Independent Research: Case Study | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA 2019 G8:M2:U2:L5

Independent Research: Case Study

In this Lesson

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Focus Standards: These are the standards the instruction addresses.

  • RI.8.1, W.8.7, W.8.8

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.8.10, SL.8.1
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can conduct research to answer a question about factors that influence our access to healthy food. (RI.8.1, W.8.7, W.8.8)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Opening A: Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 5 (W.8.8)
  • Work Time B: Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher (RI.8.1, W.8.7, W.8.8)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engage the Learner - W.8.8 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Mini Lesson: Research - W.8.7 (15 minutes)

B. Independent Research - W.8.8 (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Whole Group Share (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Independent Research Reading: Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

Alignment to Assessment Standards and Purpose of Lesson

  • W.8.7 – Work Time A: Students learn or review steps in the research process based on the common issues identified in Lesson 3 during their research of GMOs.
  • RI.8.1 - Work Time B: Students gather evidence to answer the additional related focus questions on their note-catcher.
  • W.8.8 – Work Time B: Students work independently to evaluate sources and gather information to answer the additional related focus questions in their note-catchers. Students continue to track how factors influence our access to healthy food.

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.
  • Students may take a trip to the library and find other resources in addition to their internet resources. Invite students to extend their learning by working with a librarian to learn how to find texts for their research. This will prepare students for conducting research at the college level, as many professors require sources beyond the internet.

How It Builds on Previous Work

  • In the previous lesson, students were introduced to the four case studies: pesticides, food deserts, high-fructose corn syrup, and organic foods. Students were assigned to research one of these four case studies. In this lesson, students build upon their research skills from previous lessons by conducting independent internet research on their case study. They continue to track how their food topic increases or decreases our access to healthy food in their note-catcher.

Support All Students

  • In Work Time 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 additional related focus questions. Use Research Mini Lessons (for teacher reference) with small groups of students based on the needs in the classroom, including how to assess the credibility of sources and how to quote or paraphrase evidence. Alternatively, partner students with a student who is skilled at researching and note-taking for modeling and support. ▲
  • If possible, collaborate with a technology or computer teacher to support students in navigating the internet. In the next lesson, students will be assessed on their understanding of search terms, citing sources from websites, and determining the credibility of these websites.
  • Encourage ELLs to explore online sources on the topic in their home languages before researching the topic using English-language sources. This will help students to build a foundational understanding of content and concepts before navigating information in English. ▲

Assessment Guidance

  • Circulate to monitor students’ Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catchers and their ability to apply the research skills they developed in this lesson and previous lessons.

Down the Road

  • In the next lesson, students will take the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment, which will assess the research skills they developed in Lessons 1–5. In Lessons 7–11, students will use the evidence they gathered from their research to write an informative essay about their case study.

In Advance

  • Prepare and ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 5 at each student's workspace.
  • Based on the common errors identified in previous lessons, identify mini lessons to facilitate during Work Time A. This may be whole group or a small group, depending on the need.
  • Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: Prepare a device with a projector to demonstrate the research process.
  • Work Time B: Provide devices with online access for students to begin the research process.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 8.I.B.6 and 8.I.B.8.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

  • To support ELLs, this lesson provides further opportunities for students to build research skills through mini research lessons and by providing choice in topics while carrying out research. For ELLs especially, working with a subtopic that is particularly interesting will enable students to engage more thoroughly with texts.
  • ELLs may find it intimidating to choose a case study to research. Encourage ELLs to select the case study that they are most intrigued by, but help students to understand that choosing the topic they worked with in a small group during the jigsaw activity (pesticides) in Lesson 4 may be a good choice because of their level of familiarity with it. As needed, build in time to discuss search terms to help guide students in carrying out research.

