Baltimore County Public Schools Division of Curriculum and Instruction s1

Baltimore County Public Schools Division of Curriculum and Instruction Curriculum Guide Template – Independent Research Course Independent Research Seminar – Part 1 Unit Overview Grade/Content Independent Research Seminar – Part 1 Area Unit Title Exploring an Issue or Problem Unit Summary In this unit, researchers will begin the design process by first brainstorming within their chosen content area with the goal of narrowing their focus of interest within a broad field of study. This narrowed focus will provide the researcher with a clear path of discovery in order to proceed through the design process. Once a focus has been reached, researchers will learn the strategies necessary to pose questions about their topic in order to unlock meaning and lead to a deeper understanding of trends and essential issues related to their chosen topic within the field of study. These questions will be used to frame their ideas, giving structure and clarity, by connecting new ideas with prior knowledge in order to conduct background research in a content specific context on their chosen topic. Researchers will learn how to conduct a preliminary search of their topic in order to complete background research. As a result of this background research, researchers will develop a preliminary design proposal statement to reflect upon and present to their peers that will lead to a more refined and narrowed topic in preparation for the formal Literature Review.

Theme  Researchers will recognize that brainstorming leads to the development Statements/End of creative aspects to an issue or solutions to a problem. uring  Researchers will connect their ideas to prior knowledge in order to Understanding cement their understanding and lead to greater exploration of a topic/issue/problem.  Researchers will develop questions related to the issue or problem in order to frame ideas which will provide the structure and clarity needed to research an issue or problem further.  Researchers will conduct preliminary research in order to develop a content specific context within which to begin designing an original research topic while affording an opportunity to build significant background knowledge.  Researchers will participate in reflective thinking by maintaining a reflection journal chronicling their journey throughout the process.  Researchers will present their preliminary design proposal in order to illicit feedback from mentors and peers. Essential How do students “unpack” their thinking to develop many creative solutions to Question(s) an issue or problem?

How can students pose questions in order unlock meaning and understanding of trends and essential issues within their content specific area?

How can students conduct meaningful and efficient preliminary research connected to their chosen topic of study?

12/08/2010 Baltimore County Public Schools Division of Curriculum and Instruction Curriculum Guide Template – Independent Research Course

Key Concepts 1 Effective and productive brainstorming allows the researcher to see an issue/problem from multiple perspectives.

2 Effective brainstorming and connecting those ideas to prior knowledge in order to form a base of reference for the up-coming research.

3 Skillful researching techniques depend upon developing expert questioning skills and asking “deep”, critical and higher-order thinking questions

4 Skillful researching techniques will aid the researcher in conducting efficient research result in the acquisition of relevant information

5 Developing effective note-taking skills will provide the researcher with a method or recording and easily accessing the most pertinent information for their research topic. Clearly citing these sources is necessary in order to avoid plagiarism and give credit where credit is due.

6 Implementing reflective thinking skills allows the researcher to revisit their topic for refinement and illicit a fresh perspective on that topic from others in order to refine and narrow the focus. Vocabulary Alignment: Standards for the 21st Century 1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning. 1.1.3 Develop and refine a range of questions to frame the search for new understanding. 1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions. 1.1.5 Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context. 1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning. 1.1.7 Make sense of information gathered from diverse sources by identifying misconceptions, main and supporting ideas, conflicting information, and point of view or bias. 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. 2.1.2 Organize knowledge so that it is useful. 2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real- world situations, and further investigations. 2.1.5 Collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new understandings, make decisions, and solve problems.

12/08/2010 Baltimore County Public Schools Division of Curriculum and Instruction Curriculum Guide Template – Independent Research Course Estimated Unit Seven Period Day: 20 days Length Four Period Day: 10 days Learning Visual Auditory Preferences Kinesthetic Tactile Field Dependent Active Field Independent Reflective Global Sequential Differentiation for Skills /Strategies Instruction Digital Brainstorming and Questioning Content, Tools, http://www.dufourcreative.com/watizit/step_1.asp and Resources http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/KWL.chart.html http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/coursedev/models/id/taxonomy/ http://www.ctap4.org/content/big_or_not.htm http://www.ctap4.org/infolit/questions.htm http://www.myctap.org/images/stories/InfoLit/docs/big_poster.doc http://www.ctap4.org/infolit/questions/hs_good_questions.doc http://www.ctap4.org/infolit/questions/sample_questions_maya.doc maya_blooming.isf (Sample of three "Bloomed" BIG questions) http://www.myctap.org/images/stories/InfoLit/docs/sample_questions_cancer.doc http://www.ctap4.org/infolit/questions/hs_BIG_question_machine.doc http://www.ctap4.org/infolit/questions/researchable_questions.doc

