During this step you need to ask:
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- What exactly do I have to do?
- What do I already know?
- What do I have to find out? OR What do I want to find out?
- Can I choose the presentation format? If so, what is the best way to present my information?
- Who will be the audience for this task?
- How am I going to be marked for this task?
GETTING STARTED – UNDERSTANDING THE TASK
- Underline or highlight the instructional keywords in the assignment / task (these words tell you what to do with the information you find)
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- Instructional Words and what they mean
- Underline/ highlight the information keywords in the assignment / task (these just relate to the content of your assignment)
- Use a dictionary to define any words you’re not sure of
- Brainstorm everything you already know about the topic
- Find out the criteria you’re going to be assessed on
- Explore the general topic to get an idea of its scope and what’s involved
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- Online Encyclopaedia’s are good to help with this.
- Browse and dip into a variety of sources – skim and scan lots!
- Explore interesting ideas for questions about the topic
- Use the Stop and jot strategy to note possible sources and the interesting ideas from them
- Use the Pair share protocol strategy to talk with a partner your thinking on the topic and what you would like your research to be about. This will help you develop and identify your inquiry question.
- Produce a mind map or plan to outline the topic (you will probably have to revise this as the assignment progresses)
- Decide on the type of information you need
- Do you need to use any primary sources of information?
- Secondary sources?
CREATE INQUIRY QUESTIONS
Thoughtful learning. (2015). Guiding questions for better projects [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S60g43pQhcU&t=120s
CREATE INQUIRY QUESTIONS
- Create a key inquiry question.
This is the questions your research will attempt to answer.
It will mean your research is focused so you don’t get sidetracked.
At the end of your research process this key inquiry question will become a sentence answer to your question and will be known as your hypothesis.
Consult with the teacher about the suitability of your inquiry question before proceeding with your research.
Your key inquiry question will also help you to develop other focus (research) questions that are related to this main question.
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- What is a key inquiry question? (from History Skills website – specific to Historical Inquiry but may be useful for other subjects as well)
- Pose a range of focus questions to investigate (these should relate to your key inquiry question).
Below are some useful resources you may find helpful to develop your focus questions.
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- 5Ws and 1H Graphic Organiser (Who, what, why when, where and how)
- Bloom’s Taxonomy
- Question Matrix
- How to create sub-questions (from History Skills website).
- PBL Toolkit: Driving Question
Tools