This lesson, created for English 2010, or Argumentative Writing, teaches students how to use library databases and keywords in order to focus their research topics. Most students come prepared with a general or broad topic in mind, but they need to narrow their focus in order to get more relevant search results. Here they simultaneously learn to search in and use the library databases and to focus their research topics.

In this lesson students view a series of short videos about searching library resources, interspersed with exercises in which they conduct searches on their topics and reflect on what they find and on the research process. (The first two videos and accompanying activities are done outside of class; the third can be done in class.)

With a wealth of sources, archives offer numerous educational opportunities for students to enhance critical analysis, historical inquiry, and information literacy skills. This workshop demonstrates Research as Inquiry, as it guides students through the steps of initial inquiry with primary sources in archives: basic description, context investigation, and disciplinary questions. The Analyzing Archival Sources Worksheet is adaptable for instruction on physical and digital archives pertaining to local communities and urban development.

An introductory lesson to finding and understanding data in social sciences.