Crafting Research Questions

Overview

In this lesson, Year 6 students will learn to create effective research questions that will guide their information reports on a chosen country. This lesson aligns with the Australian Curriculum: Technologies for Year 6, focusing on developing critical and creative thinking capabilities as students engage in research and inquiry-based learning (ACARA).

Learning Objectives

• Understand the importance of a research question in guiding an information report.
• Develop skills in creating clear and focused research questions.
• Apply critical thinking skills to evaluate and refine research questions.

Curriculum Links

• Learning Area: HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences): Geography
• Strands: Inquiry and skills; Knowledge and Understanding
• General Capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking

Materials Needed

• Interactive whiteboard or projector
• Whiteboard markers
• A3 paper and markers for group work
• Example country profiles (printed handouts)
• Access to digital devices for research (optional)

Lesson Structure (45 minutes)

Introduction (10 minutes)

1. Hook Activity:

   • Display a large map of the world on the interactive whiteboard.
   • Ask students to share the name of a country they are curious about.
   • Briefly discuss what they might want to know about these countries.

2. Lesson Aim:

   • Explain that they will learn how to create effective research questions that will help them in writing an information report about a country of their choice.

Direct Instruction (15 minutes)

1. Defining Research Questions:

   • Explain the purpose of a research question and its role in guiding research and reports. Highlight the difference between a general topic and a focused research question.
   • Provide examples of good research questions, such as "What are the key cultural traditions of [Country]?" versus less effective ones like "Tell me about [Country]."

2. Characteristics of a Good Research Question:

   • Clear and focused.
   • Open-ended to allow for exploration (starts with "how," "why," "what").
   • Specific enough to be answerable within the scope of available resources.

3. Examples:

   • Work through creating one effective research question as a class using a country example (e.g., "How has Japanese technology influenced global trends?").
   • Discuss why the example is effective.

Guided Practice (10 minutes)

1. Group Activity:

   • Divide the class into groups of 4-5 students.
   • Provide each group with a brief profile of a country (e.g., India, China, Brazil).
   • Ask them to brainstorm and write down 2-3 potential research questions on A3 paper.
   • Encourage students to use what they've learned about crafting strong questions.

2. Class Sharing:

   • Have each group share one of their favourite questions with the class.
   • Offer constructive feedback and ask other students to suggest improvements or expansions on these questions.

Conclusion and Reflection (10 minutes)

1. Review:

   • Summarise the characteristics of an effective research question.
   • Highlight examples shared by students and discuss any adjustments made.

2. Reflection Exercise:

   • Ask students to individually reflect in their notebooks on what they learned about developing research questions and how they plan to use this skill.

3. Closing:

   • Encourage students to choose a country they are interested in for their information report and begin brainstorming research questions as homework.

Differentiation and Extension

• For students needing extra support: Provide sentence starters or guiding questions to help formulate their research questions.
• For advanced students: Challenge them to come up with a multi-part research question that covers different aspects of their country (e.g., cultural, environmental, technological).

Assessment

• Formative: Observe student participation during group activities and class discussions.
• Summative: Evaluate the research questions developed by each student as part of their information report project on a chosen country.

This lesson aims to engage students with a practical skill that enhances their research capabilities, encouraging critical thinking and curiosity about the world.