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ELA 2019 G7:M2:U3:L3

Create a Podcast: Begin Research

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.7.1, W.7.7, W.7.8, L.7.4

Supporting Standards: These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.

  • RI.7.3, RI.7.4, L.7.6
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can research to answer questions about epidemics. (RI.7.1, W.7.7, W.7.8)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 3 (L.7.4)
  • Work Time B: Research on the Epidemic Research note-catcher (RI.7.1, W.7.7, W.7.8)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - L.7.4 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Mini-Lessons: Introduce Research - W.7.7 (10 minutes)

B. Research - W.7.8 (25 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Triad Share - SL.7.1 (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Analyze Interactions of Individuals, Events, and Ideas: In preparation for the mid-unit assessment, students reread the second section of the model podcast script and complete Homework: Analyze Interactions: Model Podcast Script, Part II to answer selected and constructed response questions about how the individuals, events, and ideas interact in the script.

B. Synthesize Research and Refine Questions: Students complete Homework: Synthesize Research and Refine Questions to reflect on the individuals, events, and ideas emerging about their epidemic. Then they refine their research questions as necessary.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • L.7.4 – Opening A: On an entrance ticket, students grapple to recall the definitions of research terms.
  • W.7.7 – Work Time A: Students grapple with the steps for conducting research on a topic, including: refining a research question, evaluating sources, and gathering information.
  • W.7.8 – Work Time B: Students refine their research questions and evaluate sources for credibility and reliability.
  • SL.7.1 – Closing and Assessment A: Students engage in a collaborative share, building on others’ ideas and expressing their research progress and plans clearly.
  • The Think-Pair-Share protocol is used in this lesson. Protocols are an important feature of our curriculum because they are one of the best ways we know to engage students in discussion, inquiry, critical thinking, and sophisticated communication. A protocol consists of agreed-upon, detailed guidelines for reading, recording, discussing, or reporting that ensure equal participation and accountability in learning.

Opportunities to Extend Learning

  • Students who have experience with any of the research steps should be authorized as experts on those steps and allowed to teach or mentor the class or individual students on the steps. Also, these students can be released to work immediately on research rather than attending to the mini-lessons on the research steps.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • Before this lesson, students have been reading about epidemics in Patient Zero and various articles. In Lessons 1 and 2, they chose an epidemic and collected questions they have about their topic. Here, they draw on these skills as they read and take notes to answer their research questions.

Support All Students

  • In Work Times A and B, students may need additional support with each of the steps of the research process. Provide sentence frames and modeling to support students with refining research questions. Partner students who might benefit from modeling and support with a student who is skilled at researching and note-taking. For students needing extra support with research, identify several sources (websites, articles, videos) at varying reading levels (e.g., from Newsela or Gale databases) that will answer as many of the research questions as possible, and make this list of sources available to them. Also, make the Researchers Do These Things handout into a checklist or roadmap that students can use to guide them in the process. ▲
  • Optionally show a video on the basics of using a search engine (or, if students are ready, a video on using advanced search-engine tools). There are also online videos on evaluating sources, quoting, paraphrasing, citing sources, etc. ▲
  • Note there is a differentiated version of the Epidemic Research note-catcher used in Work Time B in the supporting materials download. ▲
  • The subject matter in research materials students find may include descriptions of death and disease. Continue to monitor students to determine if there are issues surfacing as a result of the content of this chapter that need to be discussed as a whole group, in smaller groups, or individually.

Assessment Guidance

  • Circulate to monitor students’ ability to refine their questions, evaluate sources, identify important information, and take notes (including quoting, paraphrasing, and citing sources). Monitor common issues to use to identify research mini-lessons in the next lesson.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will continue researching and will learn more about the interactions among individuals, events, and ideas in their epidemic as they gather information to answer their research questions.

