Thematic Analysis Research Paper - English 11: Part 2 –Advanced Database Searching and Source Cards

Submitted by klehman on Sat, 03/05/2011 - 22:57Printable version Bookmark and Share
Created By:
Kathy Lehman
Title/Role:
Head Librarian
Organization/School Name:
Thomas Dale High School
Location:
Virginia

Grade Level:
11
Type of Lesson:
Lesson in a unit
Type of Schedule:
Flexible
Collaboration Continuum:
Intensive
Content Area:
Language Arts
Content Topic:
British Literature. To locate print and subscription database resources supporting a thesis statement.
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner
Skills Indicator(s):
1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.
2.1.1 Continue an inquiry-based research process by applying critical-thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, organization) to information and knowledge in order to construct new understandings, draw conclusions, and create new knowledge.
Dispostion Indicator(s):
1.2.5 Demonstrate adaptability by changing the inquiry focus, questions, resources, or strategies when necessary to achieve success.
1.2.6 Display emotional resilience by persisting in information searching despite challenges.
Responsibilities Indicator(s):
1.3.3 Follow ethical and legal guidelines in gathering and using information.
Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s):
1.4.3 Monitor gathered information, and assess for gaps or weaknesses.
3.4.2 Assess the quality and effectiveness of the learning product.
Scenario:
This lesson focuses on location and access of online resources. It is part two of a unit in which the librarian collaborates with an English teacher to prepare students to write an in depth thematic analysis paper on a novel or play of their choice. To ensure student success the teacher and librarian plan their instruction in tandem and intersperse six ninety minute library periods with classroom periods of instruction. Before coming to the library the teacher has instructed the students in the proper formatting of source cards. In this lesson, the librarian will instruct students in information access, evaluation of sources and citing online sources. The focus is on online eBooks and subscription databases. Previous to this lesson, students spent two library periods consulting print resources. The final two days of library time will be allocated for students to take notes and revise strategies as needed to fill gaps in their research. The library is open before and after school as well as through the online website to support student research. Synthesizing information and writing will take place after the library periods are completed.

Overview:
In a unit to write a thematic research paper for English, students will analyze their thesis and come up with a list of keywords and terms to use in advanced searches on the library's online databases. The essential question for this lesson is: How can I use my knowledge of subscription databases and various search strategies to locate critical articles on my thesis topic?

Final Product:
Students generate results lists using their search terms and create source cards for each source they determine supports their thesis. The source cards (minimum of 10) will be collected by the teacher for grading.

Library Lesson:
● Students will learn to generate questions on their novel or play to add to their keyword base and direct their research. ● Students will learn to use keywords from their thesis statement and novel to locate critical analysis articles on their topic. ● Students will learn to persist in revising their search terms as needed to generate an appropriate results list for their topic. ● Students will learn to make source cards from the sources they identify as supporting their thesis.

Estimated Lesson Time:
120 minutes
Assessment
Product:
The teacher and librarian circulate in the lab to assess the students' results lists and source cards to check for understanding as students work. At the end of day 3 a self checklist is distributed for students to complete. This checklist will allow the librarian and teacher to determine how well the students located information and who will need extra help on day 4 in the lab.

Process:
The teacher and librarian circulate to observe the search terms chosen and results lists generated by the students. Students not getting the results they expected are helped to revise their research questions, search terms and field combinations to increase success.

Self Questioning:
Did I access the best databases for my topic? Do I know which questions I need to answer to cover my thesis topic? Did I use the best combination of search terms? Did I use too many search terms in the same query? I did I remember to match each search term with the correct field? Did I alter the combination of search terms and fields multiple times for different results? Did I evaluate the article to be sure I can use it before I made a source card? Did I make a source card for each article I will use in my paper?

Instructional Plan
Resources students will use:
Dataset (ie. lists, tables, databases)
Text (books, letters, poems, newspapers, etc.)

Resources instructor will use:
Projector
Laptop
Smart board

Instruction/Activities
Direct instruction:
The teacher instructs students in the classroom in how to make a source card before they come to the library. In the library computer lab, the librarian uses a projection system with a Smart Board to show students how to access one online resource, eBooks. Students find their novel or play and create a source card using the citation tools from the online article. The librarian highlights the features and tools on the Smart Board during instruction. Students skim their article with the librarian locating the sections addressing themes and criticism where they will later take notes.

Modeling and guided practice:
The librarian guides students to locate an article using the advanced features of a database. Accessing a sample article projected on the Smart Board or screen, the librarian models the citation tools provided by the database provider to show students where to locate the information with correct formatting needed to create a source card. Students follow along at their workstation using keywords from their thesis, creating a results list, choosing an article and creating a source card. After using a high school level database for 30 minutes, the librarian will guide students through an academic level database available through the local public library. All students much have their public library card with them to use this resource. The number of databases available to model and difficulty level will of course vary depending on each school district's resources.

Independent practice:
Students continue to practice combining search terms to modify their results lists and locate articles supporting their thesis. They now have multiple databases to use in their search. The teacher and librarian continue to circulate and assist students as needed in finding articles they can use to defend their thesis. Students also continue to need help filling out their source cards in the proper format.


Have you taught this lesson before:
Yes

Strategies for differentiation:
For students with physical disabilities, the databases provide audio access and enlarged text. The keyboard helps those with fine motor disabilities. Much of the information gathering and citation collection can be done as point and click with the mouse. Online resources need to be introduced with the abilities of students in mind. Begin with the simpler resources and then introduce the more difficult ones. In this lesson we begin with an eBook where each student has the same format, then use a high school level database followed by a college level resource. Even these bright, honors level, students can be overwhelmed with too many choices and intimidating result lists.
AASL/Common Core State Standards Crosswalk

Common Core State Standards English Language Arts:

CC.11-12.W.7 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. (11,12)

CC11-12RS/TS3 » Reading Standards for Literacy in Sci Tech » 3. Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks; analyze the specific results based on explanations in the text. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.8 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation. (11,12)

CC11-12WH/SS/S/TS8 » Writing Standards » 8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the specific task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation. (11,12)

CC11-12RS/TS1 » Reading Standards for Literacy in Sci Tech » 1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account. (11,12)

CC11-12RS/TS6 » Reading Standards for Literacy in Sci Tech » 6. Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text, identifying important issues that remain unresolved. (11,12)

CC.11-12.SL.1.d » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task. (11,12)

CC11-12WH/SS/S/TS1e » Writing Standards » e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from or supports the argument presented. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.2.f » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic). (11,12)

CC11-12WH/SS/S/TS2e » Writing Standards » e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation provided (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic). (11,12)

CC.11-12.SL.1.c » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives. (11,12)

CC.11-12.L.4.d » English Language Arts » Vocabulary Acquisition and Use » d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary). (11,12)

CC.11-12.L.4.c » English Language Arts » Vocabulary Acquisition and Use » c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.7 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. (11,12)

CC11-12WH/SS/S/TS9 » Writing Standards » 9. Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.2.b » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » b. Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.9 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.1 » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » 1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.2 » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.2 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 2. Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.3 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 3. Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.4 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10). (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.5 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 5. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.8 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 8. Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses). (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.9 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 9. Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century foundational U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (including The Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address) for their themes, purposes, and rhetorical features. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.L.2 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. (11,12)

CC.11-12.SL.2 » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » 2. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.1.a » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.9.b » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » b. Apply grades 11-12 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., "Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning [e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court Case majority opinions and dissents] and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy [e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses]"). (11,12)