English 1.9 “Finding out for yourself”

Achievement Standard 90060

Student Instructions Sheet

This activity requires a mixture of classroom and homework.

Using templates and exemplars in the activity, your teacher will show you how to plan your research, record information, log the research process, then present information.

You will then choose your own research topic and follow the same process.

You will be assessed on how well you:

• plan the research
• collect, select and record relevant information
• record the research process
• organise and present information.
• draw conclusions and make judgements

Task 1: Completing a research plan

a)     As a class list a range of topics you are interested in researching.

Choose topics where resources are accessible and which will allow you to present your own conclusions and judgements on the information you find.

Some suggestions for areas to research could include:

• a writer, painter, film maker, musician
• another culture or religion
• the history of your suburb/town
• how attitudes towards a particular subject have changed over time
• how and why fashions change

As you look at the templates and exemplars in this activity, consider which topic you will choose. It should be a topic which interests you and one where you will be able to draw conclusions and make judgements.

To focus your topic, you will decide on at least three key questions you want your research to answer. Develop key questions which will allow you to present information as well as draw conclusions and make judgements.

b)     For each key question, brainstorm key words associated with the question. Key words will help you locate information.

Look at the completed planning template (TEMPLATE 1) on the next page  for a research project on film maker Quentin Tarantino. You could set out the key questions and key words for your research topic in the same way.

QUESTIONS

Open questions.

An open question is a question to which the answer is not a definite fact: e.g. How are you today? Open questions are organised so as to allow for various and different responses from each individual. These questions usually begin with How, Why, or what.

Closed Questions.

Closed questions can be answered with a definite fact e.g. what is

2 + 2 (4) or a yes/no response. Closed questions do not allow for varied or individual responses.

Task.

Identify each of the following questions as either open or closed.

1. How are we polluting the environment?
2. When did Captain Cook arrive in New Zealand?
3. Does a Kiwi have feathers or hairs?
4. Why is conservation crucial to our future?
5. How does violence on television influence the young?
6. What problems do new migrants face in New Zealand?
7. Have my family always lived in New Zealand?
8. What role did the Maori Battalion play in WWII?
9. Is my culture significant to me?
10. Is the ‘Buzzy Bee’ a New Zealand Icon?

VISUAL SOURCES

Visual sources that may provide information for research are; films, Encarta, electronic sources, videos, television as well as posters and billboards. When researching, it is wise to gather information from a variety of sources to gain a broad understanding of the subject from a range of perspectives.

WRITTEN SOURCES

Written sources available for research are all the usual resources you would find in a library such as non fiction books and reference books, as well as newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, brochures, and leaflets.

Note!

The most common reasons for students failing this standard are:

1. Failure to complete all the steps.

You are assessed, not only on the research project you produce, but on the PROCESS. This means you MUST complete all the tasks in this unit. Do all the tasks.

2. Failure to address your questions.

3. Failure to come up with an adequate report. This task requires you to make a decision. After you have collected your information, digested it, thought about it, you need to present your answers.

Task 2: Gathering information and recording the process

a)     You will gather information relevant to your key questions from a range of sources. Try to include at least one oral, one visual, and one written source.

You will complete an information source sheet for each source. You could set out your information like TEMPLATE 2 on page 7. You may complete your research on Quentin Tarantino but you cannot repeat any of the information presented.

b)     As you work on you gather information, you will complete a research log to record the steps you take.

Before beginning look at the research log from a research project on Quentin Tarantino (see the booklet).

Task 3: Organising and presenting the information

a)     Finally you will use your key question template, information source sheets, and research log to develop a report on the results of your research.

In your report you should state:

• your topic and key questions
• the key information you found
• conclusions and judgements you have formed.

b)     Look over the research reports in the exemplars from page 9 discussing their strengths and what aspects could be developed further. Pay particular attention to how the excellence exemplar presents key information together with conclusions and judgements.

Task 4: Completing Your Own Research

a)     Decide on the topic you will research. Make sure that your teacher has approved your topic before beginning.

You may not use any of the material from the exemplars in your own research.