INTRODUCTORY TOPICS:
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH PROCESS
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Towards Understanding the Research Process...
We live in a high tech world where technology is pushing us all to the cutting-edge—more and more you will need to know how to access information quickly, accurately and legitimately. To do so you will be required to develop new literacy skills, including how to do research. Consider the following tutorials and websites to help you get started on your high-tech researching journey!
While researching, keep in mind the following statements:
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Technology has expanded our choices
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The need for "vetting" or testing the reliability or truthfulness of the information sources. Most reliable sites are usually your ".gov"; ".edu"; and ".org" The ".com" sites may or may not offer reliable or truthful information. Beware of blogsites...they are biased. You may not even know the author or if they are qualified to speak on the subject. Be careful concerning statistics on the Internet. A dropped "0" can make a difference. Remember there is no one editing websites and anyone can put a website out on the Internet.
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The necessity for planning, posing a meaningful question before beginning your research
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Combat the urge of the "Principle of Least Effort"
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Searching requires forethought, thinking of important words; using quotes and other strategies to narrow your hits
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Information Literacy Research Plan...
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Students need more practice and instruction on how to research using the materials available in the library
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Need to know how to access and use the Tennessee Electrtonic Library
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Need to know how to cite sources correctly using MLA format
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Basically students need to have the necessary skills to be successful researchers in the future
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KEY WEBSITE
OpenEd: Research Plan [Middle School] Classroom Assessments, Homework, etc.
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Interactive Animated Research Process Explained...
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NCSU Libraries: Teach Yourself: Beginning the Research Process
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WRITING THE RESEARCH PAPER
Use the resources, strategies, tools, and examples in this website, taking you through each step in the writing process to compose your research paper. Refer to the Avoiding Plagiarism Guide and Style and Citation Guide that you created in the previous lessons as you are writing. If questions arise as you are following these steps, consult your course instructor, mentor, or English teacher.
Primary and Secondary Sources...
This History of Religion map gives us a brief history of the world's most well-known religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism. Selected periods of inter-religious bloodshed are also highlighted. Want to see 5,000 years of religion in 90 seconds? Ready, Set, Go!
Published on Oct 30, 2012
A video tutorial outlining a list of criteria useful for assessing websites; aimed at middle-school students.
EVALUATING WEBSITES: A HOW TO GUIDE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
TED-Ed: THE PUNISHABLE PERILS OF PLAGIARISM - MELISSA HUSEMAN D'ANNUNZIO
RELIABLE RESOURCES FOR RESEARCH
Published on Apr 11, 2013
Be careful about believing everything you see on the Internet!
Published on Jun 14, 2013
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-punisha...
Fighting plagiarism is serious business. From brainchild-snatching to wholly quotables, plagiarists have plenty of wily ways to pass others' work off as their own -- and all of them are threats to original thinking. Melissa Huseman D'Annunzio imagines what would happen if a Department of Plagiarism Investigation were on the case.
Lesson by Melissa Huseman D'Annunzio, animation by Hache Rodriguez.
POWER SEARCHING USING GOOGLE
Published on Apr 5, 2015
Learn how to Google Like a Pro with our TOP 10 Google Search tricks and tips that will help you find what you are looking for HARDER - FASTER - STRONGER! These are the must have Google Search Techniques that every student, teacher, researcher and journalist should know.
We all know how to perform a basic Google search, but did you know that this is not the best way to Google the information you need? Whilst it is a great starting point, Google supports a wide number of search techniques for the true Google power-user and in this Epic Tutorials we show you:
1. How to Google search for an exact phrase or quote.
2. How to Exclude a word/phrase from Google search results.
3. How to search for phrases/quotes with missing words.
4. How to perform a Google Reverse Image Search.
5. How to search within a single website.
6. How to search for similar websites.
7. How to search for a cached version of a website.
8. How to search for a specific file type such as PDF.
9. How to only display results that include search term in page title.
10. How to Search Google without Using Google (and protect your privacy)
WHAT IS RESEARCH?
It's perfectly human to grapple with questions, like 'Where do we come from?' and 'How do I live a life of meaning?' These existential questions are central to the five major world religions -- and that's not all that connects these faiths. John Bellaimey explains the intertwined histories and cultures of Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Lesson ideas...
Published on Oct 25, 2013
I would like to clarify: this is a school Project. We were assigned to discuss 'What is Research. Everyone is welcome to use the video for school or their own personal research! Hope you enjoy!
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The Research Question...
The Research Question
How to develop and narrow a topic by creating a research question.
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Interactive Activities for the Research Process: HackHealth Research Pods
WELCOME
We hope you find this curriculum companion useful and informative as you begin your journey with your students in illuminating our written and spoken language with its many nuances.
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INSPIRATION
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We Are Teachers: 11 Amazing Quotes by Famous Writers and Writing Lessons to Accompany Them
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Education World: A Quotation a Day: Just What the Language Doctor Ordered
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Global Digital Citizen Foundation: Resources
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"Philosophy is written in this grand book, the universe, which stands continually open to our gaze. But the book cannot be understood unless one first learns to comprehend the language and read the letters in which it is composed." ~Galileo Galilei
KEY ONLINE RESEARCH WEBSITES
Regardless of whether the source is a website, an email communication, or a PowerPoint presentation, students need to cite their source. Just as there are many guidelines for citing books, there are many organizations who have developed rules for Internet citations. The key is consistency. Select a format that is easy for students to use and contains the basic elements needed to locate that source. Particularly on web-based documents, it's not always easy to identify an author or the original copyrighted work. Just do your best to give credit for the words, images, and ideas.
