This lesson plan addresses several different skills for students. It’s written for sixth graders, but can easily move up in grade levels. Most eighth graders write a term paper, and this lesson introduces younger students to doing research both on the Internet and using print media in preparation for the term paper. Skills covered are evaluating websites for accuracy and reliability, technological skills to search for information, taking notes, ethics in using information found on the Internet and in print media, and the proper format to cite sources. This is a great time to introduce plagiarism.

Before starting their research, discuss with students the qualities of a reliable, accurate source, whether it’s a print media or Internet. Also discuss what copyrighted material is, how they can identify it, and why they cannot copy and paste it without permission from the author. The same applies to photographs, artwork, and clipart. When we did this project, we got permission from the website or the photographer to use certain photos.

These brochures were “made by hand” for several reasons. Scheduling enough time in the computer lab to do them on the computer was not possible; for some students, trying to format a newsletter on the computer would be too challenging; entering text takes them a long time as most have not learned correct keyboarding skills; and I wanted them to enjoy the creativity of design, colored pencils/crayons, and decorating.

The brochures pictured unfold in the center and students had the entire inside to fill with information and photographs or artwork. On the back of the brochure, they cited their sources. We used MLA format because that is what they would use in eighth grade and in high school.

Mushing on,

Martha