Baltimore County Public Schools Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Concept Step 6: Apply New Understanding Lesson: 1 Unit Title Drawing Conclusions Theme Statement/  Critical and creative thinking are used to synthesize information, apply new understanding, and Enduring draw conclusions about research findings. Understandings  Academic integrity and ethical use mean that a scholar respects the ideas and works of others, gives proper attribution for the intellectual property of others, and adheres to their institution’s rules and codes of conduct.  Established standards and styles are applied when writing research papers and documenting information sources.  Ethical scholarship entails researching, understanding, and building upon the work of others, but also requires that students do original thinking and writing as part of the research and writing processes. Essential  What do my research results mean or my findings demonstrate? Question(s)  How do my results compare to similar projects?  What are the implications of my research findings for people (clinicians, researchers, teachers, students, or others), future studies, or the real world? Suggested Two 45 minute class periods or one 1:15 class period Timeframe Staff Teaching Teacher/Library Media Specialist Responsibility General Notes: The purpose of lesson is for students to :

1) Synthesize information gathered during the previous step in the research process. 2) Apply critical and creative thinking to draw conclusions about the significance or implications of their research findings. 3) Generate ideas and notes to be used to write the discussion/conclusion section of their research paper.

Learning preferences addressed: Visual, kinesthetic, field dependent, field independent, global, auditory, active, reflective, and sequential.

Objective: Students will draw conclusions about the implications of their research results, by analyzing and synthesizing information and ideas to answer a series of questions about their findings. Standards Standards for the 21st Century Learner: Alignment 2.1.1 Continue an inquiry-based research process by applying critical thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, organization) to information and knowledge in order to construct new understandings, draw conclusions, and create new knowledge by identifying a range of possible conclusions and determining techniques to test them against the evidence; drawing conclusions or making decisions based on clearly documented evidence drawn from a range of appropriate resources; combining information and inferences to draw conclusions and create meaning. 2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real world situations and further investigations by making connections to other times, places, events; suggesting follow-up questions or areas of research; explaining how new knowledge can give rise to solutions; developing and implementing a plan for future action; assessing individual and group strategies in the inquiry process to determine what worked and what can be learned. 2.1.5 Collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new understandings, make decisions, and solve problems by collaborating locally and remotely with peers, experts, and others to collect, produce, and share information; working with others to solve problems and make decisions on issues, topics, and themes being investigated. College Board Standards SP.1.2 Students make and justify predictions concerning natural phenomena. Predictions and justifications are based on observations of the world, on knowledge of the discipline and on empirical

Unit #, Lesson # 1 Summer 2010 Baltimore County Public Schools Department of Curriculum and Instruction evidence. SP.4.3 Students evaluate, compare and contrast explanations that are based on observations of the world, on empirical evidence and on reasoning grounded in the theories, principles and concepts of the discipline. Skills for Success Learning Skills: Apply acquired knowledge and skills effectively in new learning situations. Thinking Skills: Evaluate information, issues, and positions critically. Demonstrate strategic thinking in a variety of situations to make effective decisions and achieve goals. National Educational Technology Standards (NETS•S) and Performance Indicators for Students 1.a Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes. 2.a Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. 3.b Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media. 3.d Process data and report results. 4.c Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions. 4.d Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions. Formative Activity 1: Analyze video examples – Responses to questions (notes/discussion) Assessment Activity 2: Practice "thinking outside of the box" – Active participation in creative thinking exercises. Activity 3: Analyze a sample research paper – Response to analysis question (notes/discussion). Activity 4: Analyze your own research notes to draw conclusions – Responses to analysis questions (notes or brainstorming/mind-mapping organizer) and application of conclusions/insights to written conclusion of the research paper. Digital Content, Student resources and tools for Step 6: Applying New Understanding – Writing the Research Paper: Tools, and  Pre-writing Resources  Writing a research report  Revising and editing  Publishing  Assessments Before Direct Instruct students to have their completed research notes with them for this lesson. Instruction Suggested Activity Refer to Step 6: Apply New Understanding, Lesson 1 – Drawing Conclusions on the course website: Sequence: http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/researchcourse/apply_understanding.html

Differentiation Components Curriculum Resources Brief Description Suggestions  Course website:  Video, interactive multimedia, sample Variety of online research papers Content resources in multiple formats, concrete examples

 Individual work/Group  Opportunities for collaboration and work, scaffolding, discussion; “hands on” creative Process online tools thinking activities; online tools for brainstorming/mind-mapping.

 Content area teachers,  Encourage students who struggle with mentor developing a written conclusion to Product consult with their mentor or a content area teacher for help.

Unit #, Lesson # 1 Summer 2010