Research in the Primary Classroom

By Amanda Schoepflin

10 Simple Steps!

Step 1: Plan Use research to

improve your teaching.

Seymour Simon

• “Good teaching is not merely a technical matter of delivering information from a recipe or text. Rather, it is about coming to know students well—their skills, learning styles, interests, strengths, as well as their areas in need of improvement—so that we can help them make connections between new information and what they already know; connections that make sense and that last (Falk & Blumenreich, p. 5).”

Step 2: Enrich students with

nonfiction literature.

Great website for already made nonfiction text features and writing paper: http://it.pinellas.k12.fl.us/teachers3/gurianb/writing.html

Familiarize students with nonfiction text features during whole group and small group reading lessons.

“Individual research projects help children

develop as learners (Falk, 35).”

o Make a list and choose 1 topic you want to explore

o Why did you choose it?o What do you already know?o What would you like to learn about it?

Step 3: QuestionWhat are your wonders?

• Assist students in finding books on their topic at their reading level.

• Allow students to browse through their books on their topic from the school, town, and home library.

• Teach students how to find information from text, online resources, magazines, etc...

Step 4: Begin Your Investigation

Website on Nonfiction leveled books: http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/E00871/RUOS_CDbookList_expositoryNonfiction.pdf

May be challenging!

Step 5: Collect Data

• Teach students how to take notes• Create project folders for every student along

with a personal agenda (Falk & Blumenreich, p. 89).

• It is important for students to talk, share, debate, and work together when they are engaged in their research materials (110).

Notes (descriptions)

Notes on notes (interpretations, assumptions, judgments)

“Discovery consists not in seeking

new landscapes

but in having new

eyes" (Proust, p.

22).”

Students can chart their ideas using the RAN (Reading and Analyzing Nonfiction) strategy developed by Tony Stead in his book, Reality Checks.

Reading and Analyzing Nonfiction Strategy (RAN Strategy)What I think I know

Confirmed Misconceptions New Learning

Wonderings

Children state information they think to be correct about the topic

Children research to confirm prior knowledge

Children research to discard prior knowledge

Children research to locate additional information not stated in prior knowledge

Children raise questions based on new information gathered

Collect Data Continued…

Step 6: Organize Data

• Separate data into categories– Students may want to chart observations, readings,

reflective journal, surveys under each theme (129). – Make an outline

• Create Chapters – Animal: Looks, Habitat, Life Cycle

• Create Table of Contents

• There are different ways to tell your story (134). • Make an interesting lead (Introduction)

– Ask questions– Use sounds– Action Verbs– Descriptive details– Alliteration – Comparisons

• Write your chapters.– Main idea, details, closing sentence– Write interesting sentences using organized notes.– Keep your reader’s engaged!

• Create a glossary, index, and about the author.

Step 7: Teach Craft

Step 8: Revise and Edit Draft

Step 9: Final Copy

• Grammar• Order• Voice• Craft

• Neat Writing • Highlight Glossary terms• Create Cover Pager

First draft students are learning their work.Revision enhances their ideas (151).

Step 10: Share!!!

Expert Fair: Completed projects are put on display in the classroom (158).

Step 10: Share Continued…

There are many ways to express student learning such as museums, multimedia presentations, puppet show, play, dance, spoken word, musical performances, etc…(159).

Comments to the Authors

“Some teachers we know conclude their class’ studies with Writers’ Celebrations to which they invite their student’s families as well as other teachers and students in the school (159).”

Student Example

Student Example

Continued

Student Example

Continued

Anything is Possible“The world has many questions that need to be asked and many problems that need to be solved…Inquiry offers both

teachers and students a powerful method for seeking answers (Falk & Blumenreich, p 187).”