1. With your VERTICAL PARTNER, discuss the following:
Start-Up - Discussion
11/30/15
With your VERTICAL PARTNER, discuss the following:
What are some traditions that your family has during the Winter holiday season? Are there any special family events you attend or hold, traditional foods you eat, etc.?

2. Start-Up - Writing
What are some traditions that your family has during the Winter holiday season? Are there any special family events you have, traditional foods you eat, etc.?

3. Unit Objective
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
Conduct a short research project to include: gathering relevant information from multiple sources, using advanced searches effectively, assessing the credibility and usefulness of the information, and writing an informative, explanatory paper based on research that conveys the information clearly and effectively.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W , CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W ,
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W , CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI

4. Winter Holiday Research
It’s time to put your practice evaluating sources to work.
You will be writing a short research paper, TWO PAGES minimum (12 point TIMES New Roman font, MLA Format) on a Winter holiday.
For your paper, you must use a MINIMUM of THREE CREDIBLE SOURCES. At least one of your three sources must come from a LIBRARY DATABASE.

5. Winter Holiday Research
Your research paper must answer all of the following questions:
Who celebrated or still celebrates the holiday?
What cultural, ethnic, or religious group celebrates the holiday?
What is the cultural or religious significance of the holiday?
What is its meaning to the people who celebrate it?
Why is it important to them?
How and when did the holiday first begin?
What is the origin of the holiday? How did it begin?
When did people begin celebrating it?
What traditions are associated with the holiday?
Foods, colors, clothing, actions, rituals, songs, etc.

6. Winter Holiday Research
You will begin your research by FINDING CREDIBLE SOURCES.
For EVERY SOURCE you use, you MUST complete a CRAAP Evaluation Form to prove that your source is credible. If it does not pass the CRAAP Test, you may NOT use it!
The requirement is that you use a MINIMUM of THREE credible sources, but before you can begin writing your paper, you must EVALUATE A MINIMUM OF FIVE POTENTIAL SOURCES!

7. Winter Holiday Research
Go to Google Classroom and open the document for the assignment “CRAAP Evaluation Form – Winter Holiday Research.”
You will see that there are FIVE pages in the document; one for each potential source you must evaluate prior to beginning your research/writing.
This form must be completed and turned in by MONDAY 12/7/15 AT 4:00 P.M.

8. Winter Holiday Research
CHOOSING HOLIDAYS
The holidays you have to choose from are:
Bodhi Day a.k.a. Buddha Day (Buddhism)
Christmas (Christianity)
Saturnalia (Roman)
Hanukkah (Judaism)
Yule (Germanic/Pagan)
Yalda (Persian)
Kwanzaa (African American)
Dia de Reyes (Latin American/Spanish)

9. Winter Holiday Research
With the remainder of the period, you may begin your search for credible sources.
I suggest starting with the LIBRARY DATABASES, since at least one of your sources MUST come from there and because they are guaranteed to pass the CRAAP Evaluation.

10. Exit Ticket
What holiday will you be researching? What part of the research do you think will be the most interesting: the people, the significance, the origins, or the traditions? Why do you think so?

11. With your VERTICAL PARTNER, discuss the following:
Start-Up - Discussion
12/1/15
With your VERTICAL PARTNER, discuss the following:
What holiday did you choose? Had you ever heard of it before? Do you think it will be easy or difficult to find information you can use in research?

12. Start-Up - Writing
NOW WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOUR PARTNER HAD TO SAY… What holiday did they draw? Had they ever heard of it before? Do they think it will be easy or difficult to find information they can use in research?

13. Hints for Source Searching
You are going to have to READ the articles before you start testing them for credibility! A credible source may still not have the information you need.
Start with the Library Databases
ONE source MUST come from a Library Database, but that does not mean you can’t use MORE THAN ONE from a Database.
Remember, the database sources are GUARANTEED to pass the CRAAP Test AND the citation is given to you in proper format.

14. Hints for Source Searching
NO WIKIPEDIA…but…
Wikipedia still has potential value. You can evaluate and possibly use the REFERENCES used to write the Wikipedia article.
Remember, all you need is ONE good quote or ONE paraphrased/summarized sentence from a source to be able to claim it as one of your THREE sources…BUT…it’s always better to find/use sources that give you A LOT of information to work with!
Remember to FOCUS on the questions that you are required to answer in your writing!

15. Winter Holiday Research
Your research paper must answer all of the following questions:
Who celebrated or still celebrates the holiday?
What cultural, ethnic, or religious group celebrates the holiday?
What is the cultural or religious significance of the holiday?
What is its meaning to the people who celebrate it?
Why is it important to them?
How and when did the holiday first begin?
What is the origin of the holiday? How did it begin?
When did people begin celebrating it?
What traditions are associated with the holiday?
Foods, colors, clothing, actions, rituals, songs, etc.

