Introduction
Front page
The Middle Years Programme (MYP) The MYP provides a framework of academic rigor and holistic education for students aged 11-16. The MYP at Concordian spans the three years of Middle School (grades 6, 7, 8) and the first two years of High School, grades 9 and 10. The educational approach of the MYP embraces both modular school subjects and promoting meaningful interdisciplinary relationships between subjects through concepts, skills, and contexts. The MYP provides discipline, challenging standards, and broad based skills that encourage each student’s individual growth towards self-reliance and responsible participation in society.
What is MYP like? The aim of all the IB Programmes is to develop internationally-minded people who help to make a difference in the world. MYP students work towards developing further their Learner Profile qualities.
Open-minded Risk-taker (Courageous) Inquirer Thinker
REFLECTIVE Principled Balanced
The MYP is a challenging and interesting course of study. It asks students to take responsibility for learning, to work with others in teams, and to explore new ways of learning about and understanding the world around you. The MYP does more than allow students to learn in subject areas. The MYP Programme is based on three very important ideas: integrated learning, global engagement, and intercultural understanding. INTEGRATED LEARNING Learning in MYP doesn’t limit learning to subjects, like boxes that classify knowledge in separate spaces. Knowledge is learned by making connections between subjects, between people, between the concepts and the world.
GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT The world is connected in many ways, so that what people do in their personal lives has impact on other people in other parts of the world, as well as in future times. MYP learning helps students to become active learners who develop ideas, skills, and actions towards personal values that can lead to principled action and understanding of peoples’ “shared humanity” stated in the IB MIssion. INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING The world is interconnected through lines of communication but also through shared experiences made easily available to people through travel, media and living and working in different countries. To be a successful member of the global community, all have to learn how others think, to be open-minded to different perspectives, and to make connections with others in our community as well as beyond the school walls. Here at Concordian, we believe that students have to take moral leadership and be compassionate in order to make a difference in the world. Students learn this in MYP through different experiences including service and other learning engagements.
MYP Curriculum
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Concordian has a conceptual framework for its curriculum. In the MYP, the subjects organize teaching and learning around key concepts and related concepts. Each unit highlights a key concept and a few related concepts from the subject. Through the concepts, the students explore subject content and skills. Along the way, attitudes are also developed. Teaching and learning as well as assessment is concept-based at Concordian.
Global Contexts in MYP In the MYP, learners use ideas called Global Contexts to help frame learning. These areas of interaction are: ● ● ● ● ● ●
Identities and relationships Orientation in space and time Personal and cultural expression Scientific and technical innovation Globalization and sustainability Fairness and development
These ideas help connect learning with the world. They also help students connect learning between different subjects in the MYP. Each Global Context addresses different ideas.
Service as Action in MYP In MYP, students take action on what they learn. This is part of the units in different subjects, but Concordians also take special times to make contributions to the communities we belong to, such as our families, friends, school, city and country.
Taking action in MYP can be done through a service as action effort. An important part of our learning in MYP is action through service. In a unit, for example, students might think of a way to apply learning through service as action. They might also find something that other students are already doing, and might contribute to the existing service learning project with new understanding from a unit. Teachers and other school leaders will arrange service activities that students participate in as a MYP Year 1 student. These activities are part of unit learning in different subjects and interdisciplinary (IDU) learning. In the MYP, Service as Action is an important part of learning. Students gradually learn how to lead Service action projects by participating at different levels of service. The levels are described below. Level 1 Activities are service opportunities for students to sign up and participate. These are teacher-directed and arranged and organized by the CAS and C&S team at Concordian.
Some examples of Level 1 activities are the CAS Coordinators arranged trips off campus at seven different venues. Level 2 Activities are service opportunities for students to help run. Teachers arrange and organize the events, but the students facilitate or lead sections of the event. Examples of these in the past at Concordian are: ✓ Science Olympics arranged by the Science teachers and which the Grade 9 helped to run ✓ Math Activities organized by the Math department and which the Grade 10 assisted ✓ The Middle School student council with the guidance of the Advisor, ran an activity “Write a postcard to Japan” after the tsunami and earthquake in 2011. ✓ The CAS Festival run by the Grades 11-12 students in 2012 was organized and arrangements were made by the CAS Coordinator and the MYP Coordinator.
