- English Language Arts and Reading
- Grade 5
- Inquiry and research
identify and gather relevant information from a variety of sources;
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:
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.
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).