INFORMATION LITERACY - APPLICATION OF INFORMATION

Lesson 2 - Organizing our Search

OUTCOME: Student groups develop a plan to research a chosen topic. Students will know what a research topic is and will begin to understand how to do research.

CONDITIONS: Given student groups of up to 4 participants, students will brainstorm a topic, specific research question(s) and where to go to get the information they need. This lesson will take one class period.

ACTIVITIES:

TEACHER STUDENT

¨ Break students into your pre-selected (by topic)groups. Present a sample of a research topic along with questions (who, what, when, where, why, and how). Example: Why do basketball players make more money than other athletes? Has this always been true?

¨ List on the board or overhead the possible research sources: PHONEBOOK, TEXTBOOKS, LIBRARY, MEDIA, EXPERTS, INTERNET, FAMILY, FRIENDS

¨ Initiate a discussion on using these sources for their research. Ask for other possible sources, then list them.

¨ Present groups with the TOPIC FORMto use as a guide in dividing up the research work.

¨ Ask for oral report on project from each group after each meeting.

¨ Let groups practice with this for about 10 minutes, brainstorming on possible research questions and sources for answers.

¨ Groups will then work from the topic they chose, using teacher’s example to brainstorm the ways they want to research the topic for about 10 minutes.

¨ Groups will use the TOPIC FORM to develop the initial plan for research, using the balance of class time for that day.

 

MATERIALS: Topic Form

MODIFICATIONS/ACCOMMODATIONS: Give more examples of questions at beginning. Help specific groups to formulate questions. Give longer practice time. Limit sources to those available in school and family.

METHOD OF ASSESSMENT: Academic rubric, Application of information.

STANDARDS: Language Arts, Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text (2.4), Writing, Research and Technology (1.3); Life Skills, #60, #48,#49, #64, #65, #66.

TOPIC FORM

TOPIC:

RESEARCH QUESTION(S): ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name of team member Source Assignment Date due