In Advance

  • Before modeling the research process for students, test-drive the research process and find suitable links to use in Work Time A. Practice the process to ensure the links work and the process goes smoothly. Use the suggestions in Work Time A to choose a research question from the Questions about Epidemics anchor chart, and then do the following to prepare:
    1. Refine the question.
    2. Use search terms or keywords in a search engine. 
    3. Evaluate the sources on the results page.
    4. Choose one reliable, credible source. 
    5. Review it to find several pieces of information to answer the model question.
    6. Record the information in quotes or paraphrases.
  • Also, consider students' assessments and achievements in Module 1, Unit 2, Lessons 1-6, to determine which Research Mini-lessons to focus on in this and the following lesson.
  • Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 3 at each student's workspace.
  • Gather devices on which students can conduct research (computers or tablets). Ensure the devices work, are charged, and can access the internet.
  • Post the applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: a computer or tablet with projector to demonstrate the research process
  • Work Time B: computers or tablets for each student to begin the research process

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 7.I.A.1, 7.I.B.5, and 7.I.B.6.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson provides students with the opportunity to learn discrete research skills as necessary through mini lessons.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to conduct independent research. Encourage students to work in their triads to research on one device, supporting one another to read, find the gist of, and record notes on information they find.

Vocabulary

  • accuracy, cite, credibility, relevance, research, search terms (A)

Key

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (one for display; from Unit 1, Lesson 4, Work Time A)
  • Academic word wall (one for display; from Unit 1, Lesson 1, Opening A)
  • Questions about Epidemics anchor chart (one for display; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • Researchers Do These Things anchor chart (example for teacher reference) (from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 3, Work Time A)
  • Researchers Do These Things anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 3, Work Time A)
  • Epidemic Research note-catcher (for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 3, Lesson 2, Work Time C)
  • Research Mini-Lessons (for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 3, Lesson 2, Work Time B)
  • Vocabulary log (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Work Time A)
  • Epidemic Research note-catcher (from Module 2, Unit 3, Lesson 2, Work Time C)
  • Epidemic Research note-catcher ▲

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Computer or tablet with projector (see Technology and Multimedia) 
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 3 (answers for teacher reference)
  • Epidemic Research planner (example for teacher reference)
  • Homework: Analyze Interactions: Model Podcast Script, Part II (answers for teacher reference) (see Homework Resources)
  • Homework: Synthesize Research and Refine Questions (example for teacher reference) (see Homework Resources)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 3 (one per student)
  • Online or print dictionaries (including ELL and home language dictionaries; one per small group of students)
  • Epidemic Research planner (one per student and one for display)
  • Researcher's Toolbox (one per student and one for display)
  • Device for internet research (one per student; see Technology and Multimedia))
  • Homework: Synthesize Research and Refine Questions (one per student) (see Homework Resources)
  • Homework: Analyze Interactions: Model Podcast Script, Part II (one per student) (see Homework Resources)

Assessment

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningLevels of Support

A. Engage the Learner - L.7.4 (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: students respond to questions on Entrance Ticket: Unit 3, Lesson 3.
  • Once students have completed their entrance tickets, use a total participation technique to review their responses. As necessary, use the vocabulary strategies on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart to review the words on the entrance ticket. Record the words on the academic word wall with translations in home languages, where appropriate, and invite students to record or revise any in their vocabulary logs.
  • Repeated routine: follow the same routine as with the previous lessons to review the learning target and the purpose of the lesson, reminding students if the learning target is similar or the same as in previous lessons.

For Lighter Support

  • On the entrance ticket, challenge students to first grapple to try defining the vocabulary from the context of research and using word parts. Then they can use a dictionary to confirm their guesses.

For Heavier Support

  • On the entrance ticket, encourage students to use ELL or translation dictionaries to define the words and work in pairs to share their understanding of the meanings. Doing so will ensure comprehension and allow for oral language practice.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Mini-Lessons: Introduce Research – W.7.7 (10 minutes)

  • Review the appropriate learning target relevant to the work to be completed in this section of the lesson:

“I can research to answer questions about epidemics.”

  • Inform students that in this lesson, they will begin to research to answer their epidemic research question. Display the Questions about Epidemics anchor chart, and remind students that they have been collecting questions about both medical and social epidemics. Remind students that in the previous lesson, they used the Model Podcast Script to generate and refine their research questions. They also continued this work for homework in the previous lesson.
  • Remind students that research questions should be
    • not too narrow nor too broad;
    • specific to this topic;
    • significant—important not only to you, but to others; and
    • answerable using sources (i.e., not philosophical questions).
  • Reference the Researchers Do These Things anchor chart as needed. See the Researchers Do These Things anchor chart (example for teacher reference).
  • Before teaching students the steps of researching, display one of the questions students generated in the previous lesson (such as, “Where and when did the epidemic take place?”). Then ask students to Think-Write-Pair-Share in response to the following questions:

“How might you research to answer your question? What are the steps you would take?”

