Treasure Hunt Introduction
We've already established that a Treasure Hunt is used to allow students to surf specific sites that you've located and then answer basic, factual questions using information found on the sites. These kinds of questions, called foundation questions by some, consist of the basic "who, what, when, where, how " questions. They are called "foundation questions" because they build the foundation of students'' factual knowledge. The questions that you ask should lead to and be part of the culminating essential question.

When you think about "inquiry-based learning," you'll recall that it involves a process where students formulate investigative questions, obtain factual information, and then build knowledge that ultimately reflects their answer to the original question. In the case of a Filamenality Treasure Hunt, the process of generating questions is normally done by the teacher. Questions can be generated using Inspiration software or other types of concept-mapping exercises. To take it one step further, maybe you want students to generate the questions? Need some help with creating questions? Try our guide to good questions.

Alignment to Standards
At a basic level, your work planning, locating, evaluating and assembling resources for a Filamentality activity page meets some standards from the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) Project developed by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE):

• Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences: II. Teachers plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology from NETS for Teachers.
  
  
• Technology research tools: 5. Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources; Students use technology tools to process data and report results; Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks. NETS for Students
  
  
• English Language Arts: 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, and video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge. NETS National Curriculum English Language Arts.
  
  
• Information Literacy : Standard 2: The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently and Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively. NETS Information Literacy NETS National Curriculum Information Literacy

Depending on your topic and your assignment, you can probably add more links to state or national standards. Keep these in mind as you develop questions, create assignments, and generate rubrics.

How-to's and Examples
The following examples focus on how to make hunts or provide multiple links to examples. It is by no means, exhaustive.

• Internet Hunt Activities, created by Cindy O'Hora, over 100 activities offered.
• Building Vietnam War Scavenger Hunts through Web-Based Inquiry from ReadWriteThink
• Web Knowledge (Scavenger) Hunts for Elementary Education and for Secondary Education
• Developing a Treasure Hunt from Loogootee Community Schools
• Scavenger Hunts: Searching for Treasure on the Internet! article from Education World
• Geography Scavenger Hunts compiled by Brad Bowerman
• Scavenger Hunts compiled by Villa Duchesne/Oak Hill School

Don't Believe Us? What Do the Experts Say?

• Downloadable PDF research entitled: "Frameworks for research, design, benchmarks, training, and pedagogy in Web-based distance education"
• Internet Treasure Hunts - A Treasure of an Activity for Students Learning English by Ian Brown, Australian Pacific College (Sydney, Australia)