Developing Research Skills in All Fields
Subject: Library Media
Grade: 6 – 12
Timeframe: Semester-long
Introduction:
As writing and digital media becomes increasingly necessary in subjects beyond English/Language Arts and History/Social Studies, it is important to integrate these skills into all subjects. Now that the library media specialist has been playing a greater role in developing curriculum school-wide, this lesson plan should serve as a basic but necessary goal for a technologically-integrated school.
This lesson plan aims to teach the skills developed in writing a research paper through every text a student might come across in their academic studies or career. By requiring a research paper in every class subject, the library media specialist develops writing skills in every subject.
Furthermore, writing research papers in every subject also encourages online research in every subject. This way, students are exposed to the media and resources available online in every field.
Objective:
- Conduct research in a variety of different fields
- Become familiar with the resources available online for each subject
- Understand which databases are available at the library for each subject, and which are considered more credible than others
- Synthesize the information gathered from a variety of sources
- Write a research paper using the language and vocabulary specific to each field
Materials:
- Computer with internet access
- Library databases
- Guide to your library databases
- EasyBib’s bibliography and Notebook tool (recommended)
Procedure:
- Collaborate with teachers in every department to require a research paper be written in every subject. It is recommended that a research paper be written at least once a semester, so that teachers can view progress over the course of the school year in the students’ writing and research skills.
- Each research paper should be specific to the class, and it is up to the teacher’s discretion what the research topic and formatting should be. However, the formatting and structure for each paper should not be uniform across all subjects; the students should be exposed to a variety of different ways the research paper can be written depending on the field of research.
- For each class, hand out a guide to your library’s databases with the resources most relevant to the class. For example, for a U.S. History class, list databases such as ArchiveGrid from OCLC, ProQuest Historical Newspapers, U.S. Supreme Court and Briefs from Gale, etc.
- Teach the students about the best places in the library to conduct their research. Compare the credibility and resourcefulness of these databases to websites like Google and Wikipedia.
- While students are conducting their research, technology should be an integral part to the research process. We recommend using tools such as EasyBib Research and the EasyBib Notebook to assist with finding sources related to their research topic, and for taking notes on said topic in a digital format. This way they can process the information on a digital platform and synthesize it in a virtual and interactive area.
- During the research process, have students keep a list of all the field-specific vocabulary they come across in their research. The students should define each term and use at least half of them in their final paper.
- Have students turn in their research paper, along with the printed notes from their research and the complete list of technical vocabulary (including the ones not used in their paper) for assessment.
Assessment:
Work with teachers to create a rubric specific for each research paper. Similar to the formatting, no rubric for any department should be the same. EasyBib has provided some example rubrics for each of the major subjects below.
Self-Evaluation:
At the end of this assignment, students should have achieved the objectives outlined at the beginning of the lesson plan. They should have been exposed to many different databases and other resources to seek information in a variety of different fields. They also should have spent an increased amount of time utilizing the library resources to aid with their research, helping develop their information seeking skills as well as their technology literacy skills.
Extension:
To increase student exposure to the many different resources available at the school’s library, shorten the lesson by only having students conduct research and take notes, but not actually write the entire paper. This will allow teachers to teach research skills to students more frequently.
Additional Resources:
Common Core Standards:
| Common Core Standard | 8th Grade Expectation | How the lesson plan addresses this standard |
|---|---|---|
| Anchor Reading Standard 1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. | CC.R.L.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text | When taking research notes in the Notebook, students must choose the quote or idea from the text that most strongly supports their analysis of the text. |
| Anchor Reading Standard 2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. | CC.R.IT.8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text. | During the note taking process, students will summarize the ideas in each source. |
| Anchor Reading Standard 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. | CC.R.IT.8.7 Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea. | Promoting library media and how it provides a variety of different mediums will allow students to better use a number of source types in their research, especially in the science subjects. |
| Anchor Reading Standard 8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. | CC.R.IT.8.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced | The Notebook tool encourages students to assess what evidence they come across in their research is relevant or irrelevant to their study, and evaluate the soundness of the argument. |
| Anchor Reading Standard 9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. | CC.R.IT.8.9 Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation. | Analyzing multiple sources for each research project will encourage students to compare sources. EasyBib’s dynamic note taking tool will allow students to visualize how evidence compares and contrasts. |
| Anchor Reading Standard 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently. | CC.R.IT.8.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently | Being exposed to sources in many different subjects will improve students’ reading abilities. |
| Anchor Writing Standard 1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. | CC.W.8.1 1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. d. Establish and maintain a formal style. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented |
Writing a research paper in subjects such as History/Social Studies or English/Language Arts will develop students’ ability to formulate arguments appropriately and effectively. The rubrics for each research paper should address the expectations outlined in the Common Core Standards. |
| Anchor Writing Standard 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. | CC.W.8.2 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples. c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. e. Establish and maintain a formal style. f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented |
Writing a research paper in a science or technical subject will develop students’ ability to write informative/explanatory texts appropriately and effectively. The rubrics for each research paper should address the expectations outlined in the Common Core Standards. |
| Anchor Writing Standard 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. | CC.W.8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.) | Students will gain the experience of writing a research paper in a variety of different fields for a subject-specific task. Furthermore, the Notebook encourages students to write in a clearly organized style, with its dynamic outlining feature. |
| Anchor Writing Standard 6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others. | CC.W.8.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others | Technology is integrated into the research process so that students can use it as a platform to conduct research and write papers. |
| Anchor Writing Standard 7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. | CC.W.8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration | The lesson plan encourages students to write research papers in every class. |
| Anchor Writing Standard 8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism. | CC.W.8.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation | Students will have to develop their own search strategies to find relevant information from a variety of different sources, while learning how to appropriately use that information in their paper while avoiding plagiarism. |
| Anchor Writing Standard 9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. | CC.W.8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new”). b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced”) |
Students will draw evidence form both literary and informational texts to support their research. |
| Anchor Writing Standard 10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. | CC.W.8.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. | Encouraging frequent paper writing will improve students’ writing skills. |
