Why we need school librarians

Research Assignmentswith a small ‘r’ – taking learners

beyond the textbook

Why?

• Pique curiosity• Extend their knowledge beyond minimum

content requirements• Think deeply about a topic• Discover worlds beyond their confines• Assist the journey to independent learning

Critical Outcomes

LearnerSelf-responsibility

technological

research communication

Problem solving

Macro-vision

Research Assignments

• Should be engaging and challenging• Pose problems/create research tasks which elicit

higher order thinking skills.• Bring in authenticity: real problem; real audience.• Acknowledge multiple intelligences by encouraging an

array of presentations• Demand the use of a wide variety of information

sources• Bear in mind that the critical outcomes reflect the

attributes of learners

The Do’s & Don’ts

DO• Scaffold & support learners

throughout the process• Provide templates/tools • Incorporate a criterion for a

wide variety of resources consulted in the rubric

• Do evaluate your information sources

• Think a typed sheet of instructions is motivation

• Assume learners understand the topic

• Assume learners know how to search for information and synthesize it

• Focus only on the end product• Allow plagiarism• Create ‘fill in the blank spaces’

and equate that with research

DON’T

All levels

• Foundation Phase• Intermediate Phase• Senior Phase• FET

Examples from FP teachers

• How do we make pancakes? Find out and show the class how they are made. Decide who will be your taste critics.[Numeracy]

• After a visit to Butterfly world, you and a friend create a scrapbook showing the different types of butterflies and where they originate in the world [Nat Sc]

• Conduct a survey amongst your friends, family, and neighbours. Create a chart with the top five songs that people like to hear. [LO/Num]

Examples from IP teachers

• Your favourite hobby is making kites. For Market Day you would like to turn your hobby into a profitable venture. Design an advert marketing your kites including prices.[EMS/LO]

• In the interest of scientific investigation, create a home for a creature (e.g. spider, butterfly, chameleon) using recycled material. Display your home on the Nature Table and explain to your classmates why you chose that house design, the environment within the house and what you feed the creature. [Tech/NS]

Examples from High School

• You are a member of the Entrepreneurship Club at school. In celebration of Consumer Rights Day on 15 March, a team of you has decided to compile a Teenagers’ Consumer Rights Directory for distribution.[EMS]

• Street art – is graffiti art or not? Present a slide show arguing your viewpoint.[A&C]

• You are an investigative journalist for your school’s newspaper. Investigate and report on one of the local, recent environmental issues. [NS]

Research Cycle Define

problem/task

Develop a search

strategy

Find information

Engage with information

Communicate findings

Evaluate process & product

Where do you start?Imagine the topic is …

FOOD

FOOD

•Why is eating junk food bad?

•Why are vitamin supplements considered a waste of money?

Why?

•What kinds of food can kids eat who are allergic to dairy products or wheat?

•Which popular diets are dangerous to health?

What/Which?

•How can I draw up a healthy menu for our tuck shop?

•How do I interpret a food label for my own size and body mass?

How?

Where to find information?

The Internet = A virtual library

Dear Librarian

Notice of School Research Project

TOPIC/S

LEARNING AREA/S FORMAT NO. OF

LEARNERS GRADE DUE

DATE You would like to follow a healthy lifestyle. Show how a balanced, nutritional diet can contribute to your healthy living.

Life Orientation; Languages

Tell a story; create an interview; or simulate a telephone conversation

40

7

July 23

Educator: ____________________________________ [Name] Cell: _____________ School: ____________________________________ [Name] Tel.: ____________ Fax: ____________ Today’s Date: ______________

Public library photocopy queue on atypical afternoon

Name: Date: Focus

Note- making

Subheading: ________________________________ Focus question: _______________________________________ ____________________________________________ _______ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

Keywords: _______________________________________ Sentence: _____________________________________________ ____________________________ ____________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Source: _______________________________ _________________ Keywords: _______________________________________ Sentence: _______________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ _____________________________________ ___________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Source: _______________________________________________________________

ENCYCLOPAEDIA Author of article Date of publication Title of article Name of encyclopaedia Volume; Pages referred to Place of publication Publishing company

BOOK Author Date of publication Title Place of publication Publishing company Pages referred to

NEWSPAPER/ MAGAZINE ARTICLE Author Newspaper/magazine date Article title Newspaper/magazine title Pages referred to

PEOPLE Name Position of person (if relevant) Date of interview Topic of interview Place of interview

VIDEO RECORDING Title (if applicable) Date Producer Director Place of production Distributor Format

Author Date of publication Full title Full web address Date of access

Author of message Posting date Subject of message E-mail address of receiver E-mail address of sender

CD-ROM Author (if applicable) Date Title Place of publication Publisher Format

Communicate Findings

•Scrapbook

•Mural

Visual•Mo

ck panel discussion

•Phone conversation

Oral

•Slide show

•E-brochure

Digital

•Journal

•Short magazine article

Written

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