Overview
A key part of any inquiry process is searching for answers. We often think of this as research, and traditional research is a key part of this process. However, seeking answers to our questions also goes beyond what we normally think of as research. It’s important to have students become aware of these methods and then consider these options as they set out to find answers to their burning questions. The list below outlines five strategies that students can employ as well as some links to resources that can help them get started.
Five Strategies
- Conduct experiments.
- Explore primary resources.
- Interview and survey.
- Observe events.
- Research online.
- Common Sense Education’s Most Reliable and Credible Sources for Students
- University of California, Santa Barbara Library’s Free Publicly-Accessible Databases
- University of California, Berkeley Library’s Freely Available Resources for Research
- Google Scholar
- DKfindout!
- National Geographic Kids
- Science Journal for Kids
- Wonderopolis
- Microsoft Bing
- DuckDuckGo
- Yahoo!
- Fact Monster
- Kiddle
- KidzSearch
Integration Ideas
When introducing students to these strategies, it can be helpful to facilitate practice on one strategy at a time. This can help scaffold the approaches and keep them from becoming too overwhelming. As students get more practiced and skilled with each technique, you can release more of the responsibility to them until, ultimately, they are able to consider each approach and determine the one that will work best for their specific need and inquiry.
How can I learn more?
For more information about today’s topic, explore the AVID Open Access article, Search and Seek Credible Information: Step 3 of the Searching for ANSWERS Inquiry Process.