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DVDquest
This
inquiry-based activity requires students to explore the contents
of the DVD in search of a solution to a real-world problem. Students
are placed in a scenario, posed a problem to solve within that scenario,
and provided tips and clues to help them on their quest for a solution.
Each DVD in the series has a unique DVDquest couched in the context
of the issues and problems of the Explore More topic. The  printable
classroom guide for the Explore More: Water Quality
DVDquest outlines tips to help students through the process of problem
solving and finding information as they address the issue presented.
The DVDquest
gives students a complex real-life situation to use their best problem-solving
skills. Explore More has also successfully been used to teach students
how to experiment and inquire, make a decision, present an argument,
and investigate an issue. For more resources, access the Explore
More Guides to Critical Thinking Skills.
There are three
basic components to the Explore More DVDquest.
1. View
Your Quest:
Students are
placed in a scenario that uses their best problem-solving skills.
Here they discover their role and situation and are provided information
they’ll need to focus their search for a solution.
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Explore
More: Water Quality DVDquest:
You
are a concerned citizen living in an agricultural town along
a mid-sized river used for recreational purposes. You have
noticed that the agricultural and personal uses of water have
begun to pollute your area streams. Make a proposal to your
city council outlining your area's pollution problems. Create
a community-wide plan for your city that would address stakeholders'
needs while solving these problems.
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2. Examine
the Process:
Before tackling
the DVDquest, students are provided with tips for problem solving.
These tips take them through the problem solving process. They are
encouraged to refer to these steps throughout their DVDquest to
help keep them on track and on the hunt for the best possible solution.
Specific tips are provided for these problem-solving steps:
Find the
problem.
- What are
the current problems?
- Who does
it involve?
- Where
is the problem?
- What is
happening?
- How is
it affecting people, places, processes? What stands in the way?
(individuals, groups, laws, conditions, situations, resources,
…)
Explore
possible solutions.
- What are
some possible ways to overcome these problems? Are these possible
solutions realistic? Reasonable? Workable? Feasible?
- What seems
to be the most appropriate strategy or alternative for solving
the problem?
- How would
this solution solve the problems? What are the specific details?
Is each step logical? Does each step lead to solving the problem?
What are the likely consequences of putting this solution into
place?
Recommend
a solution.
- What is
the best solution to the problem? How can this solution be defended
with reasoning and facts?
- What if
none of the solutions work? Are all possible solutions exhausted?
- How can
the problem be rephrased, revised, reshaped, or reframed? Can
reframing the problem and repeating the process help you build
a better case?
3. Get
Started:
Students are
provided a list of video clips to help them start their DVDquest.
The clips lay the groundwork for more investigation and more leads
to new information.
Larry Ginter:
Local Control
Lynette Seigley: Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover
Bill Stowe: What Comes In
Bill Stowe: What Goes Out
L.D. McMullen: Silver Bullet
Wayne Petersen: Native Ecosystem
Senator Joe Bolkcom: Buffer Strip Programs
Robin Pruisner: Regulation’s Effects
L.D. McMullen: Regulation
Bill Stowe: Treatment By-Products
Allen Burt: Farmer's Legacy
*Students are
encouraged to search other places on the DVD to find additional
information about the problems, issues, and consequences of their
topic and to gather support for their solution.
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