TEKS Talk - SLA Inquiry Research 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.

Task students with creating a brochure about the key components of primary and secondary resources and including examples of each.
 

Further Explanation

This assessment requires students to accurately describe primary and secondary sources and provide appropriate examples of each. Primary and secondary sources are introduced in second grade. By sixth grade, students should able to independently identify the components of each.

any communication medium, such as a book, a person, or an electronic device that supplies information
An important step in research is using information from a variety of sources. Students need a combination of primary and secondary sources to ensure a robust collection of supporting evidence. Once students have gathered information, they need to synthesize or pull all the information together into a cohesive format (e.g., presentation or informational essay). For example, students who gather information from sources about different cultures may create a slide show organized by country/region and share a summary of what they learned about each group.

Research

Grabe,W. & Zhang, C. (2013). Reading and writing together: A critical component of English for academic purposes teaching and learning. TESOL Journal, 4(1), 9–24.  https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.65

Summary: Researchers reveal that writing in academic settings is complex and requires a critical thinking and planning. The article addresses the need for academic language and vocabulary, the ability to integrate information that is conceptually difficult, and how to critically review and use academic resources. The article is in-depth and addresses the primary components of academic writing, including research papers.