Study and Research: Ages 11+

Ages 11+

Published by R.I.C. Publications www.ricpublications.com.au 6492RB 5.7/187

STUDY AND RESEARCH Strategies and skills (Ages 11+) Published by R.I.C. Publications® 2007 Copyright© R.I.C. Publications® 2007 ISBN 978-1-74126-461-6 RIC–6492

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Additional title available in this series: Teacher resource: STUDY AND RESEARCH Strategies and skills (Ages 9–10)

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Student reference: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO STUDY AND RESEARCH Student guide

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This master may only be reproduced by the original purchaser for use with their class(es). The publisher prohibits the loaning or onselling of this master for the purposes of reproduction.

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Internet websites

In some cases, websites or specific URLs may be recommended. While these are checked and rechecked at the time of publication, the publisher has no control over any subsequent changes which may be made to webpages.

It is strongly recommended that the class teacher checks all URLs before allowing students to access them.

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Foreword Study and research – Strategies and skills is a series of three books aimed at teaching students how to study effectively and approach the task of researching methodically.

Titles in this series: Study and research – Strategies and skills – Middle Study and research – Strategies and skills – Upper Study and research – Strategies and skills – Lower secondary (Student booklet)

Contents

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Teachers notes – Using this book ..........................................................................................................................iv – vii Comprehension strategies definitions ........................................................................................................................ vii Text types writing formats .................................................................................................................................. viii – ix Blank writing formats .......................................................................................................................................... x – xv Proofreading and editing checklists .......................................................................................................................... xvi The Dewey decimal classification system ................................................................................................................. xvii Individual student evaluation ................................................................................................................................... xviii Sample graphic organisers ...................................................................................................................................... xix Outcome links .......................................................................................................................................................... xx Using the library ................................................................................................................................................ 2–13 Resources: Library resources/Parts of a book/Writing and using a bibliography ....................................................... 2–5 Using the Dewey decimal system ....................................................................................................................... 6–9 Using the library catalogue ............................................................................................................................. 10–13

14–25 14–17 18–21 22–25

Preparing for an assignment ........................................................................................................................

Understanding the assignment: Matching terms/In your own words/Asking questions .......................................

Defining the topic: Planning for research/Research planner ...............................................................................

Evaluating resources: Choosing resources/Evaluating books/Evaluating a website ..............................................

26–37 26–29 30–33 34–37

Making notes .................................................................................................................................................

Family reunion: Narrative ➠ Family tree ...........................................................................................................

Soil erosion: Report ➠ Table ............................................................................................................................

Franz Josef glacier: Recount ➠ T-chart ...........................................................................................................

Make a robot hand: Procedure ➠ Flow chart ...................................................................................................

Tourists should be banned from Antarctica: Exposition ➠ T-chart ...................................................................

Florence Nightingale: Biography ➠ Time line ...................................................................................................

Building the Great Wall of China: Explanation ➠ Spider chart ...........................................................................

38–65 38–41 42–45 46–49 50–53 54–57 58–61 62–65

Writing from notes .........................................................................................................................................

Stingrays – deadly or docile?: Concept map ➠ Report ....................................................................................

Growing potatoes: Concept map ➠ Procedure .................................................................................................

At the theatre: Table ➠ Report .........................................................................................................................

A day in the life of a Viking: Concept map ➠ Diary entry ...................................................................................

66–81 66–69 70–73 74–77 78–81

How to study ..................................................................................................................................................

Defining learner type: What type of learner am I?/Staying motivated/Goal setting ...............................................

Organising study: The best environment/When to study/Term planner ................................................................

Preparing for tests: Memory masters/Tackling tests/Staying calm ......................................................................

82–93 82–85 86–89 90–93

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Using the Internet ..........................................................................................................................................

Understanding the Internet: What is the Internet?/Validating sources/Defining key words ...................................

Make the Internet work for you ......................................................................................................................

Internet research ............................................................................................................................................

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Teachers notes Using this book The aim of Study and research – Strategies and skills is to provide students with strategies to enable them to approach their study and research in an organised and methodical way. Students will be given strategies appropriate to a particular aspect of study or research and opportunities to apply these strategies to a given task.

It is important for students to understand how a task is done before they are asked to show that they can do it.

The activities provided in the book give students the opportunity to: • know how to use the library and Internet effectively • understand what is required in a task • find information required to complete the task • evaluate the information to determine its validity and usefulness for the task • make relevant, organised notes from the information • transform these notes into a coherent form, either written or spoken • discover their learner type • plan study periods and prepare for tests.

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These activities can be practised independently to improve a particular aspect of research or they can be used as part of a program teaching students the logical steps for researching effectively.

Study and research – Strategies and skills is divided into six sections. Within each section, there are a number of subsections, each with a teachers page and three student activity pages.

In all cases, the teachers page provides the same information.

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The titles of the section and subsection or text are given.

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Worksheet information details any background information required by the teacher concerning the activities on each student page.

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Background information includes any additional information that may be of use to the teacher when presenting the activities.

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Indicators state the expected outcome(s).

Answers are provided where necessary. Many answers are best checked by the teacher following, or in conjunction with, class discussion.

The main focus of the student pages is to achieve the given task through answering the main question. Generally, the three student pages relate to one task and question but, in some cases, each student page has a separate task.

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Teachers notes Using the library • Students determine all the resources available to them and their general location in the library.

• They become familiar with the Dewey system of classification, call numbers and how to use the library catalogue. With this knowledge, they are able to find the exact location of specific resources in the library.

• A copy of the main groups of the Dewey decimal classification system is provided on page xvii.

• In the first section, Library resources, the student pages are separate and can be used independently. In Using the Dewey decimal system and Using the library catalogue, the student pages are linked.

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Using the Internet • Students acquire a general understanding of what the Internet is and how search engines work. They practise using keywords and phrases for an Internet search as these are vital if the websites found by the search engine are to be appropriate for the task.

• They learn to check the reliability of sources found on the Internet, as anyone can post material for any purpose. All school and public libraries are on the ‘safe search’ option, preventing any inappropriate material being accessed.

• In the first section, Understanding the Internet, the student pages are separate and can be used independently. In Make the Internet work for you and The Ancient Greeks, the student pages are linked.

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• Before students begin to make notes, they need to read and understand the information they have gathered.

There are a number of specific comprehension strategies that students use to gain understanding from the text: predicting, making connections, comparing, sensory imaging, determining importance, skimming, scanning, synthesising, paraphrasing and summarising. Definitions of these strategies are provided on pages vi and vii.

• Further practice in these strategies may be gained by referring to the R.I.C. Publications title, Primary comprehension: Literal – Inferential – Applied.

• In all sections the student pages are linked, and all follow the same format.

Student page – 1 provides an information text from which students are required to make notes.

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Preparing for an assignment • Students develop a clear understanding of the assignment, whether it be one set by a teacher or one chosen by themselves. They determine the keywords used to focus their search for gathering information from the library, the Internet or people.

• As the students gather information, they evaluate it and determine its value for the assignment. They develop the practice of keeping account of all resources used for reference in the bibliography.

• In the first section, Understanding the assignment, the student pages are separate and can be used independently. In Defining the topic and Evaluating resources, the student pages are linked.

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Student page – 2 Finding information, explains how the students can extract relevant information from the text.

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Making notes • Different writing genres have been used to give students practice at making notes for varied purposes. For each piece of text, a question is asked from which students choose keywords, so that relevant information can be found in the text.

• Notes are written and arranged logically in a graphic organiser and, from these notes, the answer to the question is written. However, writing a comprehensive answer to the question is not essential at this stage as the focus is on note making. Students are required only to answer a partial question based on the original.

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Teachers notes Student page – 3 Organising information, explains how students can arrange their information using a graphic organiser, from which they can see the information more clearly to begin the writing process.

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Writing from notes An assignment question and a page of relevant notes is provided for the students to study.

General descriptions of a number of text types are found on pages viii and ix.

Blank writing frameworks for each text type are found from page x to page xv.

A proofreading and editing checklist has also been included on page xvi.

Further practice in writing in a range of genres may be gained by referring to the R.I.C. Publications title, Primary writing: Read – Analyse – Plan.

In all sections the student pages are linked and follow the same format.

Student page – 1 provides information in note form in a graphic organiser from which students are required to plan and write a first draft, usually in a range of writing genres.

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Student page – 2 Planning, explains the framework students require to write in a specific genre and where the notes belong in the framework.

o c . che e r o t r s super Student page – 3 Writing, explains how students convert the notes into a coherent piece of text written in full sentences and using paragraphs. This is the first draft, which requires proofreading and editing.

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Teachers notes Comprehension strategies definitions Predicting Prediction involves the student using illustrations, text or background knowledge to help them construct meaning.

Students might predict what texts could be about, what could happen or how characters could act or react. Prediction may occur before, during and after reading, and can be adjusted during reading.

Making connections Students comprehend texts by linking their prior knowledge and the new information given in the text. Students may make connections between the text and themselves, between the new text and other texts previously read, and between the text and the world.

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Graphic organisers Graphic organisers are a means by which students can collate gathered information and display it in an easy-to-read visual format. There are a number of recognised graphic organisers, but it is quite acceptable to design one to suit a specific task.

Examples of a number of graphic organisers are included on page xix.

There are a number of Internet websites which display a range of graphic organisers and include suggestions as to how they may be used.

For example: <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizers> <http://teachers.teach-nology.com/web_tools/graphic_org> <http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/torganiz.htm> • Use a star graphic organiser to investigate many aspects of a single topic.

• Use a spider graphic organiser to investigate many aspects of a single topic in more detail.

• Use a chain graphic organiser to show a series of events from beginning to end.

• Use a T-chart graphic organiser to compare two aspects of a single topic.

• Use a KWHL graphic organiser to investigate what you already KNOW about a topic, what you WANT to know about it, HOW you will learn about it and what you will LEARN about it.

• Use a cyclic graphic organiser to investigate a cycle of events with no beginning and no end.

Comparing This strategy is closely linked to the strategy of making connections. Students make comparisons by thinking more specifically about the similarities and differences between the connections being made.

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How to study • To know how to study effectively, it is important that students appreciate which type of learner they are. Dr Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences suggests that there are eight different types of human intelligences or ways of understanding the world. These are verballinguistic, logical-mathematical, naturalist, visual-spatial, bodily-kinaesthetic, musical-rhythmic, interpersonal and intrapersonal. Gardner believes that each person has one or two dominant intelligences and that it is possible to strengthen the rest.

• Activities are provided which help the student identify their dominant intelligences.

• Students are given strategies for planning study and how to remain focused during study times. Ideas for preparing for tests and tricks for remembering information are suggested. Students consider strategies for developing their own effective ways of studying.

• In this section, all the student pages are separate and can be used independently.

• An individual student evaluation sheet is provided on page xviii.

Sensory imaging Sensory imaging involves students utilising all five senses to create mental images of passages in the text. Students use visual, auditory, olfactory, kinaesthetic or emotional images as well as their personal experiences to create these images.

The images may help them to make predictions, form conclusions, interpret information and remember details.

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Determining importance The strategy of determining importance is particularly helpful when students are trying to comprehend informational texts.

It involves students determining the important theme or main idea of particular paragraphs or passages.

As students become effective readers, they will constantly ask themselves what is most important in a phrase, sentence, paragraph, chapter or whole text. To determine importance, students will need to use a variety of information, such as the purpose for reading, their knowledge of the topic, background experiences and beliefs, and understanding of the text format.

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Skimming Skimming is the strategy of looking quickly through texts to gain a general impression or overview of the content. Readers often use this strategy to quickly assess whether a text, or part of it, will meet their purpose. Because this book deals predominantly with comprehension after reading, skimming has not been included as one of the major strategies.

Scanning Scanning is the strategy of quickly locating specific details such as dates, places or names, or those parts of the text which support a particular point of view. Scanning is often used but not specifically mentioned when used in conjunction with other strategies.

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Teachers notes Synthesising Synthesising is the strategy which enables students to collate a range of information from a variety of sources in order to comprehend text. Students recall information, order details and piece information together to make sense of the text.

Synthesising helps students to continually monitor their understanding of the text. Synthesising involves connecting, comparing, determining importance, posing questions and creating images.

Paraphrasing/Summarising Summarising involves the processes of recording key ideas, main points or the most important information from a text.

Summarising or paraphrasing reduces a larger piece of text to the most important details.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Text types writing formats

– includes: • Title • Classification: a general or classifying statement • Description: accurate and detailed • Conclusion: a comment about the content of the report (optional)

– uses the following language features: • factual language rather than imaginative • the third person • the timeless present tense • information organised into paragraphs

Narrative – is a framework which tells a story – includes: • Title • Orientation: the setting, time and characters • Complication: involving the main character(s) and a sequence of events • Resolution: to the complication • Conclusion: often showing what has changed and what the characters have learnt – uses the following language features: • a range of conjunctions to connect ideas • appropriate paragraphing • descriptive language • usually written in past tense A narrative may be written in the form of a poem, story, play, imaginative story, fairytale, novel, myth, legend, ballad, science fiction story or modern fantasy.

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Report – is a framework which describes aspects of a living or non-living thing in detail

A report may be written in the form of a book review, scientific report, newspaper or magazine article, eyewitness account or a progress report.

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– includes: • Title • Orientation: all relevant background (who, when, where, why) • Events: significant events in detail • Conclusion: often with an evaluative comment

– uses the following language features: • vocabulary to suggest time passing • paragraphs to show separate sections • the past tense A recount may be written in the form of a newspaper report, diary, letter, journal, eyewitness account, biography, autobiography or history.

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Procedure – is a framework which outlines how something is made or done – includes: • Title • Goal: the purpose of the procedure shown clearly and precisely • Materials: a list of materials or requirements under appropriate headings or layout • Steps: the method in a detailed, logical sequence • Test: an evaluation (if appropriate) – uses the following language features: • instructions often with an imperative verb • subject-specific vocabulary • simple present tense • concise language A procedure may be written in the form of a recipe, instructions for making something, an experiment, an instruction manual, a maths procedure, how to play a game, how to operate an appliance, how to use an atlas or how to deal with a problem.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Text types writing formats

Explanation – is a framework which outlines how something occurs, works or is made – includes: • Title • Statement: precisely what is to be explained • Explanation: a clear account in logical sequence of how and why the phenomenon occurs • Conclusion: an evaluation and comment about what has been explained

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Teachers notes

Exposition – is a framework which argues for a particular position and attempts to persuade the audience to share this view – includes: • Title • Overview: statement of the problem or issue and the writer’s position • Arguments: presented in a logical manner with supporting detail, usually from the strongest to the weakest • Conclusion: a restating of the writer’s position and a summary of the arguments presented – uses the following language features: • a variety of controlling and emotive words and conjunctions • paragraphs to state and elaborate on each point An exposition may be written in the form of an essay, a letter, policy statement, a critical review, an advertisement, an editorial or a speech.

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Title a definition a description of the components or parts the operation—how it works or is made the application—where and when it works or is applied • special features—interesting comments • evaluation or comment/conclusion – uses the following language features: • subject-specific terms and technical vocabulary where appropriate • simple present tense is often used • linking words to show cause and effect • information is organised into paragraphs

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An explanation may be written in the form of an essay, or a handbook—for example, how a kite works—a science, health or society and environment text.

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Teachers notes

Blank writing format – Narrative Title

Orientation Who? When?

Where?

Complication and events

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Why?

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Conclusion

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Teachers notes

Blank writing format – Recount Title

Orientation Who? When?

Where?

Events

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Why?

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Teachers notes

Blank writing format – Procedure Title

Goal

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Materials

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How will you know if your procedure works?

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Teachers notes

Blank writing format – Report Title

Classification What is it?

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Description

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What I think about it.

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Teachers notes

Blank writing format – Explanation Title

Classification What is it?

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Description

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Teachers notes

Blank writing format – Exposition Title

Overview What is the topic?

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Arguments

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What is my point of view?

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Teachers notes

Proofreading and editing checklist Name:

Date:

Title:

Text type:

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Punctuation I have included: capital letters for: beginning sentences ......................................................................................................................................................... proper nouns .................................................................................................................................................................... titles ................................................................................................................................................................................ question marks ...................................................................................................................................................................... full stops ............................................................................................................................................................................... commas in lists .............................................................................................................................................................................. for pauses ........................................................................................................................................................................ to make meaning clear ..................................................................................................................................................... apostrophes: for grammatical contractions ............................................................................................................................................. to show ownership............................................................................................................................................................ exclamation marks ................................................................................................................................................................ quotation marks .................................................................................................................................................................... colons in titles............................................................................................................................................................................. for offset lists ................................................................................................................................................................... brackets ................................................................................................................................................................................ hyphens ................................................................................................................................................................................

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Language features

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I have: checked the spelling of any unknown words ....................................................................................................................... not confused words that sound the same ........................................................................................................................... used the correct ending for plurals ....................................................................................................................................

I have included: a variety of different verbs ................................................................................................................................................. correct verb tenses ........................................................................................................................................................... correct verb-subject agreement ......................................................................................................................................... appropriate adverbs to describe verbs................................................................................................................................ suitable nouns .................................................................................................................................................................. appropriate pronouns ........................................................................................................................................................ interesting adjectives ........................................................................................................................................................ suitable conjunctions ........................................................................................................................................................ a variety of prepositions .................................................................................................................................................... paragraphing as appropriate ............................................................................................................................................. no double negatives ..........................................................................................................................................................

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Writing I have read through my writing to check that: it makes sense ................................................................................................................................................................. it is easy to understand ..................................................................................................................................................... there are no repeated or omitted words ............................................................................................................................. there are no errors of fact .................................................................................................................................................

