire enough information on a topic to be able to speak from a sound base of knowledge. When this is the case, use the Knowledge Hunt, which raises specific questions and links to fairly reliable information as resources for answers. An evaluation rubric is available to encourage true knowledge acquisition, not copy / paste masterpieces.

Concept Builder
What do we mean when we talk about such concepts as: "Bullying,' "Perpetrators of Violence," or "The Effects of Media?" these and other concepts are developed in this activity. An evaluation rubric is available to assist in making sure the critical attributes of the concepts are well understood.

WebQuest
Why all this violence in schools? Are schools places of learning or "Crool Zones?" This WebQuest engages students in a detailed analysis of the issues and supports a group process toward promoting nonviolent social change. An evaluation rubric is available to guide students toward high achievement in both their individual and group work.

Unfolded WebQuest
Coming soon!


activity flow chart





If you want to consider what issues and perspectives might be involved in the topic of School Safety, we've brainstormed many and then provided related links on the Topic Hotlist and WebQuest Roles. You can get a larger view or click on the graphic below.

WebQuest Roles

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Launched April 2002. Revised February, 2005.
By Tom March, tom at ozline dot com
Applications Design Team/Wired Learning