Math, Science and Technology Studies are BORING is a WebQuest-type lesson featuring sites that show that math, science, and technology are not only interesting, but fun. Sites included offer games, quizzes and activities that students should enjoy.

The lesson should take two or more 50-minute periods.

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• To help young people learn to appreciate math, science, and technology studies.
• To encourage students to look toward careers in math, science and technology.
• To review some of the content (computers in careers) covered in Penny's Search.

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1. Review information from Penny's Search related to technology and careers. Ask what other school subjects might be important in the careers addressed in Penny's Search. Your students will probably mention science, but may not mention math. Ask the students what types of courses they think they should take in high school and college if they want to go into technology as a career.
2. Find out how your students feel about math, science, and technology classes. Some will, of course, like the courses, but others may feel like the boy in the WebQuest.
3. Explain that for this lesson they will be sent on a WebQuest that's filled with math, science, and tech sites. Don't let on that they are fun.
4. Have the students begin the WebQuest ( DOC - 32KB)

1. Give the students time to complete the WebQuest.
2. When they are finished with the Web Quest, find out what they thought of the sites. Let them tell you what the sites were all about. Have fun with them by letting them try the egg and ball experiments. Also let someone demonstrate how to do Mystery Math. Ask them what they think the purpose of the Web Quest was.
3. Tell your students that it's never too early to be thinking about what they want to do when they grow up and that you hope some of them will consider careers that involve math, science and technology. Find out what types of careers your students have in mind, and tell them it's okay not to know what they want to be now. Explain that you just want them to start thinking about their future and what they need to learn while they are in school. Kids need a good foundation in math, science and technology in middle and high school if they want to pursue careers related to these fields.
4. Tell your students that for their assignment, they need to find out about one career that involves math, science or technology. Have them get ideas from the Tech Quiz. Depending upon your timeframe, decide how detailed these reports should be and if they will do them at school or at home. Ideas for inclusion in the reports might be: description of the career, qualifications and education, salary, where jobs in this career are located, why it is appealing, etc.

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1. While students are taking on the WebQuest, teachers/advisors can determine if they are participating effectively in the assignment.
2. During the class discussion of the material learned in the Quest, evaluation of students' work on the WebQuest can be made.
3. Reports may be evaluated using the following criteria:
   • Is the report well-planned?
   • Does the report follow the guidelines set up by the teacher?
   • Is the report free of errors?
   • Does the report adequately describe a career related to math, science, and technology?

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