Preparing to Conduct Research

  i)                  Begin by reviewing the document from Yahoo Answers regarding one person’s search for information on Global Warming.

  1.    What is wrong with her approach. 2.    Come up with 3 questions related to Global Warming to direct her better in her search. 3.    Write one of these questions on the blackboard. 4.    As a class reflect on these questions. How do we make them more “directed.”

This can be done by redacting or editing portions of the question or combining questions. For example: “What is global warming” > too broad in scope                                 “What are greenhouse gases” > more specific but not directed

                                          ↓   combines to become ↓

                            “Is Global warming the result of increased levels of greenhouse gases?”  

ii)                Write/record a topic that is present in your non fiction text  

1.    What are 3 subtopics of this larger topic. 2.    Write 3 questions (one for each subtopic) related to these subtopics.

 

Using the Google Group to Conduct Research

  iii)              As a member of the Eastdale4CEnglish “Google Group” click on the Discussion Topic “Coffee.” You will see a fair number of posts from students responding to the initial post > this initial post by the teacher outlines the tasks students are to complete.

  1.    Open the discussion on “Coffee” 2.    Open a “Notepad” page or MSWord blank document which is to be used to record your searches as well as the appropriate websites you find and the authors/editors and important dates (to be explained further). 3.    Open a Google web search page using Internet Explorer 4.    Type in searches in the search box in an attempt to locate websites associated with Coffee – the only restriction in this first step is that what you are looking for are topical (coffee) sites with the .edu domain (educational). 5.    Once students have “discovered” how to use Google to find .edu domain websites, students are to find websites that identify an author/editor and a date of publication or date last edited. Students are to copy 3 of these websites and their addresses along with the author/editor information along with information about dates to their “notepad” or MSWord document page. 6.    Students are to copy this information from the “notepad” or MSWord document page. 7.    Students are to click “Reply” to the original discussion post and hit paste (which will paste their “notepad” information) to the discussion reply. Students then hit send. Done! 8.    I then would suggest having students read each others posts and responding

      (appropriately) to any of the information found in their reply. It could be a       question or  a compliment regarding a search string used or a question about a       website etc.  

Self Directed Assignment on Preparing to Research and Gathering Information

  iv)              Hand out to students (to be put in their Research Portfolio folder) the assignment:  Media Music Project.

  1.    Students are to log on to the Google Group and open the discussion with the same title as the assignment.

        v) On their own time students are to bring in information on their subject in order to           answer the questions for Part A and create the visual for Part B.