16. Exit Ticket
How many RELEVANT, CREDIBLE SOURCES were you able to find today? Where did you find them (Library database, google search, Wikipedia references)? What questions did they answer for your research?

17. Start-Up - Discussion
12/3/15
With your HORIZONTAL PARTNER, discuss the following:
How many of the four guiding questions have you found answers to?
Have you recorded those answers anywhere (taken notes)?
Why do you think it might be helpful to take notes on what you have found?

18. Start-Up - Writing
Now write about it!
How many of the four guiding questions have you found answers to?
Have you recorded those answers anywhere (taken notes)?
Why do you think it might be helpful to take notes on what you have found?

19. Unit Objective
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
Conduct a short research project to include: gathering relevant information from multiple sources, using advanced searches effectively, assessing the credibility and usefulness of the information, and writing an informative, explanatory paper based on research that conveys the information clearly and effectively.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W , CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W ,
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W , CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI

20. By the end of the period, students will be able to:
Today’s Objective
By the end of the period, students will be able to:
Understand and express in conversation and in writing the value of note taking as it applies to research. Use the note taking sheet provided to begin extracting information from the credible sources they have found.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI , CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W , CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W , CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W

21. Note Taking on Sources
Note Taking can make the job of writing the research paper easier in several ways:
It helps you to sort the information in the source into what you need and what you don’t need.
It allows you to organize your information before attempting to put it in paragraph form.
It allows you to focus on individual pieces of information from your sources to make sure that you are PARAPHRASING or SUMMARIZING and not PATCH WRITING or PLAGIARIZING!
It helps you keep track of which information came from which source so that you can be sure to CITE IT PROPERLY!

22. Note Taking on Sources
Once you have some credible sources that you can use, you need to begin the process of extracting the information you need from them.
The easiest way to do that is to use some sort of note taking sheet.
The note taking sheet I have provided for you will help you to be sure you have all of the information you need and to organize that information in a way that will make it easier to use.

23. Note Taking on Sources Open up Google Classroom.
At the top of your page, you will find a new assignment titled “Winter Holiday Research – Note Taking Sheet.” Open it.
As you can see, it is organized by the guiding questions you are attempting to answer through your research.
Taking notes in this way will help you to be sure you have all the information you need for your writing.

24. Your completed note taking sheets are DUE by NEXT THURSDAY!
Note Taking on Sources
Your completed note taking sheets are DUE by NEXT THURSDAY!
You have the remainder of the period to continue searching for sources and/or begin the note taking process.

25. Exit Ticket
How is guided note taking, with a focus on the four questions, better than just taking random notes or not taking any? Do you think that note taking using the sheet provided will make your writing process easier? Why or why not?

26. Continue Source Searching
Your CRAAP Evaluation Forms are DUE MONDAY! By Monday, you need to have begun or be ready to begin your note taking because your note taking sheets will be DUE THURSDAY!

27. With your HORIZONTAL PARTNER, discuss the following:
Start-Up - Discussion
12/7/15
With your HORIZONTAL PARTNER, discuss the following:
Have you finished evaluating sources? How many of the sources you have evaluated were credible? Did you find any that you decided you could not use? Why not?

28. Start-Up - Writing
Now write about it!
Have you finished evaluating sources? How many of the sources you have evaluated were credible? Did you find any that you decided you could not use? Why not?

29. Note Taking on Sources Open up Google Classroom.
At the top of your page, you will find a new assignment titled “Winter Holiday Research – Note Taking Sheet.” Open it.
As you can see, it is organized by the guiding questions you are attempting to answer through your research.
Taking notes in this way will help you to be sure you have all the information you need for your writing.

30. Example Researching Christmas, I found this article in a database.
What traditions are associated with the holiday?
•Foods, colors, clothing, actions, rituals, songs, etc.
Holly and mistletoe—plants with symbolic and medicinal properties—were part of the early Celts’ winter solstice celebrations. Used as natural air fresheners, the symbolic value of the plants also underlined the solstice celebration’s focus on rebirth.
"Christmas." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, Student Resources in Context. Web. 7 Dec

31. Exit Ticket
Did you start note taking today? Which of the four questions have you found answers to? Did you use the note taking sheet to remember them? Are there any that you plan to use as a direct quote? Why?

32. With your VERTICAL PARTNER, discuss the following:
Start-Up - Discussion
12/8/15
With your VERTICAL PARTNER, discuss the following:
Have you begun note taking yet? Which of the questions have you found answers for? Are there any that you are struggling to find?

33. Start-Up - Writing
Now write about it!
Have you begun note taking yet? Which of the questions have you found answers for? Are there any that you are struggling to find?