Level 3 Activities ares service action completely initiated, organized, and led by students. These activities are proposed to the MYP Principal for approval, after which the student(s) document their process and results. Examples of Level 3 activities are: The High School Student Government and Middle School Council initiated the Talent Show 2013 “Concordian’s Most Talented.” They organized the event, including communications, publications and management of the show. The HS Student Government also ran lunch time activities during Spirit Week, an event they created for the high school house system. In addition, they also arranged a lock-in event for High School students.
Here is a chart summarizing Service requirements for Concordian MYP: Grade level 6 7 8 9 10
Level 1 Yes Yes Yes
Level 2
Level 3
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes
Studnets are also able to participate and help run one or two activities arranged by other students, such as the Grades 11-12 students or the Student Council or Student Government. If a student helps run an activity in the community, this is considered a Level 2 activity and fulfills the action learning for Grade 7. Helping run an activity means not just following the leader, but it also means being part of leading and arranging the event. The third part of student service learning is to lead one activity for the community. Students may propose this activity to the Community Projects Coordinator, and if their proposal is approved, they can then organize it and lead other students in the activity. The activity can be for the school community or it can be for an outside community. This type of activity is considered a Level 3 activity and may become the student’s Community Project in Year 3. Action is an important part of learning. In your units of learning in different classes, teachers will sometimes discuss what possible action students might take in response to unit learning. In this case, Action might be a natural part of learning. If students participate in an Action activity during a unit, he or she will be involved in a Level 1 activity. If the student helps to run the activity, it will be considered a Level 2 Activity. If the student initiates it, it will be considered a Level 3 Activity and may become the Community Project in Year 3 or Service actions in Years 4 or 5. More information on Community Project is available through the Concordian MYP Service Handbook. Students will have an online journal on an online system called Managebac. When a student enters the MYP at Concordian, he or she will be guided on how to use the Service learning journal and page as part of thier profile. They will keep track of progress in Service learning on Managebac by writing a reflection at least once a month. Teachers also keep track of student progress on the Managebac system.
What are the subjects offered in MYP? Language and literature English Chinese Thai
Language acquisition English Phases 3-6 Chinese Phases 1-6 Thai Phases 1-6
Individuals and Societies Integrated course
Design Digital design Product design Food design Textiles JAVA Programming Fashion Design Photojournalism
Arts Visual arts Drama Music
Sciences Integrated Science Biology Chemistry Physics
Mathematics Integrated Math Standard Math Extended Math
Physical and Health Education Integrated PHE
How is work and performance assessed? MYP teachers in all subjects assess to see how well students have learned the knowledge, concepts, attitudes and skills in all subjects. Teachers also assess to see students’ strengths and weaknesses, and information from assessments tell teachers how to teach better so students can learn better. Assessments are important to guide the teaching and learning in MYP. Assessment tasks in each subject show: ✓ Student can recall knowledge and concepts. ✓ Student can understand the knowledge and concepts and apply these to different situations. ✓ Student can apply what has been learned in new situations. ✓ Student can communicate what changes have occurred because of new learning. ✓ Student can perform skills that help him or her approach learning and express learning. ✓ Student is developing attitudes and the Learner Profile traits as an MYP student. Progress and level of achievement will be continuously assessed by teachers. Assessments are ongoing and not just one or two major tests at the end of a grading period. It is important that students work steadily from week to week and try to complete all the assignments set by teachers.
Teachers will update assignments on Managebac for each unit. A student and the student’s parents will be able to see all assessments by accessing the student’s Managebac calendar. This will help learners organize thier time and tasks so that they can keep the deadlines and submit all work on time. Types of assessments in MYP These are some types of assessment tasks in MYP: Short question and answer Oral exchange or dialog Written quizzes Reflections Mind maps
Essays
Projects
Presentations
Discussions
Experiments
Performances
Showing a skill
Oral quizzes
Writing comments Self assessment Designing something
Making a product Homework
Peer assessment Graphic representation
Checklists Writing a blog post online
Problem solving Outlines Role playing
…and so many more!
MYP Subject Criteria Teachers in MYP grade your work according to subject criteria. These are descriptions of achievement of different skills and understandings that you have to show through the assessment task product or performance. Teachers will explain the subject criteria in class.