Searching on the Internet

http://www.42explore.com/skim.htm http://www.libraries.iub.edu/index.php?pageId=1480 http://researchcourse.pbworks.com/f/BooleanSearch.pdf http://secondary.oslis.org/orig-steps/plan/plan-research/electronicsearchstrategies/booleanbash http://www.kn.att.com/wired/21stcent/lurl.html http://www.kn.att.com/wired/21stcent/wurl.html http://21cif.com/tools/ http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/techcomm/content/cat_030/evaluatingsources/index.html http://www.kn.att.com/wired/21stcent/lauth.html http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/feebased/ http://www.kn.att.com/wired/21stcent/lcurr.html http://www.weather.com/ http://www.weatherbase.com/

Primary and Secondary Sources

http://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/primary2.html http://scholar.google.com

Citing Sources

http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/21stcent/lnotetaking.html http://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/citingsources/

On-line note-taking tutorial:

http://secondary.oslis.org/orig-steps/plan/plan-research/notetaking 12/08/2010 Baltimore County Public Schools Division of Curriculum and Instruction Curriculum Guide Template – Independent Research Course http://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/1_StudySkills/study_tuts/notetaking_LL/index.html http://www.jbailey.net/notes.htm http://www.enotes.com/documents/purpose-for-how-create-note-cards-for-research-23759? action=view_embedded http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/note.html http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/notemake.html

Digital note-taking options available for exploration:

http://www.wallwisher.com http://www.evernote.com/ http://www.springnote.com/en/video/video03

Independent  “WhatIzIt” web activity to stretch their brain Assignments  Completed brainstorming web (either on paper or via web 2.0 (home, school, application) mentor)  Double Entry journal, KWHL or other prior knowledge connector  “A picture is worth a thousand thoughts: inquiry with Bloom's taxonomy” on-line activity  Categorization of questions according to Bloom’s Taxonomy  Generation of 3 high-level “deep” questions for further research  “The Researchable Question” worksheet at http://www.ctap4.org/infolit/questions/researchable_questions.doc  Completion of Reflection, Peer Review, & Preliminary Research Design Proposal Worksheet Assessment Strategies Assessments Journal Entries (Completion of Brainstorm Activity various research Double Entry journal or KWHL process steps) Bloom’s Taxonomy Questions Student Created Questions Understanding URLs worksheet Summary of Relevancy Authority and Accuracy of a Webpage Recognizing Primary and Secondary Sources Worksheet Notecards Reflection, Peer Review, & Preliminary Research Design Proposal Worksheet Presentation of Preliminary Research Design Proposal

12/08/2010 Baltimore County Public Schools Division of Curriculum and Instruction Curriculum Guide Template – Independent Research Course

Lesson Titles Key Concepts/Big Standards Alignment Brief Description or Ideas Addressed in Overview Lessons “Storming the Brain” Effective and 1.1.2: Use prior and The instructor will productive background knowledge “prime” the brains of brainstorming allows as context for new the researchers by the researcher to see learning. engaging in a whole an issue/problem from group brainstorming multiple perspectives. activity that will allow the researchers to apply independent brainstorming techniques in a productive and meaningful manner. “Making the Effective 1.1.2: Use prior and In this lesson, the Connections” brainstorming and background knowledge instructor will connecting those ideas as context for new introduce several to prior knowledge in learning. methods researchers order to form a base can use to connect of reference for the their topic(s) to their up-coming research. prior knowledge in preparation for the questioning stage of research.

