Research Techniques Mastery

Overview

This 40-minute session is Lesson 2 of 4 in the unit Investigative Journalism Adventure for Year 7 students. It focuses on developing effective research skills, emphasising the identification of credible sources and practising interview techniques. The lesson sets the foundation for students’ investigative reports by teaching them how to gather reliable information through varied research methods and peer interviews.

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National Curriculum Links

• English programmes of study: Key Stage 3
  • Writing:
    • Plan, draft, edit and proofread
    • Use a range of sentence types for clarity and emphasis
  • Reading comprehension:
    • Develop understanding of how to locate and interpret explicit and implicit information from texts
  • Spoken language:
    • Participate effectively in discussions and presentations
    • Ask questions to improve understanding
    • Express ideas clearly
• Cross-curricular links – Literacy across subjects:
  • Students develop skills to research and validate information, promoting critical thinking and media literacy, key elements for their overall literacy development.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Explain the importance of using credible sources in research (NC Writing & Reading)
2. Identify elements that define credible versus unreliable sources (NC Reading)
3. Formulate effective open and closed questions suitable for interviews (NC Spoken Language)
4. Conduct a mock interview to gather detailed information (NC Spoken Language)
5. Reflect on research techniques and the usefulness of information collected (NC Writing)

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Resources Needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed summary sheet: “What Makes a Source Credible?”
• Example source materials (e.g. newspaper articles, websites, blogs, social media posts) – mixed credibility
• Interview question prompts sheet
• Stopwatch or timer
• Notebooks/paper, pens for note-taking
• Role-play cards describing characters related to the local mysterious event (e.g. witness, local shopkeeper, police officer)

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Purpose: Activate prior knowledge about research and credibility.

• Begin by asking the student: “If you wanted to find out the truth about a mysterious local event, where would you look for information? How can you tell if a source is trustworthy?”
• Write their ideas on the whiteboard.
• Introduce the terms credible source and unreliable source, connecting to their ideas.

2. Teaching Input: Credible Sources (7 minutes)

• Present the printed summary sheet outlining key features of credible sources (e.g. author expertise, publication reputation, date, evidence backing claims).
• Show the student a mix of example materials (articles, websites, social media posts) and guide them in analysing these based on the criteria.
• Discuss why some sources are better for investigative journalism than others.

Key question: “Why is it important to check where information comes from?”

3. Guided Practice: Question Formulation (8 minutes)

• Explain the difference between open and closed questions and their uses.
• Show examples of both question types, linking to the investigative context.
• Task: The student formulates 5 interview questions to gather information about the mysterious local event. Encourage a mix of open and closed questions.
• Provide feedback, helping them refine questions to be clear, purposeful, and engaging.

4. Main Activity: Mock Interview Role-Play (15 minutes)

• Give the student a role-play card that describes someone connected to the event.
• The student interviews you (the teacher) assuming you are this character, using their prepared questions to gather information.
• Use a timer to simulate a real interview environment (e.g. 7 minutes interview duration).
• Student takes notes during the interview.

Extension: Reverse roles if time allows – the student answers questions while you ask.

5. Reflection and Review (5 minutes)

• Discuss the experience: Which questions worked well? What information did they find most useful?
• Reflect on how the knowledge of credible sources helped with the interview.
• Ask the student to write a brief note on two key takeaways about researching and interviewing for their report.

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Assessment

Formative:

• Observation during question formulation and role-play interview for clarity, relevance, and engagement with material.
• Student notes and reflection demonstrate understanding of research principles.

Summative (to be collected at end of unit):

• Use the notes and interviews conducted this lesson to inform the writing of the investigative report.

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Differentiation and Adaptations

• For additional challenge: Encourage the student to identify bias or incomplete information in sources.
• For support: Provide a question template or sentence starters for interviews.
• As a solo student, adapt group activities to interactive teacher-led role-plays or multimedia analysis.

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Wow Factor – Beyond the Usual

• Use a "Credibility Detective" approach: give the student a magnifying glass prop and have them “inspect” source clues, turning research into an investigative game.
• Record the mock interview on a phone or tablet; playback to review body language, tone, and communication effectiveness, linking spoken language skills to real outcomes.
• Introduce a mini-debate: “Can social media ever be a reliable source?” to encourage critical thinking.

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Homework / Independent Learning

• Task: Find one article or piece of information about a local or school event, determine its credibility, and write a short paragraph explaining your judgement.
• Prepare one new question for the next lesson’s research or writing activity.

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This lesson plan ensures alignment with the National Curriculum for England’s Year 7 English objectives, while engaging students actively in skills essential for investigative journalism and critical literacy.