Portfolio of Achievement As students learn in each subject, each will be required to keep a PORTFOLIO OF ACHIEVEMENT for each class. Students will keep portfolios up to date with the help of teachers. Learners should look at progress in every class and reflect on progress. A student’s grade in each subject will be based on the highest sustained level of achievement. This means that over time, a student consistently achieves at this level of achievement in the criteria of that subject—that’s what “sustained” means. The final levels of achievement in each criteria are added up to a final level of achievement described in a 1 to 7 scale. This 1-7 grade is the subject grade and
shows up in the report card in January (for the first semester) and June (for the second semester).
MYP Grade Descriptors of Achievement Grade
Boundarie s
7
28-32
6
24-27
5
19-23
4
15-18
3
10-14
2
6-9
1
1-5
Description Produces work of high quality, frequently innovative work. Communicates comprehensive, nuanced understanding of concepts and contexts. Consistently demonstrates sophisticated critical and creative thinking. Frequently transfers knowledge and skills with independence and expertise in a variety of complex classroom and real-world situations. Produces high-quality, occasionally innovative work. Communicates extensive understanding of concepts and contexts. Demonstrates critical and creative thinking, frequently with sophistication. Uses knowledge and skills in familiar and unfamiliar classroom and real-world situations, often with independence. Produces generally high-quality work. Communicates secure understanding of concepts and contexts. Demonstrates critical and creative thinking, sometimes with sophistication. Uses knowledge and skills in familiar classroom and real-world situations, and with support, some unfamiliar real-world situations. Produces good-quality work. Communicates basic understanding of most concepts and contexts with few misunderstandings and minor gaps. Often demonstrates basic critical and creative thinking. Uses knowledge and skills with some flexibility in familiar classroom situations, but requires support in unfamiliar situations. Produces work of an acceptable quality. Communicates basic understanding of many concepts and contexts, with occasionally significant misunderstandings or gaps. Begins to demonstrate some basic critical and creative thinking. Is often inflexible in the use of knowledge and skills, requiring support even in familiar classroom situations. Produces work of limited quality. Expresses misunderstandings or significant gaps in understanding for many concepts and contexts. Infrequently demonstrates critical or creative thinking. Generally inflexible in the use of knowledge and skills, infrequently applying knowledge and skills. Produces work of very limited quality. Conveys many significant misunderstandings or lacks understanding of most concepts and skills. Very rarely demonstrates critical or creative thinking. Very inflexible, rarely using knowledge or skills.
Assessment Criteria Overview This chart shows you the assessment criteria for each subject and the maximum points for each criterion. Language and literature Criterion A Analysing Criterion B Organizing Criterion C Producing text
Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8
Criterion D Language acquisition Criterion A Criterion B Criterion C
Using language
Comprehending spoken and visual text Comprehending written and visual text Communicating in response to spoken, written and visual text Criterion D Using language in spoken and written form Individuals and Societies Criterion A Knowing and understanding Criterion B Investigating Criterion C Communicating Criterion D Thinking critically Integrated Mathematics Criterion A Knowledge and understanding Criterion B Investigating patterns Criterion C Communicating Criterion D Applying mathematics in real-life contexts Integrated Sciences Criterion A Knowing and understanding Criterion B Inquiring and designing Criterion C Processing and evaluating Criterion D Reflecting on the impacts of science Physical and Health Education Criterion A Knowing and understanding Criterion B Planning for performance Criterion C Applying and performing Criterion D Reflecting and improving performance Arts Criterion A Knowing and understanding Criterion B Developing skills Criterion C Thinking creatively Criterion D Responding Design Criterion A Inquiring and analyzing Criterion B Developing ideas Criterion C Creating the solution Criterion D Evaluating
Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8 Maximum 8
What does Approaches to Learning (ATL) mean? The diagram of MYP shows students at the center. As a school, we want to help studnets learn many different things: how to use different languages, how to see patterns in different events, how to understand causes of things and many other concepts. Students will be learning different subjects, but all of the subjects will have one goal in common: to help our students learn how to learn. In subjects and through your Counseling and H block lessons, students will find one of the most important Approaches to Learning is developing Organizational Skills. Here are some examples of how students might use organizational skills.
