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Research: Foundational Skills and Inquiry English I: Winter 2014
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?
