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Does your research teaching
embrace the 21st century learner?
The Research Process
works with all students and all technologies
The Research Process is a practical model for teaching research in the school library setting. Based upon accepted information management standards, The Research Process's six steps are intended to be embedded into content-area standards-based units of study through collaboration between teacher librarians and classroom teachers. We now need to carry this simple and dependable system forward to engage 21st century learners. Of critical importance is how this system implements the new Model School Library Standards for California Public Schools.
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With new technologies,
let's not abandon research teaching.
Information management is a key to information literacy. Teaching students the organizational strategies essential for information management is a basic ingredient of The Research Process. The common assumption that students know how to do school library research is refuted daily by the appalling level of plagiarism in schools and colleges. It is essential for teacher librarians to provide instruction in teaching research skills and strategies through standards-based collaborative units of study and to do this they need a practical system such as The Research Process. It is important that the strategies in each step can be adjusted in number and level of difficulty to meet the needs of students at all grade levels. Below is a very brief overview of the extensive lesson strategies seen in the book series Practical Steps to the Research Process by Deborah B. Stanley and published by Libraries Unlimited/Greenwood. Inspiration for this online endeavor came from the California School Library Association's (CSLA) Library Learning 2.0 and from AASL's Standards for the 21st Century Learner.
Planning for research may include downloading the following background materials:
1. Four roles of the teacher librarian, simplified
2. Four roles of the teacher librarian, narrative with supporting details
3. Creative Project Ideas for teachers to plan their research project purpose
5. Review your research teaching with these PowerPoints: 21st Century Research (this PPT is a large file that is safe to download,) Grades 4-8 Research Process overview, Grades 9-14 Research Process overview.
Evaluating research must deal with both process and product/project. Tracking students through the process of research is accomplished through the Research Checklist, modified to meet the unit needs of the collaborating teacher. Creation of the final unit project rubric is a collaboration between the classroom teacher and Teacher Librarian to evaluate both sets of objectives.
Overview of the SIX STEPS
STEP 1: Topic
"A good topic is doable, but slightly challenging to the student's assessed abilities."
•Curiosity is the key to topic engagement!•Topics that support grade-level standards enable library research to supplant classroom studies.
•Locate topics in textbooks, teacher's topic list, or library sources.
•Triangulate: Confirm the topic in three types of readable and available sources.
•Cross-check in an encyclopedia to narrow or broaden a topic.
Download instructional PowerPoints for teaching The Research Process topics:
- Grades 4-8 PowerPoint
- Grades 9-14 PowerPoint
Download lesson plan and instructional forms for recording topics:
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NEW: An eChecklist (PDF) and eChecklist (doc) for general research.
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- Topic lesson plan
- Checklist for younger students with outlining format
- Checklist matching LA standards
- Research Independent Study guide for older or advanced students
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STEP 2: Subtopics
Ask yourself: "What do I want to know about my topic?"
•Subtopics form the outline or blueprint through which a topic is effectively and efficiently explored.•General subtopics can be brainstormed, such as for an animal: body, food, habitat, babies, enemies.
•Specific subtopics must be "pre-searched" in places such as an encyclopedia's subheads or a topic-specific book's Table of Contents.
•Controlling the number and difficulty of subtopics is the key to managing the time frame for effective library research, with a minimum of three subtopics for good topic exploration.
Download instructional PowerPoints for teaching The Research Process Subtopics:
- Grades 4-8 PowerPoint
- Grades 9-14 PowerPoint
Download lesson plan for "Subtopics:"
STEP 3: Sources
"A good source supports the topic and subtopics and is available and readable based on the student's assessed (dis)abilities."
•Sources: Anything and everything used for information including text, ideas, and images.•Format: A minimum of three different kinds of sources should be used including a variety of print and nonprint materials.
•Primary and secondary sources should be considered according to topic and student age/ability.
•Citing sources through a style such as MLA is essential to prevent plagiarism, as well as compiling citations into a Works Cited list.
•Attributing sources through Creative Commons
•Teaching Copyright and Fair Use of sources is essential.
•Learning to evaluate sources prepares students with lifelong skills: nonprint (Internet) sources and print sources.
Download instructional PowerPoints for teaching The Research Process Sources:
Download lesson plan and instructional forms for "Sources:"
- Sources lesson plan
- Citation forms for MLA 7th edition for book, encyclopedia, and Internet Web site
- Works Cited sample
- Dewey Decimal System for print nonfiction materials
- Dewey Browse for electronic information
- MLA Style Bibliography for citation samples
- Destiny Research: Quick Steps for students to gather print and non print materials
Ex: Last name, first name. (User name). "The tweet in its entirety."
Date, Time. Tweet.
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STEP 4: Read/Think/Select
STEP 4: Read/Think/Select
"Good research promotes reading comprehension and critical thinking."
•Reading strategies for purpose are different than for pleasure and can include: chunking, visual clues, skimming and scanning.•Thinking strategies can be directed by asking: "What is important?"
•Selecting keywords and facts for good note-taking can be directed by asking: "What information supports my subtopic?"
Download instructional PowerPoints for teaching Read-Think-Select strategies:
Download lesson plan.
Discuss, model, and practice critical reading strategies using library authentic sources from a variety of formats of information.
Discuss, model, and practice critical reading strategies using library authentic sources from a variety of formats of information.
STEP 5: Note-taking
"A good note creates information ownership. This is learning!"
•Pre-sort notes by using subtopics as titles on note cards, notebook paper notes, or specially designed note sheets.•Legitimate note-taking can include copying keywords, phrases and facts, with proper credit. This is good for young and novice researchers.
•Paraphrasing and summarizing are more difficult and must be taught and practiced. This is good for older and experienced researchers.
•Quotation marks and endnotes/footnotes are essential for copying sentences and passages. •Try this note-taking exercise.
DOWNLOAD lesson plan and note-taking forms
- Note-taking lesson plan
- Index cards. Apply the labeling method seen in this sample note card
- Cornell-style note sheet adapted for library research.
- Electronic note sheet where you can type and sort notes using Excel.
- Graphic organizer choices: Frayer Model
- Thinking Map choices to pre-sort facts.
- Specially adapted note sheets:
- For challenged learners: adapted note sheet.
- For Language Arts standards: LA note sheet.
- For brief notes: one-page with 3 subtopics .
- For 7th grade science: cladogram
- For 8th grade history: Lewis and Clark journal.
DOWNLOAD instructional PowerPoints for teaching note-taking:
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STEP 6: Sort Notes
STEP 6: Sort Notes
"Good organization of notes makes writing easier."
•Basic strategies include sorting notes by subtopic and then into paragraphs. Advanced sorting is based on a logical plan such as timeline, concepts, etc.•Read all notes in one section at a time and rearrange into logical order. Re-reading notes bonds students to new information. This is learning!
•Number notes last, consecutively from section to section.
•Writing from notes provides the opportunity to insert prior knowledge.
Download instructional PowerPoints for teaching sorting Notes:
Download lesson and instructional forms for sorting notes:
- Sort Notes lesson plan
- Numbered notes sheet sample
Evaluation:
Occurs a) during research for the process, b) after research for the product.
Download instructional forms and visit Web sites for further information.
Occurs a) during research for the process, b) after research for the product.
Download instructional forms and visit Web sites for further information.
- Rubric for combined process and product evaluation
- Teach-nology's Rubrics
- "What is a Rubric?"
Video: 3 Steps for 21st Century Learning
