Running a Short Research Project
Aligned to W.6.7 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
A research project starts with a focused question, gathers facts from several sources, and refocuses the question when the evidence points somewhere new. Keep the question narrow enough to answer well.
Worked examples
Example 1
Starting question: 'Why do bees matter?' Too broad. After a few sources, refocus to: 'How does losing bees affect the food we eat?' The tighter question makes the sources fit together into a real answer.
Example 2
'Why did the factory close?' is answerable. 'Is globalisation good?' is a term paper you will never finish.
Example 3
If every source you find agrees with you, your question is probably too narrow or your sources too few.
Practice questions
- Write a research question narrow enough to answer in a paragraph.
- Find facts from two different sources that help answer it.
- Rewrite your question to be sharper based on what you found.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Hacer un Proyecto de Investigación Corto
Un proyecto de investigación parte de una pregunta enfocada, reúne datos de varias fuentes y reajusta la pregunta cuando la evidencia apunta a algo nuevo. Mantén la pregunta lo bastante acotada para responderla bien.
Ejemplo 1: Pregunta inicial: '¿Por qué importan las abejas?' Demasiado amplia. Tras unas fuentes, reenfócala: '¿Cómo afecta la pérdida de abejas a los alimentos que comemos?' La pregunta más precisa hace que las fuentes encajen en una respuesta real.
Ejemplo 2: '¿Por qué cerró la fábrica?' se puede responder. '¿La globalización es buena?' es un ensayo que nunca vas a terminar.
Ejemplo 3: Si todas las fuentes que encuentras están de acuerdo contigo, tu pregunta probablemente es muy estrecha o tus fuentes muy pocas.
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