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Teachers notes

The Dewey Decimal Classification System Generalities Bibliography Library and Information Sciences General Encyclopedic Works Unassigned General Serials and their Indexes General Organisations News Media, Journalism, Publishing General Collections Manuscripts and Rare Books

100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190

Philosophy and Psychology Metaphysics Epistemology, Causation, Humankind Paranormal Phenomena Specific Philosophical Schools Psychology Logic Ethics (moral philosophy) Ancient, Medieval, Oriental Philosophy Modern Western Philosophy

200 210 220 230 240 250 260 270 280 290

Religion Natural Theology Bible Christian Theology Christian Moral and Devotional Theology Christian Orders and Local Church Christian Social Theology Christian Church History Christian Denominations and Sects Other and Comparative Religions

300 300 310 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390

Social Sciences Sociology and Anthropology General Statistics Political Science Economics Law Public Administration Social Services; Associations Education Commerce, Communications, Transport Customs, Etiquette, Folklore

400 410 420 430 440 450 460 470 480 490

Language Linguistics English and Old English Germanic Languages, German Romance Languages, French Italian, Romanian Languages Spanish and Portuguese Languages Italic Languages, Latin Hellenic Languages, Classical Greek Other Languages

500 510 520 530 540 550 560 570 580 590 600

Natural Sciences and Mathematics Mathematics Astronomy and Allied Sciences Physics Chemistry and Allied Sciences Earth Sciences Palaeontology, Palaeozoology Life Sciences Botanical Sciences Zoological Sciences Technology (Applied Sciences)

600 610 620 630 640 650 660 670 680 690

General Technology Medical Sciences and Medicines Engineering and Allied Operations Agriculture Home Economics and Family Living Management and Auxiliary Services Chemical Engineering Manufacturing Manufacture for Specific Uses Buildings

700 710 720 730 740 750 760 770 780 790

The Arts Civic and Landscape Art Architecture Plastic Arts, Sculpture Drawing and Decorative Arts Painting and Paintings (museums) Graphic Arts, Printmaking and Prints, Postage Stamps Photography and Photographs Music Recreational and Performing Arts

800 810 820 830 840 850 860 870 880 890

Literature and Rhetoric American Literature English and Old English Literature Literatures of Germanic Languages Literatures of Romance Languages Italian, Romanian Literatures Spanish and Portuguese Literatures Italic Literatures, Latin Hellenic Literatures, Classical Greek Literatures of Other Languages

900 900 910 920 930 940 950 960 970 980 990

Geography and History World History Geography and Travel Biography, Genealogy, Insignia History of the Ancient World General History of Europe General History of Asia General History of Africa General History of North America General History of South America General History of Other Areas

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000 010 020 030 040 050 060 070 080 090

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Teachers notes

Individual student evaluation Name:

Skill

Strategies

Comments

Locating resource areas Using parts of a book Writing a bibliography

Using the Dewey system

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Using a bibliography

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Using the library catalogue

Defining keywords

Using a search engine

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Validating Internet sources Understanding the assignment

Evaluating resources

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Determining information

Finding information

Organising information Planning a framework Writing from a framework

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Defining the topic

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Defining learner type Organising study Preparing for tests

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Teachers notes

Sample graphic organisers

aspect aspect

aspect

aspect

aspect

aspect

detail detail detail

topic

t pec

as detail detail detail

aspect

Star

asp

ect

detail detail detail

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ect

asp

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aspect

detail detail detail asp ect

Spider

introduction

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Teachers notes

Outcome links State NSW

English TS3.1, TS3.2, TS3.3, TS3.4

SOSE N/A

RS3.5, RS3.6, RS3.7, RS3.8 WS3.9, WS3.10, WS3.11, WS3.12, WS3.13, WS3.14

r o e t s Bo r e Vic. p ok u S N/A

ENRE 0401to ENRE 0404

ENWR 0401 to ENWR 0404

LS4.1, LS4.2 LS4.3 V4.1, V4.2 V4.3, V4.4 R4.1, R4.2 R4.3, R4.4 W4.1, W4.2 W4.3, W4.4

ICP4.1, ICP4.2 ICP4.3, ICP4.4

SA

3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4,3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12,

N/A

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4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4,4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 4.10, 4.11, 4.12

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ENSL 0401 to ENSL 0404

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Refer to curriculum documents on http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au

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TEACHERS notes

Using the library •

•

Worksheet information Revise, using a specific example, how to create research questions from different aspects of an explosion chart, how to determine the keywords, and listing synonyms of keywords. Students can use the example revised or a topic of their choice.

Students use the keywords and their synonyms to locate information in each book, to answer their research questions.

Revise skimming and scanning techniques for checking relevance and suitability of material.

Allow students to discuss why they think contents, index and glossary pages are useful.

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Writing and using a bibliography ................ Page 5 Indicators • Compiles a bibliography.

• Uses bibliography references to make notes for an oral presentation.

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Background information • Most students know that fiction and nonfiction books, encyclopaedias and Internet access are available in the library. But many do not realise that it also houses other sources of valuable information which can be very useful tools for research.

• The most valuable resource in the library is the librarian.

While it is essential that students can locate material independently, they should also know that the librarian’s wealth of knowledge and experience can also be used.

• All library resources can play a role in research. They may not all be used for one project but, over the year, each will play at least a minor role in research, contributing to the success of projects.

• When planning a project for research, the broad view of the topic is studied first and then a particular aspect is chosen to research in detail. Library resources can provide general and/or specific information, so some are more useful for looking at the broad view (general) and others for looking at the detail (specific).

• Contents and index pages are essential in larger books and volumes for finding specific information quickly.

• When writing a research project, the planning and organisation of the content and presentation is done by the writer but the information used is gathered from a number of different sources, such as those freely available in the library.

• These sources must be acknowledged. This is done by compiling a bibliography, which is a list of references to all sources used in the research.

• The bibliography, listed in alphabetical order of author surname, is included at the end of the project.

Library resources ............................................ Page 3

Worksheet information • Explain to the students how a bibliography reference for each type of resource must be written.

For fiction and nonfiction books • author • date of publication • title, underlined • publisher • city For reference books, such as encyclopaedias • title of article • name of book/journal, underlined • date of publication • volume • page number(s) • publisher • city For periodicals, such as magazines and newspapers • author • year of publication • title of article • name of periodical • volume/issue/date • pages

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Indicator • Locates all facilities within the library.

Worksheet information • Students walk around the school library locating each section. Some sections may need to be deleted and others added to match the exact resources available in the school’s library.

• Allow students to make a rough copy of the library plan.

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Parts of a book .............................................. Page 4

Indicators • Locates specific information using the contents, index and glossary pages.

• Explains the importance of the contents, index and glossary pages of a book in locating specific information.

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USING THE LIBRARY

Library resources 1. (a) Take a walk around your library and tick off each section in the table as you find it. (b) Add any other resources which your library may have that have not been listed.

2. Devise a key for each section.

Resources

Key

Resources Nonfiction World books Almanacs Dictionaries DVDs/videotapes Recording facilities Periodicals Other

Available in library?

Key

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Fiction Encyclopedias Yearbooks Atlases Directories CDs/audiotapes Pictures, photos, posters CD-ROMs

Available in library?

3. Draw a simple sketch of your library and use your key to show the location of each resource area.

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USING THE LIBRARY

Parts of a book Nonfiction and reference books include specific sections which help us to use them efficiently when searching for information.

• The contents at the front of the book gives the page numbers of an area of interest.

• The index at the back of the book gives a detailed alphabetical list, with page numbers, of names, places and subjects mentioned in the book.

• The glossary, usually located just before the index, gives a list of subjectspecific vocabulary with definitions.

1. (a) Name a topic you would like to research.

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(b) Write two research questions for your topic.

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(d) Write synonyms for the keywords.

2. (a) Choose four books about your chosen topic.

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(c) Circle the keywords in each question.

(b) Scan the contents, index and glossary of each book and record the page numbers that guide you to information relating to your research questions. Use the keywords and synonyms in your search.

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3. Explain why you think each page is useful.

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USING THE LIBRARY

Writing and using a bibliography A bibliography is written to acknowledge the writers whose work has been used in the research and to identify the sources used for the information. If a bibliography is not used, the writer may be accused of plagiarism; that is, stealing someone else’s work.

1. (a) Name a topic you would like to research.

(b) List the sources in alphabetical order by author surname and compile a bibliography. Your teacher will give you the details.

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2. (a) Look through the periodicals in the vertical files and choose an article of interest.

(b) Read through the periodical and record the references in the bibliography.

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(c) On a separate sheet, use these references to make notes for an oral presentation.

3. In what way does referring to a bibliography help in the research process?

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TEACHERS notes

Using the Dewey decimal system Background information • It is important for students to understand the Dewey decimal system so they can locate nonfiction books on the shelves.

• Most libraries indicate the location of the main groups at the end of the shelves.

• Pages 6–9 are used in conjunction with each other.

Indicators • Learns how the Dewey decimal system is used to arrange nonfiction books.

• Learns how to use the Dewey decimal system to locate books by subject.

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Using the Dewey decimal system – 1 ........ Page 7 • Revise what students already know about the Dewey system and its creator, Melville Dewey.

• Explain how the system works, with all areas of knowledge classified into one of ten main groups.

• Copy the section of the Dewey classification sheet from page 7 for the students to study.

• Explain that as the subject matter becomes more detailed, the decimal classification extends.

• Students locate the books with the given Dewey numbers and should note that the subject of each book becomes more specific while still being about the ancient world.

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Using the Dewey decimal system – 2 ........ Page 8 • Students locate the 930s books on the shelves and note which tens number different civilisations have been given.

• Students find books relating to their chosen civilisation.

• Revise how the decimal system works before students complete 2. (b).

• Again, students should note that as subjects become more specific, the decimal number extends.

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Using the Dewey decimal system – 3 ........ Page 9 • Allow students time to browse through the 000 shelves in the library.

• Discuss the types of books available and why they are classed in a group of their own.

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USING THE LIBRARY

Using the Dewey decimal system – 1 Once the plan for a research project has been finalised, sufficient relevant information must be located from which to make notes. Nonfiction and reference books are used to find factual information about a topic. In the library, they are classified using the Dewey decimal system. This system organises books by subject and, within each subject, from general to more detailed information.

This table shows the subgroups or ‘tens’ of Geography and History, the 900 group.

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Geography and History World history Geography and travel Biography, genealogy, insignia History of the ancient world General history of Europe General history of Asia General history of Africa General history of North America General history of South America General history of other areas

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900 900 910 920 930 940 950 960 970 980 990

321

322

A path can be followed through the system from the general subjects of the main classification through to very specific subjects.

1. (a) Find a book title and author to match these Dewey numbers.

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(b) What do you notice about the subject matter of the books in relation to the Dewey number?

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USING THE LIBRARY

Using the Dewey decimal system – 2 Books in the 930s belong to History of the ancient world.

1. Look along the 930s shelves to find which ancient civilisations have these Dewey numbers.

Dewey number

Ancient civilisation

931 932 933 934 935

937 938 939

2. (a) Choose and write the name of one civilisation which interests you.

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936

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(b) Record the available books in Dewey number order and write the precise subject of each.

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(c) What do you notice about the subject matter of the books in relation to their Dewey numbers?

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OF WILD ANIMALS

ENCYCLOPEDIA

F ART

Title and author

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ENCY

Dewey number

CLOP OF W EDIA ORLD HISTO RY

The first main group of the Dewey Decimal system is the 000 general books, which cover many different subjects and can not therefore be classed in a single main group.

1. (a) For each subgroup or ‘tens’ of this general main group, write the title and author of a book which is of interest to you. (b) Explain why you chose the book.

ENCYC LOPED IA O

Using the Dewey decimal system – 3

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TEACHERS notes

Using the library catalogue Background information • Catalogues are used so that all resources in the library are recorded and easy to locate. Having a definite location for each resource also means that it can be returned to that same place after being borrowed.

• The catalogue also tells whether the book is currently on the shelf or being borrowed. If necessary, students can place a request to borrow books currently on loan.

• Pages 10–13 are used in conjunction with each other.

Using the library catalogue – 3 ............... Page 13 • Students have the opportunity to use the library catalogue to locate books for a project and determine their location details.

• As students become familiar with this procedure, they will find locating resources for actual research projects much easier.

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Worksheet information

Using the library catalogue – 1 ............... Page 11 • Explain that the library’s catalogue can give all the details, including Dewey numbers of books, when only part of the details are known.

• Call numbers are essential for finding the exact location of books on the shelves.

• A subject search will give all the books housed in the library, relating to a particular subject. Keywords, phrases and similar words are the key to finding books in a subject search.

• Students may need help from the librarian to navigate the library’s catalogue for the first time.

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Indicators • Learns how the library catalogue works.

• Uses the library catalogue to find books for a research project.

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Using the library catalogue – 2 ............... Page 12 • If a student has a favourite author and wants to know all the books written by this person, an author search can be conducted.

• A title search gives the author and call number* of a book. * The call number is the information on the book’s spine which determines its location on the shelf.

For fiction, the call number is generally F or JF for fiction or junior fiction, followed by the first three letters of the author’s last name.

For nonfiction and reference material, the call number is the Dewey number followed by the first three letters of the author’s last name.

• If title, author and subject of a book are known, the students could scan the shelves looking for the book, but a quick search on the computer by title, author or subject will give the call number and hence the exact location of the book on the shelf.

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USING THE LIBRARY

Using the library catalogue – 1 The library’s catalogue allows you to conduct a book search by: • subject • author • title The search will give you the call number for each book so you can locate it on the shelf.

For fiction, the call number is the first three letters of the author’s last name.

For nonfiction, the call number also includes the Dewey number.

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To find books about a particular subject area, conduct a subject search.

• Click on ‘subject’ and type in the subject of your search. If this brings up no matches, try related words. If this brings up no matches, click on ‘quick find’ and try these words again.

• The answer screen will give a list of books with author details and call numbers.

• The list will be classed as either fiction or nonfiction. Scroll through the list for the type of book you want.

1. (a) Write the keywords you would use to search for nonfiction books about these subjects. (b) Write the title, author and call number of one nonfiction book for each.

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Keywords

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2. (a) Write the keywords you would use to search for fiction books about these subjects. (b) Write the title, author and call number of one fiction book for each.

Subject

Keywords

Title, author, call number

The American Civil War The great fire of London

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USING THE LIBRARY

Using the library catalogue – 2 To find all the books written by one author, conduct an author search.

1. (a) Write the name of your favourite author.

• Click on ‘author’ and type in the author’s name. Remember to spell the name correctly and leave spaces between names and initials. (b) Write the titles and call numbers of three books by your favourite author.

Call number

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Title

To find the author and call number of a book, the title of which you know, conduct a title search.

2. Conduct a title search to find the authors and call numbers for these books.

• Click on ‘title’ and type in the title of each book.

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To find the Dewey number of a book, conduct a subject, author or title search.

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The Dewey number of a book is needed so that you know where to find it on the shelf. A catalogue search using the author, title or subject will give the book’s Dewey number.

3. Use the catalogue to find the Dewey number for each book.

Title and author

Dewey number

Charlotte’s Web EB White Harry Potter and the goblet of fire JK Rowling The secret garden Frances Hodgson Burnett 12

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Using the library catalogue – 3 1. (a) Write the title of a topic you would like to research.

(b) Conduct a subject search to find the titles, authors and Dewey numbers of three books about the topic.

Author

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(c) Choose one of the authors.

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(d) Conduct an author search to find three more titles by this person and their Dewey numbers.

Title

Dewey number

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2. How would you explain to a younger student how the library catalogue works?

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TEACHERS notes

What is the Internet?

Background information • The Internet is an excellent tool for research but it does have its limitations. As there is no way of controlling what is posted on the net, it is essential that students learn how to become critical thinkers, evaluating the sources found and making their own decisions based on wide reading and research.

• The vast amount of information available for any subject is overwhelming. Using specific words and phrases will narrow down a search.

• It is easy to be distracted while using the Internet.

Encourage students to limit the time they spend at the computer and to refer back to the assignment title at regular intervals. This will help them to stay focused.

Indicators • Defines keywords for a number of assignments.

Worksheet information • Discuss the general and specific topics for each assignment title.

• Students write the keywords and phrases and similar words which may be used in an Internet search.

• Explain that using the most appropriate keywords is essential for locating relevant websites.

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What is the Internet? ............................... Page 15

Indicator • Gives reasons for and against using the Internet for research.

Worksheet information • Read and discuss the text with the students.

• Students discuss and record advantages and disadvantages of using information from the Internet.

• Students consider using the Internet exclusively for research. Does it provide a range and balance of resources? Students should think about the advantages of other resources over those found on the Internet.

Answers

1. (i) General topic – Japan Specific topic – physical features

(ii) General topic – Shane Warne Specific topic – his sporting achievements

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Defining keywords ................................... Page 17

(iii) General topic – New Zealand Specific topic – population difference between islands (iv) General topic – offshore oil rigs Specific topic – life and leisure (v) General topic – Romans Specific topic – extend empire

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Validating sources ................................... Page 16 Indicator • Explains the importance of validating information from the Internet.

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Answers 1. Advantages – readily available, up-to-date, lots of information about any topic Disadvantages – too much information, all websites require validating

(vi) General topic – California Specific topic – gold rush

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Worksheet information • Work through and discuss the different ways in which information from the Internet may be validated.

• Discuss why it is essential to check the reliability of these sources, considering the need for broad and balanced views and correct and current factual information and statistics.

• Some websites are quick to load and easy to navigate.

Others are less easy to use. It may be better to avoid using such sites, even though they look promising, as much time could be wasted.

Answers 1. To check information for accuracy and to determine if it is trying to persuade the reader rather than just giving factual information.

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What is the Internet?

Read the text.

The Internet is a worldwide network of computers which, among other things, provides an information resource which has been compiled by individuals and organisations throughout the world. This information is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to anyone with a computer and an Internet connection.

Whatever question you may have about any topic imaginable, there is sure to be a site on the Internet that will help you with your enquiry.

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Having so much information available can present problems, in particular: • The sheer volume of information on a single topic can be overwhelming, making it hard to sift through and find what is relevant.

• There is no control over information posted on the Internet, so the researcher must check the validity of each source.

The Internet is an excellent resource for current information as sites can be updated regularly, keeping the researcher informed of recent developments and statistics. Here it has the advantage over books, which can only claim to be accurate at the time of going to print.

Search engines are used to find information from the world wide web. There are many to choose from; for example: • Google: <www.google.com> • Yahoo: <search.yahoo.com> • Surf Wax: <www.surfwax.com> • Ask Jeeves for Kids: <www.ajkids.com>

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It is very important that the correct keywords are used when making a search. A search engine can only make a search based on the keywords you provide. You must be specific, asking the search engine to find exactly what you want.

1. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of using the Internet for research.