34. Example Researching Christmas, I found this article in a database.
What traditions are associated with the holiday?
•Foods, colors, clothing, actions, rituals, songs, etc.
Holly and mistletoe—plants with symbolic and medicinal properties—were part of the early Celts’ winter solstice celebrations. Used as natural air fresheners, the symbolic value of the plants also underlined the solstice celebration’s focus on rebirth.
"Christmas." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, Student Resources in Context. Web. 7 Dec

35. Exit Ticket
What were you able to get done today? Are you satisfied with what you got done?

36. No Start-Up / No Exit Ticket
12/9/15
Work on your Note taking sheets. They are due by tomorrow morning at 7:00. Tomorrow, we will discuss, in detail, the expectations for the written research paper.

37. With your HORIZONTAL partner, discuss the following:
Start-Up - Discussion
12/10/15
With your HORIZONTAL partner, discuss the following:
Do you think, at this point, you have enough information to write your paper? If so, what do you think should be your next step? If not, what are you lacking?

38. Start-Up - Writing
Now write about it:
Do you think, at this point, you have enough information to write your paper? If so, what do you think should be your next step? If not, what are you lacking?

39. INTRODUCTION
Your introduction paragraph should be a VERY SHORT overview of your topic.
It MUST INCLUDE:
One interesting fact you learned that people might not know (this is your HOOK)
The name of the holiday you researched
Name of the religious, ethnic, or cultural group that celebrates it
A good transition sentence to lead into the body of your paper

40. BODY
This is where you will be answering, IN GREAT DETAIL AND WITH SUPPORT FROM YOUR SOURCES (citations), the four questions that I have given you.
Each one of the four questions will probably need to be its own separate paragraph – some of the questions may need to be more than one paragraph (eg: traditions may need to be broken down into: foods, symbols, ceremonies, etc.).

41. CONCLUSION
Your conclusion paragraph should be a VERY SHORT recap of your paper.
It MUST INCLUDE:
A good transition into your conclusion paragraph
A personal connection to your topic (eg: a similarity between the holiday you researched and one that you/your family celebrate, a tradition that you follow that you learned something new about, etc.)
A closing sentence that states the most important thing you learned about this holiday

42. Rubric for the Paper Rubric for the Winter Holiday Research Paper
(Points for spelling, grammar, usage, and mechanics will be deducted from each individual “question section” of your paper)
FAILURE TO PROPERLY CITE SOURCES IS PLAGIARISM AND WILL RESULT IN A ZERO GRADE WITH NO OPPORTUNITY FOR A MAKE-UP!
Introduction Paragraph
Question 1 - Who celebrates the holiday?
•What cultural, ethnic, or religious group celebrates the holiday?
Question 2 - What is the significance (cultural, religious) of the holiday?
•What is its meaning to the people who celebrate it?
•Why is it important to them?
Question 3 - What is the origin of the holiday?
•What is the origin of the holiday? How did it begin?
•When did people begin celebrating it?
Question 4 - What traditions are associated with the holiday?
•Foods, colors, clothing, actions, rituals, songs, etc.
Conclusion Paragraph
TOTAL SCORE
10 points possible
20 points possible
30 points possible
100 points possible
/10
/20
/30
/100

43. FORMAT
I have given you a template in Google Classroom which you MUST USE!!!
It is pre-set to MLA format: 12 point Times New Roman font, double spaced, running header, and 1 inch margins
Your WORK CITED page MUST BE ON ITS OWN SEPARATE PAGE AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR ESSAY.
The template also includes a copy of the grading rubric…DO NOT DELETE THE RUBRIC…it will be used to record your grade!

44. CITATIONS/PLAGIARISM
To avoid plagiarism, you MUST cite after any sentence that contains information you found in a source.
If you use a direct quote, be sure to put it in quotation marks, and…CITE IT!
No direct quotes longer than 2 sentences in length. Anything longer than that should be included through paraphrasing or summarization.
If you paraphrase a source, be sure you are not patch writing, and…CITE IT!
If you summarize a source…CITE IT!
IF THE SENTENCE YOU JUST TYPED CONTAINS ANY INFORMATION YOU DID NOT KNOW BEFORE YOU READ THE SOURCE…
CITE IT!!!!!!!!!

45. FINAL TIPS
No first person language (I, me, my, your) except in the conclusion when you make your personal connection to the topic.
Ask questions (of me, Mr. Kenny, or your peers) as you write to be sure your writing is CLEAR and CORRECT.
Use the rubric at the bottom of your template as a guide to be sure you are covering everything.
CITE YOUR SOURCES PROPERLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

46. NO EXIT TICKET TODAY! KEEP WORKING TO THE BELL!