Research Steps for the Fernbank E. 4th Grade Biomes Project

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Research Steps for the Fernbank E. 4th Grade
Biomes Project
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Research Step 1

• Select topic
• Whoopee! Your teachers have already done this for
  you!!
• BIOMES Taiga/Deciduous Forests
• Marine/Wetlands
• Deserts
• Grasslands
• Tundra
• Tropical Rainforests (Equator)

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Research Step 2

• Select Information Sources
• Books
• Reference Books including
• Encyclopedia
• Almanac
• Atlas
• Web sites
• Periodicals Magazines, Newspapers, etc.
• Interviews, Primary Sources, etc.

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How do you know if Information Source has the
information you want?

• Title of book, Web site, etc.
• Table of contents Chapter titles
• What is the equivalent on a Web site?
• Index
• Skim pages
• Subheads
• Illustrations, photos, captions
• Searching the Internet or Library Patron Catalog
  Choosing the right Search terms

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Are the info sources AUTHORATATIVE?!

• Books have been selected, edited, promoted, etc.
  by publisherlibrary books have been carefully
  selected
• Web sites can be created and posted by anyone!
• Teacher-selected sites are on Fernbank 4th Grade
  page

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Research Step 3

• Gathering Info Words and Images
• Make sure you have tools and time to gather
  wordsTAKING NOTES
• Paper, pencil
• Enough time to read and then write
• In your own words
• In list form
• Not in complete sentances
• Using graphic thing-a-ma-jiggys
• Drawing or getting digital images (illustrations,
  photos, maps, diagrams)

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Research Step 4

• Putting your notes and images together to create
  FINAL PRODUCT to share with others
• Report
• Visual Presentation
• Etc. etc. etc.
• Rough draft, edit, etc.
• Final draft

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Research Step 5

• Cite your sources
• Create a BIBLIOGRAPHY An list of all the sources
  of information for your project

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• Put the facts about the books, Web sites, etc. in
  a standardized order
• Book
• Beckwith, Elisabeth. Biomes We Love. Atlanta,
  GA Fernbank Press, 2006.
• --Encyclopedia
• Deserts." World Book Encyclopedia. New York
  World Book, 2000.
• --Internet site
• Missouri Botanical Gardens Whats It Like Where
  You Live? Missouri Botanical Gardens. 2005.
  November 6, 2006. lthttp//www.mbgnet.net/gt.

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Plagiarism Dont Do it!

• Taking credit for something you didnt do
• Cheating by Copying
• Always give credit to the wonderful people who
  wrote the books, Web sites, etc. that you
  gathered info from!!
• Hey, dont forget the people and sources where
  you got images!

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Research Step 6

• REFLECT Make sure you are satisfied with your
  work
• Did you do and include everything that was
  required?
• Did you give credit to all of your sources, and
  did you write it the way your teacher requested?
• Is your work neat?
• Is your work complete and does it include heading
  information (name, date, etc.)
• Would you be proud for anyone to view this work?
• What might you do different next time?