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2. Would you use only Internet resources for research? Explain why/why not.

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USING THE INTERNET

Validating sources Read the text.

Because there are no regulations over information posted on the Internet, it is important that all sources are validated. If a source cannot be shown to be reliable, it is not wise to spend time using it to make notes for research.

Checking sources can be done in a number of ways.

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• Check the URL. A site maintained by a reputable organisation such as a university, government or high profile company is more likely to be reliable than that of an individual, as these institutions have the resources to check the information before the site is activated.

• How old is the article?

In some cases, it doesn’t matter if the information is old. But if you need recent statistics or information on something that is constantly changing you need to search for the most up-to-date sites.

• What is the status of the writer?

Has the article been written by an expert or an enthusiast? An expert is more likely to have the weight of previous research to back up his or her article than an enthusiast, but both should be crosschecked to ensure key facts and figures are correct.

• What is the purpose of the article?

Articles are written for a number of reasons, many of which simply involve sharing information and ideas. Others try to influence the opinion of the reader. It is important that as you read all articles, you do so with an open mind, thinking about the content and why it has been published.

• Crosscheck the information.

Finding the same information on an unrelated site or in print, indicates that it is probably reliable.

Many sites offer links to other sites for more detailed information.

It is easy to spend a lot of time researching on the Internet, trawling through pages of websites that may not be appropriate for your project.

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1. Explain why it is important to validate sources from the Internet.

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Defining keywords For any given assignment, information required ranges from the general to the specific. Keywords used for Internet or book searches are generally taken from the specific.

For example: ‘How might polar bears be affected if climate change causes longer summers?’

• The general subject is ‘polar bears’.

• The specific subject is ‘effect of climate change on polar bears and seasons’.

• The keywords would be, ‘climate change polar bears’.

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1. (a) In the table, give the general and specific topics and keywords for each assignment.

Assignment/Websites (i) Write a report on the major physical features of Japan.

Include maps.

(ii) Create a time line showing the major sporting achievements of Australian cricket legend, Shane Warne.

General topic

Specific topic

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(b) Using your preferred search engine, conduct searches for each assignment using the keywords. Record the sites available for each.

Keywords

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(iii) Suggest reasons why New Zealand’s North Island is more densely populated than South Island.

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(iv) Write a diary of a week in the life of an offshore oil rig engineer.

(v) Using maps, describe the extent of the Roman Empire at its height. (vi) Present an illustrated description of the Californian goldrush.

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TEACHERS notes

Make the Internet work for you Background information • The Internet as a research tool is only as good as the keywords that are provided. As the students see how their keywords can reduce the number of websites found, they will become more proficient at using them.

• Pages 18–21 are used in conjunction with each other.

Indicator • Uses appropriate keywords to find relevant information.

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Make the Internet work for you – 1 .......... Page 19

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Make the Internet work for you – 2 .......... Page 20 Worksheet information • The sheer volume of information available on the Internet creates problems when gathering information. Stress the importance of using appropriate keywords and refining them where necessary, to find the most relevant information.

• 1. (c) Students choose a person they would like to complete a report on.

3. (a) Students will note the number of sites returned drops from millions to thousands. (Note: Figures will vary greatly, depending on the search engine used.) (b) Eiffel Tower brings up a full range of websites including tourism. Eiffel Tower NOT tourism brings up information about the tower; e.g. construction and history.

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Worksheet information • Students read and follow information while at the computer.

• Allow students time to look at sites related to their subject.

This will help them become familiar with using the search engine and navigating the sites.

• As students become proficient at finding useful websites, gathering information as part of the research process will be more efficient.

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Make the Internet work for you – 3 .......... Page 21 • •

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Worksheet information The Internet provides a wealth of excellent images which can be useful for an assignment.

The process for finding these images is the same as for finding information, but the ‘images’ option is selected when beginning the search. Again, keywords are important.

As with all resource material used for research, information gathered from the Internet must be acknowledged and included in the bibliography of the project.

Caution: Searching for images may have unintended and unwanted results. Some search engines allow results to be filtered and only return ‘child-friendly’ images. Ask Jeeves for Kids does this automatically.

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USING THE INTERNET

MAKE THE INTERNET WORK FOR YOU – 1 Knowing your search engine and how to use it will help you access the huge amount of information on the Internet.

Before conducting a search, you need to be familiar with the layout of the opening screen and how to use it. Not all search engines show exactly the same screen, but they are all similar and provide the same facilities.

1. Read the information.

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• Whichever search engine you use, there is a query window with a flashing cursor where you type in your keywords.

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• There are buttons for you to choose the type of search; e.g. web - for information, images - for pictures, news - for recent information and maps.

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• At the top of the screen is a ‘favourites’ or ‘bookmark’ button to store useful websites, saving you the trouble of searching for them again.

• Also at the top of the screen is a display for the address of the current website you are viewing.

• Once you have entered the keywords and chosen the search you require, click on ‘search’ on the screen or press ‘enter’ on the keyboard and the search for information will begin.

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C.Publ i cat i ons • At the top of the page it will state the total number of websites it has found in the •search. f or vi ewthisp ur pbeo se so ylooking •for Forr ae general search, number can many millions.

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• The answers page will bring up the first ten websites in order of relevance based on the keywords you typed in.

specific information, you must finetune your request.

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• At the bottom of the page, you can click on further pages of websites found by the search engine.

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• Scroll through the list of websites until you see one that looks promising. Run the cursor over the text of the title or the URL and click. The full document is now on screen for you to look through.

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• Within any document, there may be references to other pages in that document or to other websites. These references will be in a different colour and often underlined.

Place the cursor on these words and click to look at these pages.

If the pages are from the same website, return to the original page by clicking on the return arrow at the top left-hand corner of the page. If they are on a different website, click on the cross (x) at the top of the page to return to the original site.

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2. (a) Choose a subject you would like to research.

(b) Spend 15 minutes looking at sites related to your subject. (c) Bookmark and tally the number of useful sites you found.

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USING THE INTERNET

MAKE THE INTERNET WORK FOR YOU – 2 Keywords are like clues, informing you of the main focus of the study. It is important to know the keywords of a question or an assignment as these are used by the search engine to find information from the worldwide web (www).

1. For each assignment title: (a) Circle the keywords. (b) Conduct an Internet search.

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(c) How appropriate are the sites for each? Give a score out of 3; e.g.

0/3 if the site was not relevant; 3/3 if the site was totally relevant.

Assignment title

Score

Write a report on the achievements of …

Describe the annual migration of whales.

/3 /3

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Explain how exercise can contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

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Using speech marks around keywords helps to refine the search.

2. (a) Record the number of websites your chosen search engine finds for each keyword entry.

Keywords entered

Number of websites found

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(b) What do you notice?

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(c) How can this help your research?

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If you want to exclude a particular aspect of a subject, use the word NOT (all capitals) or the minus sign (–) in your search.

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3. (a) Record the number of websites the search engine finds for each keyword entry.

Keywords entered Eiffel Tower

Number of websites found

Eiffel Tower NOT tourism (b) What do you notice about the type of website each search gave?

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USING THE INTERNET

MAKE THE INTERNET WORK FOR YOU – 3 To find pictures to include in an assignment, conduct an image search.

• Click on the Images button on the main search page. Type in keywords and search.

The answers page will show a total number of images and show the first page of images.

• Click on an image to see it and the original website it came from.

• Follow the prompts to see the picture on its own, separate page.

Different search engines may have different instructions for accessing the pictures. Follow their prompts or, if in doubt, ask the librarian to assist you.

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Wonder of the world

Website (URL)

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1. (a) Use the Internet to find the best pictures for your top ‘Seven wonders of the world’.

Record the website for each picture.

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Remember, these images are copyright and can only be used for reference.

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As with using any other resource tool for research, it is necessary to include Internet sources in a bibliography.

Always include: • Author’s name (if known) • Full URL

• Title of the work • Date of your visit

• Date of the work

2. Choose one of the websites above and write a full reference for inclusion in a bibliography.

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TEACHERS notes

Internet research: The Ancient Greeks Background information • Regularly checking the reliability of Internet sources should become a habit so that they can do it efficiently when it is required.

• Pages 22–25 are used in conjunction with each other.

Indicator • Chooses appropriate keywords and uses them to find relevant information.

Internet research: The Ancient Greeks – 1 ................ Page 23

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Internet research: The Ancient Greeks – 2 ................ Page 24 Worksheet information • Students choose one area from the explosion chart on the previous page and extend it to create another one about their chosen area with more detail.

• They record keywords and phrases from their charts and use them to conduct an information search.

• Students record relevant pages found.

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Worksheet information • Students study the explosion chart and consider keywords and phrases suitable to conduct an Internet search for information on the Ancient Greeks.

• Encourage students to write them as they would type them into the computer.

• Explain who Homer was and about his two works, The Iliad Iliad, about the Trojan war and The Odyssey Odyssey, about Odysseus’s return to Ithaca.

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Worksheet information • Students write the area they researched on the previous page and record five facts they learnt.

• For each fact, they conduct searches to find two other websites which confirm it.

• Discuss the possible key to finding relevant information efficiently (keywords and phrases).

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Internet research: The Ancient Greeks – 3 ................ Page 25

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USING THE INTERNET

INTERNET RESEARCH: THE ANCIENT GREEKS – 1

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1. Study the Ancient Greeks explosion chart.

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C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• 2. From the explosion chart, make a list of keywords and phrases you might use for an Internet

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Area of research

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search to find information for each area.

Write them as you would type them into the search engine’s query window.

Remember to use speech marks, NOT and PLUS if necessary.

Keywords and phrases

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USING THE INTERNET

INTERNET RESEARCH: THE ANCIENT GREEKS – 2 1. Choose one area from the Ancient Greeks explosion chart to study. What is it?

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2. Extend this area of the chart by adding further detail.

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3. (a) In the table, write keywords and phrases to find more detailed information. (b) List the addresses (URLs) of five useful websites from your search.

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Keywords and phrases

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USING THE INTERNET

INTERNET RESEARCH: THE ANCIENT GREEKS – 3 1. Write the area you researched.

2. Record five facts you have learnt about this area from one website. website: • • • •

3. For each fact, record two other websites which confirm that fact.

Fact

Websites • •

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4. During your research on the Ancient Greeks, what do you feel was the key to finding relevant information quickly?

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TEACHERS notes

UNDERSTANDING THE ASSIGNMENT Worksheet information • Explain the importance of understanding what is expected from an assignment. Students should never start if they have doubts about their understanding—check using a dictionary, or thesaurus, or with classmates and the teacher.

Answers 1. (a) Explain – Tell how things work or how they came to be the way they are; Significance – Importance; Neighbouring – Lives near by; Teacher check (b) Review – Survey a topic, looking at its positive and negatives and give a judgment; Contributions – To give for a common purpose; Raising awareness – Elevating people’s knowledge of; Global warming – Rise in temperature of Earth’s atmosphere; Teacher check 2. (a)–(c) Answers will vary

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Matching terms ....................................... Page 27 Indicator • Matches terms commonly found in assignment titles with their definitions.

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Background information • Once an assignment has been handed out, students often begin by borrowing resources from the library or entering the title into a search engine. It is good practice for students to spend time ensuring their understanding of the title. This way, students will learn the purpose of the assignment, making it less likely for misunderstandings to occur and for time to be wasted borrowing and browsing irrelevant research.

• Other than understanding each word in the title and being clear on what is being asked of them, students should also: – consider an assignment’s audience (teacher, classmates, or someone else) – choose how content will be found—from opinion or research – know what form the assignment will take (project, poster etc.)

– know how it will be assessed.

Asking questions ..................................... Page 29

Indicator • Writes questions to further clarify meaning of assignment topic and to focus on what is being asked.

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Answers 1. (a) Compare (b) Argue (c) Describe (d) Evaluate (e) Explain (f) Illustrate (g) Review (h) Summarise 2. (a) Justify – demonstrate, prove, support (b) Indicate – announce, testify, argue (c) Examine – investigate, look into, check (d) Assemble – unite, combine, gather (e) Distinguish – divide, part, detach 3. Answers will vary

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Possible answers 1. (a) • Where does the Mona Lisa hang?

• Why does the glass casing need to be airconditioned?

• Why is it bulletproof?

• Has it been stolen or damaged before? (b) • What is scurvy?

• What causes scurvy?

• Why did people on long journeys (not short ones) suffer from it in the past?

• What cures scurvy today? (c) • How many nappies does a baby use in one day?

• Are they replaced during the night as well?

• How much do nappies cost?

• How many people are there in Australia with babies? (d) • What do swimmers and cyclists have in common?

• What are their differences?

• What type of things can improve athletes’ times?

• What is streamlining?

2. Teacher check

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In your own words ................................... Page 28

Indicator • Rewrites assignment titles in own words to clarify meaning.

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Worksheet information • Read the information at the top of the worksheet with the class. Go through the example together. Can the students think of any other questions they could ask themselves before they begin to choose resources to complete the research for the assignment?

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Worksheet information • Go through the answers with the class and clarify any misunderstandings about the terms.

• Survey the class to see who has used a thesaurus before.

What for? Discuss what a thesaurus is and is used for. Did they use it?

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MATCHING TERMS The words below are often found at the start of assignment titles. Do you know what they mean and what they are asking you to do?

1. Write the word next to the definition of what it is asking you to do. Try on your own first, then, if you need to, check with a partner or a dictionary. (Hint: Eliminate the ones you recognise first then go back to the words you are unsure of.)

Describe Compare

Explain Evaluate

Summarise Illustrate

Review Argue

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(a)

Give a fair answer that describes the similarities and differences of two or more things.

Make a case based on evidence for and/or against a point of view.

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(b)

Show the main aspects of what something is like, how it works or the order in which something happened.

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(c)

(d)

Give evidence to state the worth of something (rate it), including your own opinion.

(e)

Tell how things work or how they came to be the way they are.

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C.Pu i ca t i ons maps, sketches or graphs, to show things work or how they came to be the way they are.

• f o r r e v i e w p ur posesonl y• (g) Survey a topic, looking at its positive and negatives (f)

and make a judgment.

Express the main points of an idea or topic, leaving out any less important information.

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Using a thesaurus

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(h)

When you are unsure of the meaning of a word and reading the dictionary definition doesn’t make it any clearer, try using a thesaurus to find synonyms for the word.

2. Use a thesaurus to find the synonyms for these words. (a) Justify –

(b) Indicate – (c) Examine –

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(d) Assemble – (e) Distinguish – 3. Chose two of your own words and find their synonyms.

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UNDERSTANDING THE ASSIGNMENT

In your own words It is essential that you understand an assignment title so you know what you have been asked to do. Checking definitions of difficult words and rewriting the title in your own words will help. Always check with your teacher if you are still unsure.

1. Read the assignment titles and write definitions or synonyms for the words and phrases in bold. Rewrite the title in your own words to show your understanding of what you are being asked to do. (a) Explain the significance of Peter’s visit to the neighbouring village.

Explain:

(b) Review the documentary ‘Warming up!’ and discuss its contributions to raising awareness about global warming warming.

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Significance:

Raising awareness:

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Review:

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Neighbouring:

New assignment title:

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New assignment title:

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2. Read the assignment titles. Underline the words or phrases that you are unsure of. Use a dictionary or thesaurus to find their meanings and write them on the notes line.

• Rewrite the titles in your own words.

(a) Create a montage of the triumphant athletes who competed in the 2004 Olympic Games.

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(b) Form a hypothesis about how astronomers detect the presence of blackholes.

Notes:

Notes:

New:

New:

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UNDERSTANDING THE ASSIGNMENT

Asking questions Once you have read an assignment title, it helps to write a list of questions to help you understand what it is you are being asked to do.

For example: Assignment title — How have rabbits become a pest in Australia?

Possible questions you could ask yourself: • Are rabbits native Australian animals or were they introduced?

• What is their preferred environment?

• How often do they breed?

• How many young does a female rabbit have each time?

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1. Read each assignment title and write four questions to help you decide on the information needed to complete the assignment.

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(b) Explain why scurvy, a disease that affected many passengers during long-distance sea voyages from the 1600s to 1800s, is not a concern in today’s society.

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•

•

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(a) Investigate reasons why Da Vinci’s masterpiece, the painting Mona Lisa, can now only be viewed through an air-conditioned glass casing behind bulletproof security glass.

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(c) Estimate the amount of money spent on nappies in Australia in one day. Show all calculations.

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(d) Compare ways that cyclists and swimmers are able to increase their speed at major sporting events like the Olympics. (For example, by using streamlined helmets.)

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2. Which of these assignments interests you the most?

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On the back of this sheet, explain why.

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TEACHERS notes

DEFINING THE TOPIC •

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•

– borrowing books you don’t actually need but that your classmates do • Study the explosion chart again with the class. If the students have trouble finding a chosen theme, work together as a class and find the points that could be headings. Write the headings on the board. Ask students to volunteer points that could fit under these headings.

Every time a point is written on the board, cross it off the explosion chart. Now students will easily be able to see common themes and choose their points.

Some examples of common themes and points are: Sound energy Fuels (or fossil fuels) Musical instruments Oil Pitch Coal Echoes Petrol Vibrations Natural gas

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Planning for research – 1 ........................... Page 31 Indicators • Reads an explosion chart about energy.

• Practises planning for research from a chosen topic – energy.

• Plans for a research topic of his/her own choice.

Note: Pages 31 and 33 are to be used in conjunction with each other.

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Background information Often, students are given (or asked to choose) a topic for a research assignment and are then sent to the library.

Students are asked to ‘find out’ about their topic but given little direction or focus as to where to look or what to look for.

Usually, much information is borrowed or printed out and valuable time is spent sifting though it to see what is relevant. Identifying a focus first—thus refining the topic to a more manageable size—is the key.

By completing explosion charts and ‘What I know and want to find out’ charts, students are able to identify what they actually need to know about their topic.

This process will help students to choose a topic that: – interests them (helping them to stay motivated) – isn’t too broad or too narrow – isn’t too difficult.

Electricity Safety Appliances Static Light bulbs Batteries Lightning

Light Rainbows Mirrors Shadows Light bulbs

The sun Solar energy Sun protection Solar oven UV rays Solar-powered cars

Renewable energy Wind energy Solar energy Water energy (hydropower) Wave energy Global warming

Magnetic energy Magnets North and South pole Compass Earth’s magnetic field

Energy Burning energy

Worksheet information • As a class, study the explosion chart about energy. Explain that all of the points show some aspect of energy.

