A. Mini Lessons: Introduction to Research – W.7.7 (20 minutes)

• Inform students that in this lesson, they will begin to research to answer a question they have about the Lost Boys of Sudan. Display the Questions about A Long Walk to Water anchor chart, and remind students that they have been collecting questions about the novel. Note also that some of the questions they have raised are more aligned to research because they are open-ended and have more than one answer. Explain and record on chart paper that research questions align to these criteria:
• Not too narrow or too broad
• Specific to this topic
• Significant: important not only to you, but to others
• Can be answered using sources (i.e., not philosophical questions)
• Model using these criteria to evaluate one or more of the questions on the Questions about A Long Walk to Water anchor chart. Then ask students to Turn and Talk about which questions are better for research. Have students call out suggestions, and confirm or star them on the anchor chart. 
• Guide students through an intentional Think-Write-Pair-Share to select one or two research questions from the anchor chart that interest them. Students should also explain in writing and to their partner why the questions interest them:

1. Move students into pairs, and invite them to label themselves A and B.
2. Pose the question or task, and give students time to think and write independently about their response.
3. Invite partner A to ask partner B the question.
4. Give partner B a specified timeframe (e.g., 30 seconds, 1 minute) to share his or her response.
5. Have partners reverse roles and repeat steps 3–4.
6. Using a total participation technique (e.g., cold call, equity sticks), invite students to share their responses with the whole group.

• Before teaching students the steps of researching, ask them to grapple and Think-Write-Pair-Share about how they would conduct research to answer their questions. As students are collaborating, display the Researchers Do These Things anchor chart. During the Share, note the correct responses in the correct order on the anchor chart. Review the following steps and teach only those that the class needs to learn. If there is a small group of students who need to learn the steps, release the other students to begin researching, and teach the small group the following skills.
• Refine Research Questions: Explain that when we research, we often have to break down our initial research question into smaller, more specific questions. Model selecting a general open-ended question from the anchor chart and breaking it into smaller questions. Ideally, model selecting one that no student has chosen and can be answered by the article “One Day I had to Run” by John Deng Langbany and “One Day I had to Run” by John Deng Langbany ▲ as necessary for students who need extra support. The differentiated article supports students’ comprehension with gists for each section ▲. Use a Think Aloud to show how to determine how to break down the question. An example follows below:

“Which parts of the story are real? Note that we look at which parts of this question are most general, such as ‘parts.’” Explain that we can make “parts” more specific to break down the question into smaller questions: “Which parts of Salva’s story are real? Which parts of Nya’s story are real? Was there really a civil war in Sudan? Did the Dinka and Nuer really fight and kill each other? Did people really walk to Ethiopia? Do girls really walk all day, every day to water?” Note how these questions all seem like separate research projects, so we will have pick one and see if we can break it down into smaller questions. For example, “Which parts of Salva’s story are real? Was there really a civil war in Sudan? Did people really walk to Ethiopia?”

• Explain that once we have a few more specific questions, we can begin to conduct research. Focus students on the Researchers Do These Things anchor chart, and read aloud the first three bullet points, noting that we have already completed the first two and will now be moving on to the third step: use search terms in a search engine to find sources to answer questions. Also, explain that as students complete the different phases of research, they may likely find that they can refine their research question further or may even modify it depending on the information that they find. ▲
• Use a Search Engine: Display a search engine (such as Google), and model brainstorming search terms or keywords to find sources to answer the model question (Dinka and Nuer conflict in Sudan; walk to Ethiopia in Sudanese civil war; girls in Sudan walk to water). If students have a lot of experience with online research, teach them advanced search tricks, or have a knowledgeable student do so. If students are new to using a search engine for research, teach them the basics of brainstorming and refining search terms or keywords. If necessary, note these steps on the Researchers Do These Things anchor chart: 

“Type one of your specific research questions or keywords from the question directly into the search bar. Scan the results to see if any look like they will help you answer your question and if they come from reliable sources. If not, think of other ways to ask the question or use more specific search terms or keywords or use more advanced search tools.” If necessary, provide a list of keywords students can use to answer their research questions.

• Determine the Relevance of Sources: Model scanning the results page to identify the relevance of sources. Explain that relevance means “related to what is being discussed,” and give examples from everyday life: “If we are talking about our favorite fruit and I bring up shoes, my comment will have no relevance in this discussion. But if I bring up apples, then my comment does have relevance in this discussion.” If necessary, use visuals or sketches to illustrate relevance (pictures of fruit and a picture of shoes with question mark or x through it). Model scanning the results page and asking,

“Does this source look like it will answer my question?”

• Invite students to join in evaluating the relevance of the sources.
• Determine the Credibility of Sources: Once researchers have identified relevant sources, explain that they have to determine the credibility of a source. Explain that credibility means “being believable.” Display and distribute the Choose and Use Credible Internet Sources handout, and read aloud the first bullet (about the publisher), asking students to follow along. Model using this criteria to evaluate the relevant sources on the results page. Invite students to join in evaluating the credibility of the sources. Click on one of the sources and read aloud each of the other bullet points from the Choose and Use Credible Internet Sources handout, using them as a checklist to verify the credibility of the source. Invite students to join in evaluating the credibility of the source. If students need additional support or practice, display several different sources and ask students to work together to label them as credible or not.