1. Planning your day so you can go to your locker during breaks and lunch times, not between lessons. 2. Arriving on time and having your materials ready at the start of each lesson. 3. Keeping tidy binders with class notes, class materials and homework. 4. Making sure you can hand in your work on time. 5. Making sure your homework and assignments are completed neatly. 6. Recording all homework and assignments on your Agenda for the date they are due. 7. Keeping your environment and surroundings clean, for instance your classroom, the hallways, the other places in school. Teachers are responsible for teaching your classes, but students are responsible for their own learning. Students are responsible for taking the Approaches to Learning (ATL) that teachers teach and practice and develop them through regular use. Students will be assigned different tasks each lesson that build on ATL skills, giving a chance to work on them and allowing students to be successful on their own and in a team situation. These are the categories of ATL skills we use in MYP: ✓ Communication Skills, e.g. expressing ideas clearly, listening to others carefully ✓ Social Skills, e.g. working in a group, encouraging contributions from others ✓ Self management skills, e.g. organizing yourself and your work, being on time ✓ Research Skills, e.g. finding and gathering sources of information, note-taking ✓ Thinking Skills, e.g. analyzing ideas and evaluating them, planning and creating work, and applying learning in one subject to another subject
Student self-management We try to be fair to all students at Concordian. We also want students to learn to self-manage by meeting deadlines. This is why we have rules when students do not hand in a project or assignment on time. These rules are called the Late Work Policy and is part of our Assessment Policy. Late Work Policy for MYP 1. Students must hand in work on the date the teacher sets.
2. If there is a real emergency or the student know that he or she will be absent, the student asks the teacher for more time (an extension). Do this as early as possible. 3. If there is no extension and the student does not hand in work by the deadline, the assignment earns 0 points. 4. If an assignment gets 0 marks, the teacher may give the student a second deadline. The student has to make sure he or she hands in work by the second deadline. The teacher will mark it down as a late piece of work, and this appear as a comment on the report card. 5. If the student misses the second deadline, the 0 points will remain as score for that task. 6. More than one late work will mean a lower grade on the report. If a student misses the second deadline more than once, this will definitely affect criterion grades on the report. Tests and work done in class cannot be late. If an absence is excused, a student may be given another chance by the teacher. If an absence is unexcused, 0 points is awarded for the missed assignment.
How do students use subject portfolios of achievement? Each student will keep all the work that they have completed and the teacher has assessed in their binders. In some subjects like Sciences, Language and literature, Mathematics, and Individuals and Societies, these are usually class binders. In Arts, Design, PHE and Language acquisition, these are usually kept in an electronic portfolio. No matter what subject or what they are called, the subject portfolio is a place to keep all work in that subject and use to reflect on learning. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that the work in the portfolio is kept up to date. The Subject Portfolios will be used for the Parent Teacher Conference in October. In March, students will use the Subject Portfolios to plan, create, and lead the Student Led Conference with parent(s). The Subject Portfolios will also include reflections completed in the subjects.
What are Command Terms? Command Terms are words teachers use in class, on assessment tasks, tests, assignments, and other tasks students have to perform or complete in MYP. Command Terms are found in the rubrics for the different classes. Teachers will help students to understand what these words mean, and what students have to do in the task if it uses specific command terms.
Link and page
Research Guide Academic Honesty Citation Guide o in text citations o works cited
Academic Honesty The Concordian Mission Statement says that “Concordian promotes academic excellence while nurturing young people to become moral and intellectual leaders, people of dignity, integrity and compassion, who want to make a difference in the world.” Academic Honesty exemplifies this mission and the values widely held among academics. As a Concordian student, you are responsible for being a person of integrity and a moral leader, especially in the area of academic honesty.
