Writing a Literature Review

Year Level: Year 12

Subject: Extended Investigations

Duration: 60 minutes

Curriculum Link: Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) – Extended Investigation Unit 3, Area of Study 1: Designing and justifying a research question.

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Objectives

• Understand the purpose and structure of a literature review in Extended Investigations.
• Learn how to critically evaluate academic sources and synthesise them.
• Develop confidence in writing a cohesive and analytical literature review.
• Engage in reflective and collaborative activities to support learning.

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Lesson Overview

This 60-minute lesson aims to help students understand how to write a thoughtful and structured literature review for their Extended Investigation projects. The session employs interactive, student-centred methods to ensure engagement while maintaining alignment with VCAA guidelines.

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Materials

• Whiteboard or digital projector.
• Printed academic articles (3-4 short excerpts tailored to various disciplines).
• Coloured markers.
• A3 paper for group activities.
• Individual student laptops or personal devices (for brainstorming).

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Lesson Outline

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

Activity Title: “The Puzzle of Research”
Use this brief activity to excite students about constructing a literature review.

1. Begin by displaying a short, engaging puzzle or riddle on the board to symbolise “solving” research questions using existing literature.

   • Example: Display several individual puzzle pieces on screen and highlight how they come together to form one big picture.

2. Relate this to the purpose of a literature review:

   • Define what a literature review is (a cohesive summary and evaluation of existing research about a topic).
   • Explain the purpose: to identify research gaps, justify the importance of the research question, and show connections between studies.

3. Link this explicitly to the VCAA requirement for Extended Investigations:

   • “A literature review shows advanced understanding of the research context for your chosen question.”
   • Mention this skill will also serve them in university.

Briefly outline today’s plan:

• Understanding structure
• Critical evaluation activity
• Writing techniques

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2. Exploring Structure (15 minutes)

Activity Title: “Dissect the Review”
Students will dissect a short example of a literature review.

1. Provide students with a handout of a short literature review (approximately one paragraph). The example could be from a topic relevant to their interests (e.g., climate change, psychology of social media, or global economics).
2. Break the review into these elements:
   • Introduction: What is the research question being investigated?
   • Body paragraphs: How are individual studies summarised/synthesised?
   • Conclusion: How does the review point toward the current study?
3. As a class, deconstruct the elements:
   • Highlight key phrases (use coloured markers).
   • Discuss how studies are linked (use phrases like "similarly," "in contrast," etc.).

Class Question: How does the author weave studies together to tell a story about their topic?

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3. Practising Critical Evaluation (20 minutes)

Activity Title: “Source Detective”
Pair students into small groups to evaluate academic sources.

1. Provide each group with two short excerpts from academic articles (tailored to their general interests).
2. Task:
   • Evaluate each source using an acronym like CRAAP (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose).
   • Take turns discussing: Which source is stronger for a literature review on the topic? Why?
3. Groups present their decisions to the class.

Reflections: Highlight the importance of scrutinising sources before including them in a review. This step reinforces extended critical thinking.

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4. Writing Techniques (10 minutes)

Activity Title: “Link the Ideas”
Teach students practical strategies for writing cohesively:

1. On the whiteboard, provide a list of transition words (e.g., “in addition,” “however,” “on the other hand,” “similarly”).

2. As a class, practise linking two hypothetical studies on a topic using the transitions. For example:

   • Study 1: “Social media increases anxiety.”
   • Study 2: “Face-to-face interactions decrease loneliness.”
   • Linked sentence: “While social media may increase anxiety, face-to-face interactions have been shown to reduce loneliness, suggesting complexity in how people form social connections.”

3. Have students individually craft one sentence linking two academic ideas from their assigned sources in the previous activity.

Peer Share: Pair students and have them exchange sentences for feedback. Encourage them to suggest improvement points.

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5. Consolidation & Reflection (5 minutes)

Activity Title: “Write Your Formula”

1. Ask each student to write down two things they believe are essential for a successful literature review.
2. Facilitate a quick whole-class discussion to consolidate learning:
   • “What surprised you today?”
   • “How has your understanding of literature reviews changed?”
3. Mention they’ll be formally drafting their literature reviews as part of their Extended Investigation homework.

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Homework

• Draft an introduction and one body paragraph for their literature review, focusing on clear links between studies.
• Bring their work to the next class for feedback and peer review.

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Teacher Reflection

Ask yourself after the session:

• Did students actively engage with the activities?
• How confident were they in linking ideas?
• Are there areas where more instruction or practice is needed?

This lesson provides Year 12 students with a strong foundation to tackle one of the most important steps in Extended Investigations, while ensuring their learning process is collaborative, reflective, and engaging.