In-Service 2/18/11 - History/Social Studies

[Jessica Bishop]

Research Process Grades 4-8

 

Locating Sources & Note-Taking: We noticed that we have a solid format / logical flow from 4-8 in how students are expected to research for papers and projects. 

 

Process begins in 3rd grade and reinforced in 4th & 5th grade when they are provided with pre-selected sources / classroom text to research.  Between 5th and 6th there is a bit of a jump, as students are expected to use sources provided, but are also encouraged / given the option to research approval sources of their own choosing.  By 7th grade & 8th grade they are expected to find their own sources but are told where to look for them.  Noodlebib aids this process, as the students are able to organize both their notes and information on the sources with this site. 

 

We agreed that 4th graders benefit a great deal from physically writing facts on paper note cards as a means to organize their thoughts and paraphrase the information.  This process continues in 5th grade, and in 6th-8th grade students are encouraged to store their research notes in either Evernote or GoogleDocs.