The I-Search Unit

http://www.edc.org/FSC/MIH/i-search.html

 

The I-Search Unit is the very heart of Make It Happen! because it links effective teaching, learning (content knowledge and research processes), and assessment. Based on Ken Macrorie's 1988 book entitled, The I-Search Paper, EDC has developed an I-Search Unit with four phases of instruction.

In Phase I, teachers immerse students in the unit's theme (i.e., a socially relevant topic that naturally links science, social studies, language arts, and mathematics). Students engage in a variety of activities, not only to discover what they already know about this theme, but also to build background knowledge. These activities model a variety of ways for students to gather information. By the end of Phase I, each student poses an I-Search question to guide his or her personally motivated inquiry.

In Phase II, students develop a search plan that identifies how they will gather information: by reading books, magazines, newspapers, reference materials; by watching videos, filmstrips; by interviewing people or conducting surveys; by carrying out experiments, doing simulations, or going on field trips.

In Phase III, students follow their search plans and gather information. They also analyze and synthesize information to construct knowledge.

In Phase IV, students draft, revise, edit, and publish an I-Search Report. The I-Search Report includes the following components: My Search Questions, My Search Process, What I Learned, What This Means To Me, and References. The report becomes the foundation for an oral presentation, skit, poster, experiment, or other exhibition of knowledge.

An I-Search Unit is an excellent context for alternative assessment, the inclusion of students with diverse learning abilities, and technology integration.

Phase I

Goals

  1. Teachers introduce theme/overarching concepts
  2. Teachers engage students in a variety of activities
    • motivate/hook kids
    • elicit prior knowledge
    • build up knowledge
  3. Teachers model information-gathering strategies:
    • Read
    • Watch
    • Ask
    • Do
  4. Students become familiar with the I-Search process
  5. Students pose I-Search questions that are personally relevant and meaningful

Phase II

Goals

  1. Students develop a plan showing which materials and resources they will use for starting the search process.
  2. Students make sure that the teachers' criteria for read, watch, ask, do in the plan are met.
  3. Students develop a sequence of using these materials and resources.
  4. Students have a process for citing and/or keeping track of the materials and resources.

Phase III

Goals

  1. Students follow their search plans, revising them as necessary.
  2. Students gather information inside the school at the media center or the library and outside the school through interviews, trips, and other libraries. They record this information on notecards or in other ways.
  3. Students engage in activities to make sense and construct meaning. They integrate information from various sources. They engage in analyses such as:
    • compare and contrast
    • pro and con
    • cause and effect
    • sequence
  4. Students participate in classroom-based enrichment activities related to the theme and overarching concepts of the I-Search Unit to expand their knowledge.
  5. Students write in their journals, reflecting on the "ups and downs" of their search process.
  6. If appropriate, students start drafting paragraphs for their I-Search reports.

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Sample Activities

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In one school, students were asked to include interviews with experts or people who experienced disasters for their I-Search reports. Susan, the language arts teacher, lead the class in a lesson about how to pose good, "fat" interview questions.

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Examples of information-gathering letters sent out by students.

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One team of sixth grade teachers designed a strategy to help their entire team of 125 students exchange information during Phase III of a unit on "How the Atlantic Ocean Affects New England's Economy: Past, Present, and Future."

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Students used Venn diagramsto compare and contrast the river they chose to study with the White River.

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Database Program Activity, from the Teacher's Guide to Developing an I-Search Unit, a component of the Make It Happen! manual
A database is a tool that allows users to store information in an organized way and to retrieve information in response to queries. Using a database encourages higher-level thinking skills as students go beyond the facts to search for trends and relationships, make and test hypotheses, and explore the meaning of data. Database programs are helpful to students who need a tool to organize or categorize information. Database programs provide a concrete context for discussing relationships, hypotheses, and conclusions.

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A Cooperative Learning Activity, from the Teacher's Guide to Developing an I-Search Unit, a component of the Make It Happen! manual

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Student's calendar from an I-Search Unit on rivers

 

Photo of student entering data into a computer

A 6th grade student analyzes data she has been gathering from varied resources.

Phase IV

Goals

  1. Students understand the five components of the I-Search report.
  2. Students understand criteria for evaluation.
  3. Students prepare I-Search reports.
    • Draft
    • Revise
    • Edit
    • Publish Reports
  4. Students prepare projects and exhibitions.
    • Draft
    • Revise
    • Edit
    • Produce final version
  5. Students disseminate reports and exhibitions to classmates, friends, and/or parents.
    *I-Search report about special effects by a student without a learning disability
    *I-Search report about automobiles by a student with a learning disability
  6. Students debrief and reflect on the unit.

Photo of students planning final reports/exhibitions

Students work in cooperative groups to plan their exhibitions.