Research Paper Instructions:  Click her to access the instructions

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Research Paper Social Issues:  Click here to access the list

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Sample Research Paper:  Click here to access an exemplar paper

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Sample Opening & Closing paragraphs:  Click here to access the document

 

 

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Lesson Plan for Video Lesson in LIS 60618 - Information Literacy

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Audience and Type of Library:

The audience is a group of 10th grade high school students in a Language Arts class.  Their teacher has filled me in on the research paper she wants them to write, and I’ve been coming in every week to give them a new lesson as they work through each of the steps.

 

Topic and/or Class:

The end goal of this unit is for the students to write a 6 page research paper. 

 

The students have been working step-by-step on their research papers.  I come in every week and provide a lesson that is recorded and posted on Google Classroom so the students can refer back to them as they work on their papers.

 

At this point, I’ve given mini-lessons on the following: 

Selecting a topic/narrowing it down for research

How to use NoodleTools

How to use the school’s databases (such as InfoOhio)

How to create notecards based on research they’ve found

How to come up with a thesis based on their research

How to write an opening/conclusion

 

Right now the students all have a minimum of 60 notecards full or research and a minimum of 5 sources. 

 

The specific topic that I will focus on with this lesson is how to cite your sources using MLA style in a research paper.  I will go through why they need to use it, when to use it, and then provide specific examples so they can refer back to the slides and use them when writing their own papers.  The students have experience citing within analysis papers about books they’ve read, but they haven’t written anything with research and information that they need to synthesize together, so they don’t know how or when to cite sources like that.

 

Information Literacy Frames Adopted:

This might be a bit easier for those of you choosing an academic library context. However, even if you are teaching for an audience at a public library, consider which frame(s) from any of the frameworks might be relevant for your instruction session.

 

I used the AASL framework for this lesson.  It falls under Inquire, which states that learners will, “build knowledge by inquiring, thinking critically, identifying problems, and developing strategies for solving problems.”  The students research paper focuses on a social issue that they must define, discuss how it affects society, solutions that have been attempted, and the solution that they believe would be the best to help solve this problem.

 

Including in the Inquire category, students will engage in the following as they work through their research and the writing of their paper:

THINK:  Learners display curiosity and initiative by:

1. Formulating questions about a personal interest or a curricular topic.

2. Recalling prior and background knowledge as context for new meaning.

CREATE:  Learners engage with new knowledge by following a process that includes:

1. Using evidence to investigate questions.

2. Devising and implementing a plan to fill knowledge gaps.

3. Generating products that illustrate learning.

SHARE:  Learners adapt, communicate, and exchange learning products with others in a cycle that includes:

1. Interacting with content presented by others.

2. Providing constructive feedback.

3. Acting on feedback to improve.

4. Sharing products with an authentic audience.

 

Learning Outcomes

After completion of this lesson, learners will be able to explain when and why to cite their sources.

 

After completion of this lesson, learners will be able to cite their courses in a research paper. 

 

Lesson Outline

Introduction (4 minutes):

• Introduce myself to the kids again and remind them of what we’re doing and how they can always come visit me in the Media Center if they want additional help. 

• I’ll review what we’ve already done and where they are at.

• “Now that you’re ready to start writing that paper, we want to talk about how to cite everything correctly, so that’s what I’m going to go over with you today.”

• I will then ask them to either type in “true” or “false” to the following questions:

  • Any time you use a quote, you need to cite it

  • If you paraphrase something, you don’t need to cite it

  • If you put something in your own words, you don’t need to cite it

• I will then tell them that the first question is true, but the next two are false.  Anytime they use words or an original idea that isn’t their own, they need to cite it.

 

Topic Demo/Activity 1 (10 minutes):

The first activity that I’ll use is a PowerPoint that goes over when and how to cite.  I want them to understand why it’s important to cite something (beyond protecting against plagiarism, because that’s been drilled into them since grade school).  The PowerPoint will include examples of different things being cited so that the students can look at it as a resource.  This is why  I’m choosing a PowerPoint.  I want them to be able to go to the PowerPoint  (I will post it in their Google Classroom) and refer to it when they are working through their paper.  I’ll share with them that even I have go back and look up how to do things correctly in MLA format.  They aren’t expected to be experts on their own, but they do need to know where to look to ensure that they are doing everything the right way. 

 

Topic Demo/Activity 2 (3 minutes):

I will include a link to Perdue Owl Tools in the PowerPoint, which is the most used site of the Language Arts Department in the school.  It is a great resource and provides a thorough and student friendly version of the MLA guidebook.  I will tell them that this is a place to go when they might need to cite something that is not included on my most common used examples.  I will click through a few of the sections of it, so they can get an idea on how to use it.

 

Conclusion (3 minutes):

I will summarize to the students what we’ve talked about today (both why and when to cite).

 

I will ask them if they have any questions.  If they have immediate ones, they can raise their hand and I’ll answer them (if time permits), or I can tell them that they are welcome to ask me one on one.

 

I will tell the students that I have sample research papers on Google Classroom, so they can look at examples within a real research paper.

 

I will then tell them that I’ll be in the classroom for the rest of the block today and all of tomorrow so that I can work with their teacher to help any of them who need additional help with citations.  I’ll also remind them of how important the rough copy will be because their teacher will read it over and give feedback on any areas that they didn’t cite but need to be cited.