6th Grade Animal Research

For many years every sixth grader at Durham Academy has been required to research an animal for sixth grade science using multiple sources.  They pick an animal, take notes online, cite their sources and then write a first person report from the animal's perspective.  In the past, I have not been happy with students taking their notes online because it often led to cutting and pasting long passages without ever processing the information available in the source.  Also, some students would take all their information from one source and just cite three more without ever using them.

This year I encouraged the science teachers to give the students a note-taking template that I created and have the students take written notes.  The first day of the project we had the students find four strong sources.  Most students selected our animal encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Britannica Online and/or WorldBook Online,  a website, and a book in the library about their animal.  The second day we cited all our sources on Google Drive.  Today the students started taking notes, and it was amazing to see how relaxed and engaged they were with their research.  Using their iPads and the books, they could have all of their resources in front of them at once.  The four-page template packet helped them organize their information easily.  Everyone knew what they were supposed to be doing and how to do it; that goes a long way to avoiding the stress and anxiety that can come with a research project.  We required the students to show us their notes at the end of each page of the template before they started on the next page.  This allowed us to make sure that they had detailed notes and they were using all of their resources.  The student took excellent notes and stayed on task the entire period.  I anticipate that they will be done with their research much sooner than we planned. 

After they finish the research, they will still write their report from the animal's perspective.  The finished product will include a cover illustration that they draw, the two page report, a bibliography, and a note about the author. 

For this project and this grade level, I think the iPad worked best as an information resource rather than a place to record notes.  Handwritten notes ensured that students were taking complete notes, using multiple sources, and avoiding plagiarism.  Once the students complete their template, they can then use that document to develop their typed report on the iPad.

7th Grade History Research

I'm getting ready for the 7th grade history research project by pulling over 200 books on non-European, non-American history subjects and then organizing them.  Students start selecting topics tomorrow.  Hopefully looking at the resources first will help more than just picking a topic from a list.

Non-fiction Book Project

Today the 5th graders came to the library to select a book of their choice for their non-fiction project.  This project will incorporate reading non-fiction, generating questions while reading, web searching and creating a Keynote presentation. In preparation of them coming, I pulled over 200 books across our entire non-fiction collection that are high interest and under 200 pages.  I had to borrow a few tables to display them all.  When the students arrived, we walked to each table while I gave a mini-booktalk on some of the really interesting titles such as The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party, Dark Game, Spies of Mississippi, and The Man-Eating Tigers of the Sundarbans.  I then had the students sit at one of the tables, with no more than 3 students to a table.  They had to pick at least one book from the table and write down the title, call number, subject, and mark their level of interest on a form that I provided them.  They would have 2 minutes to do this and then move to the next table.  I used Online Stopwatch to time them.  By the time they were done, the students had made notes on at least 8 books.  They then could check out their favorite book.  Every student was easily able to find a non-fiction book that appealed to him or her; most of the students were really excited about their selection.

These 5th graders will now have three weeks to read their book.  As they are reading, they will generate questions about what they are reading on sticky notes.   Many of these questions will most likely be answered as they continue to read the book, but some their questions will require them to search the Internet.  We are using this unit to discuss web-searching techniques and finding reliable web sources; they will have time in class to search for answers to their questions.  After they have finish reading the book and answering their questions, they will select their four best questions, which they will explain to their classmates in a five to seven minute Keynote presentation.

Using VoiceThread to Learn About the 1920s

To learn more about the major events of the 1920s, eighth graders came to the library to research a self-selected topic that they would then turn into a VoiceThread.  Students could pick topics from a list we created, or they could find a subject on their own.  I pulled books and articles from our Gale database to help with their research; we also provided students with a list of websites on the 1920s.  While in the library, students filled out a note-taking template that would serve as the framework for their VoiceThread narrative.  Many students used their iPad to research their topics. As they took notes and collected images for the project, students were required to cite all sources using MLA formatting.

After two days of compiling information, student went to the computer lab to create the VoiceThread. The initial setup of a VoiceThread is always a little difficult for students.  Knowing where to click to add to slides is confusing, but once they get in the flow, it is easy to record the slide show.  Our technology coordinator carefully walked them through the steps on their first day in the lab; students could also watch a video that would show them how to create a VoiceThread.  Many students chose to use their time with the desktop computers to annotate their slides using Skitch, import the slides into VoiceThread, and finalize their bibliography.  Several then used their iPads to record the voice portion at home or during study hall.  Students could create the entire VoiceThread using the VoiceThread app on their iPad, but many commented that it is easier to use the desktop version or a combination of both.