BRAIN

BIG 6 RESEARCH PROJECT

5TH GRADE CLUE

BIG 6 RESEARCH MODEL

What is the Big 6 Research Model?
It is a way to organize the research process in order to break it
down into manageable parts.
Task Definition
Information Seeking Strategies
Location and Access
Use of Information
Synthesis
Evaluation

STEP 1: TASK DEFINITION

GET A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE TASK
I can define the information problem
Do you understand the assignment your teacher
has given you?
Do you need to define any of the words in the
research question?
I can identify information needed to complete the task
How much information is needed? How long is
the paper you have to write?

COMING UP WITH YOUR OWN TOPIC

Narrowing a broad topic:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (n.d.) Research Topic Triangle.
Retrieved from http://www.ibiblio.org/team/research/loc/restri.html
Good specific research questions:
Can our experience change our brain?
What are the effects of Parkinsons and Alzheimers disease on the
brain?
What purpose does sleep serve for the brain?
What capacity does the brain have to repair itself after injury or
disease?
How might stem cells and other tools of regenerative medicine be
used to treat brain disease?

LIST KEY WORDS RELATED TO YOUR

SPECIFIC CLASS ASSIGNMENT

What are the functions of the part of the brain

you chose?
Brain => memory, thinking, learning,
emotion
Amygdala
Occipital Lobe
Parietal Lobe => visual function,
reading, language
hippocampus
cerebrum
cerebellum
thalamus

STEP 2: INFORMATION SEEKING STRATEGIES

I can determine the range of possible sources
books
encyclopedia
the internet
magazines
asking parents
interviewing brain scientists
I can evaluate the different possible sources to determine
priorities
What do you have access to?
Can you interview a scientist? What are the pros and
cons about asking parents or other adults?
Is the source reliable and accurate? Is the internet the
best source?

STEP 3 - LOCATION AND ACCESS

I can locate sources

See list of resources Mrs. Allen created
How to use the Tennessee Electronic
Library databases
I can find information within the sources
Using keywords, limiting to full text,
determining difficulty of reading level

STEP 4 - USE OF INFORMATION

I can engage the information in the source
Use the index in the back of the book to find your
keywords

I can extract information from a source

Making Source Cards
CRLS Research Guide. (n.d.). Making Source Cards.
Retrieved from
http://www.crlsresearchguide.org/04_Making_Source_C
ards.asp
Making Notes Cards
CRLS Research Guide. (n.d.). Making Note Cards.
Retrieved from http://
www.crlsresearchguide.org/12_Making_Note_Cards.asp

STEP 5 - SYNTHESIS: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

I can organize information form multiple sources

Using a graphic organizer to create paragraphs for research papers
Writing Design Online. (n.d.). Analyze Graphic Organizers. Retrieved from
http://www.writedesignonline.com/organizers/analyze.html

I can create a product or performance

How will you know you have learned anything about your topic?
How will others know you have learned it?
Refer back to the task definition, did you answer the question your
teacher asked?
Remember to cite your sources!

STEP 6 - EVALUATION
I can judge the product or performance
What did you do that was a success? Will you do this
again next time you have a research project?
If you were unhappy with a part of your project, what
could you have done differently?
I can judge the information-solving process
Reflect on the process of finding information for your
project.
Was it easy? What could you try next time?