• Ask students to query any points that they do not understand and help to clarify them.

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Planning for research – 2 ........................... Page 32 Worksheet information • Read and discuss the information at the top of the page with the class. Ask for volunteers to explain how they choose a research topic and how they plan for it.

• Survey the class to see who heads straight for the library or Internet as soon as they have found their topic.

• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of doing this.

For example, some advantages could be: – getting to the computers first – borrowing the books you need before they are borrowed by someone else Some disadvantages could be: – spending too much time browsing Internet pages and being overwhelmed by information (printing out too much) – borrowing lots of books and then after some time spent reading, deciding on the focus of your assignment and not having the resources you need

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(Note: The above list is not exhaustive. Students may add other points.)

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• Students complete the ‘What I already know and what I want to find out’ table.

Note: Students are now ready to complete a research assignment about an area of energy. (This would be a good activity to do if you are studying energy in science at the time.)

Research planner ........................................ Page 33

Worksheet information • Now that students have had practice defining their research topic, they can use the worksheet to repeat the procedure with a research topic of their own choice.

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DEFINING THE TOPIC

Planning for research – 1 Read the explosion chart about energy.

Renewable energy

Oil

Electrical appliances

Earth’s magnetic field Musical instruments

Radioactive waste

Sound energy

People and energy

The sun

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Nuclear power plants

Coal

Mirrors

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Static electricity

North and South poles

Batteries

Lightning

Compass

Dams

Sound vibrations

Fossil fuels

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Natural gas

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UV rays

Shadows

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Electricity Rainbows

Light energy

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Magnetic energy Solar oven

Wave energy

Wind energy

Nuclear energy

Wind turbines

Burning energy

Global warming

Solar-powered cars Light bulbs

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Protection from the sun

Water energy (hydropower) Solar energy

Safety with electricity

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DEFINING THE TOPIC

Planning for research – 2 When you are given an assignment that asks you to research information, it helps if you spend time thinking about the topic before you start looking for resources in the library or on the Internet. This will reduce the amount of books you borrow and pages of information you print out, and save you time!

Imagine if you had chosen the topic ‘Energy’. The library would be quite bare after your visit!

When you choose a research topic, make sure it is: • something that interests you (this will help you to stay motivated) • not too broad (for example, ‘Energy’ or ‘Animals’) • not too narrow (for example, ‘The diet of the domestic male tortoise shell cat living in Tasmania’) • not too difficult (for example, ‘Einstein’s theory of relativity’).

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1. Read all of the points on the ‘Energy’ explosion chart.

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My common theme is: My three points are: •

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•

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2. Choose three points that are related by a common theme. For example: Common theme – Sound energy Points – vibrations, pitch, musical instruments

3. To help you identify what you already know and would like to know about your research topic, complete the table. Copy your three points down the first column of the chart.

Research topic:

Point 1

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C.Pu bl ca i o s • Write each point as a question.

• Write ato leasts two questions in each box.• •f orr evi ew pu r p e son l y What I already know • Write your list as bullet points.

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Point 2

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Point 3

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DEFINING THE TOPIC

research PLANNER

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1. Write your research topic in the centre and add as many pieces of information you can think of around it. Ask someone else to read your chart and to contribute at least three more points.

2. Read all of the points on your explosion chart about your research topic. Choose three that share a common theme and that interest you. Highlight them.

3. Write each point down the first column of the table, then complete the table. This will help you to identify what you already know and would like to know about your topic.

Research topic:

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• Write each point as a question.

• Write at e leasts twoo questions in each box.

• f o r r e v i e w p u r p o s n l y • Point 1

Points to research

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Point 3

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TEACHERS notes

EVALUATING RESOURCES •

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Worksheet information Note: This lesson needs to be taken in the library.

This lesson would be most effective at the beginning of a research assignment.

Asks students to reflect on how they use the library to find resources for assignments. Do a quick survey to see who feels their strategies are effective/ineffective. Why? Discuss skim reading. Where is this often done? Some students may suggest they do this when choosing a fiction novel to read. Explain that to skim read, let your eyes skim over the surface of the text and, as you are thinking about any clues you have found about the subject (from the title, headings and illustrations), look out for keywords. Reading the first and last sentence of the blurb (or paragraph of an essay etc.) can also be useful.

Students complete the evaluation of six books and choose the two that are more relevant to their topic.

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Background information Students can spend the first lesson (and sometimes more) of a research assignment to choosing resources and actually starting the assignment, wandering through library shelves or surfing from one website to another. The task of choosing relevant resources can be overwhelming for some students.

As the amount of research required will increase in secondary school, and even more so at university, it is worthwhile taking the time to teach students to evaluate and choose appropriate resources effectively.

Skimming the blurbs of books lets students identify the main ideas in a book and allows them to evaluate its usefulness and relevance to their assignment. To skim read, let your eyes skim over the surface of the text and, as you are thinking about any clues you have found about the subject (from the title, headings and illustrations), look out for keywords. Reading the first and last sentence of the blurb can also be useful.

Evaluating websites is more complicated but it is important for students to understand that not all authors of sites are authorities on the subject they have written about. At this age, students should be using trusted and familiar websites (or links from them) for their research.

Evaluating a website ............................... Page 37 Indicator • Evaluates a website for its relevance and reliability.

Worksheet information Note: This lesson needs to be situated in a room with the maximum amount of computers.

This lesson would be most effective at the beginning of a research assignment.

In the later years of primary school and in secondary school, many students notice that information on some websites contradicts ‘facts’ on others. This is quite frustrating but presents an opportunity for students to understand that some sites are more reliable and authentic than others.

Ask for feedback from the class, especially about those sites considered unreliable.

A good website to show how to ‘surf’ the Internet is: <http://www.rcls.org/wows/> Kids click — Worlds of web searching

Indicator • To evaluate one’s effectiveness at choosing appropriate and relevant resources.

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Worksheet information • Students work independently to complete the personal evaluation. Ask individual students to share their responses to Question 1. The class may like to offer constructive criticism to each student on ways to improve his/her research skills and suggest goals for his/her action plan.

• Students keep their action plan somewhere close by. At the end of the term, check who has met their goals. (A reward could be given.) Create a class poster showing the students’ own choices of ways to effectively choose resources for assignments.

Note: Be sensitive to student’s responses to Question 2.

This is a personal survey. Many students may not like to (or will not) admit they have difficulty with large amounts of text. This survey may be useful for future class or individual student assessment and planning.

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Choosing resources ................................. Page 35

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Evaluating books ..................................... Page 36 Indicator Uses skim reading to evaluate the usefulness of books for research assignments.

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EVALUATING RESOURCES

Choosing resources There are many times throughout the school year when you are given (or have chosen) a topic to research for an assignment.

1. List in order how you go about finding the information you need for an assignment.

• • • • •

•

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2. Evaluate how you find resources by placing a tick if the statement is true for you.

Yes

No

Unsure

(a) I spend time in the library and ask the librarian or my teacher for help.

(b) I spend a lot of time looking at different websites. (c) I often become frustrated trying to find information on the Internet.

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C.Publ i cat i ons (e) I use many different resources to research my assignments.

• f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• (f) Sometimes I give up because there is too much information to read. (d) I borrow at least five books from the library for an assignment.

(h) I am always happy with my finished work.

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(i) My research skills could be improved.

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(g) I rarely hand my research assignments in on time.

3. Create an action plan with three goals to improve how you find resources and information. Include a date you will have demonstrated each goal by.

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I can improve my research skills by •

My action plan

Date

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EVALUATING RESOURCES

Evaluating books When you have an assignment to complete, a trip to the library is helpful but can often take up too much of your time. It is important to choose books carefully so they have the information you need, but also quickly, so you can start your work.

To save time, skim read the blurb on the back of book to evaluate if it has the information you require. To do this, let your eyes skim over the surface of the blurb text and, while you are thinking about any clues (such as the title of the book and illustrations on the cover), look out for keywords about your topic.

1. Choose a topic to research. Make sure it is not too difficult or too broad.

My topic is:

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Book Title

Skim read Keywords blurb (Y/N) from blurb

1.

2.

3.

4.

Cover art shows …

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2. Find the section in the library with books about your topic and complete the table about six books from that area. Encyclopedias can also be chosen.

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3. Which two books would you choose to use for your assignment? Explain your choice.

Book

Title:

Reason:

Book

Title:

Reason:

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EVALUATING RESOURCES

Evaluating a website When using the Internet to research an assignment, we are bombarded (and often overwhelmed) with information on websites. Unfortunately, some websites contain unreliable and inaccurate information, so it is important to choose your web pages carefully.

Evaluate a website by following these steps.

1. Choose a topic to research. Make sure it is not too difficult or too broad.

My topic is:

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Website evaluation

2. List the search engine you are using (such as Google™ or Yahoo™).

3. List the keywords you enter.

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4. Complete the website evaluation of your chosen site.

The URL is http:// The name of the website is:

Complete the survey about the web page by reading each statement and deciding if it is correct.

• The page loads very quickly. ...................................................................... YES ❒ NO ❒ • The author’s name is visible on the page. ................................................... YES ❒ NO ❒

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C.Publ i cat i ons •• There is ar site r map on the main to u direct you o around thes website. .....l YES ❒ f o e v i e wpagep r p se on y •NO ❒ • The date the page was last updated is clearly shown. ................................ YES ❒ NO ❒

• If I go to another page on the site I can easily return to the main page. ...... YES ❒ NO ❒ • The information presented is up-to-date. ................................................... YES ❒ NO ❒

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• The information presented contains only facts (not opinions). ..................... YES ❒ NO ❒ • Some of the facts seem to be incorrect. ..................................................... YES ❒ NO ❒

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• The author is trying to persuade me to his/her point of view. ...................... YES ❒ NO ❒

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• The web page has relevant information for my project. .............................. YES ❒ NO ❒ • There are links to other sites with good information for my project. ............ YES ❒ NO ❒ I would ❒/would not ❒ recommend this web page to a friend to use for a research assignment because

I think this website is a reliable ❒/unreliable ❒ source of information.

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TEACHERS notes

FAMILY REUNION •

•

•

• Students read the text as a class or individually. After some discussion, they should read the text again to themselves, this time more carefully.

Family reunion – 2 ................................... Page 40 • Explain the importance of finding keywords and phrases in a question to guide the reader to locate relevant information in the text, which is needed to answer the question.

• The question asks about the relationship between the two girls. To answer Question 1 on the worksheet, students should read through the text carefully to locate any relevant information about each girl’s family members and how they are related to each other and highlight it.

• In Question 2, students need to use bullet points to write notes about the different family members and how they are related to each other. Explain that these notes are one way of gathering and clarifying information they think could be useful. Their notes should be very brief, just phrases, not sentences.

• In Question 3, the students are required to write notes about four key family members and to make connections between them.

• In Question 4, students should sort their notes, highlighting them in different colours, according to the paragraph they found them in. This will help them to find and check the information later.

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Indicators • Identifies relevant information in a text.

• Makes appropriate notes from a text.

• Uses a graphic organiser (a family tree) to arrange the information collected.

• Writes answers to questions to summarise information.

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Background information It is important that students understand the value of using a graphic organiser to arrange information in a particular way to make it clearer and more accessible for specific purposes. Information set out in this way is easier to understand and often saves the person doing it, and others, time and effort. The text on page 39 is difficult to comprehend unless a graphic organiser is used.

A family tree is a graphic organiser which shows relationships between family members and makes it easier to ‘see’ how people are connected and to summarise information.

Although the activities in this section focus on the skill of making notes to answer a specific question, a separate, short writing activity is given on page 40 to reinforce the purpose of making notes.

Note: The students have not been asked to write the answer to the question as writing from notes is covered in the next section.

Pages 38–41 are used in conjunction with each other.

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Family reunion – 1 ................................... Page 39 • Explain the task to the students and read and discuss the question.

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1.

Answers

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Jack and Brenda

Barry and Mary

Jane

2. (a) (c) (e) (g) (i)

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Mark

Joe and Ann Saddlestone

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Sam and Gay

Scott

Maureen and Neil Sue and Brett Keith, father brother great grandparents

Family reunion – 3 ................................... Page 41 • Students transfer information from their notes to the family tree.

• They use the family tree to answer specific questions. Their answers provide a summary of the relationship between the two girls who have the same great grandparents and whose mothers are cousins.

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Worksheet information

(b) (d) (f) (h)

Kim

Julie and John

Sharon

Brad

Dorothy and Robert

Maureen and Neal

Ben

Emma

Brett and Sue

Sarah

Jessica

Beverly and Ben

Deb

Pia

Emily

Keith and Marie Dorothy and Robert Dorothy, mother cousins

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MAKING NOTES

Family reunion – 1 Tasks To determine the specific information required from text.

To make and organise notes to write an answer to a question.

Question: How would you describe the relationship between Jessica and Emma?

Read the narrative.

J

ess grabbed her photo and raced out the door. Her class was studying the olden days and lots of photos of people in strange clothes were displayed on the board.

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Mum had had trouble finding a suitable photo for her because they had only recently returned after living in America for eight years and they hadn’t kept many old things. Mum finally had found her parents’ wedding photo. Jess had to find out who was in it, and where, when and why it was taken, so she could tell the class. She’d made careful notes so she would remember all the details her mum had told her.

Her grandmother’s name had been Dorothy Saddlestone and her grandfather was Robert Marks. The attendants were her grandmother’s two brothers, Jack and Keith, Jack’s wife, Brenda, and Keith’s future wife, Marie. Her grandfather, Jack and Keith all wore uniforms. Jess was pleased to see that her grandmother’s parents Ann and Joe Saddlestone were also in the photo.

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Jess enjoyed listening to the other students describing their photos and had learnt lots about the olden days.

Her teacher was pleased too and selected Jess and some others to present their photo talk at the next parent night.

Jess felt good on the night and thought she was presenting well, but her mum didn’t seem to be listening.

Mum was pointing at another photo on the board and whispering to Dad.

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After the students finished, Mum raced over to the board, saying to Dad, ‘Brett, I’m sure it’s him. I know I’ve seen this photo, in my grandparent’s house, when I was a little girl. It really is my Uncle Keith!’

Emma and her mother walked up behind her and Emma said to Jess, ‘That’s my grandfather. He looks so young and so good looking! I’m sorry I didn’t know him, but he died before I was born’.

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Mum turned around and gasped, ‘Maureen, you must be Maureen’.

Emma’s mum looked for ages then said, ‘Sue, how wonderful to see you. I thought you and Brett had gone to live in America’.

Then she looked at the wedding photo and said, ‘Oh, look, Emma, there’s my mum and dad and Auntie Julie and Uncle John. You know, your cousins, Brad and Sharon’s mum and dad!’

They talked for ages. Mum explained she had two daughters, Sarah and me, and that her sister, Bev, and her husband, Ben, had three daughters, Deb, Pia and Emily. Maureen said she and her husband, Neil, had Ben and Emma. When we could persuade them to stop talking for a few seconds, we asked them how we were related, but they told us we would just have to work it out for ourselves.

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MAKING NOTES

Family reunion – 2 Question: Describe the relationship between Jessica and Emma.

1. The keywords that will help you to find relevant information in the text to answer the question are ‘Jessica’ and ‘Emma’ and ‘relationship’. Read through the text and highlight names and information about relationships between any of their relatives.

2. Read the sentences these highlighted words are in and write down any information about Jessica, Emma and their relatives that you think will be useful. Your notes do not have to be in sentences. Use a bullet point for each new item.

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• J’s grandmother was Dorothy Saddlestone • J’s grandfather – Robert Marks • J’s great grandfather – Joe Saddlestone

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•

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(a) Jessica’s mum

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(c) Jessica’s grandmother

(d) Emma’s grandfather

4. Sort the notes you made according to the paragraph you found each one in. Use a different colour highlight pen for each paragraph. This will help with the task on page 41.

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MAKING NOTES

Family reunion – 3 A graphic organiser is a way of arranging or organising information to help you to understand it better.

1. A family tree would be a useful way of organising information to help you to describe the relationship between Jessica and Emma.

Use your notes to complete the family tree. Some information has been added to help you.

FAMILY TREE

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Barry and Mary

Dorothy and Robert

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Jack and Brenda

Sam and Gay

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Answering the question

Je

Sa ra h

a m Em

n Be

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Ki

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Ja

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2. Use the information in the family tree to complete these sentences, which describe the girls’ families and summarise the relationship between them.

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(a) Emma’s parents are

and

(b) Maureen’s parents are

and

(c) Jessica’s parents are

and

(d) Sue’s parents are

(e) Emma’s grandfather,

and

(h) Maureen and Sue are (i) Emma and Jessica have the same R.I.C. Publications®

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, is Maureen’s

.

, is Sue’s

.

(f) Jessica’s grandmother, (g) Keith is Dorothy’s

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TEACHERS notes

SOIL EROSION •

•

• • • •

Worksheet information Soil erosion – 1 ........................................ Page 43 • Explain the task to the students and read the question.

• Students read the text once and then more carefully a second time.

Soil erosion – 2 ........................................ Page 44 • Explain the importance of paragraphs to record different groups of information and how the information within each paragraph relates to the other.

• Students need to ensure that they understand completely what the question means. Finding parts or keywords in a question is a skill which must be practised.

• The steps on page 44 are useful ways to break down a text for a specific purpose.

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Indicators Identifies relevant information in a text.

Makes appropriate notes from a text.

Uses a table to order the information collected.

Uses notes to write short paragraphs on the subject.

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Background information It is not essential that students answer the question completely. It is important for students to have the question initially as they need to determine keywords which they use as a focus for making notes.

Using a table helps students to see these points clearly.

From the organiser, students can then use their own words to write the paragraphs, thus avoiding plagiarism.

Pages 43–45 are used in conjunction with each other.

Although the activities in this section focus on the skills of making notes to answer a specific question, a separate short writing activity is given on page 45 to reinforce the purpose of making notes.

Note: The students have not been asked to write the answer to the question as writing from notes is covered in the next section.

