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Submitted by Lauren deLaubell on January 17th, 2025
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Short Description: 

The most powerful wizards have gathered to battle one another.  Only one will win.  Wizards must use reliable sources to research incantations for the battle, or their spells will fizzle.  Truly wise wizards must learn to tell the difference. 

Research Wizards is an information literacy card game designed to teach students ages 12+ about source evaluation.  Research Wizards corresponds to the Frame Authority Is Constructed and Contextual, from the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.  Players will discuss and challenge the relative value of various sources, each representing a different suit in the game.  The game includes four major actions/phases:  Parley, when players discuss and decide for themselves the relative value of each suit; Battle, which includes competition, player actions, and Challenges; Vengeance, for eliminated players to impact and speed up the remainder of the game; and Victory.

The Research Wizards website contains free game files, player directions, and printing tips for librarians and teachers who wish to use the game in their classrooms.  The website includes an editable, Microsoft Publisher version of the game.  Noncommercial use of the game is free for educational purposes with attribution to the author.  Librarians and teachers are encouraged to adapt the game as needed for their subject areas, student needs, and as the sources in the game evolve over time.  Adaptations must be shared under the same terms.

Players:  3-5 per deck

Play Time:  20-30 minutes, plus discussion

Research Wizards by Lauren deLaubell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0  To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Player directionsdisplayed 1592 times1.02 MB
Printing tipsdisplayed 1509 times26.71 KB
Card deckdisplayed 1550 times2.51 MB
Relevant links: 
Research Wizards
Learning Outcomes: 
    • Wizards will define a variety of traditional and emerging information formats.
    • Wizards will compare a variety of information formats and discuss their relative reliability.
    • Wizards will explore the variation in quality found within specific categories of information (e.g., the wildcard of using resources located by or generated with artificial intelligence).
Discipline: 
AnthropologyArchaeologyArtBiologyBusinessChemistryClassicsCommunication StudiesEconomicsEducationEnglishEnvironmental StudiesEthnic StudiesFilm and TVHealthHistoryInformation ManagementLiberal StudiesLibrary and Information ScienceMultidisciplinaryPhilosophyPolitical SciencePsychologyRhetoric, Composition, and WritingSocial WorkSociologyUrban StudiesWomen's Studies

Information Literacy concepts:

Individual or Group:

Ability Level:

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Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

It is recommended to review directions out loud with students, with pauses for students to sort their decks and conduct the Parley phase of play.  To contextualize and reinforce learning, it is recommended to conclude the game with discussion questions; sample questions are provided at the bottom of the player directions file but may be adjusted as needed.

Suggested Citation: 
deLaubell, Lauren. "Research Wizards." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2025. https://projectcora.org/assignment/research-wizards.
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Submitted by Alessandra Otero-Ramos on January 26th, 2024
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This library class was designed for the courses Scene Design and Technical Theatre. However, it can be adapted and used for courses that make use of digital archives and other types of digital objects to support their arguments.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Visual Research Lesson Plan_SUNY Geneseo_Otero .pdfdisplayed 906 times62.06 KB
Visual Research_Scene Design_Worksheet.pdfdisplayed 763 times251.12 KB
Relevant links: 
Browsing for Images? Search Filters Are Your Friend
Learning Outcomes: 
  • By the end of this class, 
    • (1) Students will be able to find reliable and high-quality images of their chosen topic. 
    • (2) Students will be able to critically evaluate the images for their visual research assignment. 
Discipline: 
ArtHistoryTheater Arts

Information Literacy concepts:

Individual or Group:

Ability Level:

Tags:

Additional Instructor Resources (e.g. in-class activities, worksheets, scaffolding applications, supplemental modules, further readings, etc.): 

I taught this class for THEA 342: Scene Design. The students were asked to work on a visual research project consisting of a presentation based on their chosen architectural style (e.g. art deco, gothic) and its history. Following the presentation the students builded a model making project based on the visual research done for it. 

