Teaching an Introductory Unit on Internet Research

Using Penn Literacy Network Strategies

The following strategies from Penn Literacy Network I Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum were chosen to be part of this unit. A brief explanation of each one is being provided to assist colleagues who may not be familiar with one or more of these strategies.

According to Lytel and Botel, writers need regular chunks of time. Keeping that principle in mind, we designed each daily lesson to include the opportunity for a Type I Writing (five lines, no one correct response, one draft) by including a daily E-Journal writing that was closely tied to the lesson of the day and would draw out the students' prior knowledge.

A Jigsaw Activity is also incorporated into the unit to cover large amounts of material efficiently and effectively. This is accomplished by splitting the class into appropriately sized groups. Each group has the responsibility to research and create materials and report back to the larger group in the role of "experts" on their topic.

The KWL-"How well do I know these words" worksheet was used to introduce internet specific vocabulary. The worksheet contains a chart that the students complete by assigning the words to one of the following categories: words they don't know at all, words they have seen or heard but don't know the meaning, words which they think they know the meaning, or words for which they know a meaning. This worksheet acts as a springboard activity to help connect prior knowledge to the content covered. This form is included in a downloadable format suitable for editing.

The I-Search process was the foundation of the writing portion of the unit and served as the activity to focus the research process and also to demonstrate mastery of the process through a completed project.

Introduction To Internet Research

Daily Lesson Plan 1

Lesson Objective:
After this lesson students will be able to identify, describe and manipulate search engines for the purpose of focused research.

Anticipatory Set: (Type I Writing)
E-Journal entry- When I look for something on the internet, I...

Lesson: (KWL)
The lesson will be begin with a KWL vocabulary assessment. Students will then view a broadcast version of a search engine screen. Directed searching on the internet will lead students to view sites registered under various domain extensions, locate information using search engines, use boolean operators to narrow and define searches, and analyze information for authenticity and reliability.

Assignment:
Students will complete an internet scavenger hunt of ten selected items using the search engine "Google".

Closing:
Students will engage in a discussion about the process of gathering information on the Internet and assess how they feel about conducting research with a purpose.

Daily Lesson Plan 2

Lesson Objective:
After this lesson the students will be able to conduct meaningful reserach on the internet for a variety of purposes using search engines, boolean oeprators and report their findings in an I-Search formatted paper.

Anticipatory Set: (Type I Writing)
E-Journal entry- I am curious about....

Lesson: (I-Search)

The lesson will begin with the students responding to the following statements:

1. I want to know more about....

2. I want to learn how to....

3. Something I plan to do in the future is....

The lesson will continue with instructions to choose one of the three topics on the list and write down 20 things you already know or want to know more about your topic. The students are prompted to consider who, what, when, where, why and how as they try to write down their 20 items.

They are then instructed to write down 10 questions they would like answered from their research. Then they are instructed to write down 5 potential sources to find answers to their questions.

The lesson continues with a handout on the I-Search process that instructs students to write a paper using MLA format that is presented in three sections. Tell me what you already know about the topic, tell me what you learned from your research and tell me what questions you still have and how or where you may find answers to your questions.

Assignment:

Students are instructed to gather information about the topic they selected in the opening lesson and to write a three page I-Search report following the format discussed in class. Students are provided with three days of research time to gather information and another two days to write.

Daily Lesson Plan 3 - 7

Lesson Objectives:
After this lesson the students will be able to conduct meaningful reserach on the internet for a variety of purposes using search engines, boolean operators and report their findings in an I-Search formatted paper.

Lesson:
The opening lesson will be revisited for clarification and questions.

Assignment: (I-Search continued)
Students are instructed to gather information about the topic they selected in the opening lesson and to write a three page I-Search report following the format discussed in class. Students are provided with three days of research time to gather information and another two days to write.

Closing:
Students will have the opportunity to discuss progress, ask questions and share information at the end of each class period.

Daily Lesson Plan 8

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to present the results of an internet based I-Search and critque the research project of a classmate for formatting and authenticity.

Lesson:
Students will review the class created rubric and learn the process of breaking down a report into chunks to determine if the finished project meets the requirements of the assignment.

Assignment:(Pair and Share)
Students will be directed to present their papers to a peer for review. The peer reviewer will then assess the project according to the class created rubric. Through the peer review process, writers will be given the opportunity to revise and edit before presenting their finished product.

Closing:
A follow-up discussion will exam the students' experiences with internet research techniques.