Soil erosion – 3 ........................................ Page 45 • Having made their notes, the students need to organise them in such a way that they are clear and easy to read and understand. The table is a useful graphic organiser for this text and question.

• Using the information from the cause and effect chart, students can summarise what they have learnt by writing paragraphs for one cause, one effect and one solution.

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MAKING NOTES

Soil erosion – 1 Task To determine the specific information required from a text to make and organise notes which can be used to answer the question.

Question: What causes soil erosion, what effect does it have on the remaining land and what could be done to help solve the problem?

Read the information text.

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1. Soil erosion refers to the loss of the top layer of fertile soil. This layer, called humus, contains the nutrients vital for plant development. When this layer is lost, the ground is not rich enough to sustain life. Soil erosion can occur naturally or as a result of human activities.

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3. Soil that has not been planted is also at risk from wind erosion, which can lift and remove fine particles of dry soil. This occurs mainly in drought-affected areas where plants have died through lack of rain and the soil has become fine and dry.

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2. Rain is the greatest cause of soil erosion. It loosens particles of soil and washes them away to be deposited at another site. This type of erosion can be prevented by planting in the soil.

The roots of the plants create a fibrous network, trapping the soil particles, which can then withstand normal rainfall. Erosion by rainwater is more damaging on hillsides as the water flows faster and the soil slides easily.

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4. Unexpected changes in rainfall and wind can create rapid soil erosion. As well as damage caused to homes and community infrastructure, flooding can leave surrounding arable lands barren. Strong winds can leave previously protected soils exposed and liable to erosion by either more wind or rain.

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5. Deforestation robs the land of its cover and other plant and animal life, leaving the ground susceptible to natural erosion. Replanting trees helps prevent soil erosion as the roots anchor the soil and provide decomposing litter to nourish it. The leaf litter also acts as a barrier against erosion as it covers the ground, protecting it from the rain.

6. When preparing land for housing development, an area of land is stripped of all vegetation, again leaving the soil exposed and susceptible to erosion. Planting gardens in new homes not only makes an area look pretty but it also serves a very important purpose as the plants trap the soil in their roots and prevent erosion.

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7. Many agricultural practices such as overuse of land by grazing animals and planting too many crops can also leave the land exposed and at risk from soil erosion.

8. The Dust Bowl which occurred in the United States of America in the 1930s was caused by soil erosion on a massive scale. It was the direct result of years of intensive wheat production starving the land of nutrients, followed by years of drought. As the farmers continued to plough the fields and crops continued to fail through lack of water, the soil had nothing to hold it in place. Strong winds blew across the fields, raising clouds of dust which covered everything in their path. Dust clouds blew for eight years before the rains finally came at the end of the decade. The damage caused to the economy was severe but lessons were learnt from this disaster and new methods of farming were adopted to help reduce soil erosion in susceptible areas.

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MAKING NOTES

Soil erosion – 2 Question: What causes soil erosion, what effect does it have on the remaining land and what could be done to help solve the problem?

1. This question has three distinct sections.

Write three shorter questions to tell what the three sections are. (a) (b)

(c)

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Underline and write the information contained in each of the paragraphs listed below.

Remember to look for information about: • causes of soil erosion • effects of soil erosion on the remaining land • ways to help solve the problem.

Keep your notes brief by using bullet points. Full sentences are not required.

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2. Paragraphs are smaller groups of text relating to a particular point, main idea or piece of information.

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Paragraph 2

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Paragraph 6

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Paragraph 7

3. Write (C) cause, E (effect) or S (solution) next to or above the relevant notes for each paragraph.

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MAKING NOTES

Soil erosion – 3 A graphic organiser is a clear way of arranging information to help you to understand it better.

1. A table would be a useful way to organise the information to help explain the effect of soil erosion on the land.

Use your notes to complete the cause and effect chart.

Effects

Solutions

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Causes

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•f o rr e v i e wp r p o se sito yremaining • Question: Explain how soil erosion canu occur and the effect hasn onl the

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Effect:

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land. What could be done to help solve the problem?

2. Use the information in the organiser to write a paragraph each on one cause, one effect and one possible solution to soil erosion.

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Solution:

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TEACHERS notes

FRANZ JOSEF GLACIER •

•

•

Franz Josef Glacier – 2 ............................ Page 48 • Explain the importance of understanding keywords and phrases to guide the reader to relevant information in the text. This question is asking for facts and opinions about the Franz Josef Glacier. Read the text about how to identify a fact and an opinion and have the students answer Question 2. This could be done as a class. The students will need to read paragraph 2 to answer the question.

• Students read the sentences containing information about the keywords and record some useful facts on the sheet under the heading provided. Students read the text again, ensuring that they have included all relevant information.

At this stage, they do not need to worry about whether they are noting facts or opinions.

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Indicators • Identifies relevant information in a text.

• Makes appropriate notes from a text.

• Uses a graphic organiser (a T-chart) to sort information into fact and opinion.

Franz Josef Glacier – 3 ............................ Page 49 • Having made their notes, the students can organise them into facts and opinions. The T-chart is a useful graphic organiser for this text and question.

• Using the information from the T-chart, students can answer the given question. Part (a) should contain facts only; part (b) should contain only the writer’s opinions of the glacier walk.

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Background information A fact is something that is true. It can be verified by referring to other information. In other words, it can be checked and be shown to be correct.

An opinion is something that someone believes to be true, but which can not be verified. In other words, it is something that someone thinks rather than knows is true.

Students must be able to distinguish between facts and opinions to become critical readers. Critical readers become more discriminating consumers of the news media and advertising; an important life skill.

Pages 46 to 49 are used in conjunction with each other.

Although the activities in this section focus on the skill of making notes to answer a specific question, a separate, short writing activity is given on page 49 to reinforce the purpose of making notes.

Note: The students have not been asked to write the answer to the question, as writing from notes is covered in the text.

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Franz Josef Glacier – 1 ............................ Page 47 • Explain the task to the students and read the question.

Explain the parts of the question.

• Students read the text once and then more carefully a second time.

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Worksheet information

Answers 1. Fact – could only see souvenir shops, cafes and hotels.

Opinion – I thought it was an odd place.

2. Teacher check 3. Teacher check

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MAKING NOTES

Franz Josef glacier – 1 Tasks • To determine specific information required from a text.

• To make and organise notes to write facts and opinions.

Read the recount.

Question: How could you describe the Franz Josef Glacier, including facts about its history and the opinions expressed by the writer of this recount about a glacier walk?

L

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ast year, my family and I went on holiday to New Zealand. I think one of the best things you can do in New Zealand is walk on the Franz Josef Glacier. A glacier is a river of ice that tumbles down a valley towards the sea. The Franz Josef Glacier extends about 12 kilometres from three feeder glaciers in the Southern Alps and it generally moves at a rate of about one metre per day.

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The glacier is about five kilometres from the little town of Franz Josef. We arrived there in our hire car the afternoon before we were to walk on the glacier. We checked into our motel and then went for a walk around the town before dinner. I thought it was an odd place. I could see only souvenir shops, cafes and hotels.

The next day, we got up early and drove to the headquarters of the glacier guide company we had chosen.

No-one is allowed to go up onto the glacier without a guide. We met our guide, Anna, and the 10 other people who were going to be in our group. Anna was very friendly—she chatted to me as we tried on the special hiking boots we had to wear on the ice. They were heavy and uncomfortable—I’m not used to wearing boots!

We were also given rain jackets, waterproof overtrousers and spikes that strapped onto the bottom of our boots. These, Anna explained, we would put on once we were on the glacier.

When we were ready, a minibus took us to the glacier car park. From here, it was a three kilometre walk to the glacier. That doesn’t sound too bad, I know, but it was tough! For much of the walk, we were scrambling over rocks. The sight of the glacier in the distance kept me going. When we reached the base of the glacier, we stopped while Anna gave us some safety instructions and more information about the glacier. We found out it was named after an Austrian Emperor by the German explorer Julius von Haast in 1865. We also learnt that the Maori name for the glacier means ‘the tears of Hinehukatere’. This refers to a legend belonging to the history of the Maori people about Hinehukatere, a Maori girl who went climbing in the mountains with her lover, Tawe. But Tawe was killed by an avalanche and Hinehukatere’s tears froze to form the glacier. I think that is a beautiful story. Anna also explained that the trail the guides take up the glacier changes from one day to the next because of melting ice and glacier movement.

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Finally, it was time for the glacier walk! First, we scrambled up steep rocks to the side of glacier, which was scary and felt dangerous. The glacier at this point was dirty and rocky.

After strapping on our spikes, we kept going, walking up ‘steps’ in the ice that had been carved by guides. The ice got cleaner as we went up. It wasn’t very cold - probably because we were moving so quickly! I managed to keep up but it was hard work. You have to concentrate very hard on where you are putting your feet. Despite the spikes, I slipped a few times and Dad had to help me up.

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My legs were feeling quite shaky by the time we got to our target area of the glacier—ice crevasses. I thought this was awesome! Some of the crevasse walls were 10 metres high! Many of the crevasses were very narrow and we had to squeeze through them. The most amazing thing about this part of the glacier was the vivid blue colour of the ice. The views into the valley below were also spectacular and I took lots of photographs.

After about two hours on the ice, it was time to walk back down again. It was sad to leave but the walk was tiring. I actually fell asleep in the minibus on the way back to Franz Josef! I am glad we went on the glacier and hope to walk on another one in the future.

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MAKING NOTES

Franz Josef glacier – 2 Identifying keywords will help you to find information to answer the question.

Question: How could you describe the Franz Josef Glacier, including facts about its history and the opinions expressed by the writer of this recount about a glacier walk?

Two keywords in the question are ‘facts’ and ‘opinions’. Although you may not find these words actually stated, a text such as a recount is made up of both facts and opinions. To identify facts and opinions in a text, you must first understand the difference between them.

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A fact is something that is true. Ask yourself ‘Can the statement be checked to see if it is correct?’ If it can, it is a fact.

An opinion is something that someone believes is true. Ask yourself ‘Is the statement what someone thinks and can’t be proved?’ If so, it is an opinion. Sometimes, people’s opinions are preceded by the words ‘I think’ or ‘I believe’ – but not always.

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1. To practise finding facts and opinions, read the part of the text about the town of Franz Josef.

Write one fact and one opinion about the town.

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3. The other keywords and phrases in the question are ‘describe’, ‘Franz Josef Glacier’, ‘history’ and ‘glacier walk’. Read through the text and underline sentences containing information about these keywords.

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Franz Josef Glacier

Description • • • History •

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4. Write any information you think might be useful. Remember, these notes do not need to be sentences, just ideas. Use bullet points and a new line for each piece of information. Include both facts and opinions in your notes. Use another piece of paper if you need more space.

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Franz Josef glacier – 3

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A graphic organiser is a way of arranging information to help you understand it more clearly.

A T-chart is one type of graphic organiser. It clearly shows two different facets of a topic.

Question: How could you describe the Franz Josef Glacier, including facts about its history and the opinions expressed by the writer of this recount about a glacier walk?

(a) Background information and interesting facts about the glacier.

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2. Use the information in the T-chart to write some text for a travel brochure about the Franz Josef Glacier under the headings given in the space below. (b) The opinions of someone who has been on a guided tour of the glacier.

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TEACHERS notes

MAKE A ROBOTIC HAND Background information • Pages 50–53 are used in conjunction with each other.

• Although the activities in this section focus on the skill of making notes to answer a specific question, a separate, short writing activity is given on page 53 to reinforce the purpose of making notes.

Note: The students have not been asked to write the answer to the question as writing from notes is covered in the next section.

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Worksheet information

Make a robotic hand – 1 .......................... Page 51 • Explain the task to the students and read the question carefully.

• Students read the text once and then more carefully a second time.

Make a robotic hand – 2 .......................... Page 52 • Explain the importance of finding sequence markers to give clues about the order in which things happen in a text. Read the information about sequence markers and then have the students complete Question 1. This could be done as a class.

• Students read the sentences in the text that contain imperative verbs.

• Students read the text again, looking for important sentences. They can then make notes about making a robotic hand. At this stage, they do not need to worry about the order in which they write the information.

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Indicators Identifies relevant information in a text.

Makes appropriate notes from a text.

Uses a graphic organiser (a flow chart) to sequence instructions.

Writes a procedure using notes.

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Make a robotic hand – 3 .......................... Page 53 • Having made their notes, the students need to sort them into a logical sequence. The flow chart is a useful graphic organiser for this text and question.

• Using the information from the flow chart, students can write a procedure for making part of a robotic hand.

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Make a robotic hand – 1 Task • To determine specific information required from a text.

• To make and organise notes to create a flow chart.

Question: What are the steps for making a simple robotic hand from common materials?

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Read the information text.

Find out how the tendons in your fingers work by making a moving robotic finger from paper, string and thin cardboard. When you have finished, make three more fingers and a thumb and a cardboard palm to make a hand. You can then pull the string attached to each finger to make it move. Then ask two friends to help you pull all the fingers at the same time to make a clenched fist!

Make the first finger by colouring the template with pencils. Next, use scissors to cut out the template along the solid lines and then use a ruler to help you fold along the dashed lines. When you have finished folding the lines, use sticky tape to attach each tab to its corresponding section to make the finger.

Next, tape the end of a 60-centimetre length of string onto the back of the smallest rectangle, as indicated by the black circle. This rectangle represents the fingertip. You can then thread the string through the ‘finger’ segments and out the other end.

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After the string has been threaded through, test the finger by pulling the string to make it curl and then releasing the string to make it ‘relax’ and straighten out. Then repeat the steps above to make another three fingers and a thumb.

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When you have finishing making the fingers and the thumb, use a sheet of thin, A4-sized cardboard as a palm to glue them to. Before you attach them, colour the cardboard and cut the edges to give it a more rounded shape so it more closely resembles a palm.

Finally, to attach the fingers and thumb to the cardboard, tape or glue each bottom segment onto the cardboard. Then, to make your robot hand work, simply pull the strings.

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MAKING NOTES

Make a robotic hand – 2 Question: What are the steps for making a simple robotic hand from common materials?

Finding sequence markers will help you to find information to answer the question.

1. Sequence markers are words that provide information on the order in which events happen in a text. Examples include before, then, next, next when, while, at last or following. Sequence markers are often found at the beginning of a sentence or paragraph, but not always.

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Read through the text and underline any sequence markers you find. Write any you find that are not listed above.

2. Texts such as procedures use imperative verbs that tell you what to do; e.g. ‘cut’, ‘mix’, ‘stir’ etc.

Read through the text again and underline any imperative verbs you find. It will help to look for sequence markers nearby.

3. Read the sentences that contain sequence markers and record any information that will help you to answer the question. At this stage, the steps you would take to make the hand do not need to be written in time order.

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Remember: Your notes do not need to be sentences, just ideas. Use bullet points and a new line for each piece of information.

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Make a robotic hand – 3 Question: What are the steps for making a simple robotic hand from common materials?

A graphic organiser is a way of arranging information to help you understand it more clearly. A flow chart is one type of graphic organiser. A flow chart shows a series of steps in a sequence.

1. A flow chart would be an effective way to show the steps you need to follow to make a robot hand. Use your notes to help you create a flow chart in the space below. You will need to sort the information in your notes into six to eight clear steps. Think carefully before you write—the information given in the text may not have been written in a logical order. You may like to draft your flow chart on a separate sheet of paper first. (Don’t forget that the very first, often unstated, step is to collect the materials!) 

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2. Use the information in the flow chart to write a simple procedure for making just one finger of a robotic hand.

Goal: Materials: Steps:

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TEACHERS notes

TOURISTS SHOULD BE BANNED FROM ANTARCTICA

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Tourists should be banned from Antarctica – 3 .................................. Page 57 • Now students have identified the writer’s arguments for banning tourists and made notes about them, they can isolate three to list in the T-chart. This type of chart is useful when analysing two aspects of a topic. One aspect is the arguments for banning tourists. Students list the three they have chosen to write in note form on the lefthand side of the chart. In the against column on the right-hand side, students should think of an argument to refute the writer’s and write notes about it. For example, the writer says tourists can view photographs and watch documentaries at home (Paragraph 7). Students could write notes to refute that by saying experiencing firsthand is nothing like viewing on TV, tourists have every right to see Antarctica in person and witness the magic of it all and so on.

• Using the information from their notes in the T-chart, students can write a paragraph about one of their arguments.

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Indicators Identifies relevant information in a text.

Makes appropriate notes from a text.

Students use a graphic organiser (a T-chart) to arrange the information collected.

Writes a paragraph that could be used in an exposition expressing the opposite point of view from the one given.

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Background information • The question the students are asked to write notes about and answer requires them to identify the writer’s point of view. This is his or her opinion about a subject. The information can be explicit but is often implicit in text.

Expositions argue for a particular position and attempt to persuade an audience to share this view.

• Pages 54–57 are used in conjunction with each other.

• Although the activities in this section focus on the skill of making notes to answer a specific question, a separate, short writing activity is given on page 57 to reinforce the purpose of making notes.

Note: The students have not been asked to write the answer to the question as writing from notes is covered in the next section.

Tourists should be banned from Antarctica – 1 .................................. Page 55 • Explain the task to the students and read and discuss the question.

• Students read the text as a class or individually. After some discussion, they should read the text again to themselves, this time more carefully.

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Tourists should be banned from Antarctica – 2 .................................. Page 56 • Revise the importance of finding keywords and phrases in a question to guide the reader to locate relevant information in the text needed to answer the question. The keywords in this question are ‘arguments’, ‘support’ and ‘opposite point of view’.

• The question asks them to write one argument that supports the opposite point of view to the writer. In order to do this, students must identify the arguments the writer has stated for banning tourists from Antarctica.

• Explain that expositions usually contain one main argument for each paragraph. Students will need to read each paragraph carefully and make notes under each paragraph heading.

• Remind students they can use abbreviations or bullet points in their notes.

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MAKING NOTES Tourists should be banned from Antarctica – 1 Task • To determine specific information required from a text.

• To make and organise notes to express the opposite point of view to the one given.

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Read the exposition.

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QUESTION: What are some arguments you could write to support the opposite point of view to that presented in the exposition?

Antarctica is described by member nations of the Antarctic Treaty as a natural reserve devoted to peace and science. What part do tourists play in keeping this statement true? Nothing. Tourists should be banned from visiting Antarctica so it can remain peaceful and a place for scientific research.

