“Researching a Topic” August 4, 2015

Research Project/Paper How students feel……………

How teachers feel…………………….

To help alleviate stress on both parties, we can teach our students where to find appropriate and reliable sources.

Teaching our students to find reliable sources begins with learning their A,B,C’s of website evaluation.

A Example: Does = 4 Accuracy Does the site contain valid information?

B Example: Is there an “Oh Please!” feel to the site? Bias Are there opinions on the site?

Opinion vs. Bias vs. Fact Opinion: “I think the Cubs are a better baseball team than the White Sox because their uniforms are the same colors as the American flag.” Bias: “The Cubs are a superior team to the White Sox because their uniforms are more patriotic.” Fact: “The Cubs have won more games than the White Sox.”

C Example: Is there an author or entity to take ownership? Credibility Does the site appear reputable?

Websites ending in.edu and.gov are good places to begin a research project/paper. Sites ending in.org are also good places, but be careful! Anyone can call themselves an organization. Be sure to teach students to use their A,B,C’s.

Good Websites to use: Elementary

Middle School factbook/index.html (The Internet Public Library)

High School Reference Books

Once students find the information, what are they going to do with it? Here are some graphic organizers we can use with our students.

5 Minutes Share and talk about ideas with the person sitting next to you.

References Google Images. (n.d.). Retrieved July 31, 2015.