  • During the Share, note the correct responses in the correct order on the Researchers Do These Things anchor chart. See the Researchers Do These Things anchor chart (example for teacher reference).
  • Ask students to join with their podcast triads as you display and distribute the Epidemic Research planner. With students, review the Research Jobs and Due Dates chart, explaining that students will determine in their triads what aspects of the epidemic they need to research and which member of the triad will conduct that part of the research. As necessary, model breaking a research question into research jobs (For example, one of us will research: Where and when did the epidemic take place? Who was affected? What was it like to be in the epidemic? How might the epidemic have started? Someone else will research: What were the medical effects of the epidemic? What were the social effects of the epidemic? And another will research: What tools did epidemiologists use to solve the problem? What character traits and mindsets did individuals involved in the epidemic exhibit? What lesson was learned from this epidemic?).
  • Ensure that students make these decisions in their triads and record responsibilities on their Epidemic Research planner, in the Research Jobs and Due Dates chart. As necessary, consult the Epidemic Research planner (example for teacher reference).
  • Allow several minutes for students to determine and assign research jobs. Note that the jobs will likely change over the course of this and the next research lesson as students refine their knowledge of the epidemic, complete their tasks, and discover new tasks.
  • Once students have determined and assigned their research tasks, distribute the Researcher's Toolbox and ask students to retrieve their Epidemic Research note-catcher. Review the steps in the Research Mini-Lessons and teach only those that the class needs to learn.
  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • During Work Time A, encourage students to explain the steps of the research process that they used in Module 1. Also, challenge them to use a self-assessment technique (such as Thumb-O-Meter) to determine which mini lessons they need to attend.
  • After Work Time A, invite students to participate in a Mini Language Dive in small groups to explore a sentence that conveys a key takeaway from the content of a podcast script. The sentence also helps students to address L.7.1a and L.7.2a by providing an opportunity to explain the function of a phrase that contains coordinate adjectives.

For Heavier Support

  • During Work Time A, encourage students to attend all the mini lessons to ensure they understand all the steps of the research process. Also, encourage students to use the Epidemic Research note-catcher ▲ from Lesson 2. This resource supports students by listing the discrete steps of the research process and supporting students’ processing of information in those steps.

B. Research – W.7.8 (25 minutes)

  • Redirect students’ attention to the learning target:

“I can research to answer questions about epidemics.”

  • Release those students who are ready to research independently to begin doing so, noting that there is a space on the Epidemic Research note-catcher for them to record their refined research questions and generate a list of search terms. Also, remind students to carefully evaluate their sources.
  • Circulate and support students using the suggestions in the Research Mini-Lessons on Using a Search Engine and Determining the Relevance and Credibility of Sources. As necessary, direct students to their Epidemic Research note-catcher ▲, which supports students by delineating clear steps in the research process. Students who need this support may want to transition from the planner and note-catcher they used in the previous lesson. ▲
  • Circulate and identify common issues to inform the research mini-lessons students might need in the next lesson.
  • Repeated routine: invite students to reflect on their progress toward the learning target.
  • N/A

Closing & Assessments

Closing

A. Triad Share - SL.7.1 (5 minutes)

  • Ask students to review their notes and annotate the most interesting or strongest information they found to answer their research questions and complete their research task. Then have students join with their podcast triad to share their refined question and the interesting or strong information they found to answer it.

Homework

HomeworkLevels of Support

A. Analyze Interactions of Individuals, Events, and Ideas

  • In preparation for the mid-unit assessment, students reread the second section of the model podcast script and complete Homework: Analyze Interactions: Model Podcast Script, Part II to answer selected and constructed response questions about how the individuals, events, and ideas interact in the script.

B. Synthesize Research and Refine Questions

  • Students complete Homework: Synthesize Research and Refine Questions to reflect on the individuals, events, and ideas emerging about their epidemic. Then they refine their research questions as necessary.

For Lighter Support

  • Before the end of class, encourage students to work with a partner to review the homework questions and orally rehearse their answers. Doing so will ensure their comprehension and achievement. 

For Heavier Support

  • Before the end of class, review the homework questions and model finding answers in the Model Podcast script. Doing so will ensure students' comprehension and achievement. 

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