As Antarctica is one of the most untouched places on Earth, it is a natural science laboratory. The only people who need to be there are scientists and their support staff. Anyone else who goes there is adding to the possibility of it not remaining pristine.

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C.Publ i cat i ons More than 20 000 tourists visit Antarctica each year on commercial ships and private yachts. This means thef possibility exists ofi oily bilge water leaking from the vessels and n human waste polluting • o r r e v e w p u r p o s e s o l y • the Antarctic waters. Tourist ships have been known to become grounded in poorly charted shallow

waters.

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Although most visits organised by tour operators are carefully monitored and no more than 100 tourists can go ashore at one place at a time, I think that is too many to monitor properly. What happens if a tourist drops some rubbish and nobody notices? Due to the extreme cold, organic matter takes a long time to decay. The rubbish will remain there for a long time.

One activity many tourists do is to visit historical huts built by early explorers. Surely this is not good for maintaining their preservation, with tourists tramping in and out of them. Further to that, for all we know someone may pocket a souvenir from a hut.

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How do you think the penguins, seals and birds enjoy tourists gawking at them? Their normal routine is interrupted by mobs of tourists staring at them, even if it is from a distance.

Antarctica is considered one of the most beautiful places on Earth with its white, clean, pure environment with pack ice, giant icebergs and glaciers. There are many professional photographs taken and wonderful television documentaries made which means tourists don’t need to go there to see Antarctica in person.

In conclusion, I definitely think tourists should be banned from Antarctica. There is no need for anyone, except scientists and their staff, to be there. Tourists contribute to pollution of the area and damage to historical huts. The Antarctica wildlife don’t need to be disturbed, and it would be better for everyone if Antarctica was viewed only in photographs and documentaries. In the words of Sir Peter Scott, founder of the WWF and son of Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott, ‘We should have the sense to leave just one place alone’.

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MAKING NOTES Tourists should be banned from Antarctica – 2 QUESTION: What are some arguments you could write to support the opposite point of view to that presented in the exposition?

The keywords in the question tell you that you need to write arguments that support the opposite point of view to that held by the writer of the exposition. In order to do this, you first need to identify the writer’s arguments for banning tourists from Antarctica.

An exposition usually has one argument for each paragraph. Write notes under each paragraph heading about the writer’s arguments. Use a new bullet point for each brief item.

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3

Paragraph 4

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MAKING NOTES Tourists should be banned from Antarctica – 3 QUESTION: What is one argument you could write to support the opposite point of view to that presented in the exposition?

A T-chart is one type of graphic organiser to help arrange information. It is useful when analysing two aspects of a topic.

1. Choose three arguments from your notes from page 60 to list in the ‘For’ column. Make notes for arguments to refute each in the ‘Against’ column. Use bullet points and a new line for each new item.

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Using the notes 2. Write one argument to support the opposite point of view to one argument in the exposition.

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TEACHERS notes

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE Background information • Pages 58–61 are used in conjunction with each other.

• Although the activities in this section focus on the skill of making notes to answer a specific question, a separate, short writing activity is given on page 61 to reinforce the purpose of making notes.

Note: The students have not been asked to write the answer to the question as writing from notes is covered in the next section.

Worksheet information

Florence Nightingale – 1 .......................... Page 58 • Explain the task to the students and read the question.

• Students read the text once and then more carefully a second time.

Florence Nightingale – 2 .......................... Page 59 • Explain the importance of finding keywords and phrases to guide the reader to relevant information in the text.

This question is about Nightingale’s career in nursing and health care, so these are the keywords.

• Students read the sentences containing the keywords and record useful facts on the sheet.

• Discuss with the students the concept that other words closely connected to the keywords should be considered in a text as they will also provide relevant information. Have the students read the text again, underlining any relevant words and then writing brief notes.

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Florence Nightingale – 3 .......................... Page 60 1837 Claimed to hear God calling her to a special purpose/ Decided to become a nurse.

1851 Received nursing training and visited hospitals in Europe.

1853 Became superintendent of a women’s hospital in London.

1854 Took charge of nursing British soldiers in Turkey.

1855 Nightingale Fund set up.

1856 Returned to Britain from Turkey as a hero.

1857 Wrote health care report for British war department.

1860 Set up Nightingale Training School for Nurses.

1883 Received Royal Red Cross.

1907 Received British Order of Merit.

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Indicators Identifies relevant information in a text.

Makes appropriate notes from a text.

Uses a graphic organiser (a time line) to order information.

Writes a sequence of events from a text using notes.

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Florence Nightingale – 3 .......................... Page 60 • Having made their notes, the students need to organise them in such a way that they are clear and easy to read and understand. A time line is a useful graphic organiser for this text and question.

• Using the information from the time line, students can answer the given question. The events they choose must be given in time order.

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Florence Nightingale – 1 Tasks • To determine specific information required from a text.

• To make and organise notes you can use to write a sequence of events.

Read the biography.

Question: What are the main events in Nightingale’s nursing and health care career?

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lorence Nightingale is of War to travel to Scutari and considered to be the take charge of nursing the founder of modern nursing. soldiers. One month later, she She was born in Florence, arrived at the hospital with 38 Italy, on 12 May 1820, to a nurses. At once, Nightingale wealthy English couple. As a organised the hospital to child, she was taught by her be cleaned thoroughly and university-educated father. In set up a nursing schedule 1837, at her home in England, for the patients. She walked the teenage Nightingale the hospital wards at night, claimed she heard the voice carrying a lamp, to nurse of God calling her to a special the patients. This earned purpose in life. She believed her the nickname ‘Lady this purpose was to do with with the Lamp’. In addition, caring for others and she Nightingale ran classes to decided to follow a career in teach patients to read. She also nursing. However, her mother wrote many letters to British Florence Nightingale and father were opposed to military officials, requesting the idea because, at the time, nurses were usually medical supplies. Over time, she earned the either nuns or working-class women and were respect of patients, doctors and officials. uneducated. They forbade her to take up nursing Nightingale returned to Britain in 1856 as a and encouraged her instead to marry. However, hero. However, she shunned the public attention, Nightingale was not interested in marriage, as hiding in a hotel in London. She now seldom she thought it would interfere with her calling. left her room due to an unknown illness. But In 1851, she turned down a marriage proposal her widely respected knowledge meant she was and, defying her parents, went to the town of visited by politicians and other important public Kaiserwerth in Germany where a pioneering figures to discuss public health matters. In 1857, hospital had been set up. Here, she received three she also wrote a detailed report for the British months’ nursing training. She also visited other War Department, which helped to implement hospitals in Europe to observe nursing practice. improvements in health care in the military.

Two years later, in 1853, she took on the position of superintendent of a women’s hospital in In 1860, Florence set up the Nightingale Training School for Nurses in London, helped by donations London. from a public fund called the Nightingale Fund In 1854, the Crimean War began, a conflict in that had been founded in 1855. That same year, which Britain was involved. Wounded British she wrote a book called Notes on nursing, which soldiers were taken to a makeshift hospital in is still in print today. Before her death, Nightingale Scutari, Turkey. The ‘hospital’ was actually an old wrote approximately 200 other works on health army barracks, and was filthy and infested with issues. rats. There were also not enough beds, doctors or medical supplies for the injured soldiers. The In recognition of her achievements, Nightingale was awarded many honours, including the Royal death rate was high.

Red Cross in 1883 and the British Order of Merit Soon, reports of these conditions began to reach in 1907, becoming the first woman to receive the London, horrifying the British public. In October of latter. She died at the age of 90 on 13 August 1910 1854, Florence was asked by the British Secretary at her home in London.

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Florence Nightingale – 2 Question: What are the main events in Nightingale’s nursing and healthcare career?

Finding keywords in the text will help you locate information to answer the question.

1. There are four keywords in the question that will help you to find specific information in the text: career, nursing and health care. Read through the text and underline these keywords.

2. Read the sentences in the text that contain these words and any sentences close by which relate to these. Record any facts that will help you to answer the question. Remember to use bullet points and short phrases and statements instead of sentences.

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You may have noticed that some parts of the text contain facts about Nightingale’s nursing and health care career, but do not contain the keywords. Synonyms or other words related to the keywords may be used instead. For example, ‘hospital’ is closely related to ‘nursing’.

3. Read the text again. Circle any other words that are likely to provide information on Nightingale’s nursing and health care career, then write brief notes in the space below.

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Florence Nightingale – 3 Question: What are the main events in Nightingale’s nursing and healthcare career?

A graphic organiser is a way of arranging information to help you understand it more clearly. A time line is one type of graphic organiser.

1. A time line would be an effective way to clearly show the events in Nightingale’s career in the order in which they occurred in her lifetime. Use your notes and the text to help you complete the time line below.

• 1837 •

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Use the information in the time line to write a paragraph about the importance of the event which occurred in 1854.

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TEACHERS notes

BUILDING THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

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Answers 1. factors, construction, tremendous human accomplishment 2.–3. Teacher check Building the Great Wall of China – 3 ........ Page 65 • Refer to the background information on how to construct the spider chart. As mentioned above, students will discover that the contributing factors they are to identify are basically the main idea of each paragraph; e.g. (Paragraph 4) – the Great Wall was constructed by hand using local materials. Students write these factors/main ideas along the legs, and notes from the same paragraph at the end of the leg; e.g. (from Paragraph 4) – no mechanical earthmoving equipment used. Extra lines can be added or deleted as necessary.

• Using their notes from the spider chart and the sentence starter, students can now answer the question on another sheet of paper.

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Indicators Identifies relevant information in a text.

Makes appropriate notes from a text.

Use a graphic organiser (a spider chart) to arrange the information collected.

Writes an answer to a question by drawing conclusions from the information.

Worksheet information

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Background information • The question the students are asked to answer requires them to find facts and details in the text to support the conclusion that has been made about the Great Wall of China. In higher order comprehension skills such as this, the answer is not always immediately obvious. Students will need to search for details in the text and build up evidence to justify the conclusion.

• A spider chart is a graphic organiser which can be used as a planning or brainstorming tool. A central idea/topic/ concept, in this case a question, is written in the ‘spider’s body’. The main ideas are written along the ‘legs’ of the spider and details in note form on lines at the end of the appropriate leg.

• Pages 62–65 are used in conjunction with each other.

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Building the Great Wall of China – 2 ........ Page 64 • Explain the importance of finding keywords and phrases in a question to guide the reader to locate relevant information in the text needed to answer the question.

• The question asks them about the factors contributing to the conclusion that the construction of the Great Wall of China is considered a tremendous human accomplishment.

Students should first identify the keywords in the question, highlight them and write them in the box in Question 1.

• In Question 2, students need to read the text carefully and identify any information dealing with these keywords or phrases. Two have been written. This activity could be done as a class or individually.

• In Question 3, students should sort their notes according to the paragraph they found them in. This will help them to arrange their notes on the spider chart on page 65, as the contributing factors they need to find are essentially the main idea of each paragraph.

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Building the Great Wall of China – 1 ........ Page 63 • Explain the task to the students and read and discuss the question.

• Students read the text as a class or individually. After some discussion, they should read the text again to themselves, this time more carefully.

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MAKING NOTES

Building the Great Wall of China – 1 Tasks • To determine specific information required from a text.

• To make and organise notes to write an answer to a question.

QUESTION: What factors contribute to the conclusion that the construction of the Great Wall of China is considered a tremendous human accomplishment?

Read the explanation.

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he history of how the Great Wall of China was built is enormously fascinating. It is considered one of the construction wonders of the world, along with structures such as the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt and the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.

The Great Wall of China is also the longest structure ever built by humans, stretching like a slithering snake for approximately 6700 kilometres across the mountains of northern China, north and northwest of Beijing.

Originally, separate walls were built for defensive purposes by the states of Yan, Zhao and Qin. The construction of the Great Wall began more than 2000 years ago when the first emperor of a newly united China, Qin Shi Huang, planned and organised new walls to be built to connect with the older ones. The aim was to protect China’s northern borders from nomadic tribes, the ‘Hsiung Nu’, known to Europeans as the ’Huns’.

The Wall was constructed entirely by hand—no mechanical earthmoving equipment was used. Construction workers used materials that were within a reasonable distance as they were hard to transport from afar. The western section of the Wall runs through hilly areas and the borders of deserts. As stone and bricks are scarce in this region, rammed earth was initially used in its construction. Towards the east, the Wall winds through mountains where rock is common so granite blocks were used as foundation with the sides made of stone or brick. The inside was filled with earth and the top layered with bricks set in mortar.

An enormous number of people were needed to build the Wall—more than a million overall. The workforce consisted of people who were not needed to work on the land. Soldiers, conscripted labourers, civil servants, Chinese commoners and even criminals were ordered to construct it. Many of them died due to the arduous conditions, their remains buried in the Wall.

The Wall was further strengthened and renovated by following dynasties as the centuries passed. The technology changed as time went by but the same principle of using the natural geography and local materials remained. Building it through steep mountains, narrow passes, river gorges and bordering on deserts, along with the Wall’s strength and height (average 10 m), made it a formidable defence barrier. Moats in low-lying areas were also used as barriers. Over time, more than ten thousand watchtowers were added. These were used to house troops, store weapons and send smoke signals to warn of attack. Holes in the sides of the walls were used to shoot arrows through and later, cannons, when they were invented.

The Wall is no longer used in defence and much of it has collapsed or disappeared entirely. Some sections have been preserved and reconstructed to enable the thousands of tourists who visit the Wall each year to walk along its steep, winding paths, marvelling at how and why it was constructed.

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MAKING NOTES

Building the Great Wall of China – 2 Question: What factors contribute to the conclusion that the construction of the Great Wall of China is considered a tremendous human accomplishment?

1. Highlight the keywords in the question above. These will help you work out the information you need to find in the text to answer the question. Write the keywords below.

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2. Consider these keywords while you are reading through the text again. Highlight any information that discusses how the Great Wall was constructed and emphasises that it is a tremendous human accomplishment. Make notes about each item of information. The notes do not have to be in sentences. Use a new bullet point for each new item.

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3. Sort the notes you made according to the paragraph you found each one in. Use a different colour highlight pen for each paragraph. This will help with the task on page 65.

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A spider chart is one type of graphic organiser to help arrange information. The central idea is placed in the ‘body’ and main ideas are listed along the ‘legs’. Further notes about each main idea are added along the leg.

1. Use your notes on page 64 to list the factors in note form along the ‘legs’. (Hint: Generally, the main idea of each paragraph on page 63 introduces a new factor.) Add extra details in note form on the lines at the end of each leg.

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2. Write one or two paragraphs to continue the sentence starter below on a separate sheet of paper. Use notes from the spider chart to help.

One factor which contributed to the construction of the Great Wall of China being considered a tremendous human accomplishment is ...

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TEACHERS notes

STINGRAYS – DEADLY OR DOCILE? Worksheet information Stingrays—Deadly or docile? – 1 ............ Page 67 • Explain the task to the students.

• Students read the notes in the concept map about stingrays as a class or individually.

• As well as planning to write a report about stingrays, the students are asked to comment on whether they are deadly or docile. They should read through the notes again, highlighting any information that mentions this behaviour.

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Indicators • Organises information from notes into paragraphs.

• Plans, drafts, proofreads, edits and writes a report on a given topic from notes.

Stingrays—Deadly or docile? – 2 ............ Page 68 • Revise the framework of a report with the students (refer to Background information).

• Students use the notes to sort and write under the appropriate headings of a report on the worksheet. These notes will form the basis of each paragraph. Generally, there is only one paragraph in the Classification and Conclusion sections. In the Description section, students can choose notes from the Appearance, Habitat, Habitat Behaviour Feeding habits and Reproduction headings to Behaviour, be formed into paragraphs when they write their report.

Some notes from the General info heading can also be slotted in.

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Background information • A report is a framework which describes aspects of a living or non-living thing in detail. It includes: – Title – Classification: a general or classifying statement – Description: accurate and detailed – Conclusion: a comment about the report (which may be his/her own opinion) • A report uses the following language features: – factual language rather than imaginative – technical vocabulary and subject-specific terms – written in the third person – the timeless present tense – information organised into paragraphs • Pages 66–69 are used in conjunction with each other.

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Stingrays—Deadly or docile? – 3 ............ Page 69 • Having used their notes to plan the report, students now need to think about how to elaborate on their notes, using their own words. Revise the language features of a report.

• Students write a first draft (they may need a extra sheet of paper) then proofread and edit their work.

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WRITING FROM NOTES

Stingrays – Deadly or docile? – 1 Tasks • To read notes about stingrays.

• To plan and write a report about stingrays explaining whether they are deadly or docile.

1. Read the information in the concept map about stingrays.

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Feeding habits • hunt on or near ocean floor • use sense of smell and electro-receptors to locate prey • eat molluscs, crustaceans, small fish, worms, some eat plankton

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Appearance • flattened body shape and elongated tail • large pectoral fins fused to the side of their rostrum (‘head’) • most have a stinger–a razor-sharp, barbed or serrated spine • underside of stinger has grooves filled with venom • ‘benthic’ (bottom) stingrays–rounded body–sting located near middle of tail • ‘pelagic’ (swimming) stingrays–bat-like body shape–sting located behind pelvic fins • eyes on top of body, mouth & gill slits underneath • vary in size from 10 to 15 cm, up to 6 1/2 m • large variation in colour

Behaviour • known to be curious—will approach a diver, observing only • usually docile—first reaction is to swim away from disturbance • sting is a defensive weapon only; e.g. stinger is whipped up when attacked by a predator or stood on accidentally • sink to ocean floor when not swimming • hide under sand, camouflage well

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General info • Scientific order: Myliobatiformes • cartilaginous fish–no bones • related to sharks & skates • not endangered or threatened • propelled through the water by powerful pectoral fins • quite intelligent—high brain weight to body weight • toxin in stinger causes great pain to mammals • near-boiling water eases pain • sting can regrow if broken off • fatal stings are extremely rare • sting that killed Australian naturalist, Steve Irwin, pierced his heart

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Reproduction • mate in winter • long gestation period • some rays lay eggs (oviparous), others bear litters of 5 to 10 live young (viviparous) • produce relatively few young compared to other fish

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Habitat • common in tropical waters • some found in freshwater • most live close to shore, some can live in extreme ocean depths

2. To write a report about stingrays and explain if they are deadly or docile, highlight any relevant information in the notes that mentions this behaviour.