Suggested Citation: 
Otero-Ramos, Alessandra. "Pictorial Research: Finding and Choosing the Best Images for Your Project ." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2024. https://projectcora.org/assignment/pictorial-research-finding-and-choosing-best-images-your-project.
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Submitted by Tierney Gleason on May 16th, 2023
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These slides were developed for a high school class visiting our academic library. Their assignment was to learn how to do legal research to write a history paper on a Congressional bill or Supreme Court case.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
IntroToLegalResearch_Congress_SupremeCourt.pptxdisplayed 608 times2.18 MB
Learning Outcomes: 

  • Choosing and refining a research topic

  • Performing background research

  • Working with secondary and primary sources geared towards legal topics

Discipline: 
HistoryLaw

Information Literacy concepts:

Individual or Group:

Ability Level:

Tags:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 
Additional Instructor Resources (e.g. in-class activities, worksheets, scaffolding applications, supplemental modules, further readings, etc.): 
Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 
  • This session was designed for high school students who had limited access to an academic library. Emphasis on open access options was important.

Slides were designed for flipping back and forth with live searching rather than following the slides in linear order with no interruptions.

Suggested Citation: 
Gleason, Tierney. "Introduction to Legal Research." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2023. https://projectcora.org/assignment/introduction-legal-research.
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Submitted by Nicole Hennig on September 8th, 2021
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Short Description: 

Use this virtual mind-map to focus a topic and generate keywords for searching.

Relevant links: 
Mind Mapping for Focusing Your Topic
Learning Outcomes: 

Students will come up with synonyms for their topic keywords and combine them in a Boolean search.

Discipline: 
Communication StudiesEnglishHistoryLiberal Studies

Information Literacy concepts:

Individual or Group:

Ability Level:

Tags:

Collaborators: 
Yvonne Mery
Suggested Citation: 
Hennig, Nicole. "Mind Mapping for Focusing Your Topic." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2021. https://projectcora.org/assignment/mind-mapping-focusing-your-topic.
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Submitted by Nicole Hennig on September 8th, 2021
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Short Description: 

Learn how to read a scholarly article and identify the parts.

Relevant links: 
Anatomy of a Scholarly Article
Learning Outcomes: 

The student will learn to identify each section of a scholarly paper and understand its purpose.

Discipline: 
Communication StudiesEnglishHistoryLiberal Studies

Information Literacy concepts:

Individual or Group:

Ability Level:

Tags:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

This tutorial can serve as a stand-alone tutorial or can be used in the flipped classroom.

Collaborators: 
Yvonne Mery
Suggested Citation: 
Hennig, Nicole. "Anatomy of a Scholarly Article." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2021. https://projectcora.org/assignment/anatomy-scholarly-article.
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Submitted by Nicole Hennig on September 8th, 2021
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Short Description: 

It's important to credit others when you use parts of their work. Complete this tutorial to learn when and how to best give credit to the work of others.

Relevant links: 
How Do I Give Credit to the Ideas of Others?Citing your sources in APA format (PDF assignment)Citing your sources in MLA format (PDF assignment)
Learning Outcomes: 

Students will learn why it's important to give credit.

Discipline: 
Communication StudiesEnglishHistoryLiberal Studies

Information Literacy concepts:

Individual or Group:

Ability Level:

Tags:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

This tutorial and optional assignment can serve as a stand alone tutorial or can be used in the flipped classroom.

Collaborators: 
Yvonne Mery
Suggested Citation: 
Hennig, Nicole. "How Do I Give Credit to the Ideas of Others?." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2021. https://projectcora.org/assignment/how-do-i-give-credit-ideas-others.
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Submitted by Nicole Hennig on September 8th, 2021
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Short Description: 

Searching for information in library resources is often like exploring a new land. You often won’t find what you're looking for the first time you search. Complete this tutorial to learn strategies for rethinking your search for better results.

Relevant links: 
Should I Rethink My Search?Rethinking Your Search (PDF assignment)
Learning Outcomes: 

Students will learn ways to revise a search that isn't working the first time.

Discipline: 
Communication StudiesEnglishHistoryLiberal Studies

Information Literacy concepts:

Individual or Group:

Ability Level:

Tags:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

This tutorial and optional assignment can serve as a stand alone tutorial or can be used in the flipped classroom.

