Data Collection: The Real Exploration Begins

Aim: How do we organize our data in preparation for the results phase of I- Search?  

Do Now: On a post-it, write down one problem or confusion you are having with I-Search.

Now it is time to begin your focused hunt for an answer to your brain science question/hypothesis. This involves some research using both primary and secondary sources. As you conduct your hunt, it’s important to document every place you visited (figuratively speaking) so that no one accuses you of plagiarism or, worse, making up stories.

Using primary sources requires documentation as well. For example, if you decide to interview a person with Tourette’s syndrome, you’ll have to document whom you interviewed, when and where.

Step 1: Make a beginning list of sources you want to check for information on your topic. Don’t worry; it doesn’t have to be a long list. As all good detectives know, one good source of information leads to another good source and so on and so on.

You might want to begin your search at one of these two Web sites:

http://learni.st/users/patty.kennington/boards/17472-brain-science

http://www.scoop.it/t/brain-science

And of course you know, there is always Google!

Step 2: As you search and take notes, you should also document every place you visited for your Works Cited and bibliography pages. There are many formats for this depending on discipline (subject). Since this is an English class, you should follow the Modern Language Association's (MLA) format.

Lucky for you, there are many Web sites that will format your Works Cited page for you. Check out this one: http://www.easybib.com/  Notice that if you choose to share your citations on Google Drive (the last step of the "cite it" process), the site will actually create and maintain your Works Cited page for you in a Google document. Huge Shoutout to Daquan Mills!!!!!!

Step 3: Take notes! Most people develop their own style for taking notes. Some people use graphic organizers. Here's a worksheet you might find useful for taking notes.  Also, check out the link to citethisforme.com -- yet another cite for generating citations.

Some people just summarize, writing down the information that will be needed for the Works Cited page, including the page numbers, at the top of a Google doc or a blank sheet. Be careful: If you copy and paste any information into your notes, make certain you put the information in quotes. Then when it comes time to write your narrative, you can paraphrase the info or quote it. Either way, you will have to put an "in-text citation" in your paper, citing the source of information. We will go over this in class.

As you conduct your search, it’s crucial to record and document every step you take. Once you feel you have collected enough research to analyze your big question, complete the Search/Hunt section, writing about your journey of discovery. What did you read? Who did you interview? What did you learn? Explain all of this in a narrative (story) form. Again, show your work to your editor and/or teacher for comments and suggestions.

Final reflection: What surprising fact or idea did you learn as you conducted your search?

REMINDER: Drop dead deadline for outlines is today, Friday. This is worth 50 points and will represent your only project for the marking period!!!

To view the entire I-Search assignment, click here. To review how you will be graded, click here to see the rubric.

After the wrap-up and before you leave class, be sure to complete and turn in the daily Five Elements of Engagement worksheet.

***Always check Engrade for your up-to-the-minute progress in this class.***

Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2

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.

What Do You Know, Assume, and Imagine?

Aim: How do we begin our search for answers?

Do Now: On a post-it, write your question for inquiry.

It’s time to start working out your brain by beginning your search for answers to your I-Search topic. Like everything else in life, the best searches are organized; and to answer a brain science question, what better method is there than the Scientific Method? You know the four basic steps to the Scientific Method: Hypothesis; Data Collection/Observation; Analysis; Conclusion.

Here’s the road map (outline) you should follow as you undertake your journey. For this quest, you’ll focus primarily on the first section of the outline: what you already know, assume, and imagine about your topic.

Step 1: Download the I-Search outline and keep it close to you throughout this challenge. If you would like to keep a working electronic copy, you can "make a copy" under the "file" tab in Google Drive. Just make sure you are signed into Google. Give it a name of your choice and it will be there for you from any computer or mobile device.

Read the first section: “What I Know, Assume, Imagine.” This is the section that establishes your hypothesis by basically explaining why you chose this topic or question. Without doing any research, you are simply writing everything you already know about the topic. Go into your own brain and ask yourself what assumptions you already have, what results you think you will get? What do you already know and how do you know it?

Step 2: Now that you’ve explained to your readers everything you know, you are in a perfect position to proceed effortlessly into your introduction where you simply state the hypothesis you are out to prove. By this time your readers should understand why you chose this particular question and what you are hoping to show. For example, if you want to tackle the mind versus brain question (as well as the question about identity), your introduction might simply say, “Based on my assumptions, personal experience, and prior knowledge, I hope to prove that our minds--not our brains--define us as individuals.”

