This presentation describes challenges teachers face when implementing research projects and provides ways to make the assignment fresh and meaningful.

1. Research Projects, Revisited
November 11, 2010
Jessica Fries-Gaither
Beyond Penguins is funded by the National Science Foundation
under Grant No. 0733024.

2. A – Classroom Teacher
B – Librarian
C – Administrator
D – Higher Education
E - Other
Answer using the poll buttons
underneath the participant
window!
What best describes your
professional position?

3. What grade(s) do you
teach?
A – Grades K-2
B – Grades 3-5
C – Grades 6-8
D – Grades 9-12
E - Other
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underneath the participant
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4. From where are you joining us today?
Answer using the stamping tool
to the left of the whiteboard!

5. Research Projects, Revisited
Download these slides at:
http://slidesha.re/researchprojects

6. Today’s presenter
Jessica Fries-Gaither
Education Resource Specialist
The Ohio State University
College of Education and Human Ecology
School of Teaching and Learning
fries-gaither.1@osu.edu

7. About Beyond Penguins and Polar
Bears
•Online magazine
•Professional and
instructional
resources
•Science and
literacy integration
•Aligned to national
standards
•Multimedia
http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org

8. Today’s Agenda
• The role of research in the ELA Standards
• Challenges and solutions for research projects
with elementary students

9. Research and the ELA Standards
“Students conduct research on issues and
interests by generating ideas and questions,
and by posing problems. They gather,
evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety
of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts,
artifacts, people) to communicate their
discoveries in ways that suit their purpose
and audience.”
-Standards for the English Language Arts

10. What’s most challenging about
research projects?
A. Students are disorganized!
B. Plagiarism
C. Students aren’t motivated to
do their best work.
D. Assessing student work is
difficult.
E.Other Answer using the poll buttons
underneath the participant
window!

11. Students view research as a
rigid, prescriptive process.
Challenge
School Assignment
Library/Web
Report
•Contrived, artificial purpose
•Set procedure to be followed
•Reference books are only
source of information
•Rigid and restrictive rules
•End result is a letter grade

12. Redefine/restructure research
projects.
Solution
•Authentic questions
•Multiple sources of data
•Hands-on investigations
•Observations
•Interviews
•Text
•Creative problem solving
•Authentic, meaningful
product
•Grade is only part of the
end result
“Students need to learn creative
and multifaceted approaches to
research and inquiry. The ability
to identify good topics, to gather
information, and to evaluate,
assemble, and interpret findings
from among the many general
and specialized information
sources now available to them is
one of the most vital skills that
students can acquire.”
- Standards for the English
Language Arts

13. Challenge Students have trouble
organizing information.
World’s Messiest Office Cubicle
Discovered in Colorado
Jeffrey Beall, Flickr

14. Solution
Provide an organizational tool that helps
students sort information.
Manila folder with
eight library card
pockets attached to
inside of the folder.
Labels reflect type of
information to be
stored in each
pocket.
Notes are taken on
index cards and
stored in pockets.
Learn more at http://bit.ly/9SGf7o

15. Students tend to copy from books
and web sites when taking
notes.
Challenge
Computer class
Woodley Wonderworks, Flickr

16. Teach students to take “JOT notes.”
Solution
Learn more at http://bit.ly/9SGf7o
Sample index card about a yak.
JOT = just or one two
No more than three words
per line!

17. Provide materials at appropriate
reading levels for all students.Solution
•Reading levels
above and below
your grade
•Variety of nonfiction
genres and formats
•Teach students to
use “5 finger rule” to
self-select books
•Teach students to
use glossaries and
dictionaries
•Teach students to
skim

18. Students don’t want to use
multiple sources or fact check
information.
Challenge
Day 60 of 366
The evil monkey, Flickr

19. Conduct idea circles as part of
the research process.
Solution
•Small group researches a
topic or question
•Within a small group, each
student selects a book
according to interest/reading
level
•No books repeated within a
group
•Students read and share
information
•Group completes one graphic
organizer compiling their
information
Graphic organizer available at:
http://bit.ly/clDosr
What we learned Where we found it

20. Students struggle to form
sentences and paragraphs
from their research.
Challenge
Homework Ritual
Woodley Wonderworks,
Flickr

21. Model and practice sentence building. Include
time for students to practice orally before
committing thoughts to paper.
Solution
Learn more at http://bit.ly/crpd39

22. Students aren’t motivated to do
their best work. Research
reports are tedious!
Challenge
Finished
Chris Blakeley, Flickr

23. Consider alternate
formats.
Solution
•Alphabet (ABC) books
•Letters
•Question and Answer
books
•VoiceThreads
•Blog posts
•Wiki pages
Second grade writing class
Woodley Wonderworks,
Flickr

24. Student writing is “flat.”Challenge
Taking a Test
Peruisay, Flickr

25. Use children’s literature as “mentor texts” to
help students learn how to write engaging
expository text.
Solution
Nonfiction Writing From the Inside Out
By Laura Robb

26. Assessment
What will you assess?
•Completion
•Writing style
•Mechanics (spelling, grammar, punctuation)
•Number of sources
•Supporting materials (notes, outline, etc)
How will you assess?
•Rubric
Will students self-assess during writing process?

27. Coming Soon!
Thursday, December 9, 2010: Citizen Science and
Inquiry
If you have a schoolyard habitat or garden and would
like fresh ideas about how to use it, or are simply
interested in getting your students outside to
experience their environment in meaningful and
educational ways, this session is for you!
Presenter: Jennifer Fee
http://wiki.nsdl.org/index.php/BeyondPenguins/Seminars

28. Thank you!
Jessica Fries-Gaither: fries-gaither.1@osu.edu
Today’s slides available at:
http://slidesha.re/researchprojects
Archived recording at:
http://wiki.nsdl.org/index.php/BeyondPenguins/Seminars