I-Search task response and the Australian Curriculum

I-Search Process

UNIT OVERVIEW

The I-Search is a method of inquiry, requiring the student to conduct research,

responding to a negotiated question. The focus is on:
Cognitive processes. Students are accountable for communicating their thinking
through writing in the form of a personal narrative. Students demonstrate
st
General Capabilties skills (21 Century skills), particularly all four domains of
critical and creative thinking; and all three domains of ICT capability.
Synthesising ideas and creating connections. Identifying ideas and learning to
write about grouped ideas, as opposed to summarise individual sources.

Key Inquiry Questions

BIG Question:
Why cant we all just get along?

Subject/Year level: English/Humanities, Year 7

Title of unit: Remember the Titans Film Study Response
Part B
Concept: Year 7 students will investigate an aspect of

Curriculum Skills (including general capabilities)

Critical and creative thinking general capability

Individual questions:

Personal and social capability:

Adapted from Planning template developed by Karen Bonanno, Eduwebinar Pty Ltd. by A. Stelter 2015

Literacy:

ICT:

Key Inquiry Skills

Identify
Locate
Record
Compare
Elect
Evaluate points of view
Use evidence
Justify
Work collaboratively
Communicate

If applicable: Cross-curricular priorities: Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander Histories and Cultures.
Organising Idea OI 6:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples live in Australia as first
peoples of Country or Place and demonstrate resilience in
responding to historic and contemporary impacts of colonisation.
Content description (from the curriculum)
Language
TEXT STRUCTURE AND
ORGANISATION
Understand that the coherence of more complex texts relies on devices that signal
text structure and guide readers, for example overviews, initial and concluding
paragraphs and topic sentences, indexes or site maps or breadcrumb trails for online
texts (ACELA1763)
Understand and explain how the text structures and language features of texts
become more complex in informative and persuasive texts and identify underlying
structures such as taxonomies, cause and effect, and extended metaphors
(ACELA1531)

Adapted from Planning template developed by Karen Bonanno, Eduwebinar Pty Ltd. by A. Stelter 2015

Understand that the coherence of more complex texts relies on devices that signal
text structure and guide readers, for example overviews, initial and concluding
paragraphs and topic sentences, indexes or site maps or breadcrumb trails for online
texts (ACELA1763)

Literature
LITERATURE AND CONTEXT
Identify and explore ideas and viewpoints about events, issues and characters
represented in texts drawn from different historical, social and cultural contexts
(ACELT1619)
RESPONDING TO LITERATURE
Reflect on ideas and opinions about characters, settings and events in literary texts,
identifying areas of agreement and difference with others and justifying a point of
view
(ACELT1620)

Literacy
INTERACTING WITH OTHERS
Use interaction skills when discussing and presenting ideas and information,
selecting body language, voice qualities and other elements, (for example music and
sound) to add interest and meaning
(ACELY1804)
INTERPRETING, ANALYSING,
EVALUATING
Analyse and explain the ways text structures and language features shape meaning
and vary according to audience and purpose
(ACELY1721)
Use prior knowledge and text processing strategies to interpret a range of types of
texts (ACELY1722)
Use comprehension strategies to interpret, analyse and synthesise ideas and
information, critiquing ideas and issues from a variety of textual sources
(ACELY1723)

Learning scenario:
Understanding racism, prejudice and getting along
Year 7 Inquiry
Background:

Students have studied the novel The Cay by Theodore Taylor

Students have viewed Remember the Titans a feature film based on a true story

Concepts: Slavery in the United States, racial desegregation in the 1970, human interaction

Adapted from Planning template developed by Karen Bonanno, Eduwebinar Pty Ltd. by A. Stelter 2015

