Seventh Grade
Conducting Research Lesson Plan
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Step-by-Step Process
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Choosing a Topic or Defining a Task
Developing Questions
Finding Sources
Selecting and Evaluating Sources
Recording and Organizing Information
Making the Product
Evaluating the Work
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Step 1: Choosing a Topic or Defining
a Task
• Narrow or broaden the topic
• Note what is already known
• Get an overview of the topic
– Learn a little bit about the topic
• Explain the purpose – state the purpose
– What am I doing?
– Why am I doing this?
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Step 2: Developing Questions
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Speeds up research
Adds purpose to the search
Adds direction for gathering information
Focuses attention of the searcher
Let’s practice with the Aquaduct Bike
– http://theaquaduct.blogspot.com
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Generating Questions
• Use research phrases to prompt research questions:
• It might be interesting to know if . . .
• It might be interesting to know that . . .
• It might be interesting to know when . . .
• It might be interesting to know how . . .
• Historically, I wonder how . . .
• I wonder if . . . Is related to . . .
• I wonder what influences . . .
• I wonder what causes . . .
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Step 3: Finding Sources
• What are the possible sources?
• Where can I find these sources?
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What Are Possible Sources?
• Books
• Journals
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Research from scholars
Reference works (i.e. dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.)
Magazine articles
Newspaper articles
Web sites
Interviews
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Myth: You can find everything you need
for your research on the Internet.
• Too much information has been written to have it all
on the Internet
• Copyright doesn’t allow everything to be on the
Internet
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Keyword Searching
• Keyword searching is very powerful
• Keyword searching is very fast
• Very often this is the only searching option
especially when using a search engine on the
Internet
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Keyword Searching
• Remember a computer is really pretty stupid; it
is fast and manipulate information, but it cannot
THINK!
• Most of the time it doesn’t even know that a car
and an automobile are the same thing.
• You need to know how to speak the computer’s
language.
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Step 4: Selecting and Evaluating
Sources
• Decide which sources to use
• Sources must contain answers to
questions asked
• Evaluate the sources
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Why Did He Create This Site?
• Because he could!
• No Internet police
• No regulations
• To teach!!
• What is the next question?
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Question
• How do you know a website is good/credible?
• Answer:
– We have to learn to evaluate.
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Evaluation
• LINK to Wolfgram site:
• This is a good site!
• This tells us what to think about before using an
informational website
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Credibility
• Who is responsible?
• Any qualifications?
– Usually found at beginning or end of site
• What organization do they represent?
– Have you heard of this organization?
– Check the homepage
• Links?
• How do we verify credibility?
– Postal address
– Telephone number
– E-mail?? --- NO NO NO not enough!
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Accuracy
• Date?
• Revision Date?
• Errors?
– Spelling?
– Grammar?
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Reasonableness
• Emotionalism? (Mr. Bunny!)
• Purpose of the site?
• Bias?
– Identify bias in your research!
• Advertising?
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Support
• Information in any other place?
• Domain
– http://www.west-fargo.k12.nd.us
– .k12 – School
– .edu – College or University
– .com – Commercial
– .net – Internet Resource
– .org – Nonprofit Organization
– .gov - Government
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Decision Time!
• Do you or do you not use the site?
– No, if you cannot verify the authors or sponsoring
organization
• Then you need to carefully decide considering all of
the criteria
C A R S
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C A R S
•Credibility?
•Accuracy?
•Reasonableness?
•Support?
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Let’s Use CARS
• Sites to evaluate using
CARS
• http://www.whitehouse.net
• http://www.theonion.com/articles/department-ofagriculture-locates-perfect-goat,33852/
• http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/global_warmin
g.aspx
• http://www.wwii.org
• http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam
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Step 5: Recording and
Organizing Information
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Many different ways to record and organize
Write in phrases
Put in own words (NO plagiarism)
Answer the questions
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Four Items to Include on Card
1. TOPIC
2. WHERE YOU FOUND THE INFORMATION
3. PARAPHRASED INFORMATION YOU FOUND
4. PAGE YOU FOUND THIS FACT ON
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Step 6: Making the Product
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Product must show what has been learned
Be creative
Many ideas for end products
Synthesis must be evident
Aquaduct of similar bike research product
http://engin1000.pbworks.com/w/page/1894268
5/Bicyclepowered%20Water%20Pump%20%20%20Purifier
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Step 7: Evaluating the Work
• Decide on evaluation criteria ahead of time.
• How did you meet expectations?
• Did you have others look at your info and give
advice?
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