Believe it or not, by completing Steps 1 and 2, you are two-fifths of the way through this project. Show your outline to your editor and/or teacher to see if you’ve missed anything.

REMINDER: Drop dead deadline for outlines is Friday. This is worth 50 points and will represent your only project for the marking period!!!

To view the entire I-Search assignment, click here. To review how you will be graded, click here to see the rubric.

After the wrap-up and before you leave class, be sure to complete and turn in the daily Five Elements of Engagement worksheet.

***Always check Engrade for your up-to-the-minute progress in this class.***

Standards: 

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2

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.

MLA Style and the Works Cited Page

Tree Octopus

Aim: Why should we and how do we create a Works Cited page for our I-Search papers?    

Quick Write: Check out this Web site and evaluate its credibility. Do you believe the information on this site? Why or why not? Post your findings on your blog.

One of the requirements of your I-Search paper is a Works Cited page. Huh? Hopefully, it will all be clear by the end of this lesson.

Information does not just come out of thin air. Explaining to readers where you got your information is important on several levels. First, it gives credit where credit is due. If you didn't acknowledge the source of your information, it could be construed as plagiarism, which is really nothing more than stealing.

Perhaps even more important, acknowledging your sources allows the reader to retrace your steps and evaluate your information on his or her own terms. Why should the reader believe what you have to say if you can't back up your research and show how you arrived at your opinions?

There is an organized method for citing your sources of information. Every academic discipline has its own formatting style. In this class, we will follow MLA (Modern Language Association) style.

Step 1: Watch this video which gives an overview on MLA style for the Works Cited page.

Step 2: Now that you have an idea what that's about, here are a couple Web sites to help you format your citations. This Web site, sponsored by Purdue University, gives an overview for citing all different types of information sources: books, articles, Web sites, interviews, etc. And this bibliography and citation generator might help you generate a bibliography or Works Cited page once you understand why you are doing this in the first place.

Step 3: Just to make sure you got this right, post a citation following MLA format on your blog for a Web site you are using for your I-Search paper, or if you have not started your research yet, your favorite Web site.

Is this all crystal clear? If not, explain what still confuses you on your blog.

To view the entire I-Search assignment, click here. To review how you will be graded, click here to see the rubric.

Standards: 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.7 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.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.8 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.

I-Search Topic Round Robin

Aim: How do we use a "round robin" to better focus on our I-Search topics?


Do Now: Share with a partner your idea for you I-Search paper. Prepare to report out your discussion with the class. Only five minutes allotted for this activity!!!
Select or write down the question or topic that you hope to answer with your I-Search paper by taking this challenge:

Step 1: Formulate an open ended question about the brain that you hope to answer. Note: Your question ideally should be a DOK 4 question. If you need support, consult the DOK Question Stems sheet under "Resources" in the right margin of this blog.

Step 2: Once you have the question in mind write it in the box at the top of this form. Right here. Click here!!! Pass your worksheet to your left for constructive comments, suggestions, and questions that will help you dive deeper into your topic. Keep passing it around until everyone in the class has seen it and commented. (Commenters: Don’t just say the topic is interesting. Make comments or raise questions that will help focus the I-Search. Don’t forget to initial your comments!)When the Round Robin is completed, read all the comments and questions.

Step 3: State your topic or question on your blog. Explain how the Round Robin activity helped you better focus on your topic. If your Round Robin worksheet was completed online, upload it. If the worksheet was hand-written, submit it to your teacher.

After the wrap-up and before you leave class, be sure to complete and turn in the daily Five Elements of Engagement worksheet.

***Always check Engrade for your up-to-the-minute progress in this class.***

Standards: 

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2

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.

The I-Search Paper

Aim: How do we identify a question for I-Search?    

Quick Write: Review DOK 4 Question Stems. (If you do not have a sheet you can find it under "Resources" in the right hand margin of this blog.) Think of a brain science topic you would like to explore and write it down, but DO NOT publish it. Only five minutes allotted for this activity!!!!!