What Does It Mean to be Academically Honest? Honest Students Don’t Cheat or Collude Cheating and collusion mean that any act of giving or receiving aid during a task that has been designed as an individual assessment. Collaboration is how Concordian students learn: we discuss ideas, share thoughts, and talk about work! However, giving answers to homework instead of helping a friend find their own answer is a form of cheating. Examples of Dishonesty: Copying or using the work of another student Giving your work to another student to use Telling another student an answer Using notes, phones, or any forbidden materials during an assessment Honest Students Don’t Plagiarize Plagiarizing means that you take ideas or words from another person and pass them off as your own. Great ideas build upon the work of others; however, credit must always be given to those people or works where the information or words come from. Examples of Dishonesty: Taking ideas or words from a source without acknowledging it Giving word that has ideas or words that are not your own Not acknowledging sources in your work, images included Copying and pasting from websites An academically honest student: Keeps and maintains his or her own personal notes Presents only his or her work for assessment, formative and summative Acknowledges help or contributions from other people Asks what external help is allowed to achieve a task, Clearly acknowledges all sources when using information taken from another place
Becomes familiar with this handbook and understands all rules
Citation Guide An academically honest student cites their sources correctly. Adding citations to your work show that you acknowledge help from others, demonstrating your academic skill. Citations: help you remember where your information came from help your readers/viewers find more information give credit to the original author, with their great ideas and work give additional value to your work help you improve as a student and as a responsible global citizen
How Do I Cite Media Within My Work? To add authority to your writing, include parenthetical citations throughout your essays, reports and papers. This means that after you quote another’s writing, or paraphrase their ideas or words, you include a reference to a full citation at the end of your essay. This is typically done with parentheses, the author’s name, and a page number. Every time you use a quote, an idea that’s not yours, or paraphrase someone’s words, you should have an in-text citation. This can be done in several ways: Cite the author within the text, with added information for reference. Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a “spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling” (263).
Cite your quote in parentheses with the author. Romantic poetry is characterized by the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (Wordsworth 263).
Cite what you paraphrase. Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).
If there is no page number, like on a website or with a video, just cite the first item that appears in the citation, like the author name, article name, or website name. Wordsworth was instrumental in launching the Romantic Age in English Literature (“William Wordsworth”).
How Do I Cite Different Media? Cite a Book: Last name, First name. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication. Green, John. A Fault in Our Stars. New York: Dutton Publishers, 2012. Print.
Cite a Whole Website: Author. Title of Website. Publisher or Sponsor of website (or n.p.), Date of Publication (or n.d.). Medium of Publication (web). Date of Access. qz.com. Quartz News, 2015. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.
Cite an Article on a Website: Author. “Title of Article/Page”. Title of Website. Publisher or Sponsor of website (or n.p.), Date of Publication (or n.d.). Medium of Publication (web). Date of Access. Kim, Jeanne. “You’re probably using one of these terrible passwords.” qz.com. Quartz News, 20 Jan. 2015. Web. 21 Jan. 2015.
Cite an Image: Artist or Photographer. “Name of Image.” Medium (Photograph). Title of Website. Publisher or Sponsor of Site, Date of Publication. Medium of publication (web). Date of Access. brandychloe. “The Great Horned Owl.” Photograph. Webshots. American Greetings, 22 May 2008. Web. 5 November 2014.
See more information on the library website or on the many citation guides available on the internet. A Note about EasyBib: While EasyBib and other citation machines seem easy, there are often flaws associated with them. Often, EasyBib cannot find publishers or dates, and adds URLs to your citation. The machines provide considerably less accurate work. Use it with caution. Be sure to check your citations.
How Do I Make a Works Cited Page? A Works Cited page goes at the end of a document. It includes a list of all your references and tells the reader where they could follow up. A Works Cited page gives full citations for every source that you directly cited in your paper. You can also include a Bibliography, which provides sources that you viewed and learned from, but didn’t actually cite.
Write the words “Works Cited” at the top of the page and center it.
No n.p. and n.d. in the citations, if possible. Works Cited
Dean, Cornelia. "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet." New York Times. New York Times, 22 May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009. Ebert, Roger. "An Inconvenient Truth." Rev. of An Inconvenient Truth, dir. Davis Guggenheim. rogerebert.com. Sun-Times News Group, 2 June 2006. Web. 24 May 2009. An Inconvenient Truth. Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Perf. Al Gore, Billy West. Paramount, 2006. DVD. Milken, Michael, Gary Becker, Myron Scholes, and Daniel Kahneman. "On Global Warming and Financial Imbalances." New Perspectives Quarterly 23.4 (2006): 63. Print. Nordhaus, William D. "After Kyoto: Alternative Mechanisms to Control Global Warming." American Economic Review 96.2 (2006): 31-34. Print. ---. "Global Warming Economics." Science 9 Nov. 2001: 1283-84.Science Online. Web. 24 May 2009. Uzawa, Hirofumi. Economic Theory and Global Warming. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2003. Print.
Alphabetize your entries.
Double space your work.
