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Editing a WebQuest Template

Once you have developed your plan for a WebQuest, you can download a basic WebQuest template that will help to get you started with the layout of your web page. You can edit this template using an HTML editor of your choice, e.g., Dreamweaver, FrontPage, etc. If you do not have one of these HTML editors, or if you are not experienced using them, you can easily edit your templates using a simple editor like Netscape Composer. Composer is a free tool that comes with the Netscape browser. Basic instructions for editing your WebQuest template in Composer are included in the steps below.

1. Download a WebQuest Template to your computer The file will be a compressed (zipped) file named lessontemplate1.htm For detailed instructions on selecting and downloading a template, please check the Download Resources section below.
   
   
2. Unzip file. You must have an uncompression utility such as WinZip installed on your computer before you can proceed. A link to the WinZip download and other zip utilities are provided in the Download Resources section below.
   
   
   1. Locate the zip file in the folder where it was saved during the download.
      
      
   2. Double-click the filename. It will launch the zip program and display two files in the window. For complete instructions on how to use the zip utility, please consult the Help menu in the software.
      
      
      1. lesson-template1.htm – is the Student WebQuest template. This is where you will input all the information for the students to complete the activity.
         
         
      2. t-lesson-template1.htm – is the Teacher information page. This is an optional page where you would provide the requested information that would be useful to other teachers reviewing your WebQuest. If you choose not to prepare a teacher page, then you will need to delete the link to the Teacher Page from the Student WebQuest page.
         
         
   3. The files will appear in their original format (in this case, they are both .htm files). They must be extracted (decompressed) to a folder so that you can edit them. There are a number of ways to extract files--follow the instructions in your software. Most allow you to simply drag them from the zip utility window to your desktop. This automatically extracts/unzips them and they are then stored on your desktop. To drag the file, left-click and drag the filename from within the zip utility window to your desktop. Do this for each file.
      
      
   4. They are now editable using a web page editing software, such as Netscape Composer (or FrontPage, Dreamweaver, Claris Homepage, etc.).
      
      
3. Open Netscape Composer (launch Netscape and choose Composer from either the Communicator menu or Tasks menu, depending on which version of Netscape you have. In the latest version, Composer will be under the Tasks menu). You may download the Netscape browser (Composer is included) free at the link provided in the Download Resources section below.
   
   
4. In Composer, go to Open icon on the toolbar and then locate the lesson-template1.htm file you extracted to your desktop. Click Open.
   
   
5. The template will open in Composer where you can edit each section as necessary. To edit, you can highlight the text that you want to replace and type over with your WebQuest information. Quick Tip: Do not edit or delete the existing section headings (Introduction, Task, Process, etc) or the links to those sections.
   
   
6. You can apply text formatting, if you like, using the typical word processing functions, like bold, italics, alignment, bulleted and numbered lists, etc. These options can be found in the Composer toolbar.
   
   
7. You may also add images and background colors to enhance the appearance of your page. Quick Tip: Remember that any image files that you use must be included/saved in the same folder/disk in which you save your WebQuest file.
   
   
8. For a quick reference, use the Help provided in Composer. Depending on the version of Composer, go to Help/Help Contents (older versions) or Help/Help and Support Center (newer versions) and choose the section entitled Creating Web Pages. Then select the topic that you need help with.
   
   
9. Save your file often while editing, so that you don’t lose any changes should your computer take a break. Preview your file to verify the layout and formatting, as well as double-check your hyperlinks to make sure they are all working.
   
   
10. Once you have added all of your WebQuest content, save the final version. Depending on your assignment or plan, save your WebQuest file(s), including all of the image files to a disk or upload them to your web server.

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