Description
What our Conducting Short Research Projects lesson plan includes
Lesson Objectives and Overview: Conducting Short Research Projects guides students through the steps of doing a research project. Students will learn how to pick a topic and narrow it down with specific questions. They will discover that a narrow topic helps them focus the research they explore. They will learn basic steps for writing research reports, what resources to use, and how to cite them. In addition, they will learn how to verify whether or not a resource is credible.
The lesson contains three pages of content. The first page explains what research is and provides a basic foundation for the concept of a research paper. Students will learn eight steps that they can follow to prepare and write a good research essay. The lesson describes each step clearly and relates each one to an overall example.
Students will learn how to cite their sources as well. The final content page explains step seven, cite sources, and provides an example. Because there are many styles people use in their citations. You can choose which one your students will use and walk through a guide for that style with them.
NARROW THE TOPIC ACTIVITY
Depending on your class, you may want students to work in groups or with a partner for the activity. However, the instructions are written as if students are working alone. There are eight topics on the worksheet. One is already complete as an example. For each topic, students will write a topic sentence that narrows down the broader topic. They can only use one sentence.
RESEARCH TOPICS PRACTICE WORKSHEET
The practice worksheet requires students to find sources to support a topic. The topic is about garbage being harmful to the environment. Students will review the topic and thesis statement and look for sources that support it. They should try to use different sources and not just a single type, such as books. There are four blank index cards on the worksheet with which they can organize their sources.
CONDUCTING SHORT RESEARCH PROJECTS HOMEWORK
For the homework assignment, students will build on what they completed in for the practice worksheet. Students will use the information they gathered and write a short, two-paragraph research report on plastic pollution. They will need to cite their sources.
