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Here's a hit on the research paper topic I posted a few days ago: Try integrating the curriculum research with the Big6. There are several lessons to look at on the Big6 website --- http://www.big6.com Also, I would suggest learning about problem based learning. ... We use the Know it All video series to help in research instruction. These are produced by GPN in Lincoln, NE. ... If you can get your hands on a Step Up to Writing teachers manual, it will take care of almost everything. Can be ordered from a company called Sophris West in Denver. Chapter 8 includes note-taking, outlining, bibliography. Other chapters include paragraph and multi-paragraph writing. One other suggestion - link the subject of the research papers to science or social studies curriculum. We do colonial America, important people of the Revolutionary and/or Civil War eras in fifth grade social studies; electricity and magnets, inventors and inventions, and biomes in science. ... You don't say much about how this is to fit into teh ongoing classroom instruction. Is it related to a specific unit in social studies or science or is it related to a component of their language arts etc. Makes a big difference in how you approach it in some ways. Speaking generically: 1. if it is an initial experience, than it requires much modeling and guided practice, not just independent application of skills. 2. Students of this age and experience need significant structure to be successful -- at all costs avoid a pick whatever topic you want approach. I frequently use a common outline with major components identified and each student has a specific topic that fits the assignment. For example: inventions, countries or states, animals, individuals related to a period in history, structures, sports etc. I give an overview of teh whole project and then have them do teh research, notetakling, rough draft and final copy for one segment of teh report at a time. That way it is a size they can ciope with and they practice the process several times. After all it is the process they need to learn, not the specific content of the report. By providing the structure in terms of types of information they need to gather they can collaborate with eachother but need to do own work on specific topic. 3. Implement a research model school-wide so it becomes second nature. I like my simplified version of teh Follett Pathweays model because it requires students to do some pre-search before choosing specific topic (insure material is available right up front) and it has an interpretation component which goes beyons just collecting facts and giving them back. Students need to interact with the information to draw conclusions or recognize relationships not just parrot the facts back. 4. Many short research experiences are much more beneficial than one big monster assignment. As I said it is the process of recognizing an information need, identifying appropriate resources, collecting and organizing the information and then sharing it for a meaningful purpose that are the crucial life skills. A paragraph length piece requires teh same process and a multi page report. Instructional time is a valuable comity. Experiences with short focused research activities at this age will build the skills for latrer more open ended and independent activities. ... Have you looked at the big6.com website. It has great ideas for gathering and organizing information for research. The best tool I think it has to offer is Trash and Treasure. ... I hope you will "teaching" in the context of an assigned paper by their teachers. That is the number one criteria - teach when the skill is needed. You can use the Big 6 model, or any other model for defining the problem clearly, start with the encyclopedia for an overview of their subject and then move to other print resources. They will need help in taking notes, recording bibliographic information each time they use a new source, and in assimilating the information they find. The Internet should be their LAST resource because they need to have some frame of reference about their topic before they go to the computer. They have to evaluate information found on the Internet based on what they have learned about the subject in print sources. The students will need teacher and librarian intervention all along the way to assure they are on target and moving at an appropriate rate through the process. Collaborate closely with the teacher making the assignment to be sure you are working together to achieve the educational goal which has been established by the two of you working together. ... You can try this online tutorial I created to help teach creating a bibliography. http://stcloudstate.edu/~peterj05/HTML%20Presentation%20folder/sld001.htm <http://stcloudstate.edu/~peterj05/orderform.html> ... 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