Animal Rights WebQuest

Introduction

Welcome to the Animal Rights WebQuest!

Through this WebQuest activity, we hope you will learn more about the relationship between humans and animals. Have a chance to read about what others have written on the topic of animal rights and decide for yourself if humans have the responsibility to protect animals and if humans have the right to treat animals as lower beings than ourselves.

We hope that at the end of this WebQuest you would develop an appropriate perspective relating to animal rights.

Task

Each group will be allocated one of the topics below to research and write about:

Should eating sharks' fins be banned?
Should humans eat dog meat?
Should animals be kept in zoos?
Are humans and animals equal?
Is animal testing necessary?

Send a representative from your group to draw lots in order to decide if your group is the Proposition or Opposition team.

Once you are sure of your allocated stand, proceed to conduct your internet research to gather as much information as you can to support and defend your stand.

At the end of the WebQuest, you are to put together a group essay to present your arguments.

Process

Step 1: Construct Thesis Statement

Construct the tentative thesis statement which is to form the introduction of your group essay. Write it in the Essay Plan Page in your group wiki (AskNLearn portal). You may like to refer to the tentative thesis statements you have constructed in Lesson 3 and make modifications.

Step 2:Formulate Topic Sentences

Individually, conduct Round 1 of the internet research by using the custom search engine below in order to scan through useful websites related to the topic. Surface at least 3 strong arguments to support your thesis statement and at least 1 anti-argument:

http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=010942979326934812098:_hwjgw2kr1a&hl=en

Tip: If you are interested to find out how to narrow and refine your internet search, read http://www.internettutorials.net/boolean.html

At the end of Round 1 of the independent internet research, come together as a group to decide and rank the arguments and anti-arguments in order of the strongest to the weakest. Attempt to construct a topic sentence for each of the arguments and anti-arguments. Key your topic sentences in the Essay Plan Page in your group wiki.

Here are some websites for you to start off with:

Is animal testing necessary?

Are humans and animals equal?

Should sharks’ fins be banned?

http://www.stopsharkfinning.net
http://www.ogsociety.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1…
http://www.wwf.sg/take_action/say_no_to_shark_fin/
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/banning-shark’s-fin-not-the-solution--experts-20120216.html
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/01/02/Shark-Fin-Ban/

Should animals be kept in zoo?

Step 3:Formulate Supporting Ideas

As a group, decide who will be in charge of developing each paragraph. Each pupil is to conduct Round 2 of the internet search using the same custom search engine to scan for at least 4 supporting ideas for the topic sentence he/she is in charge of. Be sure to copy and paste the URLs of the websites you have consulted in the Resource Page and key in any new words you have learnt in the Glossary Page in your group wiki. Each group member is to key in the supporting ideas in point form into the writing plan in the group wiki. When the writing plan is completed, invite your teacher to give comments.

Warning: Plagarism is a crime! Do not lift more than 7 words from the internet site you have consulted. Use of own words to rephrase the idea you have selected.

Step 4: Write the Essay

When your teacher has approved your writing plan, proceed to write the complete essay as a group using google doc. Using the spell and grammar check function of Microsoft Words, correct any mechanical errors before cutting and pasting the essay onto the Group Essay Page on your group wiki

Evaluation

Total Marks for Webquest = Essay + Peer Evaluation

The essay will be graded on:

	Exceed Expectations (8-10)	Meeting Expectations (4-7)	Below Expectations (1-3)
Organisation	- Arranged the paragraphs and sentences effectively to put forward a convincing and coherent argument	- Arranged the paragraphs and sentences in a somewhat coherent manner.	- Arranged the paragraphs and sentences in an incoherent manner.
Arguments	- Used of well constructed topic sentences to convince - Used of well constructed supporting sentences to achieve coherence	- Used of topic sentences to present main arguments - Used of supporting sentence to present sub arguments	- Poorly constructed topic sentences and supporting sentences
Internet Research	- Chosen strong arguments and supporting ideas - A significant number of appropriate internet sites consulted	- Chosen good arguments and supporting ideas - A number appropriate internet sites consulted	- Chosen arguments and supporting ideas are not always appropriate - Few appropriate internet sites consulted
Vocabulary	- Used more than 5 words from Lesson 6 vocabulary list effectively - Used new words from glossary list effectively	- Used 3 words from Lesson 6 vocabulary list effectively - Attempted to use new words from glossary list	- Used less than 3 words from Lesson 6 vocabulary list effectively - No attempt to use new words from glossary list
Mechanics (spelling, grammar etc)	- Made less than 5 mechanical errors	- Made more than 5 mechanical errors but these do not interfere with meaning	- Made numerous mechanical errors - Little evidence of proof reading before submission

Exceed Expectations

(8-10)

Meeting Expectations

(4-7)

Below Expectations

(1-3)

Organisation

- Arranged the paragraphs and sentences effectively to put forward a convincing and coherent argument

- Arranged the paragraphs and sentences in a somewhat coherent manner.

- Arranged the paragraphs and sentences in an incoherent manner.

Arguments

- Used of well constructed topic sentences to convince

- Used of well constructed supporting sentences to achieve coherence

- Used of topic sentences to present main arguments

- Used of supporting sentence to present sub arguments

- Poorly constructed topic sentences and supporting sentences

Internet Research

- Chosen strong arguments and supporting ideas

- A significant number of appropriate internet sites consulted

- Chosen good arguments and supporting ideas

- A number appropriate internet sites consulted

- Chosen arguments and supporting ideas are not always appropriate

- Few appropriate internet sites consulted

Vocabulary

- Used more than 5 words from Lesson 6 vocabulary list effectively

- Used new words from glossary list effectively

- Used 3 words from Lesson 6 vocabulary list effectively

- Attempted to use new words from glossary list

- Used less than 3 words from Lesson 6 vocabulary list effectively

- No attempt to use new words from glossary list

Mechanics

(spelling, grammar etc)

- Made less than 5 mechanical errors

- Made more than 5 mechanical errors but these do not interfere with meaning

- Made numerous mechanical errors

- Little evidence of proof reading before submission

Total : ___/50

Peer Evaluation of group work will be based on:

Exceed Expectations

(4-5)

Meeting Expectations

(2-3)

Below Expectations

(0-1)

Getting Started

- Used time effectively

- Helped to keep others on task in a positive manner

- Maintained appropriate pace throughout activity

- Used time ineffectively

- Need to be redirected by others to maintain appropriate pace

Participation with the Group

- Demonstrated leadership qualities

- Actively listened for ideas

- Asked for help when needed

- Listened attentively but did not contribute to exchange of ideas

- Did not ask for help when needed.

Responsibility for own work

- Checked to make sure all components of all tasks were met

- Checked to make sure own tasks were completed.

- Did not complete his/her own tasks

Grades from Member 1 =

Grades from Member 2 =

Grades from Member 3 =

Total = _____/15

Conclusion

Congratulations! You Did It!

You have successfully completed the WebQuest. Now that you know more about animal rights, reflect on what you have learnt so far and compose a no more than 100-word personal response to reflect your own views of how humans should treat animals on Worksheet 10 (attached)