1. 8th grade ELA – Writers Workshop
Research Report
8th grade ELA – Writers Workshop

2. HOMEROOM 3-7-2017 HI – Good Morning Quah –
Grade Check/Silent Read/HW Time
8th Grade Registration Information for HS Friday, March 10th during 2nd period

3. Wednesday
Please gather ELA binder, notebook, book.
Take out Research Folder, Notebook
Grab a laptop and login by bell

4. Tuesday 3-7-2017 Please gather ELA binder, notebook, book.
Pick up two peer evaluations handouts per person and pick up one research glossary handout.
Have your review printed before class starts.

5. Present to Small Table Groups
Stay seated
Read your whole review to your table
Each person should fill out two peer evaluations
Turn in when whole table has finished and attach your peer evaluation(s) to your review.
Paper clip your review to your peer evaluation(s) and turn in the correct bin by the sink.
When finished did you do your HW? Objective Summary of UpFront Article of your Choice?

6. Day 1 Research = 50% curiosity + 50% organization
What are you curious about?
Go about your day in AND outside of school with the mindset of curiosity
What do you notice?
What questions can you ask?
Let’s get organized:
importance of the folder
keeping items in it
a place to collect information

7. What is a research report?
The process of investigation
The hunt for truth
Getting to know a subject or topic by reading up on it, reflecting, choosing areas that interest you, and following up on them.
It is determining the accuracy and relevance of information you uncover and making decisions about what to report.

8. Mentor Texts Help Us “SEE” Possibilities:
What topics have people written about?
What purposes did those books serve?
What features/forms could a research report have?

9. Mentor Titles

10. Gorilla Doctors: Saving Endangered Great Apes by Pamela S. Turner
On page 62 she shares that “the best part of writing a Scientists in the Field book is going into the field with scientists.”
She was so appreciative of
getting to do her research
“up close and personal” that
she wanted to thank each and
every scientist she encountered.

11. “Scientists in the Mist”
Gorilla Doctors, cont.
“Mararo’s Jewelry”
p.5-12
“Scientists in the Mist” p
As we read these pages, think about the following:
What about this type of research writing grabbed your attention?
What purpose(s) does this chapter serve?
As we read these pages, think about the following:
We learn about two scientists and how they conducted firsthand research. How did this research impact other scientists?
What visual sources help us as readers?
Overall, this book allows us to understand the work of real-life scientists doing actual research with specific purposes: to educate, to inspire, and to motivate others to pay attention to this environmental issue.

12. Why Do Writers Write Research?
Your task: In small groups, you will look at teach mentor text, read the summary, flip through the pages, and complete the following:
Title and Author
Pages I Read
Why I Believe Writer Wrote these Pages
My Evidence to Support this Reasoning

13. Organization and Structure
Today’s focus:
Research report writers use a variety of text structures to organize concepts, ideas, and information.
Identifying these structures will help understand the content
Text structures contribute to the presentation of clear and informative writing.
You can apply these techniques to your reports.

14. When writers make decisions about which text structures to use in their writing, they are thinking about the BEST way to ORGANIZE their information so that their readers can gain: - clear meaning - deeper understanding

15. Text Structures Narrative Chronological/Sequential
Descriptive: Main Idea + Details
Comparison: Compare + Contrast
Problem/Solution
Question & Answer
Cause & Effect

16. Looking at Mentors for Models
“The Fight over Fracking”
p in Feb. 10 edition of Upfront
“Song of Smoke” in
Harlem Stomp
pgs. 5-
Notice the text structures of this informational article:
Headings
Subtopics
Word Choice
The types of sentences provide clues to the text structures AND, more importantly, bring depth of meaning.
“In the 1920’s, Harlem was hot! The streets….” p. 5
Booker T. Washington’s work outlined on page 6
W.EB. Du Bois’ focus outlined on page 7
Timeline on page 10

17. Compelling Questions
Our Focus: Research report writers are adept at creating compelling questions in order to research and discover facts and information about their selected topic.

18. Inventing the Future by Marfe’ Ferguson Delano
We will try to figure our Delano’s essential questions she answered by writing this book. Her purpose, as shared in the foreward, explain that she wanted to provide interesting facts but also to show Edison’s tenacity toward learning the “whys” and “why nots” of how things worked. He embodied the mantra “always learn more.” We know Edison was a famous inventor (including the light bulb, phonograph, kinetoscope, etc.) and was granted over 1,00o patents. Photobiographies are interesting because of their authentic photos – they help depict the life of the subject.

19. As we read, jot down questions Delano probably asked in order to inform her writing.
Good questions are NOT ones that can be answered with “yes” or “no.” They usually begin with… What…. or Why….

20. Application to our Research
Write questions you have about the topics you’ve brainstormed. They could begin with things like… What are some of…? What were the causes of…? What are the results of…? Why did…?

21. Research Report – Research Proposal
You should
OBSERVE your world in order to generate possible ideas
NOTICE interesting information attributes, & themes.

22. Issues we think about - Global Example:
Research how the lack of food and/or clean water in some countries is impacting millions of children in the world
Human rights/Education Example:
Research how communist governments dictate which books children are permitted to read while attending school.
Moments in history that demonstrate pivotal change:
Researching the impact that Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans had on living arrangements, culture, art, music, dance, and education.
Environmental Example:
Research the green movement and the short- term and long-term impact of conservation.

23. Inspirational People Hand in Hand by Andrea & Brian Pinkney
A. Philip Randolph
We will learn that Randolph grew up in a home that respected education, books, reading, holding one’s head high, speaking clearly and confidently, and the role of religion in daily life.
What else did we learn about Randolph?