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INFOTECH FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL: The Big6: Resources to help Teach Concepts of the Research Process
TEACHING ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS WITH TECHNOLOGY
Published on Oct 13, 2015
Why do some classrooms look the same now as they did 70 years ago? In this passionate talk, second grade teacher Kayla Delzer speaks about her mission to revitalize learning and the classroom environment. Kayla explains how to release the power in the classroom by giving students ownership of their learning and making it relevant to them.
Breaking down the four walls of the classroom allows her students to become globally connected - and you won’t believe the endeavors her students conquer by embracing purposeful technology.
Teacher Tools for Integrating Technology provides technology-rich resources from sites that are frequently used by educators in creating teaching and learning activities to strengthen problem-solving, creativity, critical thinking skills, and homework help.
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Here you will find some of our resources to help you integrate technology into your curriculum, along with links to stories written by teachers who personally conquered integration challenges.
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MORE TOOLS TO HELP INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY INTO LESSONS
• AASL Standards for 21st Century Learning
• Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines
• Create Rubrics with RubiStar
Reimagining Classrooms: Teachers as Learners and Students as Leaders | Kayla Delzer | TEDxFargo
MEDIA LITERACY
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Teaching Media Literacy - Lesson plans from the National Council of Teachers of English.
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Web Literacy: Interactive Diagram and Lesson Suggestions: A framework for entry-level web literacy & 21st Century skills. Explore the map by selecting what you want to learn more about, to see definitions and activities.
Published on Jun 19, 2014
Pathos, logos, and ethos as used in modern advertising.
Media: Between The Lines
It's a media-rich world. Everywhere we turn, from the moment we awake until the moment we go to sleep, we interact with, interpret, and create media. In this lesson students will have an opportunity to exercise and develop critical thinking relating to media, use problem solving skills to deconstruct media production, and collaborate to create a media communication piece. - See more
The Art of Rhetoric: Persuasive Techniques in Advertising
"Still-Life with Jewels, Violin, Globe, and Book" by Anonymous Painter, 19th Century, Public Domain
Various Antiquarian Books with Candle, including Francis Grose’s The Antiquities of England and Wales, photographed by Liam Quin, 2003, Public Domain
An early live radio play being broadcast at NBC Studios, New York. The rise of AM radio broadcasting, the first electronic mass entertainment medium, sparked an outpouring of creativity and new types of entertainment were invented for the new medium: mystery serials, radio plays, soap operas, variety shows, and children's hours. Since recording technology was primitive and expensive, most programs were broadcast live. 1907, Public Domain
"Still-Life with Jewels, Violin, Globe, and Book" by Anonymous Painter, 19th Century, Public Domain
INVESTIGATE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTs
// OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
CONTACT
CMS ELA
Please report any problems or dead links:
Published on May 4, 2016
PBS Idea Channel: Are History & The Past Two Different Things?
United For Human Rights Website with lesson plans
Free Access to great resources for Tennesseans
With the support of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Search 16,158 items about 193 countries between 8000 BCE and 2000:
Take a journey around the world today to see "a moment in time"...
Excerpts from many of the primary sources highlighted in the Common Core Curriculum.
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Food history presents a fascinating buffet of popular lore and contradictory facts.
INTERNET ANCIENT HISTORY SOURCEBOOK
The Internet Ancient History Sourcebook has expanded greatly since its creation, and now contains hundred of local files as well as links to source texts throughout the net.
The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections.
Using new technologies to enhance teaching and research.
LOC TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES
Use digital historical sources to explore different topics online with fun interactive teacher-created activities. Choose from various activities to get started.
Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Online Resources from A to Z
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LITERATURE AND THE ARTS
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Locus Online - News of the Science Fiction and Fantasy world.
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This I Believe: Examples for Narratives: During its four-year run on NPR, This I Believe engaged listeners in a discussion of the core beliefs that guide their daily lives. We heard from people of all walks of life — the very young and the very old, the famous and the previously unknown.
Databases for Research
July 5, 2017
8 Good Grammar and Spelling Apps for Middle School Students
For those of you teaching in middle school, here is a collection of some useful apps to help students learn grammar and improve their spelling skills. The apps provide games, lessons, exercises, and several other activities to help students strengthen their grasp of language grammar and spelling.
HOW AND WHY WE READ: CRASH COURSE ENGLISH LITERATURE #1
PRODUCTION TOOLS


RESOURCES FOR IMAGES
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Why Study Classics? Advantages of Classical Studies
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Covering Ancient History
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A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.
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Achieve the CORE by using these lessons to incorporate literacy into your teaching.
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Current Events explored in-depth with lesson plans.
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EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND MOBILE LEARNING: A LIST OF THE BEST FREE DIGITAL STORYTELLING TOOLS FOR TEACHERS
Why do great civilizations fall? The history of humankind has been marked by patterns of growth and decline. Some declines have been gradual, occurring over centuries. Others have been rapid, occurring over the course of a few years. War, drought, natural disaster, disease, overpopulation, economic disruption: any of these or a combination of these events can bring about the collapse of a civilization.
GOOD GRAMMAR AND SPELLING APPS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
Published on Nov 15, 2012
In which John Green kicks off the Crash Course Literature mini series with a reasonable set of questions. Why do we read? What's the point of reading critically. John will argue that reading is about effectively communicating with other people. Unlike a direct communication though, the writer has to communicate with a stranger, through time and space, with only "dry dead words on a page." So how's that going to work?
Published on Aug 12, 2014
Scientists measured the short term effects of reading using fMRI scans, and they found that reading actually changes your brain! What specifically happens? Trace is joined by Dr. Mike North to discuss their findings!
READING CAN CHANGE YOUR BRAIN!
Published on Aug.2, 2013
Reading strategies for struggling middle school students involve seven different habits that all make up a "good reader." Find out about reading strategies for struggling middle school students with help from an educator-turned accomplished author and passionate speaker with a heart for healthy relationships in this free video clip.