Clark, Penney. “Escaping the Typical Research Report Trap with Elementary Students.” (2013)

It is important to state why elementary teachers engage students in research when there are many concerns with the use of this method. The author presents a seven-step model for teaching primary and upper elementary students how to carry out and present research that has been done independently, synthesized and clearly communicated to others. According to the author, the key to success is to place as much emphasis on the process of conducting research as on the final product. The students should be guided and assisted by a teacher or librarian and suggestions are provided on how best to implement each step.

The first step is to select and focus on a topic, taking into consideration curricular importance, availability of resources and student interest. Next students need to formulate guiding questions, beginning with what students know and then moving to the unknown. Third is the need to identify relevant information sources such as print texts, people and places, visual and audio-visual sources or electronic information sources. The next two steps are to select relevant and reliable sources and extract information from these sources. Next the information must be recorded and organized through partner talk, guiding questions folders, note taking columns and data charts. Then the information can be synthesized into an effective presentation format with strategies for written and oral reports and alternative reporting formats. The seventh and last step is to ensure that assessment and revision occurs at each stage of the topic. Criteria should be set beforehand, both procedure and product must be assessed and self and peer assessments must be included.