English Language Arts and Reading.4.13.A

The student is expected to

generate and clarify questions on a topic for formal and informal inquiry;

inquiry research TEKS talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Inquiry and research: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.

Have students work in a small group to brainstorm questions about a topic or text to generate information to be used for a research paper, project, or presentation. As they choose their topics, remind students to think about who, what, where, when, why, and how. Students should also brainstorm information beyond those questions that would be appropriate for inclusion in a project or presentation and consult reference materials to clarify questions.
 

Further Explanation

Students should be able to engage in an ongoing process of gathering and examining information in different ways and with more proficiency. Students should be able to formulate questions that will guide their research work. The clarification of questions is an ongoing process throughout the research work.

Students should learn that informal and formal inquiries require different types of questions. Formal inquiries require an established process and typically include a specific goal, such as arriving at a new conclusion. For example, a formal inquiry into which other planets might be habitable might ask, “What planets have a composition most similar to Earth?” An informal inquiry does not require the same complex process as researching a formal topic does. The goal of informal inquiry is often to gain context for something or begin exploring a new topic in a general way. For example, students investigating a simple topic, such as favorite sport among their peers, may generate questions such as “What is your favorite sport to play?” or “What is the first sport you learned to play?”
Students should formulate questions to guide their research work. As the research process evolves, the original questions change based on new information, findings, or reflections on the topic being researched. When students modify, or clarify, their questions, they are refining their analysis of their topic. The clarification of questions should be an ongoing process throughout the research.

Research

McManus, M. S., & Theamwong, L. (2015). Enhancing fourth grade students' writing achievement through purposeful experiential learning: an action research study. Universal Journal of Educational Research. 3(12), 997–1000. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1083248.pdf

Summary: Fourth grade students had a writing task that involved improving the school. It required students to call on community, agency, area business, and high school student support. Students wrote letters applying for grants, asking for materials, and requesting additional support. Student orally presented their prewriting, and these presentations proved to be an effective method for the revising and editing of their written work.