LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Research Frenzy

Students will use a variety of reference materials to complete a trivia-question scavenger hunt assignment. Within the context of this assignment, students will be exposed to questions in many curriculum areas.

A lesson plan for grades 4–5 English Language Arts and Information Skills

By Jan King

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Learning outcomes

This lesson:

  • exposes students to a variety of reference materials.
  • teaches students to pull key-words from a question (”WHAT am I looking for?”).
  • helps students discern the best resource material(s) to use for a particular problem (”WHERE do I look for the answer?”).

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

1 hour

Materials/resources

Teachers will need to provide the following resources for student use:

  • several dictionary copies
  • at least two copies of an atlas
  • a set of encyclopedias
  • a copy of the World Alamanac

Other suggested reference materials:

  • a medical encyclopedia
  • a set of Contemporary Authors reference materials

Additional reference materials may be needed, depending on how a teacher adapts the lesson to his/her class.

Technology resources

Internet access is needed. Additionally, CD-ROM encyclopedias and other reference software would be useful.

Pre-activities

Prior to the lesson, students should know what type of information can be found in various reference materials. For example, students should know that the best place to find a word origin is in the dictionary; however, an atlas is the best resource for locating all of the bodies of water in Africa.

Activities

To put skills to the test, students should be given a challenging set of trivia questions which would require the use of a variety of reference materials. An example of a “Research Frenzy” I have assigned in the past follows.
However, the assignment is most effective when the teacher adds questions which deal with specific classroom assignments and experiences. For example, if my class is currently reading a novel, I might include a trivia question about the author. Or if we are investigating whale life in science, I might include a research question such as, “What is the average weight of a humpback whale?”

Some of the questions, such as #24 below, will require multiple inquires. Students might have to look up “element” or “atomic number” in the dictionary prior to searching for a Periodic Table.

Sample Research Frenzy Questions:

  1. Which President is pictured on the quarter?
  2. What is a legume?
  3. How do you write the number 200 in Roman numerals?
  4. Who was president following Franklin Roosevelt?
  5. How many sides in a dodecagon?
  6. How many items in a gross?
  7. What is the Internet address for Delta Airlines?
  8. How many eyes did Cyclops have?
  9. What is an APGAR test?
  10. How many books are in the Bible?
  11. What are the two main colors in Haiti’s flag?
  12. What is the former name of Sri Lanka?
  13. How many counties are in North Carolina?
  14. What is the length of a Senator’s term?
  15. What institution’s Web Site has the address http://www.wcu.edu?
  16. Who is the author of Island of the Blue Dolphins?
  17. In terms of area, which continent is the largest?
  18. In what year was the Louisiana Purchase made?
  19. What is the capital of Saudi Arabia?
  20. How often is Halley’s Comet visible from Earth?
  21. Who was the 29th president of the United States?
  22. If a person has D.V.M. after his or her name, what do they do for a living?
  23. What is the name of the largest lake in Africa?
  24. Which element has the atomic number 43?
  25. What name is Samuel L. Clemens better known by?
  26. What does a philatelist collect?
  27. Name an even prime number.
  28. What was Richard Nixon’s middle name?
  29. What is the capital city of Nepal?
  30. Which poet spoke at Bill Clinton’s inauguration?

Answers to Sample Questions:

  1. George Washington
  2. in the bean or pea family
  3. CC
  4. Harry Truman
  5. 12
  6. 144
  7. http://www.delta.com/home/index.jsp
  8. 1
  9. a test for newborns to check for health
  10. 66
  11. red and black
  12. Ceylon
  13. 100
  14. 6 years
  15. Western Carolina University
  16. Scott O’Dell
  17. Asia
  18. 1803
  19. Riyadh
  20. every 76 years
  21. Warren G. Harding
  22. veterinarian
  23. Lake Victoria
  24. technetium (Tc)
  25. Mark Twain
  26. stamps
  27. 2
  28. Milhous
  29. Katmandu
  30. Maya Angelou

Assessment

Grade on completed Assignment.
Teacher observation of student success rate.

Supplemental information

Rather than re-invent the wheel, there are many sources for coming up with trivia questions such as BrainQuest games, Trivial Pursuit questions, and trivia websites (see Relevant Web sites below).

Also, use questions from your textbooks, such as “Name the publisher of our science textbook.”

Related websites

Sites to generate questions and answers:
http://www.trivianights.com
http://www.quizsite.com
http://www.worldvillage.com/wv/gamezone/blitz/index.html
http://www.riffnet.com/trivia/general.php3
http://www.entrails.net/trivia/oldquestions.html
http://home.waidsoft.com/wstrivia/trivfiles/wstrivia2d.html
http://www.dujour.com/scripts/mondotrivia/archive

You may purchase questions from:
http://www.quizbowl.com

Comments

This lesson is titled “Research Frenzy” because students need to realize the frustrations sometimes involved in finding answers and information. But the intent is to make the research process fun and even somewhat competitive … “Let’s see how many correct answers you can find in the next hour and a half…”

It is important that our students be able to look at a question and know WHAT is being asked and WHERE to find the answer.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Information Skills (2000)

Grade 4

  • Goal 2: The learner will IDENTIFY and USE criteria for excellence to evaluate information and formats.
  • Goal 4: The learner will EXPLORE and USE research processes to meet information needs.
    • Objective 4.03: Develop a search strategy which includes the continuous evaluation of the research process and the information gathered.
    • Objective 4.05: Gather information.
    • Objective 4.07: Organize and use information.

Grade 5

  • Goal 1: The learner will EXPLORE sources and formats for reading, listening, and viewing purposes.
    • Objective 1.08: Select and use independently, both within and outside the school, a variety of resources (print, non-print, electronic) and formats (print, graphical, audio, video, multimedia) to extend content of resources used.
  • Goal 2: The learner will IDENTIFY and USE criteria for excellence to evaluate information and formats.
  • Goal 4: The learner will EXPLORE and USE research processes to meet information needs.
    • Objective 4.03: Develop a search strategy which includes the continuous evaluation of the research process and the information gathered.

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 4

  • Goal 1: The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.
    • Objective 1.05: Use word reference materials (e.g., glossary, dictionary, thesaurus) to identify and comprehend unknown words.
  • Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
    • Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
      • setting a purpose using prior knowledge and text information.
      • making predictions.
      • formulating questions.
      • locating relevant information.
      • making connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas.
    • Objective 2.07: Determine usefulness of information and ideas consistent with purpose.
  • Goal 3: The learner will make connections with text through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
    • Objective 3.05: Analyze and integrate information from one or more sources to expand understanding of text including graphs, charts, and/or maps.
    • Objective 3.06: Conduct research for assigned projects or self-selected projects (with assistance) from a variety of sources through the use of technological and informal tools (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks).

Grade 5

  • Goal 1: The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.
    • Objective 1.04: Use word reference materials (e.g., glossary, dictionary, thesaurus, on-line reference tools) to identify and comprehend unknown words.
  • Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
    • Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
      • making predictions.
      • formulating questions.
      • supporting answers from textual information, previous experience, and/or other sources.
      • drawing on personal, literary, and cultural understandings.
      • seeking additional information.
      • making connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas.
    • Objective 2.06: Analyze choice of reading materials congruent with purposes (e.g., reading for information, reading to extend content area learning, reading for pleasure, entertainment).
  • Goal 3: The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
    • Objective 3.06: Conduct research (with assistance) from a variety of sources for assigned or self-selected projects (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks).