Research Reports
Join Our Community
Access this resource now. Get up to three resources every month for free.
Choose from thousands of articles, lessons, guides, videos, and printables.
I am pretty sure the statute of limitations has run out on this crime, so let me confess that in fourth grade, I copied my report on gorillas from the heavy G volume of our World Book Encyclopedia. I am ashamed. But there it is.
If only I’d had a teacher like Angela Rankin. Like my long-ago teacher, Angela allows her students to select a topic they are interested in researching. Unlike my teacher, Angela sets up a process whereby her students can authentically research and author reports on those topics of interest.
After selecting a topic, students immerse themselves in books, news articles, and magazines to develop their expertise.
After a week of study, Angela gives her students a manila folder with six library card pockets glued inside.
Here is what Angela says about it:
In the folder, there are six pockets with different-colored index cards in each pocket. One pocket is for citing their resources, and the other five pockets are for them to choose what they think are the most important things we should know about their topics. Once they have chosen five things, they write them on the pockets and begin recording information and evidence about each on the index cards. Once they have finished the index cards, the plan is to start writing their research paper. Ideally, they will make the connection with the pockets and organizing paragraphs. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Chandra Reiners, one of our fabulous sixth-grade teachers, uses the same technique, but instead of using a color for each topic, her students use a color for each resource. This lets Chandra easily assess whether the information is coming from multiple resources.
