Research Three Ways

Reading and discussing literature provides an exciting opportunity for students to engage with historical and contemporary issues that matter to them. When they learn about events and issues central to (and on the periphery of) a text, they develop a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the narrative, as well as the world today. Furthermore, the connections between past and present and between text and real life invite an exploration of rich questions about human behavior, choices and consequences, justice and fairness. 

The following learning experiences support students as they research a historical or contemporary issue in the text that interests them. They will seek out and analyze sources from a range of genres in order to hone their literary analysis skills, deepen their understanding of context, and gain insight into additional perspectives on the events taking place in the text and in their own world. These skills and habits of mind are important for today’s young adults, who are growing up as citizens in an ever-changing, digitally connected world. 

Before using this learning experience, please review the following information to help guide your preparation process.

Introduce: Invite Students to Explore Their Interests

1. Have students identify and reflect on historical and contemporary events or issues in the text that interest them. Start by modeling with your own ideas from a different text that the class has studied so that students understand the task and what you mean by event and issue. 
2. Then ask students to respond to the following prompt in their journals: 
   • Make a list of three to five historical or contemporary events or issues that occur in the text that you find interesting.
   • Share your list with a partner, adding to your own list as any new ideas arise.
   • Choose one idea from your list and respond in writing to the following questions:
     • What interests you about this event or issue?
     • Where do you see yourself and/or people you may know in this event or issue? 
     • What questions do you have about this event or issue?
3. Invite students to share their ideas with the class, making a list on the board of the events and issues that interest them, as well as their questions. 

Explore: Research an Event or Issue Three Ways

In a research project that students can work on as they read the text, or as a summative activity, have them choose one historical or contemporary event or issue to learn about from three different types of sources: an informational text, a personal account or op-ed, and a non-print source. 

1. Explain the task and pass out the Research Three Ways Evidence Log handout. Depending on your students’ experience with research, you may need to provide them with a list of sources, as well as clarify how you would like them to record notes and cite their sources. 
   • Source #1: Read a short informational text, such as a newspaper or magazine article.
   • Source #2: Read a personal account or opinion piece, such as a blog post, op-ed, written interview, personal narrative, or primary source document.
   • Source #3: Engage with a text that is not written, such as a podcast, video, work of art, mural, song, or spoken-word poem.
2. After students have conducted their research, have them reflect on any new understanding by answering one of the following questions in their journals. Depending on whether your students researched a historical or more contemporary event or issue, you may need to adapt the questions. 
   • What new, different, or deeper understanding do you have about an aspect of the text (a character, the setting, a conflict, a theme) and about the world today as a result of your research? Which source was most influential to you? What makes you say that? 
   • How does your research confirm, challenge, or change your ideas about an event or issue in the text and in the world today? What makes you say that? 
   • If you researched an issue, what can people do to address this issue in the world today? How can your research and the text help you answer this question?
   • I used to think . . . [about an aspect of the text and my world]. As a result of my research, I now think . . . Which source was most influential to you? What makes you say that?

Extend: Share New Understanding

Give students the opportunity to share highlights from their research and new understanding of the text with their peers. Teaching strategies like Concentric Circles or Give One, Get One support students as they engage in discussions with a range of partners: rather than present once, students share multiple times and can make adjustments to improve the organization and clarity of their presentation. To work on active listening, have students record their peers’ ideas on a handout that you create. Then, as a class, discuss patterns and any new understanding that emerged through the research.

Extend: Share New Understanding in Writing

Using the evidence they gathered from their research and the text, perhaps on the Research Three Ways Evidence Log handout, have students plan, revise, and edit a written response that explains how the issue or event they researched connects to or sheds light on the core text by illuminating an aspect of characterization, setting, conflict, or theme.