Students will plan, draft, and revise a research report. They will edit papers for clarity, accurate language, and mechanics. They will produce an error free final draft.

Section 4: Objectives

Students will be able to:

1. Use writing to formulate questions, refine topics, and clarify ideas.
2. Use writing to discover, organize, and support what is known and what needs to be learned.
3. Compile information from primary and secondary sources in systematic ways using available technology.
4. Generate relevant and researchable questions.
5. Use writing as a tool to clarify and remember information.
6. Compile written ideas and representations into report summaries and draw conclusions.
7. Locate appropriate print and non-print information using text and technical resources including the Internet.
8. Use text organizers, overviews, headings, and graphic features to locate and organize information.
9. Produce a research report with proper documentation.
10. Draw conclusions from information gathered.
11. Establish a purpose for reading such as to discover, to interpret, and to enjoy.
12. Draw upon his/her own background to provide connection to text.
13. Monitor his/her own reading strategies to make modifications when understanding breaks down, such as rereading, using resources, and questioning.
14. Produce note cards, which summarize or paraphrase information.
15. Draw inferences such as conclusions, generalizations, and predictions, and support them using evidence and experience.
16. Use study strategies such as skimming, scanning, note taking, and outlining to better understand a text.
17. Read silently with comprehension for a sustained period of time.

Topic 1 - Selecting a Topic

Research reports are meant to inform.

A research report should:

• clearly state the purpose of the report in a thesis statement
• use evidence and details from a variety of sources to support the thesis
• contain only relevant and accurate information
• develop the topic logically and include appropriate transitions
• include a properly formatted Works Cited list

Selecting a Topic

When you are assigned a research paper, your teacher may provide a list of subjects for you to choose from or may assign a general subject for your report. You may also have to select a topic of your own.

A suitable subject:

• should interest you
• can be researched in a library and supported with facts

Limiting your Topic

Once you have chosen your topic, you will need to narrow your focus. Your report will be from 4-5 pages, typewritten and double-spaced. You must narrow your focus to a topic which can be covered in your report. A limited topic will save you time and enable you to focus your research on specific information as you look for sources.

To limit your topic, use a web cluster. In your web cluster, list at least four aspects of your topic that you could research.

Example:

Select one of your limited topics and create another web cluster, which limits the topic even further.

Example:

Now you can select one of your more limited topics and begin gathering information for your report. Begin by asking yourself what you want to know about that topic. Write down 5-8 questions about the topic to guide your information search.

Example:

Narrowed topic: William Shakespeare's work in the theater

1. How many plays did he write?
2. What types of plays did he write?
3. What part did he play in presenting these plays in the theater?
4. Did he ever work with plays he did not write?
5. Did he ever act in any plays?
6. How long was he connected to the theater?
7. What other connection to the theater did he have?

With your focus clearly in mind, you can now start locating your sources.

Steps to follow in gathering information

1. Use a general reference book such as an encyclopedia to get an overview of your subject. You may even want to do this step before you narrow your topic. Using more than one encyclopedia is a waste of time since most will give you the same type of information.

2. Search the card catalog for books on your topic.

3. Consult the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature to find articles about your topic.

4. Search the web for articles about your topic. Be sure to select only relevant websites.

Activity #1
Exploring the Web!

Review information about narrowing your topic at:
the Internet Public Library
Research and Writing
Step by Step

Study Guide #1

Using what you have read, answer the following questions:

1. Explain why it is important to focus on the process and not the product.

2. Describe how brainstorming can help your research.

On a sheet of paper, answer each question above. When you have finished, review your work with your Red Comet Contact Person.

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Activity #2
Your Research Report

Select an famous person for your research report. You may choose one from the suggested list below or choose your own by looking in the library. Be sure you choose someone that you will be able to find five sources of information about. You may use periodicals, books, or newspaper articles. You may use only one encyclopedia and two Internet websites unless one of the websites is an encyclopedia.

Suggested topics:

Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Phyllis Wheatly, Mickey Mantle, Michael Jordan, Barbara Jordan, Stephen Spielburg, Hillary Rodham Clinton, or any other famous person that you wish.

When you have finished, review your work with your Red Comet Contact Person.

Study Guide #2

Answer the following questions as thoroughly as possible. Study these questions to prepare for the section exam.

1. What are five important things that a research report should do?
2. What requirements are needed for a suitable topic?
3. How do you limit a topic?
4. Why do you need to list questions about your topic?
5. What will a general reference book provide for your research?
6. Why will using more than one encyclopedia be a waste of time?
7. What will the card catalog help you find?
8. What do you consult to find magazine or journal articles about your topic?
9. When selecting web sites to use as references, what must you be careful to do?
10. What is a web cluster and how is it useful in preparing a research report?

On a sheet of paper, answer each question above. When you have finished, review your work with your Red Comet Contact Person.

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