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Seventh GradeConducting Research Lesson Plan

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Step-by-Step Process

• 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

• 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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• 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 . . .

Generating Questions

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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• 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-of-agriculture-locates-perfect-goat,33852/• http://

www.encyclopedia.com/topic/global_warming.aspx• http://www.wwii.org• http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam

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Step 5: Recording and Organizing Information

• 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 FOUND4. PAGE YOU FOUND THIS FACT ON

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Step 6: Making the Product

• 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/18942685/Bicycle-powered

%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?