Library Resources Navigate to the Concordian Library Page: http://concordianlibrary.weebly.com/mypdp.html Concordian subscribes to the following databases. They are fantastic places to begin your research. They have articles on a variety of topics, and are easy to search and browse. Many of them also have citations built in! That can save you tons of time and energy. Give them a try! Gale: Student Resources in Context Password: research This site is incredibly valuable to your research. Gale is a strong database because you can browse topics, find a variety of resources quickly, and easily cite your sources. Gale has academic journals, encyclopedia articles, news and magazine articles, and other media about all kinds of topics. Use it as a base for your inquiry! Issues and Controversies Username: Concordian, Password: media If you are planning on tackling a controversial topic, this could be a valuable resource for you. It takes certain topics and gives a supportive side and an opposing side. This site could clarify some of the issues from different viewpoints. Planning a debate or a persuasive paper? This is a very valuable website for you. JSTOR Use your own credentials from an email link the librarian sent at the beginning of the school year. If you need it resent, let the librarian know. JSTOR is a premier academic database, with detailed works from respected authors. You can find journal articles about a multitude of topics, often with intensive methodologies and results sections. This is a great place to go once you have your topic and you are looking for detailed information about it. Britannica Encyclopedia No password necessary at school Britannica is an excellent encyclopedia, full of articles about a variety of topics. You can easily change the reading levels based on your abilities, and the site can even read to you! The site is very easy to browse. If you want to look at the news, at a new topic, and inquire, this is the site for you. Bloom’s Literature and Criticism Username: Concordian, Password: media Find criticism and notes about a variety of literature here on Bloom’s. This is a great place to begin for any English or Theatre assignment, with information about both authors and their works available.
Primary and Secondary Sources In many documents, IB asks for a variety of sources. They ask for primary sources and secondary sources, but what does that mean? Here is an example of sources, to guide you through your research. Primary and Secondary Sources are different through the disciplines. Depending on the subject, you may need to display very different research skills. Humanities (Arts, History, and Social Sciences) Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
A primary source is an original document containing firsthand information about a topic.
A secondary source contains commentary on or discussion about a primary source. The most important feature of secondary sources is that they offer an interpretation of information gathered from primary sources.
Autobiographies Diaries Eyewitness Accounts Interview Transcripts Legal Documents Letters Original works of art Photographs of the topic Original Research Video Footage of the topic event Works of literature
Biographies Indexes, Abstracts Bibliographies (used to locate a secondary source) Journal Articles Literary Criticism Monographs written about the topic Reviews of books, movies, musical recordings, works of art, etc.
Sciences (Math, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry, etc) Primary Sources A primary source is an original document containing firsthand information about a topic.
Conference Papers Correspondence Dissertations Diaries Interviews Lab Notebooks Notes Patents Proceedings Studies or Surveys Technical Reports Theses
Secondary Sources A secondary source contains commentary on or discussion about a primary source. The most important feature of secondary sources is that they offer an interpretation of information gathered from primary sources. Criticism and Interpretation Dictionaries Directories Encyclopedias Government Policy Guide to Literature Handbooks Law and Legislation Monographs Moral and Ethical Aspects Political Aspects Public Opinion Reviews Social Policy Tables
Variety of Sources When you begin researching, you may get stuck looking for a variety of sources and only finding one. Google is a great tool, so use it to find new types of sources! You can use this guide as a way to seek alternative sources of information. Expand your Research Newspapers (Print or Online) Magazines (Print of Online) .Com: Commercial Sites .Edu: Education Sites, From Schools .Gov: Government Owned Sites .Org: Organization Sites Government Reports Blogs, Chats, Discussion Boards, Tips (Use Wisely) Interviews of Others: transcripts, videos, or recordings Photographs Artwork Academic Journal Articles Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles Dictionary and Encyclopedia Articles Documentaries and Television Programs, Film, YouTube Videos Radio, Sound Recordings, Songs Primary Research: Your Interviews, Your Observations, Your Experiments, Your Survey Data
Search Logic Let Google search better for you. You can search complex questions to get the fewest, most relevant hits. Google searches can bring up really excellent information, but make sure you’re searching exactly what you need. “search a phrase” – if you’re looking for an exact phrase, use quotation marks.
Example: “imagine all the people” to find the exact lyrics of Imagine. -search – if you want to remove a word.
