Research and Reflection

Overview

In this lesson (3 of 10) students begin building research skills using books and digital resources, then practice reflection to connect new information to what they already know. Year 5 focuses on taking notes and thinking critically; Year 1 focuses on reflecting about the learning in a simple, age-appropriate way.

Learning intentions

• Students will learn how to find information using a book and a digital source.
• Year 5 students will take notes about a science topic and use those notes to answer questions.
• Year 1 students will explain what they already know and what they learned in their own words.
• Students will practice respectful, careful use of information (not copying, using own words).

Success criteria

• I can choose a topic-related sentence from a source and share it with the class.
• Year 5: I can write a few key notes (facts) and label at least one “question I still have.”
• Year 1: I can tell one thing I learned and one thing I still wonder about.
• I can describe one way research helps me understand science better.

Curriculum links

• Students use evidence from texts to support understanding in science learning.
• Students gather, organize, and communicate information through speaking and writing.
• Students produce short informational writing and participate in discussions with peers.
• Students reflect on learning and revise ideas based on new information.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. (0–5 minutes) Launch: “Today we learn + reflect”

• Parent-teacher introduces the unit theme: “How do living things and matter change in our world?” (use the same theme for both children).
• Each child states (or answers prompts): “Today I’m researching about ____.”

2. (5–12 minutes) Shared mini-lesson: Research tools

• Model how to use a book: look at the cover, table of contents/index, pictures with labels, and captions.
• Model how to use a digital source safely: teacher chooses the site/video, students watch/read only the intended section, and they do not search independently.
• Emphasize: “We use information, but we tell it in our own words.”

3. (12–22 minutes) Guided source reading (together, different tasks)

• Use one short, teacher-selected source for both children (book pages + a short digital clip segment).
• Pause and ask comprehension checks:
• For Year 5: “What is the main idea of this part?”
• For Year 1: “Point to the thing that tells us the most.”

4. (22–36 minutes) Notes and record-keeping (split tasks)

• Year 5 (critical thinking notes): Students create a “Fact / Evidence / Question” chart.
• Fact: a short statement from the source in their own words.
• Evidence: a phrase from the text they paraphrase (not copied full sentences).
• Question: one question they still have after reading.
• Year 1 (reflection with visuals): Students complete a simple “I used to think… / Now I think…” page with one sentence or drawing plus 1–2 labeled words.

5. (36–45 minutes) Teacher conferences (two short check-ins)

• Year 5: Ask students to explain one note and identify whether it’s a fact or an opinion.
• Year 1: Ask students to choose one learned idea and narrate it using a sentence starter: “I learned that…”
• Offer immediate corrections and modeling for clarity.

6. (45–53 minutes) Share-out discussion

• Year 5 shares two facts and their question; peers/parent respond with a supportive prompt.
• Year 1 shares one “Now I think…” idea and one wonder.
• Reinforce discussion behaviors: listen, wait, and add to ideas (not interrupt).

7. (53–60 minutes) Wrap: Reflection + next-step plan

• Whole group quick reflection:
• “One new thing I learned…”
• “One strategy I used to research…”
• “One question for next time…”
• Preview Lesson 4: students will deepen their research and organize information into a simple product (poster or paragraph) over subsequent lessons.

Resources

• Teacher-selected science book (age-appropriate reading level for Year 1 and stretch text for Year 5)
• Printed article pages OR printed excerpts from a digital source (teacher-prepared)
• Index cards or chart paper for “Fact / Evidence / Question”
• Year 1 reflection sheet: “I used to think / Now I think” with a drawing box
• Sticky notes for marking “important information”
• Pencil, crayons (for Year 1), highlighters (optional for Year 5)
• Timer and visual schedule cards (helpful for routine)
• Digital device with teacher-only access to chosen content
• Sentence starters:
• Year 5: “The source says… I think this means…”
• Year 1: “I learned that… Now I think…”

Assessment

• Observation checklist during source reading and conferences (listening, comprehension, correct use of evidence).
• Review of student work:
• Year 5 notes chart for facts, paraphrasing, and a clear question.
• Year 1 reflection page for evidence of “before vs after” thinking.
• Oral share-out rubric (simple): clarity, relevance to the topic, and ability to connect learning to a question.

Differentiation

• For Year 1 support:
• Use sentence frames and picture cues; allow drawing plus 1–2 words.
• Reduce writing: one learned idea and one wonder only.
• Provide pointing/label matching with diagrams or captions.
• For Year 1 extension:
• Add a second “Now I think…” or label a part of the diagram with a word bank.
• For Year 5 support:
• Provide a partially completed “Fact / Evidence / Question” chart template.
• Offer a list of “fact words” (because, causes, changes, describes) to strengthen clarity.
• For Year 5 extension:
• Add a “How do we know?” line that requires them to identify the part of the source that supports the fact (picture label vs paragraph).
• For EAL/SEN (both students):
• Pre-teach 4–6 key terms from the source using visuals.
• Allow oral responses instead of full written sentences when needed.
• Use consistent routines: book first, then digital, then notes, then reflection.