What Do You Think? Analyzing Points of View About an Issue

Submitted by ldonovan on Mon, 04/04/2011 - 16:18Printable version Bookmark and Share
Created By:
Lori Donovan
Title/Role:
Assistant School Librarian
Organization/School Name:
Thomas Dale High School
Location:
Virginia

Grade Level:
10
Type of Lesson:
Lesson in a unit
Type of Schedule:
Flexible
Collaboration Continuum:
Intensive
Content Area:
Language Arts
Content Topic:
The students research paper will require them to consider three perspectives on a controversial issue.
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner
Skills Indicator(s):
1.1.5 Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.
2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real-world situations, and further investigations.
3.1.1 Conclude an inquiry-based research process by sharing new understandings and reflecting on the learning.
Dispostion Indicator(s):
1.2.5 Demonstrate adaptability by changing the inquiry focus, questions, resources, or strategies when necessary to achieve success.
2.2.3 Employ a critical stance in drawing conclusions by demonstrating that the pattern of evidence leads to a decision or conclusion.
4.2.3 Maintain openness to new ideas by considering divergent opinions, changing opinions or conclusions when evidence supports the change, and seeking information about new ideas encountered through academic or personal experiences.
Responsibilities Indicator(s):
1.3.2 Seek divergent perspectives during information gathering and assessment.
2.3.2 Consider diverse and global perspectives in drawing conclusions.
3.3.2 Respect the differing interests and experiences of others, and seek a variety of viewpoints.
Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s):
1.4.2 Use interaction with and feedback from teachers and peers to guide own inquiry process.
2.4.2 Reflect on systematic process, and assess for completeness of investigation.
4.4.3 Recognize how to focus efforts in personal learning.
Scenario:
Working with an Honors English teacher to develop higher-order analytical thinking skills needed for college level writing, the school librarian and teacher worked on a research assignment that asks students to look at multiple perspectives on a topic, and then see how those perspectives impact their own opinions about the topic. Students can choose from a national issue to a local issue to develop an essential question something like this: "How might multiple perspectives of standardized testing impact me as a student?" The classroom teacher modeled the development of perspectives on a topic with the whole class before asking students to find their own issue and having them read a background article to get ideas to determine the three perspectives to research. Once the choice of the three stakeholders has been made, students will use print and non-print sources to research those perspectives. In the library, the school librarian will model searches of print and non-print resources so that students can use proper MLA citations and grammar to write a 4-6 page paper in which students detail each of the stakeholders’ perspectives, and then explain why they (the students) think what they think, using the research to support their opinion.

Overview:
Many times the media presents controversial issues as black and white. But, most problems have many sides. The first research paper will require students to consider three perspectives on an issue. Their essential question is like the one modeled above. After doing background reading to determine three possible perspectives students will look at multiple resources (print to online) to determine the perspectives they wish to research and develop their own opinion based on their research.

Final Product:
Students will write a 4-6, properly in-text cited, MLA formatted paper.

Library Lesson:
Students will: 1. Research topic to develop multiple perspectives by using print and online sources. 2. Develop source and note cards from a variety of sources to explain the multiple perspectives on an issue. Students will use research templates designed by school librarian and follow note card format as designated by classroom teacher. 3. Create an outline as specified by classroom teacher explaining the 3 perspectives and their own opinion. 4. Create properly formatted MLA works cited page by using Easy Bib as a resource. 5. Receive further lessons from teacher and school librarian to address gaps in research on using information from multiple sources to close gaps in research paying particular attention to lack of research and/or personal bias to the topic.

Estimated Lesson Time:
90 minutes
Assessment
Product:
The research paper will be graded using a teacher-produced rubric that includes students demonstrating: that a position for each perspective is clearly stated and consistently maintained with clear references to the issue stated; research evidence clearly supports the position, and research evidence is sufficient to demonstrate understanding of each perspective; paper's tone is consistent and enhances persuasiveness; and students demonstrate consistent control over sentence structure, punctuation, and capitalization.

Process:
School librarian will look for students able to: properly generate questions and or problems around a topic using a Think Before You Begin worksheet; have numerous detailed conclusions reached from the evidence offered by submitting a check list that indicates how many sources found and note cards made; and the students information is gathered from multiple electronic and non-electronic sources and cited properly through the creation of an Easy Bib account.

Self Questioning:
Checklist for Research Day 1 – Using Print Sources Have I located a print source that gives me background information about my topic to develop multiple perspectives? Have I located a print source that discusses a perspective(s) about my topic? Have I created a source card for my topic? Have I begun to take notes on my topic and have shown them to the teacher and/or school librarian? Have I asked the teacher/school librarian questions about my research that helped me clarify my analysis of my perspectives? Checklist for Research Day 2- Using Online Databases Have I located an article from a reference source or scholarly journal from an online database? Have I created a source card for the database following the format in the database? Have I added to my notes gathering information on my topic and have shown them to the teacher and/or school librarian? Have I asked the teacher and/or school librarian questions about my research that helped me clarify my own analysis of different perspectives about my topic? Checklist for Research Day 3- Internet Sources Have I located an internet source on a perspective(s) on my topic? Have I created a source card for my internet site and had the format checked by the teacher and/or school librarian? Have I added to my notes gathering information on my topic’s perspectives and have shown them to the teacher and/or school librarian? Have I asked the teacher and/or school librarian questions about my research that helped me clarify my topic’s perspectives? Have I begun to identify patterns in the information I found? Have I looked over my note cards and begin to organize them to turn in to my teacher?

