1. Topic Development  - use clarifying questions, keywords (natural language), and subject specific search terms to narrow, focus research

QUESTIONS PROVIDED BY YOUR TEACHER:

Should the death penalty be abolished in the United States?

Does the death penalty deter violent crime?

Is the risk of executing an innocent person too high to keep the death penalty?

Should states be allowed to use newer execution methods (e.g., nitrogen hypoxia) when lethal injection drugs are unavailable?

Should our state keep, expand, or end the death penalty?

Does the death penalty deliver justice for victims' families?

Should people with serious mental illness be exempt from execution, as people with intellectual disability are?

Is the death penalty applied fairly across race, income, and geography?

2. Identifying Potential Resources

• What are all the sources that might be useful?  

  1.  Consider online Library Subscription Databases, to access credible and reliable sources like magazines, newspapers, encyclopedias, ebooks, etc. and have source citations provided!

  2. WRHS, TSCPL and State Library of Kansas provide online subscription database resources to WRHS students and staff.

• Which sources will be the most authoritative, accurate, and trusted for your research topic?

Recommended Resources for this class assignment are listed below.
Watch this video to learn about electronic highlighting and notetaking features.

Watch this video to learn about sending articles to Google drive or email.

3. Evaluating Sources and Information to select the BEST for the research topic!

For free online web sources, practice Click Restraint and Lateral Reading to verify validity, credibility, authority, reliability, trustworthiness.

4. Organize Information and Source Citations

Questions to ask yourself: 

• What main ideas/new findings have emerged from research?

• Did I find enough evidence to form an opinion or support my possible solution? 

• What are the key reasons people should care?

• What kind of organizational tools will help me make sense of all my information?

Notes: Once you have found the information you need, take notes by paraphrasing in your own words or directly quoting with use of parenthetical citations (also known as:  in-text citation).

Outline: Organize the gathered notes of information. Why and how to create an outline

Five Steps to Effective Paraphrasing

1. reread the original information until you understand it fully

2. set the original aside and write your paraphrased version

3. take note of a few significant words which help you remember the materials

4. check your version with the original so that your version accurately represents all essential information

5. use quotation marks to identify unique phrases you borrow from the original

REMEMBER:  Cite sources in appropriate style format (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.), even when paraphrasing in your own words.

5. Use Information - legally, ethically, and responsibly
Poster Requirements 

5 Rules for Designing Better Posters video

Finished with your project?

Explore other library resources!

Kansas Department of Education:   Library and Information Standards

Standard 1:  INQUIRE

12.1.3 - Recognize gaps in one's own knowledge and information gathered.
12.1.4 - Analyze and evaluate data as the basis for evidence, using it to make valid and reliable claims.
12.1.5 - Demonstrate new understanding gained through information from real-life situations.
12.1.7 - Publish and share work with an authentic audience.

Standard 2:  INCLUDE

12.2.3 - Recognize one's own personal biases and cultural context in relation to finding, gathering, and processing information.
12.2.4 - Identify and evaluate more than one published perspective on an issue.

Standard 4:  CURATE

12.4.1 - Assemble facts, opinions and points of view and determine when appropriate in one's own work (e.g., essay; report; presentation).
12.4.2 - Assess the value of various types of informaiton sources.
12.4.5 - Evaluate and select information based on the source's quality, credibility, accuracy, appropriateness for needs and social and cultural perspective.
12.4.6 - Identify the difference between relevant and irrelevant informaiton.

Standard 5: EXPLORE

12.5.3 - Demonstrate motivation by seeking information to answer questions and interests.
12.5.5 - Maintain openness to new ideas when evidence supports change.
12.5.8 - Display emotional resilience by persisting in information searching despite challenges.