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Recording Our Research

This support material is incorporated into critical challenges at Kindergarten and grades 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10 and 11, however, it can be adapted for use at all grade levels.

The Recording Our Research charts offer various approaches to directing student research. The following documents can be adapted and re-saved for your needs.

Our Book Research 
This chart helps young students locate information on specific (teacher- or student-generated) questions through research in books or on the Internet. Solicit adults or older students to help emergent readers and writers read the questions and record the answers. The sample questions listed in Our Book Research: Community Roles focus on learning about the role played by community helpers in meeting young people's needs. Use the generic chart, Our Book Research, to modify and add questions to reflect those generated by the class or by individual students. To use this chart, students:

• record information about the research topic and reference materials at the top of the page
• record questions or read the questions provided in the left-hand column
• record answers to the questions in the right-hand column.

Assessing Student Research 
An assessment rubric is available for this chart.

Our Interview 
This chart helps young students locate information on specific (teacher- or student-generated) questions by interviewing people. Solicit adults or older students to help emergent readers and writers read the questions and record the answers. The sample questions listed in Our Interview: Community Roles focus on learning about the role played by community helpers in meeting young people's needs. Use the generic chart, Our Interview, to modify and add questions to reflect those generated by the class or by individual students. To use this chart, students:

• record information about the interviewee and the interviewer(s) at the top of the page
• record questions or read the questions provided in the left-hand column
• record answers to the questions in the right-hand column.

Assessing Student Research 
An assessment rubric is available for this chart.

Guiding Our Research 
This chart invites students to use the information they already have about a topic and information they would like to collect as the basis for forming research questions that will direct their research efforts. To use this chart, students:

• record information topics in the left-hand column
• record information known about the topic in the second column
• record information they would like to collect in the third column
• record research questions in the right-hand column.

Credits

Adapted from Critical Challenges Across the Curriculum series. Permission granted by The Critical Thinking Consortium for use by Alberta teachers.