Cyber-Hunts

====Cyber-hunts serve as online scavenger hunts where learners are asked to explore websites in search of answers to specific questions. Below are several links that offer information about using cyber-hunts in the classroom. Following the links, please browse through the various examples of cyber-hunts that follow.====

How to Use a Cyber-hunt
Scavenger Hunts: What Are They? Rock On Planet Earth Online Scavenger Hunt Christopher Columbus Cyber-Hunt Power Point on Cyber-Hunts

Cyber-hunt on Junie B. Jones media type="custom" key="7338441"

Lesson Plan Template for Cyber-hunts media type="custom" key="7338503"



**STEPS FOR CREATING A CYBER HUNT ** The following steps are merely suggestions and are not prescriptive. Feel free to add or delete where you feel it is appropriate. *Source for Cyberhunt Directions

**A. SELECT A TOPIC OR THEME** 1. Select a Learning Area and decide on a topic or theme that can be linked to the National Curriculum Statement (RNCS or NCS). This can be done in consultation with your learners, as learner input might lead to greater motivation and a feeling of ownership among learners. **B. COMPUTER WORK ** 2. Generate keywords or phrases that could be linked to the topic. (This can be done with the assistance of your learners during Step 1). 3. Open Microsoft Word or your preferred word processor. Here you are going to type your questions related to the topic as well as the web address (URL) of the website to which this question refers. (This will obviously depend on the level of the cyberhunt that you want to create). 4. Open Internet Explorer (Your Web Browser) 5. Decide on the search engine that you want to use for example www.google.com or www.askjeeves.com, etc. Type in the search engine’s address toolbar box the URL for example www.google.com 6. When your search engine appears in the Web Browser, type the generated keywords or phrases into the search box of your search engine. Remember that you can still generate keywords or phrases as you are searching. Write them down on paper. 7. Explore the generated results produced by your search engine. 8. Copy the web address by highlighting it in the Web Browser’s address toolbar and then selecting copy from the edit menu (CTRL-C is the shortcut). Remember to bookmark sites, or to write the web addresses down. Bookmarking websites (Favorites button and Add to Favourites in your web browser) allow you to refer or revisit a previously visited web site with ease by selecting the web site from the Favourites option in your web browser. 9. If your word processor is open, switch to it by pressing the ALT-TAB keys. Press the ALT key first, keep it down and press the TAB key. While keeping the ALT key pressed, press the TAB key to move to the programme you want to be opened. Should your word processor be not open, open it by clicking on the START button and then select your word processor. Remember the ALT TAB function to move among opened programmes. **C. QUESTION WORKSHEET GENERATION ** 10. Decide what kind of question you do want to ask. Normally one starts with simple or straightforward types of questions and then move to a higher level of questioning. Refer to the different levels of questioning as suggested in Table 2. Type the question related to your topic. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">11. Copy your selected URL (the web address) underneath your typed question by selecting the Edit menu and the Copy option from the dropdown menu box. Alternatively you could use the shortcut option by pressing CTRL-V (Keep in mind that this will only work if you have highlighted the text to be copied previously. See Step 8). <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">12. Should you want to compose more questions pertaining to the open website, type these questions and paste the URL or indicate to your learners that they have to visit the same website to answer the questions. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">13. Should you want to explore the open website deeper (vertically), and then do so. Depending on the level of the cyberhunt that you want to design, you will then have to decide whether you will provide the new URL to your learners or whether they will have to explore the website deeper (vertically). If you decide to provide the web address, then copy and paste it as indicated previously. (Note: You do not have to use the address as the link. Instead you can use the question and use the question as a hyperlink. The disadvantage is that learners do not see the way in which a web address is structured. However, this could be useful, especially with young learners.) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">14. If you have decided that you want to compose more questions, you could press the BACK button/option on your web browser to take you back to the previous screen in your web browser. Keep on selecting the BACK button until you are where you want to be. For example, if you want to return to the search engine in your web browser where you started initially, keep clicking on the BACK button until that screen appears. You could also start afresh by selecting and opening your web browser. Then follow the sequence as indicated by Step 5 and further. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">15. To make your cyberhunt more attractive, you could insert applicable pictures that will enhance your topic. Do not insert pictures merely for the sake of having pictures. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">16. HINT: You could create tables with two columns and several rows in which you provide space for your learners to type their answers on the computer (PC). In this way learners also learn how to move with the cursor keys and the mouse to the different sections on your page. This can then be printed. Alternatively, you could make a print-out of the questions and the learners can then write the answers in the provided space. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">17. Memo: Remember to set up a memo while you are busy. Type the answers below the questions and print the memo. SAVE the memo and questions. Remember to DELETE the answers before you make another print out for your learners to work on. Should you want to save your cyberhunt in order that your learners can complete it on the computer, the answers have also to be deleted. (Save the questions for example as CyberhuntAddo1 and the memo as CyberhuntAddo1Memo).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">18. If your learners are going to type the answers on the computer, remember to save the Cyberhunt on the server where they all can gain access to the specific file. Learners must be informed that they need to SAVE their answers regularly while they are busy working on the Cyberhunt. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">19. Be sure to save your page on your home drive after every question. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">20. Add a title and directions to your Cyber Hunt. They may be in different sizes, fonts, etc. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">21. Upload the page onto the web or web server or save the page on your network server.