Using Resources: Integrating Your Research

Introduction (Time = 5 minutes)

·        Explain that today students will work on determining when to quote, paraphrase, or summarize information for research papers.

·        Ask if everyone is clear on what it means to paraphrase, quote, or summarize.  Review the LOBO content if necessary.  Ask students for examples to assess their understanding. (You may want to have students create definitions and write them on the board).

·        Ask students what they must do each time they use information from someone else that is not common knowledge. (Cite it!) 

·        Write “Summarize,” “Quote,” & “Paraphrase” on the board in 3-column chart form.  Have students outline reasons why you would do each in a research paper and fill in the chart. 

Procedure (Time = 35-40 minutes)

Step 1

·        Display a quotation from Martin Luther King, Jr. (or choose a famous quotation example relevant to your discipline).  Ask students to read the quote and to think about how they would include it in a research paper and why.  (Ask: “Would you quote this directly, paraphrase or summarize it in the text of your research paper?”) Discuss their reasoning. 

·        Ask students if they think this should always be the case with every quotation.  Why/Why not?  Discuss the impact that research has when used in their papers.

·        Explain that now students will have some time to practice integrating research into a very short paragraph, which could be used in a research paper.

Step 2

·        Put students into pairs or groups of 3. 

·        Give each group a brief excerpt or quotation from a research resource related to the class.  (Be sure to provide students with the citation information from each source.)

·        Explain that each group has a different excerpt and that they will be constructing a short paragraph incorporating the information from the research resource.

·        Each group will first need to decide whether or not it is appropriate to quote, summarize, or paraphrase, then justify their answer.  (Students need not know a great deal about the research resource or quotation they’re using.  This exercise is meant to give students practice with physically incorporating information in to a small piece of writing in a way that is coherent and appropriately cited.)  If students are having trouble interpreting their research resource, be sure to circulate around the classroom to answer any questions they may have.

·        After deciding which method is appropriate, students should write a short paragraph or a couple of sentences and be prepared to present it to the class.  For citation style, have students look at the appropriate pages in their citation style guide.

·        Depending on time, try to choose at least one group who paraphrased, quoted, and summarized.  Present the excerpt that the presenting group used to the class with PowerPoint or transparency.  Ask the class to silently make their own conclusion about the example.  Then, have the group who worked on that excerpt present their conclusions and their brief paragraph showing how they incorporated the information.

·        Ask the class whether or not they agree with the way the group used the information and if they did it in the best way possible.  Remind the class that there is not always one best way to include a resource in a paper.  Students should be using the criteria already listed in the chart on the board to decide.  Also, look for correct citations and remind the class not to focus on writing style. 

·        Each group should defend their reasoning, focusing on how they incorporated the information – not writing style.

·        (ALTERNATELY)  You may want to have students look at good/bad examples of paraphrasing, quoting, and summarizing and have each group evaluate different examples, rather than composing brief paragraphs.

Transition:  Now that students have had some practice in paraphrasing, quoting and summarizing, students will work on paragraphs related to their research paper.

Step 3

·        Students should have brought to class an article or piece of information they are planning to use in their research paper.

·        Ask students to choose some aspect of their research (this could be a quotation or a couple of sentences from a journal or a book) and to incorporate it into a brief paragraph, just as they did in their small groups.

·        Ask students to write whether they quoted, paraphrased, or summarized and justify why.  Explain that students will be turning in their work.  (If students are working on computers, you may want to have them email their paragraphs.)

Closure (Time = 5 minutes)

·        Ask students if they are having any problems determining which method they should use to incorporate research.  Refer to the chart on the board for questions. 

·        Remind students that the method they use largely depends on what type of impact the research is to have in the research paper and what type of point the student is trying to prove with their research. 

·        Summarize the main points of the lesson. 

Wrap Up

Give students feedback on their assignments.  Discuss what they did well, or need to improve on.

Lesson Evaluation

What worked well for you?

What will you do differently next time?