Reference and Research

1. Preparing for the real world (and state testing too) Reference and Research

2. The student must show their ability to: • locate, gather, analyze, evaluate and synthesize written information for a variety of purposes. • select and use appropriate study and research skills and tools according to the type of information being gathered or organized. • synthesize information from multiple sources to draw conclusions. What does reference and research mean?

3. Evaluate text for fact and opinion • See Non-fiction Analysis • See Fact /Opinion Evaluation Specific Skills and how to teach them

4. Fact / Opinion Evaluation Complete the following chart after reading. Who wrote the article / essay? _______________________________ Does this person / organization hold any strong bias or beliefs? (might be necessary to perform a separate search on the author(s)) __________________________________________________________________________________ Overall is this a valid and reliable source? _____________ Why or why not? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Analyze validity and reliability of information • Review Vocabularyfor Reference and Research • See numerous lessons on www.factchecked.org • http://www.factchecked.org/LessonPlanDetails.aspx?myId=7 This lesson focuses on 10 fallacies that represent the most common types of mistakes in reasoning. • See Non-fiction Analysis Specific Skills and how to teach them

6. Vocabulary for Reference and Research Accuracy free from error; fact; truth Argument a process for reasoning; a conclusion and the premise that supports it Author’s purpose the author’s reason for writing: to entertain, persuade, explain, or combination Bandwagon a fallacy in which or peer pressure is substituted for evidence in an argument Bias describes a preference toward a certain perspective and therefore removes objectivity Conclusion a claim that is supported by a premise Contradiction a direct opposition between things compared; inconsistency Deductive reasoning reasoning from general to the particular (or cause to effect) Evidence something that proves or disproves Fact a statement that can be proven to be either true or false Fallacy an argument that relies upon faulty reasoning Inductive reasoning reasoning from detailed to the general Inference to make assumptions or guess based on evidence Loaded words words that carry a value judgement along with a descriptive meaning Logical fallacy a misleading or false argument, one that does not follow logically Objectivity not influenced by prejudice or bias Opinion a statement that expresses beliefs, feelings, and judgments Paradox a statement that could be seen as true but also untrue Premise a reason offered as support for another claim Primary Source first hand or original information that comes from a reliable source / Examples include eyewitness accounts, personal interviews, autobiographies, letters, diaries, scientific journals Reliability the degree that information that can be researched or is from a source whose credentials are trustworthy Secondary Source Information that has been gathered and interpreted by more than one source. Examples include textbooks,encyclopedias, magazine articles, biographies, movie reviews Spin a heavily biased argument Unsound an argument that has at least one false premise Valid an argument whose premises genuinely support its conclusion; information that is correct, factual and sound

7. Determine the most appropriate research resource for a given topic • Review the use of different resources. Conduct a quiz on which resource is the best for a particular paper/project. Specific Skills and how to teach them

8. Locate and interpret different types of written information (text material, indexes, subheadings, glossaries, maps, charts, graphs, pictures, etc.) • Use newspaper to analyze different forms of written information. Students find samples of each,cut them out, glue to a paper, and provide 3 facts taken from each. (laminate really good ones for flash cards later) • See Textbook / Newspaper Survey Specific Skills and how to teach them

9. Textbook or Newspaper Survey In groups of 3-4 look through a common textbook or newspaper. Complete the chart below based on your findings.

10. Know the difference between primary and secondary resources • Review the definitions • Discuss when and why to use each Specific Skills and how to teach them

11. Discern irrelevant research material from text • Present several brief paragraphs or articles about a similar topic. Students are to number them in order of most valid and reliable to the least. • Read an article as a class and determine which information can be disregarded. Specific Skills and how to teach them

12. Exhibit synthesis and inferencing skills from various texts. • Provide a variety of short essay questions where students need to access information from more than one written text to answer. Specific Skills and how to teach them

13. What information shows the author’s personal biases? • What suggestions does the author make to ___________________? • Which of these is an example of? • According to the article, which question is correct? • From this article, the reader can tell that__________________ • According to the article, why _______________________________? • This information is important today because ______________________. • What can you conclude about __________________________________ from reading both articles? • What was true of both individuals featured in these articles? • Based on information from both articles, which of these conclusions is accurate? Sample Questions