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WRITING FROM NOTES

Stingrays – Deadly or docile? – 2 A report framework has a specific structure. It includes the features listed in the table below.

Use the notes on page 67 to write under the appropriate headings to plan your report.

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Classification: A general statement about the subject of the report.

(Hint: You could use some of the notes in the ‘General info’ section.)

Description: Provides accurate description and facts.

(Hint: The notes have been organised in the concept map under specific headings. Apart from the ‘General info’ heading, the notes in each heading can form the basis of each new paragraph in this section.

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Conclusion: A final comment about the subject of the report.

(Hint: You could use some of the notes in the ‘General info’ section and/or your own opinion.)

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Stingrays – Deadly or docile? – 3 When writing the first draft of a text, leave space between the lines for clear editing.

1. Use your notes on page 68 to help you write the first draft of your report. Consider how you will elaborate from the notes, using your own words. Also consider the language features of a report, such as using technical vocabulary.

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2. Proofread and edit the draft.

3. Write the final copy of your report on a separate sheet of paper. If you are using a word processor, remember to spell check your work before you print it.

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TEACHERS notes

GROWING POTATOES Background information Procedure – is a framework which outlines how something is made or done; – includes: • Title • Goals: the purpose of the procedure shown clearly and precisely • Steps: the method in a detailed, logical sequence • Test: an evaluation (if appropriate)

Growing potatoes – 1 .............................. Page 71 • Explain the task to the students.

• Students read the notes once and then more carefully a second time.

• Discuss as a class what is needed to grow potatoes and what needs to be done (in order). The students can then answer Question 2, finding relevant information to circle and number.

• Note: Few imperative verbs are included in the notes and these must be written in the procedure.

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Indicators • Organises information into ‘materials’ and ‘steps’ for a procedure.

• Plans, drafts, proofreads, edits and writes a procedure based on given information.

Growing potatoes – 2 .............................. Page 72 • Students use their circled text to complete the chart.

Teachers should make it clear that some information can be grouped together to form one step (e.g. ‘Cover potatoes with potting mix and water well.’) The students will need to decide for themselves how to logically arrange the information.

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– uses the following language features: • instructions, often with an imperative verb • subject-specific vocabulary • simple present tense • concise language A procedure may be written in the form of a recipe, instructions for making something, an experiment, an instruction manual. a maths procedure, how to play a game, how to operate an appliance, how to use an atlas or how to deal with a problem.

• Pages 70–73 are used in conjunction with each other.

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Growing potatoes – 3 .............................. Page 73 • Having made their notes, the students use them to complete the procedure framework. They should number each step as they write it. The test should be a simple question; e.g.

‘Were your potatoes edible?’, ‘Did you harvest more than three potatoes?’ etc.

• When the students have written their drafts, they should proofread and edit them, then write or type a final draft, adding a title.

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Growing potatoes – 1 Tasks • To read notes about how to grow potatoes • To write a procedure based on the information.

1. Read the notes about a method of growing your own potatoes.

CONDITIONS  Plant late winter or early spring. Tropical areas, grow January– August—avoid humid/wet conditions (fungal diseases).

Weather too dry—must water plants.

Extra tips:

– Use good quality potting mix/ compost/mulch. Add lucerne hay.

Sprinkle of blood and bone every few weeks—adds nutrients to soil.

– Re-use compost/mulch on garden, recycle tyres.

PLANTING  Collect 2 old car tyres—local garage. Watch for spiders in rims—use gloves. Car tyres good—black absorbs heat.

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Plant small, old potatoes beginning to sprout.

Put in dark place for a week —shoots grow longer (need to be at least 1 cm long).

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HARVESTING  2–3 months—harvest first potatoes.

Carefully dig soil with hands to pull up (they are on the roots of the potato plants). Harvest immature potatoes (small ones), eat ASAP. Keep growing rest—remember add compost/mulch so not exposed to light.

Second tyre on first.

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Harvest whole potato crop at once, after plant flowers, dies down (will turn yellow)—4–5 months after planting. Kick away tyres, hunt through compost/mulch to find potatoes.

GROWING  Green potato shoots poke through soil, add potting mix or compost on top so some leaves are showing—don’t bury whole shoot. Water well. Repeat while plants growing.

2. A procedure outlines how something is made or done. To write a procedure for growing potatoes based on these notes, you will need to sort the information into the two main sections in the body of the procedure: ‘Materials’ (or ‘What you need’) and ‘Steps’ (or ‘What to do’). Follow the instructions below.

• Circle the words and phrases to be listed under ‘Materials’ in blue.

• Circle all the information to be included under ‘Steps’ in red. Show the order in which the reader will need to do things by numbering each lot of circled information.

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WRITING FROM NOTES

Growing potatoes – 2 Use the chart below to make notes for your procedure.

• For ‘Materials’, list anything that is needed to grow the potatoes.

Remember to include any alternatives your readers can use.

• For ‘Steps’, write from 6 to 8 clear, numbered steps. Full sentences are not needed at this stage.

• Add a brief goal (a statement which tells the reader the purpose of the procedure) to your notes.

Goal

Steps 1.

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WRITING FROM NOTES

Growing potatoes – 3 When writing the first draft of a text, leave space between the lines for clear editing.

1. Use your notes to help you write the first draft of your procedure. At the end, add a ‘test’ (a question the reader can answer to evaluate how successful the procedure was).

Goal Materials

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2. Proofread and edit the draft.

3. Write a final draft of your procedure on a separate sheet of paper. Add an appropriate title. If you are using a word processor, remember to spellcheck your work before you print it.

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TEACHERS notes

AT THE THEATRE Background information • A summary is a short account, containing the main points about something. Summaries help to show how much is understood about a topic. Summaries must have main ideas and be in a logical order.

• Pages 74–77 are used in conjunction with each other.

Indicators • Organises information to write a summary.

• Plans, drafts, proofreads, edits and writes a report discussing similarities and differences between two opinions.

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At the theatre – 3 ..................................... Page 77 • Having made their notes, the students need to use them to complete the summary. Before they begin, they should think about how the notes they have written can be ordered logically.

• When the students have written their drafts, they should proofread and edit them, then write or type a final draft, adding a title.

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At the theatre – 1 ..................................... Page 75 • Explain the task to the students.

• Students read the text once and then more carefully a second time.

• Discuss as a class some of the similarities and differences between the two reviews. The students can then highlight the relevant information to complete Question 2.

Information on the Old Gaol Theatre and the audience reaction should be left blank.

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At the theatre – 2 ..................................... Page 76 • Students use their highlighted text to complete the table.

Examples of suitable introductions and conclusions could be suggested; e.g. ‘The musical production Escapade, written by Todd Tingley, was performed at the Old Gaol Theatre. Two reviewers had different opinions of the production’ (Introduction); ‘Escapade’s strengths, as agreed on by both reviewers, were singer Molly Ravi, the orchestra and the costume design. It was a production that seemed to have been thoroughly enjoyed by the audience’ (Conclusion).

• Teachers could tell students that they should write their report as if it were to appear in a newspaper or magazine.

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Similarities

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John Keys used face and body well; Molly Ravi sang beautifully; actors unskilful overall; singing— enjoyable and in tune

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Striking set, colours suited mood of production (1); Needed more colour, tired and overused idea (2)

Talented; volume too loud overall; strings section excellent; some members were giggling – unprofessional

Brass section needs work, conductor’s fault that volume too loud (1); Whole orchestra unprofessional, particularly woodwind section, musicians’ fault that volume too loud (2)

Costumes

Clever, layered design

Colours harsh (1); Colours fun (2)

Script

Interesting plot but boring dialogue

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At the theatre – 1 Tasks • To read two theatre reviews.

• To write a summary of the similarities and differences between the opinions given.

1. Read the notes about a musical theatre production written by two different reviewers.

Review 1

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• Overall, acting in ‘Escapade’ unskilful. Only lead actor, John Keys, stood out – booming voice and excellent use of face/gesture to express character. Mesmerising! Bright future in dramatic acting.

• Talented young orchestra – brass section needs lot of work. Strings section flawless. Music too loud to hear actors’ voices at times – conductor’s fault.

• The plot of Todd Tingley’s script interesting, dialogue put me to sleep! Audience enjoyed production, good applause.

• All actors danced and sang. Dancing – graceful; group singing – tuneful and pleasant.

Molly Ravi (Tess), sang difficult solo effortlessly – beautiful soprano voice.

• Simple set – red and black backdrop, black chairs. Very striking! Unfussy! Colours suited mood of production. Fluorescent colours of costumes – too harsh.

• Some members of orchestra giggling sometimes—disappointing! Need to work on professionalism.

• Costume design clever. Several layers shed by actors – left in leotards at end.

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Performed in Old Gaol Theatre, built in 1879. Appropriate— ’Escapade’ set in same year.

No thought put into set—too simple. More colour needed to match mood of production. Only a backdrop and chairs—tired and overused idea.

Actors unskilful overall. Hesitant dance steps – more rehearsal? Singing enjoyable, in tune.

New script, written by Todd Tingley. Interesting plot, boring dialogue in places; needed more energetic words. Actors struggled at times to bring to life.

Whole orchestra talented but unprofessional, particularly woodwind section.

Giggling of some members unforgivable. Strings section excellent. Overall volume too loud—musicians need to listen to each other/watch conductor.

John Keys’s voice dreadful—too loud, drowning out everyone else. Clever use of body and face. Future in mime? Molly Ravi’s acting and singing was superb— stood out—most talented actor.

Costumes fun, colourful! Clever design, different layers for each costume.

Audience loved production! Loud applause and standing ovation.

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2. To write a summary of the similarities and differences between these two reviews, you will need to first decide how you are going to sort the information into paragraphs. To do this, highlight the notes about each of these aspects as follows: Actors – green Set – yellow Orchestra – pink Costumes – blue Script – orange Other – leave blank R.I.C. Publications®

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WRITING FROM NOTES

At the theatre – 2 Use the table below to list the similarities and differences between the two reviewers’ opinions for the body of your summary. Some of the information for the introduction and conclusion should come from the notes you left blank.

Introduction (A general statement about the topic or purpose of the report)

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Conclusion (A comment about the content of the report)

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At the theatre – 3 When writing the first draft of a text, leave space between the lines for clear editing.

1. Use your notes to write the first draft of your summary. Before you begin, think carefully about how to order the paragraphs of the body of the text logically.

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2. Proofread and edit the draft.

3. Write a final draft of your summary on a separate sheet of paper. Add an appropriate title. If you are using a word processor, remember to spellcheck your work before you print it.

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TEACHERS notes

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A VIKING Worksheet information A day in the life of a Viking – 1 ................ Page 79 • Explain the task to the students and read the questions.

• Students read the text once and then more carefully a second time.

• Discuss as a class what life for a Viking child might have been like compared to life as a modern child, to ensure the students understand the information. They can then answer Question 2, finding relevant information to highlight.

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Indicators • Organises information into paragraphs.

• Writes a fictitious diary entry based on historical information.

A day in the life of a Viking – 2 ................ Page 80 • Students use their colour-coded text to complete the grid, adding the likely thoughts and feelings of their character.

They are not limited to just writing activities their character does; they can also add probable incidents based on the information they highlighted in yellow; e.g. a longhouse almost burning down from the ‘meal-fire’. Remind the students that they need to think like a Viking child; e.g. it was normal to get married at the age of 15.

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Background information • The Vikings lived about 900 to 1200 years ago. They originated from Denmark, Norway and Sweden but they also conquered and settled elsewhere in Europe.

• A diary is a form of a recount.

• A recount is a framework which retells events as they happened in time order.

• A recount may be factual, personal or imaginative.

• A recount includes: – Title – Orientation: all relevant background (who, when where, why) – Events: significant events in detail – Conclusion: often with an evaluative comment • A recount uses the following language features: – vocabulary to suggest time passing – paragraphs to show separate sections – the past tense • A recount may be written in the form of a newspaper report, diary, letter, journal, eyewitness account, biography, autobiography or history.

• Pages 78 – 81 are used in conjunction with each other.

A day in the life of a Viking – 3 ................ Page 81 • Having made their notes, the students need to sort the activities and events into a logical sequence to complete the diary entry framework.

• When the students have written their drafts, they should proofread and edit them, then write or type a final draft.

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A day in the life of a viking – 1 Tasks • To read about the daily life of the Viking people.

• To write a daily diary entry for a 13-year-old Viking child based on the given information.

1. Read the information about life as a Viking. (The Vikings lived about 900 to 1200 years ago.

They originated from Denmark, Norway and Sweden but they also conquered and settled elsewhere in Europe.)

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Entertainment

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Names

Homes

Most lived in country in wooden ‘longhouses’ – one-roomed, rectangular with turf/straw roofs. Dark inside – few or no windows. Central fire for heat/light, hole in roof to let out smoke. Benches around walls (covered in furs or skins) used as beds. Usually grandparents, parents, children in a longhouse. Visited separate building (a ‘bath house’) to bathe once a week.

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Most were farmers. Grew barley, rye, oats, carrots, cabbage, peas, plums, spinach, apples; raised animals – cows, sheep, pigs, chickens. Animals kept for meat, eggs, milk, wool, fur, skins. Bones carved into pins, knife handles, whistles, ice-skate blades.

Pastimes for children and adults: reciting poetry and telling stories about Viking gods, goddesses and battles. Also enjoyed swimming, rowing, wrestling, board games (similar to backgammon and chess), fencing, ice skating and playing bone whistles. Children played with carved wooden toys such as horses and ships.

Common boys’ names: Erik, Leif and Harald; common girls’ names: Astrid, Freydis and Hilde.

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Simple wool/linen clothes woven on loom. Males wore long shirts, trousers and leather shoes/boots.

Females wore long linen dresses with aprons, leather shoes/boots.

Bone pins, silver brooches to fasten clothes.

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Ate two meals a day. ‘Day-meal’ eaten about 7 am (about two hours after day’s work begun); ‘night-meal’ eaten about 7 pm (after day’s work over). Food cooked in pots over fireplace (‘meal-fire’). Also ate deer, whales, birds, fish.

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Clothes

Food

Children did not go to school – no schools!

Learnt history, law and religion from oral stories. By age of 5, helped elders. Girls at home learning to weave, cook, sword fight, animal care – in case future husbands away fighting in battles. At the age of 5, boys live with uncle/community member to learn skills for men; e.g. planting crops, bone/ wood carving, using swords, spears. Boys and girls married around age of 15. Girl’s husband chosen by her father.

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2. (a) To write a diary entry based this information, first decide if your character is to be a boy or a girl and what his/her name will be. Underline the name you choose. (b) What might your character do on a daily basis? Highlight possible morning activities in blue, afternoon activities in green and evening/night activities in pink. Choose what your character is likely to do based on his/her gender and age. (c) Highlight any other relevant information you will need for your diary entry in yellow; for example, where your character lives and what he/she wears.

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WRITING FROM NOTES

A day in the life of a viking – 2 Use the grid to make notes for each paragraph in your diary entry. There should be a maximum of three activities/incidents for each part of the day. Include a list of the character’s thoughts and feelings. Remember to try to think like a Viking child – not a modern child!

Activities/Incidents Morning •

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Thoughts and feelings

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Afternoon •

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Evening •

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WRITING FROM NOTES

A day in the life of a Viking – 3 When writing the first draft of a text, leave space between the lines for clear editing.

1. Use your notes to write the first draft of your diary entry.

Dear diary Today was

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This afternoon,

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This morning,

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This evening,

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I will write more tomorrow.

2. Proofread and edit the draft.

3. Write a final draft of your diary entry on a separate sheet of paper. If you are using a word processor, remember to spellcheck your work before you print it.

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TEACHERS notes

WHAT TYPE OF LEARNER AM I? Background information • The learner types described on page 83 are some of the ‘multiple intelligences’ identified by psychologist Dr Howard Gardner. He suggests that there are eight different ways of understanding the world—and possibly even more yet to be identified. Gardner believes that each person has one or two dominant intelligences, although it is possible to strengthen all eight. He points out that our intelligences aren’t used in isolation; instead, one activity or task requires the use of a number of intelligences working together. The other intelligences identified by Gardner that have not been used on this student page are Naturalist, Interpersonal and Intrapersonal.

Page 84 Tips should include: • Keep your study area quiet and organised.

• Study at the same time each day.

• Do relaxation exercises before studying.

• Make a list of everything you need to achieve in a study session.

• Break down lists into smaller tasks.

• Tick off study tasks as you complete them.

• Reward yourself with treats for completing study sessions.

• Take regular 10-minute breaks when studying.

• Try walking around when learning information.

• Recite facts aloud.

• Make flashcards or fun quizzes to do the next day.

• Teach someone else what you have learnt.

Indicators • Reads and understands about learner types.

• Identifies own learner type/s.

Worksheet information • Explain the task to the students and read the information and activities. Discuss the learner types fully (some further notes are provided above in ‘Background information’).

• Ask for suggestions from students for Question 2, then have the students complete the activity independently.

• Students complete Questions 3 and 4 independently.

Answers to Question 4 could then be shared with the class.

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What type of learner am I? ...................... Page 83

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Staying motivated .................................... Page 84

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Worksheet information • Discuss how being motivated to study can be difficult at times. Ask the students to volunteer some personal experiences.

• Read the narrative as a class. The students can then answer the question independently or with a partner.

Encourage them to write the tips as succinctly as possible.

They can also suggest other motivational tips they follow or someone they know follows.

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Indicator • Reads and identifies motivational study tips.

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Goal setting ............................................. Page 85

Indicator • Reads and understands how to set goals.

• Understands the purpose and importance of setting goals for study.

Worksheet information • Ask the students what they know about setting goals and why they are important.

• Read the text as a class. The students can then complete Questions 2 and 3 independently. Encourage creative answers for Question 3.

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PLANNING YOUR STUDY

What type of learner am i?

Everyone learns differently. The ways in which you learn most effectively will probably be different from those of your friends. What type of learner are you?

1. Some learner types are listed below. Read about each.

Verbal-Linguistic learners think in words. They learn best through activities involving reading, writing and speaking.

