Procedure

Listed below are the suggested steps teachers should follow.

1. Create a Student Packet. Print the Introduction, Task, Process, and Evaluation pages and make an information packet for each student. You can also print the frameless version, which includes all necessary pages. If enough teachers show an interest I will provide this packet as a PDF file.
2. Distribute the Packet and Introduce the Project. Due to the amount of information within this site, this project should be introduced within a classroom and not with the use of computers. This allows students to be focused on the expectations of the project and prevents them from wandering through the many pages of the site.
3. Have Students Select Their Partners and Their Responsibilities. This project was designed for groups comprising of 3 7th grade students. I allowed groups of 2 but it was a lot of work for the two students. Once groups have been selected, students should determine the HTML pages for which they will be responsible.
4. Have Students Take the Amazon Quiz. The Amazon Quiz was meant to provide students with Internet resources and to begin learning about the Amazon. With each question there is a link to a very good web site. Each site can be used when students begin their research. I have provided a print version of the quiz if you want students to submit answers to the quiz.
5. Print Notes Templates and Have Students Research Information. I first taught students how to create a web page before they began their research. This was a mistake because many students plagiarized information (cut and pasted) or failed to create notes in rough draft format. To assist the note taking process I created a notes template page for each HTML page students will have to make. Provide copies of these pages for students. These notes template pages provide note taking guidelines for students. As part of the evaluation process students must present accurate notes. On the process page I have provided links to sites where students can gain information. If you find a valuable site that is not listed, please email the URL to me.
6. Teach Students How to Make Web Pages. You will have to instruct students on how to transfer template pages to their folders, change background colors and font, save pictures, and make links. I have provided a Help Page to assist in these endeavors. Go to Tech Guidance for helpful information regarding this step.
7. Have Students Create the Food Webs Poster. Since each student is working with specific types of organisms, the poster allows them to merge the information they have learned. I pushed students to begin working on the poster as they finished their web pages

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