Your task: Create a personal question that relates to your interest. Your work should contribute to answering the BIG QUESTION:
Why cant we all just get along?
First of all, the class will:
develop some background knowledge in class time.
learn the skill of creating interactive concept webs with InstaGrok, and making notes, using Instagroks journal feature.
Next, you will:
create a mindmap of Remember the Titans and the issues the film portrays.
choose one aspect that you would like to investigate at a deeper level
write extended paragraphs (assessment checkpoint 1) on what you know about the subject and why you have chosen this. Include how
you relate to this on a personal level.
develop your focus question that you want to answer
write an extended paragraph on what you want to find out and how you are going to go about finding an answer (assessment checkpoint
2). Which sources are you going to investigate?
Then, you will:
conduct your inquiry, using at least six sources of information.
record each of your sessions in your journal, reflecting on what you found out, how well the session went and what your next step will be
This will be followed up by:
a fishbowl activity, in which you will share with a small group what you have found out and how this contributes to answering the big
question. Each group member speaks of their area of expertise and answers questions. Other members take notes.
Finally, you will
write-up your findings (assessment checkpoint 3). What have you found out? Does this answer your question? How did your research
contribute to answering the big question? Did other questions emerge during your inquiry? What is next? Is there some action that you
can/want to/should take?
In your group, create a collaborative timeline in Tiki-Toki that places your collective research into the historical context of the events
portrayed in the film Remember the Titans
Assessment: Inquiry task Overview Description for students, with summary of key dates
1. As an inquiry community, you are to work to evaluate some primary sources on a chosen issue relating/connecting to Remember the Titans.
2. Assessment check point 1: What I know DUE date:
3. Assessment checkpoint 2: What I want to know DUE date:
4. Join your small group and share your work of researching your questions, using your journal notes. Give each other feedback
5. Assessment checkpoint 3: What I have learnt. What I still want to know. Compile your notes into a Word/Pages document. Make your own
conclusions about the answer to the overarching inquiry question and DUE date:
6. Join your group, and collaborate on a timeline for your combined research. DUE date:

Adapted from Planning template developed by Karen Bonanno, Eduwebinar Pty Ltd. by A. Stelter 2015

I-Search Phase
Pre-I-Search
Viewing of Remember the Titans
Film analysis, using analysis process by Anstey and
Bull (2003) with a focus on a paradigmatic analysis
of character and plot development and how a
particular point of view, attitude and ideology is
developed through the use of film language.
Prepare online tools.

What I know
Students build their background knowledge by
immersion in the content; and are being taught how
to research, evaluate sources for their authenticity,
distinguish fact from opinion.
Students reflect on the content and select a topic for
further investigation.

What the teacher is doing - Strategies

View the film in its entirety
Introduce SWAT codes (symbolic, written,
audio and technical)
View the film in stages, using 5 scenes to
analyse in depth
Raise and discuss plot, sub-plots and
themes.
Teach access to Weebly, InstaGrok and
Tiki-Toki
Gather class for a whole group session
(inquiry community).
Discussion: What is already known about
the historical events surrounding
Remember the Titans?
What evidence do we have for that
knowledge? Reinforce importance of
sources/evidence.
Introduce a source: e.g. photographs and
letters. What are these telling us telling us
about their world/lives?
Students then work on some primary
sources.
Regroup at end to discuss what can be
learned about African Americans by
looking at sources.
Next step: Involvement of librarian, book
and Clickview sources to formalize
process
Establish the chronology of African
American slavery as a framework of
reference

What students are doing Tasks

Students create plot diagram and
character profiles (SAAO) to document
understanding
Students create links back to novel and
discuss connections
Students set up Weebly, InstaGrok and
Tiki-Toki accounts and start personalizing
pages.
Students are allocated into groups to
investigate some primary sources (given
to them). They are to talk about what
they observe in the sources about the life
of African Americans, and to come to
some conclusions from that observation,
which they share with the class.
Students work on their write-up for
checkpoint 1
Edit and peer-edit writing

