8th Grade Critical Thinking Research

In this lesson, students learn more about how to critically view and judge the validity and trustworthiness of a web site. Included with the lesson is a Webquest to learn about some of the criteria to evaluate on a web site with questions that require reading and critical thinking skills as they learn what to look for in a reliable site. Then, students use the knowledge they have gained to create an Infographic using Canva (www.canva.com – a free, online graphic program) that outlines what others need to look for in a reliable web site. These project are great to print and display in the classroom or hallway!

Great for the beginning of the school year to get student research off on the right foot, this lesson is suitable for technology classes, English Language Arts classes, or any class that will use the Internet as a source for research information.

This lesson was designed for middle school (grades 6-8) but could be used in upper elementary grades or high school as well.

This lesson is great for distance learning/remote learning. You can upload it to your school's learning management system (Google Classroom, Edmodo, Canvas, etc.) or share with students via Google Drive.

Files included:

• Teacher & Student Resources

• Evaluating Web Sites WebQuest Student Instructions and Questions

• Evaluating Web Sites WebQuest Answer Key

• Evaluating Web Sites Infographic Project Expectations & Grading Rubric

• Canva Quick Start Tutorial

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In this lesson, students learn more about what cyberbullying is and how to deal with it. The objective of this lesson is to help students understand kindness and discretion when using social media sites, texting, and interacting with others through other technology. Included with the lesson is a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation for whole class instruction (editable) to start discussion. Next, students choose a topic about cyberbullying and brainstorm ways to deal with that issue as they create a poster using Poster My Wall (www.postermywall.com), a free Web 2.0 tool that does not require download. A Quick Start Guide for the program is included to help students navigate the program. These posters make a great addition to a school website, or can be printed and displayed in the hallways.

This is a great activity for the beginning of the school year to set the tone for expectations in online activity and communications. This lesson is suitable for technology classes, for counselors, or in any class that will use the Internet.

This lesson was designed for middle school (grades 6-8) but could be used in upper elementary grades or high school as well.

This lesson is great for distance learning/remote learning. You can upload it to your school's learning management system (Google Classroom, Edmodo, Canvas, etc.) or share with students via Google Drive.

Files included:

• Teacher & Student Resources

• Understanding Cyberbullying – Editable Microsoft PowerPoint presentation

• Student Instructions, Expectations and Grading Rubric for Cyberbullying Poster Project

• Quick Start Guide for Poster My Wall

Related Products
⭐ Digital Citizenship & Social Media
⭐ Learning about Copyright WebQuest (Internet Scavenger Hunt)

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In this lesson, students use critical thinking and research skills to determine how a specific form of technology evolved. Working with a partner or small group, students start with where their chosen technology was prior to 1900 and then take it through 5 more steps of evolution to the present day. Students use the Internet for research to determine what had to happen between each step to move their technology to the next iteration. Worksheets are provided for six high interest topics, with an editable blank form (PowerPoint) if the teacher chooses to add another topic (or let students choose a different topic). The worksheets are two pages (print front and back). Resources for the teacher and students include a short list of Internet sites as a starting point for each research topic. A sample completed worksheet is also included for one topic. Topics included are:

• How We Listen to Music

• How We Watch a Movie

• How We Take Photographs

• How We Communicate on the Telephone

• How We Research Information

• How We Tell Time

This lesson was designed for middle school (grades 6-8) but could be used in upper elementary as well.

Files included:

• Teacher & Student Resources

• Technology Then & Now Student Expectations, Instructions and Grading Rubric

• Technology Then & Now Student Worksheets (6 topics, plus an editable blank – both color and black and white versions of each)

• Sample Project

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In this lesson, students learn fun facts about Columbus Day and Indigenous People's Day, as they complete a WebQuest (Internet Scavenger Hunt) to answer questions about the topic. A complete answer key is provided for easy grading, along with resources for both teachers and students. Two versions of the WebQuest are included to let teachers print the questions or to provide them digitally as an interactive page in an editable Microsoft PowerPoint file. Additionally, a word search puzzle with answer key is included, perfect for early finishers or to use as a part of the lesson.

This lesson was designed for middle school (grades 6-8) but could be used in upper elementary as well.

This lesson is great for distance learning/remote learning. You can upload it to your school's learning management system (Google Classroom, Edmodo, Canvas, etc.) or share with students via Google Drive.

Files Included:

• Teacher & Student Resources

• WebQuest questions for students - print and digital versions (editable)

• WebQuest Answer Key (non-editable, .pdf)

• Word Search Puzzle with Answer Key

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In this lesson, students learn interesting facts about the history and invention of toys as they complete several projects including a WebQuest (Internet Scavenger Hunt) to answer questions about the topic. A complete answer key is provided for the WebQuest for easy grading, along with resources for both teachers and students. The student questions are included in both a print version and a digital (editable) version to make it easy for students to complete the lesson digitally or on paper. Next, students will be challenged by creating a presentation to showcase how different toys evolved over the years, comparing toys of fifty years ago with modern ones. Also included with this lesson is a wordsearch puzzle and an answer key, which is perfect for early finishers or as a part of the lesson.

This lesson is intended to be an introduction to the topic and was designed for middle school (grades 6-8) but could be used in high school as well. This lesson could be used in a history or technology class and is also a great lesson to leave for a substitute teacher!

Materials Required:

· Computers with Internet access for each student (or pair of students)

· Software such as Microsoft Word/PowerPoint or Google Docs/Slides

Files included:

· Teacher & Student Resources

· The Invention of Toys WebQuest Activity (print and editable digital files included)

· The Invention of Toys WebQuest Answer Key

· Toys Then & Now Research & Presentation Project Student Expectations and Grading Rubric

· Wordsearch Puzzle – The Invention of Toys

· Wordsearch Puzzle Answer Key

Approximate Lesson Duration:

· WebQuest - 1 (50 minute) class period

· Research & Presentation Project – 2-3 (50 minute) class periods

· Wordsearch Puzzle – 30 minutes

· Presentation of Projects to Class (optional) – time will depend on class size

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