20 Ways to Do Research

(If you only have 1–2 days available for research…)

  1. Have a scavenger hunt (10 questions) with selected sources in the library (for extra credit, at a later date let students create their own scavenger hunts for other students).

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning to find info in different library reference sources.

  1. Assign students non-fiction topics to search in OPAC (the library’s electronic card catalog).

Student show what keywords they used and write an annotated bibliography (if you only have one day, have them create and print a book bag). Students locate at least one of the sources.

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning keyword and subject search with OPAC. Practicing writing a bibliography. Learning library geography (location of different sources).

  1. Have students read an encyclopedic overview on a topic and write down keywords that they could use to conduct research. Cite the source.

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning to consult an encyclopedic overview first. Learning to take notes for keyword searches for further research. Learning to cite a source.

  1. Research a person from Capital High School’s Biography Resource Center Database (the bios are from 2-5 pages in length and are from high quality electronic reference materials. Use keywords and cite sources.

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning how to take effective notes from an excellent and credible database resource. Learning how to cite sources.

  1. Give students an article that they take keyword notes from (plus cite the source). Compare whose notes are most efficient and helpful.

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning to take efficient keyword notes. Learning to cite sources.

  1. Write a 25 word "précis" (a summarization of a full text article). The challenge of exactly 25 words provides an extra interest to this assignment.

     SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning to read then summarize in an abstract (a succinct description         about the article).

7. Using 2 or more brief articles have students practice writing notes on note cards (1 idea and 1 source per card).

SKILL PRACTICED: Learning to take notes. Learning to use note cards for research.  Learning to cite sources.

  1. Take 2 or more articles and have the class evaluate them for credibility, timeliness, accuracy, objectivity and quality of information.

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning to evaluate multiple sources (helps with selecting best sources).

  1. Using a broad subject, have students practice narrowing the subject down to specific sub topics (Could use an encyclopedic overview of the subject to help with this. Old reader’s guides to periodical literature work well too).

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning to use encyclopedias for overview and to narrow a topic down to subtopics for research. Learning to use a print index to narrow a topic. Learning to cite sources.

  1. Practice having students locate keyword for selected topics in the indexes of sources. Cite the sources and pages.

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning to use indexes to locate information. Learning to cite sources.

  1. Have students research a person famous in your content area and create a 10 question worksheet, using one source, for other student to answer at a later time (cite the source).

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning how to select key facts for notes. Learning to cite sources.

 

  1. Have students answer the 10 question worksheet of another student. Cite the source and pages where the answer was found.

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning to locate a specific source. Learning to scan for specific info to answer questions. Learning to cite sources.

  1. Have students practice creating "dictionaries" of special terms for your content area. Have them Combine their words and mimic real dictionaries (with pronunciation keys, and guide words at the top of each page.

SKILL PRACTICED: Learning the basic elements of a dictionary.

  1. Have students search for quotes on a specific topic, or by a specific person in Bartlett’s Quotations. Cite sources.

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning to use a specific index such as Bartlett’s. Learning to cite sources.

  1. Have students read an overview that includes the development of a specific invention, discovery, or technique in your content area and take keyword notes. Cite sources.

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning to read encyclopedic overviews for basic information. Learning to take keyword notes. Learning to cite sources.

  1. Reading an overview or selected article has students create a timeline. Cite the source.

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning to read an encyclopedia overview or article for basic information. Learning to select key facts. Learning to cite sources.

  1. Have students practice creating an outline from reading an article.

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning to outline key facts.

  1. "Expose" a word! Have students use a variety of library sources to find out more about an assigned word (quotation books, databases, dictionaries, thesaurus, etc.). Cite sources.

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning to use a variety of library reference materials. Learning to take keyword notes and exact quotes. Learning to cite sources.

  1. Using keyword and subject searches on OPAC create a bookbag (or bibliography) for a fiction genre (e.g. P.E. might do books on different sports, like wrestling or football) (Social Studies, Science, PE, and the Arts, can do this as well as Language Arts.)

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning to conduct keyword and subject searches. Learning that fiction and historical fiction exists that pertains to different content areas.

  1. Have students briefly research an overview about a period of time which produced particular people, events, or developments in your content area and take keyword notes. Cite sources (students will need broad terms like "Age of Reason", "Industrial Revolution", "Renaissance", etc. to access encyclopedic overviews).

SKILLS PRACTICED: Learning to read an encyclopedic overview for basic   information. Learning to take keyword notes. Learning to cite sources.