Name:ThinkQuest Library
Brief Description of the Site:
The most wonderful thing about ThinkQuest is that it is a site totally dedicated to students demonstrating not only that they have learned but that they can use that learning to teach others. Every ThinkQuest site is the work of a team of middle school or high school students, often international in scope. The teams create original Web sites to explain/teach a topic of their choosing, hoping that if they do it well enough the judges might award them one of the ThinkQuest prizes. The result is the ThinkQuest Library, containing more than 5,000 student-created sites created since 1998 in any of twelve categories, from Arts & Entertainment through Business through Geography & Travel and on to Philosophy/Religion and Social Science. There’s even a Sports category. These are just three representative titles: “Pirates: Brethren of the Seas,†“Advertising: Be Careful What You Buy,†and “Totally Tessellated: An Introduction to Tessellations.†As you browse these sites keep reminding yourself that they are not commercial but that they were created by students in schools no different from yours. These lovingly-created and meticulously-detailed sites prove that we are doing our job, for students are learning to learn and to use that learning to teach others.
How to use the site:
Browse and find sites that you can include on any WebQuest or for any other student-learning purpose. Or let your students browse; all sites have been vetted and there is absolutely nothing here that one could call inappropriate. Even the most tuned-out student might appreciate learning from a site created by other students. Because they were student-created the sites are not only fascinating but fun, with many learning activities disguised as games or other challenging activities. Another use might be to inspire some of your students to attempt similar projects. Chances are more than a few will get so inspired that they will beg you to be their advisor and help them enter. If you click on the Competition tab you will find a link to the April 2004 competition and another to the results of the October 2003 competition.
