English Language Arts and Reading.5.13.C

The student is expected to

identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources;

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.

You may wish to combine SEs 5.13.C, 5.13.E, and 5.13.G and assess them together. Instruct students, working independently or in pairs, to identify a research question based on a topic from another content area or a current event. Have students identify and locate four to eight sources that might be useful in providing relevant information that assists in answering the research question. Sources may be located at a library, on Internet databases, or through interviews from experts. Task students with identifying relevant information related to the research question (who, what, when, where, why, how, and other related questions) and evaluating whether the information in each source is relevant to the question. Students will create a list including each source evaluated and whether the source provided relevant information. Instruct students to also identify either the relevant details or briefly describe why the information was not relevant to the research question.

Sources might include the following:

  • Newspapers
  • Scholarly journals or articles
  • Videos
  • Research-based websites
     

Further Explanation

This example requires students to apply knowledge of research skills to identify sources that may contain relevant information related to a research question. Students must know where to look for relevant information and how best to collect that information. Additionally, students must be able to judge the information the locate to determine if it is relevant to their question and the extent to which it is relevant.

Students should understand that the purpose of information gathering is to support the planning of their work. They should also be aware that not all information is relevant to their specific objectives. It is important that students understand that relevant information is data that can be applied to solve a problem or to answer a research question. Students should have a clear understanding of their objectives when searching for information. It would be helpful for them to write their objectives or research questions and use them to identify the information that is closely connected to those objectives and questions.

Research

Klein, P. D., & Rose, M. A. (2010). Teaching argument and explanation to prepare junior students for writing to learn. Reading Research Quarterly, 45(4), 433–461. doi:10.1598/RRQ.45.4.4

Summary: In this study, Klein and Rose examine how students respond to various writing tasks and assignments. The teachers used the process writing approach, which included creating an outline, drafts, and a final paper. The revision and edit process lends itself to implementing teacher and peer oral and written feedback. The study reveals that there are specific as well as varied means to teach the writing process to students. Students must use prior knowledge and have access to relevant external sources (i.e. internet).