This "Rethinking Reports" series of articles offers alternative research-based assignments such as a re-election editorial and a resume for an ex-president.
This "Rethinking Reports" series of articles offers alternative research-based assignments on folktales, animal adaptations, and biodiversity.
A guide for high school students to citing sources from print and the web.
In groups, students will design a presentation that will trace the development of an organ system through the major phyla of the animal kingdom looking for the relationships between structure and function by documenting adaptations.
In this lesson, the teacher introduces the concept of gathering information from chapter headings, bold type and other organizational features of print (such as tables of contents) in non-fiction texts in print and online.
A guide for high school students to finding and using literary criticism, in print and on the web.
A multi-activity lesson plan to teach the concept of asking engaging, researchable questions prior to reading which leads to effective inquiries during project work. Using engaging questions creates a sense of connectedness by linking academic contents with students' personal concerns. The lesson is primarily designed for English Language Learners although it can be adapted for mainstream students. This lesson can also be modified for use with grades 4-8.
To design a research project using primary sources from the Web, you'll need to know what's out there and how to find it. This article explains what's available, why, and where.
Students will learn to use the index to determine if the source has information about a topic and, if so, how to find the information.
This variation on Bingo allows students to apply research skills and build knowledge of the interconnected issues underlying Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Using principles of peer education, students share their research with each other in a fun, interactive, and collaborative way.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: develop and research a topic of global significance; recognize authors’ arguments and the political, social and economic motivations behind their work; demonstrate the ability to locate, interpret and cite the relevant and appropriate information resources on a topic; and, demonstrate an understanding of the information research process.
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Breathing new life into tired assignments: A little creativity can make research a rewarding learning experience for students and teachers alike. The introduction to a collection of articles that provide alternative assignments to traditional reports.
This lesson activates students' prior knowledge about famous North Carolinians and helps them organize thoughts and questions before they read biographies.
Students will learn to use a K-W-L to activate their prior knowledge and help them set a purpose for reading and recording what they learned. They will also extend their K-W-L chart to confirm the accuracy of their prior knowledge and of what they learn.
The instructor will first introduce and then model a questionnaire/worksheet to be used on every web site used by the students in the unit. Then, working in small groups, the students will apply the criteria in the worksheet to several sites selected by themselves during a short search activity. Finally, each group will report back to the class on its findings, which will be used to put together the beginning of an annotated web resource list to be used by the class.
By creating pathfinders, students not only learn to manage time and produce a higher quality research project, but they also develop 21st century learning skills.
