Research: Foundational Skills and Inquiry

English I: Winter 2014

Research Assignment

Project DetailsGoals: Foundational skills in research Inquiry project (similar to senior project—smaller scale) Topic of your choice Pose important questions—broad and narrow Seek credible information

Product:Present 2-4 min PowerPoint due Mon/Tues Feb 3-4

Homework for this unit is to work on project!

Possible Project Topics Airport Security Animal Rights Bullying Censorship Child Soldiers Drug Abuse Education Food Holocaust Immigration

Military Parenting Privacy Racism/ Bias Social Justice Steroids Technology Terrorism Vaccines Wages

Important Vocabulary

What is research?Research is…diligent and systematic inquiry or investigation into a subject in order to discover or revise facts, theories, applications,

etc.Dictionary.com

Activating QuestionWhat do the words primary

and secondary mean? In what contexts have you

encountered these words?

What vocabulary do I need to know?

Credibility Evaluation of Sources Sources

• Primary• Secondary

Credibility

Definition: The quality of being believable or worthy of trust

Dictionary.com

Evaluation of SourcesWith so much available

information, students must decipher what is credible and

useful for their purposes.• Where to look• What to look for• What to accept

Evaluation Questions: General Does the author have expertise to

write on the topic? Is the information in this source up-to-

date? Does the publisher affect the

information? What do reviewers say about the

source? Is the source appropriate for your

research?

Evaluation Questions: Internet Who is the owner of the site—the producer of the

content? Does that owner have anything to gain from you using the site?• advertising links• potential purchase

Is the information consistent with book sources? Is there a prejudice or bias that is readily apparent?

• advocacy or hate group

Does the site have a professional, reputable appearance? (Note: Many websites are software now and not self-created, so they generally appear more professional; thus, this cannot be the only criteria for judgment.)• no flashy ads or pop ups• no malicious links

Sources Source: Something that supplies

information Primary Source: a document/ physical

object written/ created during the time under study…present during an experience or time period & offer inside view of event

Secondary Source: interprets and analyzes primary sources…one+ steps removed from event & may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them

Sources (continued)PRIMARY SOURCES SECONDARY SOURCES

Artifacts (coins, fossils, furniture, tools, clothing, etc.)

Audio recordings Diaries Internet communications on email Interviews Journal articles w/ NEW research

findings Letters Newspaper articles from the time Original documents (birth

certificate, will, etc.) Photographs Records Speeches Survey research Art, literature, music

Bibliographies Biographies Commentaries/Criticisms Dictionaries, Encyclopedias Histories Journal articles reviewing

previous findings Magazine/ newspaper articles

digesting information after the fact

Textbooks Website

Great Places to Find Information Library of Congress: http://

www.loc.gov/index.html The National Archives: http://

www.archives.gov/index.html Sweet Search:

http://www.sweetsearch.com/ Google Scholar: http

://scholar.google.com/

Main Parts of a Book Title Page —Title, author(s), edition, publishing

company, place of publication Table of Contents —chapters, subheadings,

page numbers Appendix —charts, documents, tables,

illustrations, and/or photographs Glossary —dictionary of words found in a book Index —end of book—shows topics and page

numbers Bibliography —titles, authors, and publishing

information for references/resources used to write book

APPLICATION1) Individually: Identify primary and

secondary sources

2) As a small group: Evaluate the credibility of sources (use evaluation questions)

Directions Part 11. Work individually to

determine if sources on handout are primary or secondary (we will review as a class)

10 minutes

Directions Part 21. In small groups of 2-3, identify as

primary/secondary and evaluate the credibility of the source given to you on a scale of 1-5 (1= not credible; 5= very credible).

2. Be ready to defend your evaluation and explain how/when it might be useful.

10 minutes

Wrap-Up:Thinking Questions

Why is research important?

Why is distinguishing between primary and secondary sources

helpful?