Learning how to research topics in middle school can be challenging for students. Some students might think research means going to a website, copying the text, putting it into their graphic organizers, and declaring the research complete.
However, that isn’t the case—there is so much more to understanding how to research. This blog post will explore how to research, specifically using a Q-Chart for inquiry topics, as well as offer tips students can use.
How to Research Efficiently & Successfully
Start With a Q-Chart
When learning how to research, students can start with a Q-Chart. Providing students with a Q-Chart can help them create questions about the topic they need to research. The Q-Chart helps students create questions that have a range of difficulty. Some of the created questions could be easier to answer than others.
Students will start with their Q-Chart and then choose an inquiry or research topic. Teachers may also choose to assign topics to their students.
In this Grade 7 Geography Strand A resource, students explore and understand Physical Patterns in a Changing World. Topics include landforms, water systems, vegetation regions, climate regions, and the challenges posed by the physical environment.
In this unit, students demonstrate their understanding of natural events and human activities that change the physical environment through the inquiry process. The inquiry topics include:
- Earthquakes
- Volcanic eruptions
- Hurricanes
- Deforestation
- Industrial pollution in a river system
- Differences between organic versus traditional farming
This blog post will use examples from natural events (earthquakes and volcanic eruptions) and an example from human activities (differences between organic versus traditional farming) that change the physical environment.
Creating Questions
An important component of learning how to research is questioning what is being researched. First, students will work with their group to develop questions based on the topic they’re researching. It’s easiest to start with simple knowledge-building questions: Who, What, When, and Where.
For example:
- What is an earthquake?
- When are earthquakes most likely to occur?
- Where do most earthquakes happen?
- What are volcanic eruptions?
- When do volcanic eruptions occur?
- Where do volcanic eruptions occur?
- What is organic farming?
- What is traditional farming?
- When are organic farming practices most used?
- When are traditional farming practices most used?
- Where are organic and traditional farms located in Canada?
Once students have gathered the basic knowledge of their topic, they can move beyond the basic knowledge and go into the analytical and synthesis questions: Why and How.
For example:
- Why do earthquakes occur?
- How do earthquakes impact nearby communities and environments?
- Why do volcanic eruptions occur?
- How do volcanic eruptions occur?
- How do organic and traditional farms differ from each other?
- Why do farmers select one method of farming over another?
Students will write down as many questions as they can about their topic. Then, they can look at their Q-Chart to see the listed guiding questions.
Using their research organizer, whether paper or digital, students can now start their research.
Gathering Reputable Resources
Learning how to research in middle school means learning to gather reputable resources. For many research assignments, I like to provide students with a brief list of credible sources to get them started.
When teaching students how to research in middle school, it’s important that you teach them the difference between a reliable source and an unreliable one.
- Reliable sources are published by experts, professionals, or trusted organizations. These include educational websites and encyclopedias (such as Britannica and The Canadian Encyclopedia), government websites (.gov), educational institutions (.edu), or reputable news organizations (such as major newspapers).
- Unreliable sources lack credibility or might be biased in their information. Rather than facts, they state opinions, lack credible references, or use sensational language to attract clicks. Examples of unreputable sources could include personal blogs, social media posts, Wikipedia (as anyone can edit the content, so accuracy can vary), or unverified or lesser-known news sites.
Ensure students know they can come to you and ask for help verifying a website’s credibility.
Wikipedia shouldn’t be the only source students use when they are learning how to research, as people can edit the articles on it. I allow students to use Wikipedia as a starting point to gain a basic understanding of the topic. You can then teach them how to use the source list at the bottom of the page for further information and fact-checking.
One fantastic research resource students can use is Britannica. It will give them an overview of the topic(s) they are researching. Another great online resource is The Canadian Encyclopedia. Check with your school’s teacher librarian or media specialist to see if your school board or school district has access to online databases. These are student-specific research tools.