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Logical-Mathematical learners think rationally. They learn best through activities involving numbers and patterns.

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Visual-Spatial learners think in images, colours and shapes. They learn best through activities involving imagination and visualisation.

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Bodily-Kinaesthetic learners have good physical awareness. They learn best through ‘hands-on’ activities.

Musical-Rhythmic learners have an awareness of rhythm and sound. They learn best through activities involving music or rhythms.

2. Imagine each of these types of learners is studying for a science test. They are trying to remember as many facts as possible about cats. Write one suggestion for each learner about how they can learn the information as effectively as possible.

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3. Read the learner type descriptions again. Highlight one or two learner types that best describe the ways you prefer to learn.

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4. Complete the sentences. (a) I am a

learner.

(b) Imagine you are studying for a maths test on multiplication facts. Based on your learner types/s, some effective ways you could study for this test would be …

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PLANNING YOUR STUDY

STAYING MOTIVATED Sometimes study can seem overwhelming or boring! How can you get motivated to stay at your desk? Read the story below for some ideas.

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‘Hi Nick.’

Nick twisted around to see his best friend standing in the doorway of his bedroom. ‘Hi Hamish. Come in.’ He dropped his pencil on the desk.

‘Haven’t you finished your homework yet?’ said Hamish. ‘Mine’s all done. It was fun!’

Nick shook his head. ‘Fun! I hate studying.’

‘Maybe you’re going about it the wrong way’, said Hamish. ‘My mum taught me a few things that help me to stay motivated.’

‘Can you tell me some of them?’ asked Nick. ‘I need help!’

‘Sure’, said Hamish. He sat on Nick’s bed. ‘You look like you’ve got a quiet study area and an organised desk, so that’s a good start. Do you study at the same time each day?’

‘No’, said Nick. ‘Is that a problem?’

‘It’s a good idea to set a study routine’, said Hamish. ‘Then your brain knows when it has to work! I like to study as soon as I’ve had my after-school snack. Before I sit at my desk, though, I do some relaxation exercises. They help to put me in a positive frame of mind.’

‘That sounds interesting’, said Nick. He paused. ‘What else can you suggest?’

‘Well, the first thing I do when I sit at my desk is make a list of everything I need to achieve. If the list looks overwhelming, I break down each item into smaller tasks. So, if I have to write a story, I might write a character profile first. Mum says that starting with easier tasks is like warming up your brain – just like athletes warm up their muscles before they start training.’

‘That makes sense’, said Nick. ‘What else?’

‘Well, I also tick off the tasks on my list when I finish them’, said Hamish. ‘It helps me to feel good about myself.

And when I have finished my study session, I reward myself with a treat—maybe a game of basketball with my brother or a snack—if Mum says it’s okay!’ He saw Nick nodding and he continued. ‘Make sure you take regular 10-minute breaks,’ he said, ‘like doing some stretches or taking a walk. In fact, I find that sometimes I learn better when I am walking around. I also recite facts aloud or make myself flashcards or fun quizzes to do the next day. And sometimes I teach Mum what I have learnt! That really helps me to remember things’.

Nick grinned. ‘What about teaching a friend? Is that just as good?’

‘Probably.‘ Hamish laughed. ‘Okay, Nick. Teach me what you’ve learnt today.’

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List eight tips Hamish shared with Nick for staying motivated.

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PLANNING YOUR STUDY

GOAL SETTING Setting goals is an important study skill. It can help to keep you focused and motivated.

1. Read the text below to find out how a competitive swimmer might set goals.

When my swimming coach first talked to me about the idea of setting goals, I wasn’t very keen. It seemed like a lot of extra work! But setting goals has helped to give me direction, keep me motivated and achieve successes.

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I set different types of goals. First are d‘ ream goals’. When I began swimming training, my major dream goal was to be an Olympic medallist in five years’ time. Next are long-term goals. These help me to work towards my dream goals. One of my past long-term goals was to win the next national championships in breaststroke. Finally, there are shortterm goals. These should help you to achieve your long-term goals. One of my short-term goals was to achieve a personal best time in a training session. All goals should be specific, realistic and have a time frame – other wise, it is easy to lose interest.

It is also important to write your goals and place them somewhere you will see them. I stick mine to the bathroom mirror. I also make training and competition logs to help me keep to my goals. At the top of each page, I write my short-term goal for each session or competition. Then I list anything which might stop me from meeting my goal, as well as what I need to do to achieve the goal. After the session or competition, I write what happened. Both logs really help me stay focused and able to see my improvements.

I also constantly evaluate my goals. Sometimes, a goal may not be realistic any more; for example, if I get injured, and I have to modify it. This does mean I am a failure! The process of striving to reach a goal helps me to grow in knowledge and strength.

and reward yourself. I certainly did when I achieved my dream goal last year – I am now an Olympic bronze medallist! Now I have a new dream goal – to win gold.

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C.Publ i cat i ons • f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Finally, it is important to note when you achieve a goal

2. Write notes in the table below to explain how the writer sets goals and works to achieve them.

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All goals should be

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• Achieving goals

3. Use your notes to write an example of a short-term study goal you could set and some of the steps you could take to achieve it.

Goal:

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TEACHERS notes

PLANNING YOUR STUDY Worksheet information Note: Coloured pencils required.

• Ask students to volunteer to tell the class the amount of time they think they spend doing homework and study at home per week.

• Students create a key of their weekly activities. Ensure the students understand that every blank space in Question 1 needs an activity.

• Students complete their table and calculate the time allocated to studying and homework.

• This table will allow students to visually see how their time is spent and decide if they have too much relaxation time—watching TV and playing computer games.

• Which type of activities could be replaced with homework and study, at least some of the time? (For example; watching television and playing computer games.) Students share their responses to Question 5 with the class.

• Stress the importance of physical activities and playing sport and deter students from replacing these with study (unless very minimal study time is allocated).

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Background information Students often misunderstand the difference between studying and doing homework assignments.

Studying includes: learning for tests by: – taking notes when reading and researching – learning to scan and skim text – learning to summarise information – making flashcards for testing spelling lists, times tables, facts and formulas etc.

A good study environment includes: • desk (or table), comfortable chair, necessary equipment within reach (stationery, calculator, dictionary etc.).

• minimal distractions (TV, phone, people). A radio playing quietly may be beneficial to some students.

• access to information, either by borrowing library books or using encyclopedias, or, if available, researching on the Internet (safe sites such as Encarta).

• a bulletin board in view with a term planner showing due dates of assignments and dates of tests will allow the student (and parents) to plan study times (especially if he/ she participates in extracurricular activities at night and on weekends). Let students fill it in themselves using different colours for different subjects or one colour for homework and another for tests etc.

• Students need to take breaks during homework and study time.

Term planner ............................................ Page 89

Indicator Completes a term planner by adding due dates and study times to a calendar.

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Indicator • Considers the best environment for successful studying.

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Worksheet information Ask students to describe to the class the area where they complete homework and study. Where are they? What can they see? What can they hear? Are they alone? etc.

Look at the picture. Students can work in small groups to list five things that might make it a difficult place for the girl to study in.

Students list how and why they would change it.

Students can design a poster describing good studying environments with useful tips such as: no TV, tidy workstation, all resources within reach, work alone etc.

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The best environment .............................. Page 87

Worksheet information Who has a calendar at home with homework due dates on it? Who uses a diary? Does it help you to remember when homework is due?

Students copy the due dates onto the term planner.

Discuss with the class the best time to study for a test.

Students write when they would study for each test on the term planner.

Students complete Question 3 on the back of the sheet.

Ask students to share their responses with the class.

Ask the students if they think they will need a term planner such as this one when they start secondary school. Why? Discuss the differences between secondary school and primary school.

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When do you study? ................................ Page 88 Indicator • Displays as a table how time is spent and evaluates the amount of time allocated for homework and studying.

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PLANNING YOUR STUDY

The best environment

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1. Look carefully at the picture of the girl studying for a test.

2. Identify five reasons why this environment is not the best place for studying and list them below. Complete the table by explaining why and how you would change it, to give the girl the best chance at succeeding on her test.

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3.

4.

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•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• What is wrong with the environment?

1.

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PLANNING YOUR STUDY

When do you study?

1. Consider the different types of activities you do in an average week. Add any activities that are not listed in the blank spaces and allocate each activity a colour by colouring in the squares.

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES KEY Sleeping

Playing sport

School

Homework/Study

Eating

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2. Use the grid to show how you spend your week by colouring the squares.

Monday

TIME

6 am – 7 am

Wednesday Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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midnight – 6 am

Tuesday

7 am – 8 am

8 am – 9 am

10 am – 11 am

11 am – noon

noon – 1 pm

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7 pm – 8 pm

8 pm – 9 pm

9 pm – 10 pm

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3. What do you spend the most of your time doing?

4. How much time do you spend doing homework and study per week?

hours

5. Is there an activity you do that could be replaced some of the time, with study?

• I could spend less time

Yes

No

and more time studying.

6. Write the word ‘Study’ on your table in the times you have allocated for homework and study.

Include the new times you will be allocating to homework and study as well.

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PLANNING YOUR STUDY

Term planner It is the first day of the term and your teacher has given the class a list of upcoming assignments and tests for the whole term.

1. Look at the due dates of each homework assignment and list them on the planner.

Week

2

6

Sunday

9

10

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26

1

2

3

27

29

30

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30 JULY

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TERM PLANNER – Term 2 Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 24 25 26 27

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Monday APRIL 23

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2. Look at the dates of each test and include the test and when you will study for it on the planner.

TESTS • Weekly spellin g test EVERY Frid SIGNMENTS HOMEWORK AS ay.

• E n g lis t h un – co p u re n ct s’ u ay at lid io n test: ho Week 7 – Tuesda • English: ‘My il pr A 0 3 y y 5 da Ju on ne M Week 2 – ster • Maths: po y la sp di d an on research Test 1: Week 5 – • Famous pers Wednesday 23 sday 9 May May Week 3 – Wedne Test 2: Week 10 ey – rv W su ed e’ ne us sd y ay rg ne 2 7 June • Science: End • Science: ‘E May of 1 2 to y pi c da te on st M (e – lectricity) Week 5 Week 10 – Mon day 25 June of own choice c pi To : on ti ta n 30 May • Oral prese 9 and Wednesday 2 y da es Tu – 6 Week

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3. On the back of this sheet, explain why you think using a term planner could help you to become more organised and improve your results at school.

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TEACHERS notes

PREPARING FOR TESTS Background information Memorisation aids (mnemonics) are a great way to learn the information needed for tests and exams, especially for spelling lists, science facts, history dates and maths formulas. Rhymes, acronyms, acrostics and visual imagery are mentioned on the worksheet. Other memory aids include association (by linking a fact to something students already know), chunking the information into smaller, more manageable parts and using flashcards with a question on one side and answer on back.

It is important to have plenty of time before a test to try using these techniques.

Indicator • Learns about some memorisation techniques.

Worksheet information • Once the students have been reminded of some of the memorisation techniques by completing the worksheet, ask the class to volunteer any other acrostic, rhyme, acronyms or visual strategies they know for remembering a fact, for example, using your fingers to remember the nine times tables (visual).

More spelling acrostics: • Only Cat’s Eyes Are Narrow — ocean • Rhythm Helps Your Two Hips Move — rhythm

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Memory masters ...................................... Page 91

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4. • Amount of space given • Number of points awarded to question 5. (a) 1 minute (b) 2 minutes (c) 4 minutes (d) 10 minutes (e) Usually the last question on a test requires higher levels of thinking (such as problem solving or essay writing) and more time is required; therefore, more marks.

6. Suggestions for tips include: – Bring at least two pens/pencils and an eraser.

– Check calculator batteries (and whether you are allowed to take one in the test).

– Bring a watch.

– Keep a positive attitude and if you start to feel nervous, take a few deep breaths to relax.

– Keep your eyes on your own paper.

– Pace yourself.

– Don’t focus on the question you are stuck on, move on and go back to it later.

– Always write something—don’t leave blanks.

– When you are finished, look over your test and check for careless mistakes.

Staying calm ............................................ Page 93

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Tackling tests .......................................... Page 92

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Indicator • Learns strategies to tackle tests and achieve the best results.

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Worksheet information • Many students find the idea of taking a test frightening.

Once the worksheet has been completed, spend some time looking at past tests with the class. Explain to them what you expected for each question. Focus on space given, points awarded to questions and the type of questions.

• This lesson could also be a stepping stone to teaching students about the three levels of questions—literal, inferential and applied.

Answers 1. (d) 2. ‘All of the above’ answers are only chosen when all three options (a), (b) and (c) are correct.

3. True

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Worksheet information • Children often shows sign of stress by complaining of headaches, stomach-aches or tiredness. Other symptoms include forgetfulness, overeating and insomnia.

• Work through the worksheet with the students. Be sensitive towards students with their answers to Questions 1 and 2.

Perhaps ask students to volunteer their answers rather than choosing them yourself.

• When students have written their staying calm slogans, (in Question 4), they could print them out as banners and display them around the room.

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1.–3. Teacher check 4. (a) cemetery (b)

Indicator • To evaluate own methods of test preparation and consider ways to stay calm before and during tests.

Study and research – Strategies and skills

Answers

1. Answers will vary 2. Answers will vary 3. Be prepared; Take deep breaths; Get there early; Eat breakfast; Get enough sleep the night before; Stay positive (try self-talk where you tell yourself you are going to do well in the test); Feel confident etc.

4. Teacher check

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PREPARING FOR TESTS

Memory masters Remembering facts can be challenging, so try using memorisation techniques to help you learn the information you need to recall.

1. Do you know the easy way to remember the 2. (a) Create an acronym to help remember the parts of a computer: colours of the rainbow?

ROY G. BIV

keyboard, monitor, mouse, CPU

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(b) Choose your own facts to remember and create an acronym for them.

Acronym:

ROY G. BIV is called an acronym which is a word created by using the first letters of each word of information. We use acronyms every day such as laser, scuba and NASA.

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Facts:

Creating a sentence where the first letters of the words are the letters from a word you need to remember is another memorisation technique called acrostics.

Acrostics can be helpful to remember the spelling of difficult words, such as:

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3. Think of a word you often have trouble spelling.

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Make an acrostic sentence by using each letter from your word as the starting letter of the words in the sentence.

Some people are visual learners and remember best by picturing an image or shape in their mind.

4. Draw a shape around the word ‘telephone’, similar to the one shown, to create a visual image to help remember it.

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5. Another very popular way of memorising facts is by using rhyme, such as in ‘i before except after c’.

6. Do you know the rhyme to remember the number of days in each month? (30 days hath … ) If you know it, tell it to a friend.

5. On the back of this sheet, think of some facts you need to remember. They can be from any subject such as science, history, maths etc. Create a short rhyme to help you remember the information and share your rhyme with the class.

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PREPARING FOR TESTS

Tackling tests Studying and being prepared for a test is essential, but you also need to know how to go about taking a test so you can achieve your very best results.

Multiple choice questions 1. To answer a multiple choice question, you should … (a) Think of the answer in your head first.

True/False questions 3. You should always answer a true/false question even if you are unsure, because there is a 50% chance of getting it right.

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(b) Eliminate answers you know are wrong. (c) Read all of the answers and choose the one that is most suitable.

Answer

2. For a multiple choice question in a test, when do you choose (d) ‘All of the above’?

Short answer questions 4. When completing short answer questions on a test, what are two clues that tell you how much you should write and the amount of points to give in your answer?

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(d) All of the above.

True False

•

•

(2)

Budgeting your time When you receive a test, skim read the entire test so that you know how to allocate your time. The space given for each question and the number of points awarded to each, are your clues to budgeting your time. Make sure you can see a clock.

NUMBER

Time: 30 mins

Double these numbers.

on these questions.

5. 15 =

(a) Question 4?

2. 40 =

6. 12 =

(b) Question 11?

3. 21 =

7. 34 =

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1. 7 =

4. 50 =

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8. 45 =

(8)

,

10. 10,

,

,

,

,

11. 3,

,

,

,

12. 7,

,

,

,

minutes minutes

(e) Why do you think the most marks are for the last question on the test?

,

,

(d) Question 14?

minutes

o c . che e r o t r s super

Complete the patterns by doubling.

9. 2,

(c) Question 13?

minute

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Maths test

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew p5.u r posesonl y• Write the amount of time you would spend

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,

,

(8)

13. Continue the sequence and describe the rule.

3, 6, 12, 24,

,

,

Rule: (4) 14. Follow the rule to create a sequence of numbers.

Rule: Begin with four, multiply that sequence by ten and divide by five. ,

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6. ‘Test taking tips’ poster Work with a partner to list as many helpful ‘Test taking tips’ as possible (such as: Answer the questions you know first, If you ‘get stuck’ leave the question and go on to another one; Go back to questions you have left and try again etc.) www.ricgroup.com.au

R.I.C. Publications®

PREPARING FOR TESTS

Staying calm Everyone feels stressed at certain times, and leading up to a test or an exam is usually one of those times.

1. When you are about to take a test, how do you usually feel? Colour the squares that apply to you.

Excited

Frustrated at yourself for not studying

Nervous

Butterflies in your stomach

Tired

Unwell

Prepared

Ready for a challenge

Stressed

Over-prepared

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

Completely revised – can say all information from memory

Made flashcards and had someone test you

Made flashcards with key points and tested yourself

Wrote notes and asked someone to test you

Wrote notes from book the night before

Read through book night before and that morning

Read through your book that morning

Listened to friend cramming just before test started

No preparation

What test?

ew i ev Pr

Teac he r

2. How would you describe how prepared you usually are for a test? Place a cross on the location on the scale that matches you.

Knowing you have studied and are prepared for a test will help you to be less stressed, stay calm and feel positive before and during a test. What are other ways you can reduce stress and stay calm during a test?

© R. I .

C.Publ i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

w ww

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m . u

3. In your group, discuss ways to calm pre-test nerves and be less stressed for tests. Record your answers below.

4. Draw a cartoon to remind students how to stay calm and be less stressed for tests. Write a catchy slogan at the bottom that students can repeat to themselves to help them stay calm before a test.

For example; ‘Relax and breathe … I will achieve!’

R.I.C. Publications®

o c . che e r o t r s super

www.ricgroup.com.au

Study and research – Strategies and skills

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