What Do You Think? Analyzing Points of View About an Issue
Submitted by ldonovan on Mon, 04/04/2011 - 16:18
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.
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.