For their first reading, students should read the article without taking notes. Then, they will go back to their Inquiry Research Organizer and look at the questions they came up with. Now, they will go back through the article a second time, and this time, they will take point form notes.
Students can then read the next articles in the same manner.
Organizing Research
Once students have answered their questions, it’s time for them to start organizing their research. One efficient way they can do this is by:
- Giving each question a number.
- Going through their notes and putting the assigned numbers next to the note points they took so they can visually see what questions their notes have answered.
- They can also write out information on cue cards to organize it in a tactile way.
By doing this, students can see if any questions haven’t been answered.
Using Google to Fill in the Gaps
After students have gone through their notes to see what questions have been answered, they can start to look for information to answer their unanswered questions. To do this, students will use Google search. It is important that students don’t ask specific questions but rather enter a search of their topic based on keywords (“Earthquake Zones in Canada,” “Organic Farming Examples,” etc.).
Students will need to ensure that the websites they are gathering information from are reputable or trusted. Reputable websites are from trusted organizations such as encyclopedias, government, or museum websites.
To help students tell the difference and decide if a website is reputable, they can ask these questions:
- Who is the author or publisher? Is this person or organization known for expertise in the field?
- Is there a publication date? Information on current events or scientific developments changes rapidly, so it’s important to ensure the date is recent.
- Are there citations or sources listed? A trusted source will usually reference other reputable sources.
- What is the purpose of the content? If the main goal seems to be entertainment or selling a product rather than informing, it might not be the best for research.
A fantastic way to teach students this skill is by teaching them about fake news. Learn more here: Why Teach Fake News in the Middle School ELA Classroom?
Another helpful tip is to look at the bottom of the Google search page when a question is asked. Students can see what other people have searched (“People also search for”). This might give them more ideas of questions to add to their research.
Students can also look toward the top of the search page to see other questions that people have asked about their topic. In Google, this is where it says, “People also ask.”
For example, when searching “organic farming,” people also ask (according to a Google search when writing this post):
- What is the meaning of organic farming?
- What is the biggest problem for organic farmers?
- What are the disadvantages of organic farming?
- Is organic farming growing in Canada?
Lastly, it’s important to remind students that when writing their research, they need to write it in their own words – they cannot copy and paste it. It is also important that students research using various perspectives, not just their own. When understanding a topic, seeing it from different viewpoints is crucial.
With these steps for learning how to research, students should be successful in gathering and organizing information on their topics.
Don’t forget to teach plagiarism!
As your middle school students learn how to research, help them understand plagiarism and how to avoid it. This Middle School Plagiarism Unit includes nine lessons designed to teach students about plagiarism, its consequences, and how to create original work.
The unit provides clear, easy-to-follow teacher instructions to help guide students as they learn how to research properly and use their own words. It also includes lessons on teaching students how to cite sources properly. It’s a practical resource to help students develop their skills to be honest and responsible writers.
This resource includes:
- 9 Engaging Lessons
- Plagiarism and AI Lesson
- Interactive Video Links
- Group Work Stations
- Answer Keys
- Regular and Modified Note-Taking Options
- Graphic Organizers
- Group & Independent Work
- Pre-Made Lesson Slideshow
- PDF & Google Slides™ Formats
Here’s what teachers have said about this resource:
“This was a great resource to use before a research project. It really consolidated students’ knowledge about obtaining information from sources and how to properly cite those sources.” – Natalie V.
“This is the best resource. So easy to use, no prep and students were very engaged. They were so worried for the rest of the year about accidental plagiarism all year so they kept referring back to this resource.” – The Cat Ate My Homework
You can find the Middle School Plagiarism Unit on Shopify CAD or Teachers Pay Teachers USD. Learn more about why this skill is important here: Two Essential Student Skills to Teach the First Week of School.
Teach in Ontario?
Check out the various ready-to-go Ontario Curriculum resources to help you plan your Language Arts, Social Studies, History, Geography, and Science lessons for your classroom.
Related Posts