Instructional Plan
Resources students will use:
Dataset (ie. lists, tables, databases)
Event (ie. exhibition, webcast, conference, workshop, performance)
Moving Image (i.e. animations, movies, tv program, video)
Text (books, letters, poems, newspapers, etc.)

Resources instructor will use:
Projector
Laptop
White board
Smart board

Instruction/Activities
Direct instruction:
Before arriving for research, the classroom teacher discussed how to determine multiple perspectives on an issue. Students brainstormed as a group who has a stake in standardized testing. Students then narrowed their choices to three that they thought would be the ones best supported by research. Students were given an assignment to choose their topic, read a background article to determine three possible perspectives to research before coming to the library. On the first day in the library students were given a quick lesson on how to locate books on their topic using the OPAC and how to skim and scan for information to determine if the source was a good one. If so, they cited the source using source card templates and took notes following the teacher's format. Re-teaching- students were given instruction of how to narrow items from research to pull out only necessary words, phrases, and/or sentences with a sample opinion essay from a subscription database.

Modeling and guided practice:
The second day in the library, the school librarian modeled, through the use of a laptop and SmartBoard, how to search a database, find key words and cite the source using templates and took notes following teacher's format. Students then completed the task on their own with the teacher and school librarian monitoring individuals as necessary. Re-teaching opportunity after rough drafts were completed- redoing the "Think Before You Begin Sheet" to address gaps in students' research. Students were shown multiple resources that highlight many perspectives and were asked to complete their own sheet recreating questions in the areas that were gaps based on the teacher’s comments in their rough drafts.

Independent practice:
Students were given time each period to locate, access, and use resources. Students were given a whole class period block time during re-teaching opportunity to use resources to close gaps in their research.


Have you taught this lesson before:
No

Strategies for differentiation:
See re-teaching opporunity.
AASL/Common Core State Standards Crosswalk

Common Core State Standards English Language Arts:

CC.9-10.W.5 » English Language Arts » Production and Distribution of Writing » 5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (9,10)

CC.9-10.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 usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. (9,10)

CC9-10RS/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, attending to special cases or exceptions defined in the text. (9,10)

CC9-10WH/SS/S/TS1b » Writing Standards » b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying data and evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both claim(s) and counterclaims in a discipline-appropriate form and in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level and concerns. (9,10)

CC.9-10.W.2.b » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » b. Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic. (9,10)

CC9-10RS/TS8 » Reading Standards for Literacy in Sci Tech » 8. Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author's claim or a recommendation for solving a scientific or technical problem. (9,10)

CC9-10RS/TS9 » Reading Standards for Literacy in Sci Tech » 9. Compare and contrast findings presented in a text to those from other sources (including their own experiments), noting when the findings support or contradict previous explanations or accounts. (9,10)

CC.9-10.R.L.1 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. (9,10)

CC.9-10.R.I.2 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 2. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. (9,10)

CC.9-10.R.I.3 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 3. Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them. (9,10)

CC.9-10.R.I.5 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 5. Analyze in detail how an author's ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter). (9,10)

CC.9-10.R.I.9 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 9. Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washington's Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt's Four Freedoms speech, King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail"), including how they address related themes and concepts. (9,10)

CC.9-10.W.1.a » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. (9,10)

CC.9-10.W.1.b » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level and concerns. (9,10)

CC.9-10.SL.2 » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » 2. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source. (9,10)

CC.9-10.R.I.6 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 6. Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose. (9,10)

CC.9-10.R.L.6 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 6. Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature. (9,10)

CC.9-10.SL.1.c » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions. (9,10)

CC.9-10.R.L.5 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 5. Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise. (9,10)

CC.9-10.SL.1.d » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented. (9,10)

CC9-10RS/TS2 » Reading Standards for Literacy in Sci Tech » 2. Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text's explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text. (9,10)

CC9-10RS/TS5 » Reading Standards for Literacy in Sci Tech » 5. Analyze the structure of the relationships among concepts in a text, including relationships among key terms (e.g., force, friction, reaction force, energy). (9,10)

CC9-10RS/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, defining the question the author seeks to address. (9,10)

CC.9-10.R.I.7 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 7. Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person's life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account. (9,10)

CC.9-10.R.I.8 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning. (9,10)

CC.9-10.R.L.2 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. (9,10)

CC.9-10.SL.3 » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » 3. Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence. (9,10)

CC9-10WH/SS/S/TS2d » Writing Standards » d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic and convey a style appropriate to the discipline and context as well as to the expertise of likely readers. (9,10)

CC9-10RH/SS1 » Reading Standards for History » 1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information. (9,10)

CC9-10RH/SS2 » Reading Standards for History » 2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text. (9,10)

CC9-10RH/SS3 » Reading Standards for History » 3. Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them. (9,10)

CC.9-10.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 the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper). (9,10)

CC.9-10.W.9.b » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » b. Apply grades 9-10 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., "Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning"). (9,10)

CC.9-10.W.2.a » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. (9,10)