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Welcome to the Consumer Chemistry Web Quest.
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This Quest, in addition to
being the final requirement for a Masters Degree, was inspired by work I
did with my students in the fall of 2003 at Hoboken Charter School in
Hoboken, New Jersey.
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When prompted to name a consumer product which
was based upon chemistry, they all unanimously chose various forms of
cosmetics. The advantage of such as quest is that the product is
meaningful to the majority of the students and they readily research
products which they use on a daily basis.
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Whereas the chemical compounds may be somewhat
arcane for the high school student, the controversies which swirl around
the use of these chemicals is very frequently found in the newspapers
and electronic media.
Truth and the Internet
- Please note that the page on evaluating web sites and
"finding the truth on the internet" is on every product task page.
It is important that students learn that not everything on the web is
true, especially, when selling a product such as a cosmetic or a book on
cosmetics is involved. Sites which claim that cosmetics cause
cancer are rife. Students should be cautioned to use discretion in
believing the information contained in such sites.
Developing New Information
- I have included multiple sites on each product
which might be useful for the students. They are welcome to find
sites on their own should they feel that other sources might be more
useful. Note that students are required to list other sites used
as part of the resources in their PowerPoint presentations.
- Should time or technology not allow, students may
present their findings by means of printed reports or posters.
Bloom's Taxonomy
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Note the similarity
between the questions for each cosmetic product. This has been
done to assure that each group is working at multiple levels of
Bloom's
Taxonomy. Students start with "Knowledge and Comprehension"
during the fact finding phase of the quest and move on to Application
and Analysis during the reporting phase of the quest.
Ultimately, when students are creating the new product, they reach the
final level in the taxonomy, as they synthesize information and use the
information they have found to predict a new need.
New Jersey Core
Curriculum Standards
- This WebQuest will satisfy several standards
under the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards as follows:
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Standard 5.1
Scientific Processes --Inquiry and Problem Solving
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Standard 5.4 Nature
and the Process of Technology
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Standard 5.6
Chemistry -- Chemical Reactions
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Standard 5.10
Environmental Studies -- Human Interactions and Impact
WebQuests
For further information on the function and execution
of WebQuests, the teacher is referred to
Bernie Dodge's WebQuest Page at the Educational Technology
Department of San Diego State University
- I hope that you and your students enjoy this
quest as much as I have in preparing it.
Howard E. Alpert
May 2004
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