G.+I-SEARCH

= Welcome to the I-Search! = Nerdinocity: media type="file" key="Kass.Nerd.mp3" width="240" height="20"

Tips for Conducting the Interview:

Remember, use Garage band or similar to record!


 * Create specific questions before going into the interview. Don’t simply ask the person to tell you what they know about the topic. You may need to do a bit of research on the person so you know his/her relationship to the topic. The interview will be a flop if you are not prepared with really great questions.
 * Use Garageband to record your interview. Since you’ll be making notecards from your interview, you’ll need to be able to go back after the interview to review the information. (It’s rude to spend the entire interview scribbling down notes.)
 * During the interview, look interested. Make eye contact. Nod your head. Say, “Oh,” “Really,” “Wow,” etc. while the person is talking—it shows that you’re engaged in the interview.
 * Dress appropriately.
 * Show up to the interview on time.
 * If the person gives a short answer, say something like, “Say more about that.” It will get them to elaborate. I use that trick as a teacher all the time.
 * Send a ‘Thank You’ email or card after the interview has been completed. People are giving up the their precious time to help you out, and they deserve to be thanked.
 * No cussin’, spittin’, or fightin’ during the interview. Unless, of course, your I-Search topic is about cussin’, spittin’, or fightin’.


 * I-Search Note taking:**

Before you begin taking notes on a source, you need to find and write down the bibliographic information. Use this template to keep track of that -- later, you'll be able to transform this into your works cited:



Once you've found a source and recorded the bibliographic information, you'll be using notecards, either literal paper notecards or an electronic version, to record the information you learn from each. Remember: you will probably have quite a few notecards for each source, but you only want to put one small "chunk" of information on each card.

//Notecards should look like this://

==

Templates for electronic notecards:



I-Search Assignment Details
Your final product will be a formal research paper with a works cited page as well as a narrative reflection about the process you used and the lessons you learned. Remember as you read this that you will have many weeks and lots of support to pull this together! // Note: // // This format is adapted from the I-Search project developed at Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham, Maine, which is derived from the pedagogical work of Ken Macorie. //

We did this second quarter: //Why are you interested in this topic? When did you first get interested? Why does it matter to you? (No one will object to a little story here...) What do you already know about it? What do you want to know? Discuss two of the websites you have found so far. What score does each one get on the reliability rubric? What makes you think each one is trustworthy for a research paper//?
 * __Topic Proposal:__ (9A and 9S: About 1 typed, double spaced page)**

This is the part you'll probably write last, but you'll prepare for it in the meantime through a journal. This part is the "I" of the I-Search, the story of how you went about this project. You'll tell about your successes and your frustrations, the lucky breaks and the efficient methods you have discovered. You'll describe what your interviews were like, and reflect on your strengths and weaknesses as a learner of the research process. You'll tell this story chronologically, looking back over the quarter from the perspective of being just about done.
 * __Narrative Reflection:__ (9A and 9S: 2-3 pages)**

This is the formal presentation of the knowledge that you have at the end of your search. This section is organized along the lines of a formal research paper. //Its topic is not you but the question you explored.// It uses the conventional expository methods of supporting assertions as well as the conventional bibliographic methods of crediting others with their ideas or words. You will divide this part into sub-sections based on topics within your topic. A successful research paper will teach the reader what you know about the subject in an organized, interesting way.
 * __RESEARCH PAPER:__ (9 Advanced: Minimum 6 pages; 9 Standard: Minimum 4 pages)**


 * __Works Cited Page:__ (9 Advanced: Minimum 6 sources; 9 Standard: Minimum 5 sources)**


 * 9A:** 6 sources total – 1-2 reliable websites, 2-3 database articles, 1 interview. Remainders can be books, articles, or interviews.

==

I-Search Deadlines
The checkpoints below will help you make steady progress on this project. You need to be prepared to show me your work at the **beginning** of the class in which the checkpoint is due. Take these checkpoints quite seriously – most will be graded. If you have your work and it’s complete, you get a 100 for that check. If you don’t, regular late penalties apply, but more importantly, the project quickly becomes overwhelming. If you are starting to get lost, get help right away – I want to make sure this goes well for you.


 * __ Research: __**

Due Date: Monday, February 4
 * __ Topic proposal finalized, and parental signature on letter home: __**

Due Date: Tuesday, February 5
 * __ 2-3 sources found -- reliable websites or database articles -- with information on Website Template __** :


 * __ Notecards from the best background source so far (probably 10-15 notecards): __**

Due Date: Friday, February 8 // 9A: 6 total // // 9S: 5 total // Due Date: Friday, Feb 8
 * __ Typed Works Cited Draft with all sources (if having interview, don’t need to have completed yet) __** :

(Interview notecards may be added in by the end of vacation) Due Date: Friday, February 15 (Last day before February vacay!)
 * __ Completed note card deck sorted the order of the paper: __**


 * __ Writing: __**

Due Date: Wednesday/Thursday, February 27/28
 * __ 500 words of Research paper, with citations that match Works Cited __**

Due Date: Tuesday, March 5
 * __ Complete Typed Rough draft of Research paper __**

Due Date: Friday, March 8
 * __ Complete Typed Rough Draft of Narrative Reflection (so reflection, research paper, and works cited all drafted) __**

Due Date: Tuesday, March 12
 * __ I-SEARCH READY: __**

__**PRESENTATIONS:**__

Begin on March 13/14