Bookmark

Sign up or login to use the bookmarking feature.

37 Searching for Information

Page
335
from

Searching for Information Chapter Opener

Start-Up Activity

Say to your students, "What if I asked you to write a paper about Mexican food? Where would you get your information?" As students suggest sources, write them on the board. Perhaps one student will joke, "Eat some tacos!" If not, you can make the suggestion.

Point out that eating some tacos is a terrific way to gather information about Mexican food. Then ask students where they would get the tacos. Trying Taco Bell tacos will be very different from eating tacos at an authentic Mexican restaurant, which will be very different from making and eating tacos at home—following multiple recipes. And after comparing the many different types of tacos, finding out how each recipe came into being would help the writer know much more about Mexican cuisine.

Help students understand that when they search for information, they should look far and wide. They don't have to include just books and Internet articles. They can also have delicious firsthand experiences.

Think About It

“Every moment is an experience.”

—Jake Roberts

Page 336 from Write Ahead

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Ask students about a big recent event at school: the winning touchdown at a recent game, a great dance number in the school musical, the time a dog got into the cafeteria. . . . Ask students to raise their hands if they witnessed the event personally. Then ask students to raise their hands if they heard about the event. Have a few of those who heard about it describe it aloud. Then have a few of those who witnessed it tell what they saw and experienced.

Point out that first-hand witnesses are primary sources of information. They were there, and they experienced the event. Second-hand witnesses are secondary sources. They've heard about or learned about the event but did not witness it directly.

Each type of source has its strengths and weaknesses.

  • Primary sources are direct and unfiltered, but they reflect one person's experience instead of a broader perspective.
  • Secondary sources are indirect and filtered, but they often reflect multiple people's experiences and a broader perspective.

Both types of sources provide valuable information to understand a topic. Lead students through the material on this page to help them fully understand the two types of sources.

LAFS Standard:
NE ELA Standard:

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

English Language Arts:

Page 337 from Write Ahead

Types of Primary Sources

Use this page to help students understand that primary sources include much more than eye-witness accounts. Many historical documents, such as letters or journals, are primary sources.

After leading students through the material on this page, send them to the Library of Congress Web site, which contains a vast store of historical documents. Have them find three primary sources and three secondary sources among the materials. (If students are working on a project that deals with history, encourage them to seek sources on their topics.)

LAFS Standard:
NE ELA Standard:

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

English Language Arts:

Page 338 from Write Ahead

Evaluating Sources of Information

Bring to class an assortment of fruit or vegetables in various stages of usability—for example, a couple beautiful ripe apples and a couple of bruised, overripe ones. Pass them around and ask students which apple they would like better. Ask how they made their choices. Point out that an apple pie made of old, bruised, rotten apples is not much of a pie.

In the same way, a research paper made up of biased, unreliable, outdated, or fraudulent information is not much of a research report. Just as students can tell good apples from bad apples, they need to be able to tell good sources of information from bad ones.

Lead them through the information on evaluating sources. (See also page 343 for a checklist for evaluating online sources.)

LAFS Standard:
NE ELA Standard:

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

English Language Arts: