1st Grade: The Idea Web

Research Pre-Writing
Target: I can pick the best facts from my notes to share with my team.
Success: I drew or wrote my best facts inside the Idea Web bubbles.
Warmup
Note Review
Look at all the notes you took from your books. Pick your favorite fact. Why is it your favorite?
Mini-Lesson
What is a Web?
We are putting our ideas together! Remember: No big sentences yet! Just use pictures or one word to show your idea.
Work Time
Fill the Bubbles
Take turns! Share your fact with your group. Have the Scribe draw or write your idea inside Big Idea #1, #2, or #3.
Closing
The "WOW" Fact
What was the most surprising thing your group learned? Draw it together in the big WOW Fact box!

2nd Grade: Fact Buckets

Research Pre-Writing
Target: I can sort facts that belong together into groups.
Success: My facts are written in the correct buckets using bullet points.
Warmup
Find the Pattern
Read your sticky notes out loud to your group. Do any of your facts sound similar to your friends' facts?
Mini-Lesson
Categorizing
What is a category? It's like cleaning up toys: cars go in one bucket, blocks go in another. We need to name our Fact Buckets!
Work Time
Sorting Facts
Decide on your bucket topics (like "Habitat" or "Food"). Write your keywords next to the bullet points in the right bucket.
Closing
Question Mark Box
Look at your buckets. What is missing? Write one thing you still need to find out in the Question Mark Box.

3rd Grade: Synthesis Grid

Research Pre-Writing
Target: I can compare notes with a teammate to find connections.
Success: I wrote a "Big Idea" that combines facts from two different people.
Warmup
Note Swap
Trade your notes with a partner in your group. Did they find the exact same thing as you, or something different?
Mini-Lesson
What is Synthesis?
Synthesis means putting pieces together to make something new.
Fact A + Fact B = One Big Idea!
Work Time
The Grid
Write Member A's keywords on the left. Write Member B's keywords on the right. Work together to write the Big Idea at the bottom!
Closing
Vocab Checklist
Every expert needs a strong vocabulary. Fill out your Checklist with 4 scientific or historical words you MUST use in your final report.

4th & 5th: Skeleton Outline

Research Pre-Writing
Target: I can organize my research into main ideas and supporting details.
Success: I created a completed outline that includes source citations.
Warmup
The Thesis Check
Look at your overarching question. In one simple sentence, what is the most important thing your group discovered? This is your Background Statement.
Mini-Lesson
Main Idea vs. Detail
Do not write paragraphs! An outline is just the skeleton.
Main Point = The big category.
Detail = The specific fact or number.
Work Time
Draft the Outline
Group your notes into Sub-Topics (A and B). For every supporting detail you list, you must write down which Source it came from!
Closing
Mind the Gap
We read the books, but we still have a question. Fill out The Gap section to explain exactly why you need to do your experiment!
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