Unit Theme/Topic for Grade #3: Research

Lesson Title: Researching Michigan History

Time Needed for Lesson: 20 min. needed.
Teacher: Cassie Castro and Amanda Rowley

Enduring Understandings
Guiding questions helps us focus our reading on a specific topic.
We can use research in many different ways and is essential to learning about a new topic.
We can use research to gain knowledge.

Essential Questions to Guide Instruction
How do guiding question enhance my learning?
How do I begin my research?


Prior Knowledge Needed
Prior to this lesson, students will have already studied Michigan History. Before this unit,
students chose a topic within the category of Michigan history. Students then gathered a
number of nonfiction resources, including texts and digital texts. We have also discussed a
variety of methods that we can organize our thoughts when brainstorming about a topic.
Throughout the past 4 days we also identified and created a detailed question. As a class
we compared and contrasted the differences between a guiding and detailed question
and we also began discussing what a guiding question is.

Lesson Objectives & I Can Statements:
Students will be able to

W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
RI.3.10 Reading Informational Texts: Range of reading and level of text complexity.
By the end of the year read and comprehend informational texts, including history,
social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text
complexity band independently and proficiently.


1. I can brainstorm guiding questions using a web and my nonfiction resources.


Assessment: Evidence of Student Understanding
1. Students will be assessed by observation throughout the lesson. As an authentic
form of assessment, students will be assessed on their brainstorming webs created
at the end of the mini lesson (during writers workshop). Understanding will be
evaluated on brainstorming ideas with 2 criteria:
1.) Ideas must be rich and juicy (hold meaning)
2.) Ideas must be thorough for the formation of a guiding question.

Higher Order Thinking (H.O.T.):
1. Compare and contrast guiding and detailed questions
2. Create a web to brainstorm guiding question ideas
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LESSON SEQUENCE

Introduction: Hooking Students, Activating Prior Knowledge, Setting Lesson Goals, etc.
1. The teacher will ask the students, Can we start research without looking for
specifics?
2. The teacher will begin to read a nonfiction text to the class and half way through
realize and voice to the class Wait...what am I conducting my research on? If we
do not have guiding questions we will take notes on every little tiny things and not
focusing on the main topic.
3. The teacher will then ask the students what is it that I need to help me conduct my
research?

Instructional Moves: Engaging Students in ACTIVELY Constructing Deep Understanding
1. The teacher will begin by reviewing the key components of a guiding question. The
teacher and students will work together to create a t-chart, which outlines the
differences between a guided and detailed question. (T-chart will be posted
throughout the lesson as a reminder.)
2. The teacher will then begin to model how to begin research. With the help of a
research resource text, the teacher will generate ideas to brainstorm guiding questions.
These ideas will later be translated into guiding questions that lead the research.
Thinking aloud and writing brainstorming ideas down on paper is an important aspect
of modeling this lesson, as students will benefit from hearing and seeing how the
teacher thinks about thinking (metacognition).
3. After brainstorming ideas have been written down the teacher and students will create
a web to organize and elaborate ideas. Building on prior knowledge and using the text
as a resource will help generate main ideas that can later lead the research.
4. The teacher and students will review the web and check that all of their ideas were
rich, meaningful, and thorough. All ideas that do not fall under the criteria listed will be
elaborated and/or changed to meet the criteria. (Web will be posted throughout the
lesson.)
5. The students will then create their own brainstorming webs on the topic of Michigan
History using the one the class created together as a reference. With the help of the
research resource texts provided the students will follow the steps that were modeled
to generate their own ideas and then organize those ideas into a web.

Closure: Engaging Students in NAMING IT So They Can CLAIM IT
1. Students will review their web and compare it to the one posted (class created),
checking for elaboration and rich ideas.
2. Students will pair share their webs with a partner and give stars and wishes (critique)
on each others webs/brainstorming ideas
3. The teacher will review the importance of guiding questions in research and how
brainstorming helped the class form rich, thorough ideas to form guiding questions.

Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners, Including ELLs:
1. ELL students will work with a group if needed
2. Providing pictures as examples
3. Providing appropriate books, which are culturally diverse and relate to the students
of the classroom (for modeling and research resource texts)
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Meeting the Needs of Exceptional Learners:
1. Giving visual examples
2. Plenty of thorough modeling
3. Giving plenty of time to complete guiding questions
4. Challenge the student(s) to create juicy guiding questions, and be specific
5. Learning Disability: Students will work with the teacher and collaborate their
questions together.

References & Resources