Example: jaguar –cat speed : Find the speed of a Jaguar car. site:search – Search for something within a particular site.
Example: site:bbc.com thailand : Find articles from BBC about Thailand Related:search – Search for sites similar to ones you already know.
Example: Related:buzzfeed.com : Find sites like Buzzfeed to browse Filetype:suffix – Google will help you find files that you want to find.
Example: Filetype:pdf pandas : Find a pdf file about pandas. If you are using a database, or the library search, use simple words and phrases to get the most hits.
Source: Torneo, Megan. “How I Search for Information.” Ohio University Libraries. Ohio University, 5 Nov. 2013. Web. 2 Feb. 2015.
Using Wikipedia Wikipedia can be a great resource for you as you begin projects. Most teachers will not allow you to cite work from Wikipedia, but it is a great place to begin your work. Here are some tips for using Wikipedia effectively in research. 1. Consult the Table of Contents Use the table of contents to browse different topics and narrow your topic. If you are working on the Roman Empire as a topic, focus on one piece that you want to cover. You may be able to find something you didn’t expect, and reading the context will help you clarify your work.
“Roman Empire” excerpt from Wikipedia As the first emperor, Augustus took the official position that he had saved the Republic, and carefully framed his Every blue link in Wikipedia leads to another powers within republican article. This is very helpful for you, because you constitutional principles. He rejected can follow the links to additional information. titles that Romans associated with monarchy, and instead referred to Using a phrase like “Roman Empire” will give you himself as the princeps, "leading lots of resources, maybe too many! citizen". Consuls continued to be elected, tribunes of the However, using “princeps” as a search term will people continued to put forth give you a more focused set of articles. legislation, and senators still debated in the curia. 2. Find Search Terms and Key Words
3. Utilize Sources and External Links Wikipedia has begun tracking their sources, and this is great for your research. Now, you can find the same information at more reputable websites. REMEMBER that you should still use your site evaluating skills when using these links. They are not always reputable. Screenshots and Image Source: “Roman Empire.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 12 Sept. 2013. Web. 13 Sept. 2013.
Evaluating a Web Site There are many things to consider when you are researching. Here are some questions to ask of your websites, to ensure that they are good resources. Authority: Check the author's credentials and affiliation. Is the author an expert in the field? How can you be sure? Does the resource have a reputable organization or expert behind it? Are the sources of information stated? Can you verify the information? Can the author be contacted for clarification? Check for organizational or author biases. Scope: Is the material at this site useful, unique, accurate or is it derivative, repetitious, or doubtful? Is the purpose of the resource clearly stated? Does it fulfill its purpose? What items are included in the resource? What subject area, time period, formats or types of material are covered? Is the information factual or opinion? Does the site contain original information or simply links? How frequently is the resource updated? Format and Presentation: Is the information easy to get to? What is the quality of the graphical images? Do these images enhance the resource or distract from the content? Is the target audience or intended users clearly indicated? Is the site easily browsable or searchable? Cost and Accessibility: Is the site available on a consistent basis? Is this a fee-based site? Can non-members still have access to part of the site? Must you register a name and password before using the site?
Source: “Checklist for Evaluating Web Resources.� USM Libraries. University of Southern Maine, 2015. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
Creating Key Words When choosing key words, try to find short phrases that capture the concepts you want to find out about. Think about it like finding the key concepts and related concepts that you learn about in classes.
Check out this example: Fast food creates health risks for children.
Fast Food
Health Risks
Children
I’ve divided my research question into three main concepts. I could research each of these concepts to find out what I need. I’m going to brainstorm some related concepts to help me find more keywords. With each of these topics, what kinds of things could I focus on? I want to think about broader topics, narrower topics, and synonyms. If I can’t think of things, I’ll browse the internet until I find something similar, then add the new vocabulary to my brainstorm. Fast Food:
Health Risks:
Children:
Unhealthy McDonalds Burger King “Deep Fried foods” “Sugary foods” Nutrition Diet “Processed Food”
Diabetes Obesity Illnesses “Academic performance” “Immune system”
Teens Kids Adolescents
Now that I have a large number of keywords, I can try them in different combinations. I can use different databases to search for information. “processed food” + obesity + teens = processed foods causes obesity in teens. McDonalds + Diabetes + kids = the effects of McDonalds, especially diabetes, in kids (often age 10 or younger).