“The Question is the Skillful researching 1.1.3: Develop and Researchers are Thing…” techniques depend refine a range of introduced to Bloom’s upon developing questions to frame the taxonomy, its expert questioning search for new application to research understanding. skills and asking and applying that “deep”, critical and understanding. higher-order thinking questions

“…Wherein my Skillful researching 1.1.3: Develop and Researchers will begin Research Task techniques depend refine a range of to write their own Begins” upon developing questions to frame the higher level questions, expert questioning search for new using Bloom’s understanding. skills and asking Taxonomy from the “deep”, critical and prior lesson, to build higher-order thinking their own high level

12/08/2010 Baltimore County Public Schools Division of Curriculum and Instruction Curriculum Guide Template – Independent Research Course questions inquiry-based questions “Boolean Search” Skillful researching 1.1.4: Find, evaluate, Researchers will use techniques will aid the and select appropriate Boolean operators in researcher in sources to answer order to narrow or conducting efficient questions broaden a search. research result in the acquisition of relevant information

“Evaluating URLs” Skillful researching 1.1.4: Find, evaluate, Researchers will techniques will aid the and select appropriate evaluate website researcher in sources to answer URLs based on their conducting efficient questions. domains. research result in the 1.1.5 Evaluate acquisition of relevant information found in information selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.

1.1.7 Make sense of information gathered from diverse sources by identifying misconceptions, main and supporting ideas, conflicting information, and point of view or bias.

“Determining Skillful researching 1.1.4: Find, evaluate, Researchers will Relevancy, Authority, techniques will aid the and select appropriate evaluate several and Accuracy” researcher in sources to answer sources in order to conducting efficient questions. determine their research result in the relevancy to a topic 1.1.5 Evaluate acquisition of relevant and their authority and information found in information selected sources on the accuracy. basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.

1.1.7 Make sense of information gathered from diverse sources by identifying misconceptions, main 12/08/2010 Baltimore County Public Schools Division of Curriculum and Instruction Curriculum Guide Template – Independent Research Course and supporting ideas, conflicting information, and point of view or bias.

“Determining Point of Skillful researching 1.1.4: Find, evaluate, Researchers will View” techniques will aid the and select appropriate examine articles with researcher in sources to answer opposing viewpoints conducting efficient questions. in order to determine research result in the how point of view 1.1.5 Evaluate acquisition of relevant influences a source. information found in information selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.

“Determining Skillful researching 1.1.4: Find, evaluate, Researchers will learn Currency” techniques will aid the and select appropriate the importance and researcher in sources to answer relevancy of currency conducting efficient questions. on a webpage. research result in the 1.1.5 Evaluate acquisition of relevant information found in information selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.

“Primary vs. Skillful researching Researchers will 12/08/2010 Baltimore County Public Schools Division of Curriculum and Instruction Curriculum Guide Template – Independent Research Course Secondary Sources” techniques will aid the 1.1.4: Find, evaluate, distinguish between researcher in and select appropriate primary and conducting efficient sources to answer secondary sources. research result in the questions. acquisition of relevant 1.1.5 Evaluate information information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.

“Note-taking and Developing effective 2.1.1: Continue an Citing Sources” note-taking skills will inquiry- based research provide the researcher process by applying with a method or critical- thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, recording and easily evaluation, organization) accessing the most to information and pertinent information knowledge in order to for their research construct new topic. Clearly citing understandings, draw these sources is conclusions, and create necessary in order to new knowledge. avoid plagiarism and 2.1.2: Organize give credit where knowledge so that it is credit is due. useful.

2.1.3: Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real- world situations, and further investigations. “Reflect & Peer Implementing 2.1.5: Collaborate with Researchers will Review” reflective thinking others to exchange ideas, reflect on their work skills allows the develop new thus far and will researcher to revisit understandings, make collaborate with a decisions, and solve their topic for peer in order to problems. refinement and illicit evaluate their topic a fresh perspective on choice. that topic from others in order to refine and narrow the focus.

“Preliminary Implementing 2.1.5: Collaborate with Researchers will Research Design reflective thinking others to exchange ideas, present their Proposal” skills allows the develop new preliminary research understandings, make 12/08/2010 Baltimore County Public Schools Division of Curriculum and Instruction Curriculum Guide Template – Independent Research Course researcher to revisit decisions, and solve design proposal to their topic for problems. their classmates. refinement and illicit a fresh perspective on that topic from others in order to refine and narrow the focus.

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