Resources:
Teacher memberships to Weebly, InstaGrok, and Tiki-Toki.
Primary sources,
YouTube clip of I have a dream speech by Martin Luther King Jnr. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_ZgSK9yIbk (full speech)
web sites for primary sources on slavery: http://libguides.union.edu/content.php?pid=282476&sid=2325773
list of primary and secondary sources http://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/stowedocuments/Online_Archive_of_Primary_and_Secondary_Sources_on_Slavery.pdf

Adapted from Planning template developed by Karen Bonanno, Eduwebinar Pty Ltd. by A. Stelter 2015

primary sources for the study of Aboriginal life. http://www.nma.gov.au/collections-search/results?QueryTerms=Basedow_TLF&app=tlf

images e.g., http://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/scriptorium/slavery/reward.gif

Secondary sources:
Clickview: e.g., Modern Slavery http://online.clickview.com.au/exchange/videos/f5c3f2a1-a75c-f621-fd68-7d7644288857
Library books, articles
What I want to know
Students browse and scan through a wide range of
resources to explore information and ideas around
their topic.
Students choose 6 sources with at least one each
from the following:
one interview
one book/article
one web site
one primary source

Facilitate consolidation of research

process
The class is given instruction on how a
fishbowl activity is to operate and why.
The idea is that each fishbowl consists of
students from different inquiry circles.
Goal:
to consolidate information gathered
and to build understanding for their
exposition response.
To experience different sources of
evidence it is about what we know
AND how do we know it! Students to
bring copies of their primary sources
and journals.
Teacher/teacher librarian to circulate
through the fishbowls to encourage
and listen.

Students journal their findings in InstaGrok

and end each lesson with a reflective entry.
Students participate in fishbowl activity to
communicate their thinking processes and
share their research journey.

Resources:
Workspace: Allow students to choose workspace that is conducive to individual learning styles, e.g., standing, sitting on floor
MacBooks
Books: Flexible use of library
Videos/Clickview
Websites
Research Journey

Class session:
Connecting individual research with the big
question. Focus discussions
Revision of paragraph and text construction
Assist students through individual
conversations

Individual work, synthesing understanding,

asking questions, creating a draft, peer
editing, final draft, good copy
After finishing individual writing, students
work in small groups to create a timeline,
placing their individual findings.

Adapted from Planning template developed by Karen Bonanno, Eduwebinar Pty Ltd. by A. Stelter 2015

Resources:
Writing frameworks and samples
Assessment Evaluate
Students reflect on their content learning and
the progress through the inquiry process.

Culmination conversation (teaching team)

Teaching team (including teacher librarian) to
meet soon after end of unit to evaluate it:
Each person to speak on overall success or
otherwise.
Agree on what worked, what didnt.
Agree on action to fix it for next time.
Discuss individual students who had difficulty
or exceptional success.

Culmination conversation (Students)

Final class session to evaluate their learning.
Group to discuss these questions and
compile an answer to be handed in at end of
class:
Was my I-Search successful?
What did I find hard?
What did I find easy?
Does this way of learning suit our
learning styles? Why/Why not?
Students prepare an oral answer in to
address the BIG question:

Evidence Strategies / Assessment (Formative / Summative; Informal, formal)

Formal:
Assessment checkpoint 1: What I know
Assessment checkpoint 2: What I want to know
Assessment checkpoint 3: Exposition answering research and Big Question, reflection
InstaGrok journal
Compilation of information from each inquiry circle
Roles played in inquiry circle and in fishbowl activity
Web page presentation of work, including collaborative timeline
Assessment rubric:
26-30
(very high-high)

20-25
(high-substantial)

12-19
(substantial-satisfactory)

Website
InstaGrok web and journal
Timeline
I-Search:
What I know
What I want to know
Research Journey
Unit duration: 10 weeks
Duration details: 4 lessons per week.

Adapted from Planning template developed by Karen Bonanno, Eduwebinar Pty Ltd. by A. Stelter 2015

2-11
(progressing)