3.17 Everyday Research

CONNECTION Pictures Infographic/research

TEACHING POINT Writers collect the information they need to clarify their writing and strengthen their argument by deciding what to include and how to include it.

TEACHING Story, then time to plan research, then time to research

TEACHING Don Graves most influenced the way writing is taught to kids today. He asked to teach teachers how to teach writing. He gave three different groups of teachers three different envelopes: Mr. Jeffery has run the school’s furnace for 18 years, and he’s noticed a lot of changes in the way people use heat. He’s expecting to talk to you at 3:10. Go talk to Mrs. Eaton, who lives near the school and has a collection of antique dolls. You can learn a lot about what teachers are told to do, and what teachers value and don’t value by looking at the trash can by the mailboxes and teachers’ desks. Do a study of the things teachers in this school are throwing away and use that study to help you grow ideas about things teachers are being told to do.

TEACHING Why did I tell this story? Researchers write about topics that are grounded in their own lives. You can’t always do a computer search to get the relevant info! Sometimes your research info is right in front of you in your friends, principal, teachers, police, shopkeepers, and others.

TEACHING TIPS Details matter. Pick the best ones. Don’t try to write down everything. Once you get 1 piece of info that feels important, try to get others that go with it. For example, if the star track player tells you whether there should be track tryouts, ask the newest member of the team the same thing. Don’t try to ask everyone something different. Numbers can persuade as much as details. Statistics can be really impressive proof! 80% of all parents surveyed think homework should be banned is a high statistic that tilts the argument in your favor.

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT How will you plan? To-do list with people you could talk to, places you could go, documents you could look at, surveys you could conduct???

LINK Think about more than just surveys or books. Can you find resources online? By observing something? By doing something?

MIDWORKSHOP Only have a short time, so we will have to compress our research and do it fast. But keep ideas you might want to save and research more on in the future!

SHARE Share with your partner what you’ve done so far on your topic. What do you still have left to do?