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Why we need school librarians. Research Assignments with 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
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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
Research Assignments • Should be engaging and challenging • Pose problems/create research tasks which elicit higher order thinking skills. • Bring in authenticity: real problem; realaudience. • 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 DON’T DO 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 • 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
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]