Vocabulary

  • N/A

Materials from Previous Lessons

Teacher

Student

  • Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher (example for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 4, Work Time B)
  • Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher (one for display; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 4, Work Time B)
  • Research Mini Lessons (for teacher reference) (from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • Researchers Do These Things anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Work Time A)
  • Researcher's Toolbox (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 1, Work Time A)
  • Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 4, Work Time B)
  • Research Texts:
    • "The Advantages and Disadvantages of Pesticides" (one per student in Group A; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 4, Work Time B)
    • "Food Desert" (one per student in Group B; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 4, Work Time B)
    • "Organic Food" (one per student in Group C; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 4, Work Time B)
  • The Omnivore's Dilemma (text; one per student in Group D; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Closing and Assessment A)
  • Independent reading journals (one per student; begun in Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 6, Work Time B)

New Materials

Teacher

Student

  • Device with projector (see Technology and Multimedia)
  • Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 5 (one per student)
  • Devices for internet research (one per student; see Technology and Multimedia)

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

Opening

A. Engage the Learner - W.8.8 (5 minutes)

  • Repeated routine: As students arrive, invite them to complete Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 5.
  • Repeated routine: Follow the same routine as the previous lessons to review learning targets and the purpose of the lesson, reminding students of any learning targets that are similar or the same as previous lessons.

Work Time

Work TimeLevels of Support

A. Mini Lesson: Research - W.8.7 (15 minutes)

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

"I can conduct research to answer a question about factors that influence our access to healthy food."

  • Remind students that they read a text about their case study in the previous lesson and gathered evidence from the text that answers their central research question. Explain to students that they will build upon that research as they conduct independent internet research in this lesson.
  • Display Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher, and ask students to retrieve their copy. Ask a volunteer to reread the directions.
  • Focus students on the top section of the note-catcher. Instruct students to write the additional related focus questions they will use to guide their research, in the space provided. Encourage students to use at least one of the additional related focus questions from the previous lesson that their classmates suggested in Closing and Assessment A, if helpful. Students may also continue using the same questions they used in the previous lesson if needed.
  • Instruct students to also record the search terms they will use, in the space provided. Remind students that they generated and used additional related focus questions and search terms in previous lessons to conduct their research.
  • Circulate as students work to ensure they are on task. Support struggling students as needed with prompting questions to help them determine the additional related focus questions and search terms they need to guide their internet research. See Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher (example for teacher reference).
  • Inform students that based on their research in the previous lesson, research mini lessons have been selected to address their specific research needs to help them be more effective researchers. Use Research Mini Lessons (for teacher reference) based on students' needs. Encourage students to refer to the Researcher's Toolbox handout as needed.
  • Release those students who are proficient in the research process to begin researching independently.
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the learning target.

For Lighter Support

  • During Work Time A, modify the mini research lessons so that practice tasks can be accomplished in small groups as student-led activities. Group students according to their needs, and, if time allows, have students come together as a whole class to share what they learned during their work with a mini lesson topic.

For Heavier Support

  • N/A

B. Independent Research – W.8.8 (20 minutes)

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

“I can conduct research to answer a question about factors that influence our access to healthy food.”

  • Remind students that their research will answer the question:
    • “How do(es) _________ influence our access to healthy food?”
  • Allow students a few minutes to review their notes, then have them Turn and Talk to share their plan for researching. Use a Thumb-O-Meter to assess who needs help researching.
  • Display the Researchers Do These Things anchor chart, and ask a volunteer to read through the steps listed to remind them of how they should conduct their research.
  • Invite students to retrieve the Research Texts and distribute devices for students to conduct their research.
  • Remind students to gather their evidence, sources, and research findings in their Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher as they track how their case study influences our access to healthy food.
  • Circulate and support students. Depending on needs, pair students or draw them into a small group to assist them, using the suggestions in Research Mini Lessons (for teacher reference). If many students need support, group them by steps in the research process (e.g., groups of students working together to cite sources, take notes, and find and evaluate new sources). ▲ Refer to Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher (example for teacher reference).
  • Repeated routine: Invite students to reflect on their progress toward the learning target.
  • N/A

Closing & Assessments

ClosingLevels of Support

A. Whole Group Share (5 minutes)

  • Refocus the whole class.
  • Direct students' attention to the Access to Healthy Food: Independent Research note-catcher.
  • Ask:

"What is the most interesting or surprising information you discovered in your research?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Explain that students will be assessed on their research skills in the next lesson.

For Lighter Support

  • N/A

For Heavier Support

  • Encourage ELLs to discuss their research findings with peers who share the same home language before talking about it in English. This will help students to process the information they are gathering without linguistic interference; some students may understand what they read but struggle to apply the productive skills needed to explain it in English.

Homework

Homework

A. Independent Research Reading

  • Students read for at least 20 minutes in their independent research reading text. Then they select a prompt and write a response in their independent reading journal.

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