It’s time to give your brain its first big workout of the course. Your challenge is to explore a brain science issue. The I-Search paper will share with readers your intellectual exploration of the subject or topic and hopefully, uncover some universal truths or lessons in the process.

This is a “Writing to Learn” experience in which one discovered fact leads to a question which leads to another discovered fact which leads to another question which leads to another discovered fact and so on. Like a research paper, the project will provide a rich source of interesting information for you and your readers; but unlike a research paper, you can also use and evaluate primary sources based on interviews, videos, memoirs, photographs, letters, etc.

Step 1: The first task of the I-Search paper is to select a brain science topic that genuinely interests you. You could choose to answer one of the essential questions of this unit or construct an essential question of your own. In this unit, you have learned a little about a number of brain science topics: the teen brain, brain plasticity, and the importance of training your brain. This unit has been guided by the following essential questions:

• How much of our brain function are we born with and how much do we learn?
• How can/do we re-wire our brains at times of crisis and challenge?
• How can we exercise our brains?
• How do our brains rule our minds and bodies?

You may choose another relevant brain science issue as well. Just remember that the best questions are open-ended, meaning they can’t be answered in one word or with a simple yes or no. The best questions always begin with why or how?

There’s more, but we’ll walk you through the process in the next few days. And P.S. When you have completed your research, you will collaborate with others in the class to produce a Public Service Announcement (PSA) about the importance of working out your brain. For now, check out the nuts and bolts requirements of the challenge.

To view the entire assignment, click here. And this is how you will be graded: Click here to see the rubric.

Outlines, which are worth 50 project points, are due Friday, October 24!!!!!

Step 2 (Final Reflection): Review the topic you chose for today's Quick Write. Change or re-phrase it if you want. Then, put your topic in the form of an open-ended question. Explain 1) the importance of this topic; 2) why you think it would be of interest to others; and 3)how this topic applies to your own life.

After the wrap-up and before you leave class, be sure to complete and turn in the daily Five Elements of Engagement worksheet.

***Always check Engrade for your up-to-the-minute progress in this class.***

Standards: 
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2
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.

Welcome to Teen Brain Explorations

Aim: How do we create a blog so that we can write to learn?  

Do Now: Sign onto your laptop and go to this site: http://msbeckerela8.blogspot.com/

Bookmark the page and write it down because you will be using it each day.

Welcome to Teen Mind Explorations! 

This semester we will explore some psychology theories related to mindset--how we as individuals are alike and how we are unique. Needless to say, this involves reading, critically thinking, discussing, and writing. Most if not all of your writing will be published on your own personal blog.

In order to proceed, you will need to create your own blog if you were not part of this class in the past. Your blog will be your "virtual" portfolio for this course. Do Nows and daily Writing Workshop activities will all be posted on your blog. In order to get some great online discussion going, we also will link all of our blogs together.

You must have a gmail account for Blogger. If you don't already have a gmail account, create one now. Please give yourself a professional email address that you can use your whole life.

If you already created a blog for one of my classes, you can use the same one if you want. Please just complete Steps 10 and 11, and then help someone new to this in creating their own.

Here are the steps for creating your own blog:

1. Go to google.com
2. Under "more" at the top of the page find and click on "blogger."
3. Sign in on your gmail account to create your own blog.
4. Click on "Create a blog."
5. Choose a title for your blog.
6. Choose a design and template for your blog.
7. In settings, please be sure to set the time and date for Eastern Standard Time.
8. Under comment moderation (also in settings), please turn OFF word verification so that I don't have to prove I'm not a robot every time I want to leave a comment on your blog.
9. Create your profile. (Add a photo if you want.)
10. When you are done, write your first post: Introduce yourself in your post. Explain a little about yourself, where you live, and what you hope to explore in this course. Be detailed. Finally, write one open-ended question (can't be answered with yes or no or one word) that you have related to psychology. 
11. Send an email to msbecker4@gmail.com with the link to your blog so that I can follow it and share it with the other students in the Teen Mind Explorations classes.

Congratulations! If you reached this step, you have created your own blog and filed your first post. Don't worry--your design, template and even your first post can be edited. I welcome your comments. (It all counts toward participation!)

****A reminder that you are responsible for completing a selfie poster and sending me a letter (first-time students) or a writing sample.*****

Today's Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)