Collaborators: 
Yvonne Mery
Suggested Citation: 
Hennig, Nicole. "Should I Rethink My Search?." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2021. https://projectcora.org/assignment/should-i-rethink-my-search.
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Submitted by Nicole Hennig on September 8th, 2021
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Short Description: 

Library databases work differently from Google. Learn how to create a search strategy for these databases.

Relevant links: 
How Do I Create a Search Strategy?Plan Your Search Strategy (PDF assignment)
Learning Outcomes: 
  • Students will learn how searching Google is different from searching library databases.
  • Students will learn how and why to plan a search strategy.
Discipline: 
Communication StudiesEnglishHistoryLiberal Studies

Information Literacy concepts:

Individual or Group:

Ability Level:

Tags:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

This tutorial and optional assignment can serve as a stand alone tutorial or can be used in the flipped classroom.

Collaborators: 
Yvonne Mery
Suggested Citation: 
Hennig, Nicole. "How Do I Create a Search Strategy?." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2021. https://projectcora.org/assignment/how-do-i-create-search-strategy.
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Submitted by Nicole Hennig on September 8th, 2021
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Short Description: 

Understand the difference between primary and secondary sources, and between popular and scholarly sources.

Relevant links: 
What Types of Sources Do I Need?Popular vs Scholarly Sources
Learning Outcomes: 

    Know the difference between primary and secondary sources.
    Understand that the same source can sometimes be used as either a primary or secondary source.
    Know the difference between popular and scholarly sources.

Discipline: 
Communication StudiesEnglishHistoryLiberal Studies

Information Literacy concepts:

Individual or Group:

Ability Level:

Tags:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

This tutorial can serve as a stand-alone tutorial or can be used in the flipped classroom.

Collaborators: 
Yvonne Mery
Suggested Citation: 
Hennig, Nicole. "What Types of Sources Do I Need?." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2021. https://projectcora.org/assignment/what-types-sources-do-i-need.
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Submitted by Kendall Faulkner on July 14th, 2021
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Short Description: 

Annotated bibliographies have become a popular assignment in college courses and a way to scaffold research papers. Gathering a bibliography before turning in a completed research project allows students to focus on searching strategically and get feedback on the sources they obtained. Annotating that bibliography requires them to think critically about the sources they choose and their relationship to the research at hand. While there are numerous guides and examples that show students the format of an annotation, there are very few that connect annotations to research questions or guide students through making those connections. This lesson plan Uses Joseph Bizup’s BEAM Method from the realm of rhetoric studies to help students think about how sources are used and adds an additional layer of support. This support bridges the gap between a student recognizing a source is generally related to their topic, and thinking critically about how that source is used to answer a research question. 

 

Bizup, Joseph. "BEAM: A rhetorical vocabulary for teaching research-based writing." Rhetoric Review 27, no. 1 (2008): 72-86.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Handout_AnnotatedBibActivity.docxdisplayed 1372 times20.4 KB
Lesson Plan_Annotated Bibliographies with BEAM.docxdisplayed 1332 times11.99 KB
Slides_BEAMAnnotated Bibliographies.pptxdisplayed 1477 times3.49 MB
Sample Annotated Bibliography-Accessible.docxdisplayed 918 times23.93 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

    • Describe the purpose and structure of an annotated bibliography

    • Analyze an information source for its ability to help answer a research question and articulate that in an annotation. 

Discipline: 
AnthropologyArtEnglishEthnic StudiesHistoryLiberal StudiesMultidisciplinaryPhilosophyPolitical ScienceSociologyWomen's Studies

Information Literacy concepts:

Individual or Group:

Ability Level:

Tags:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

This lesson was developed for a History course, and has also worked well in Ethnic and Area Studies classes. 

Additional Instructor Resources (e.g. in-class activities, worksheets, scaffolding applications, supplemental modules, further readings, etc.): 

Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

The class activity works best when using an assigned source (book, article, primary source, etc.) the students have already read/viewed as part of the class. If you don’t have that option, a book review can be a good stand in and even help students consider how to assess sources before reading them. Alternatively, or a short article or primary source can be used.

Suggested Citation: 
Faulkner, Kendall . "Annotated Bibliographies: Shining a Light on Source Evaluation with the BEAM Method." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2021. https://projectcora.org/assignment/annotated-bibliographies-shining-light-source-evaluation-beam-method.
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