ever wonder how to structure your research essay?
TRANSCRIPT
How do you structure your research essay?
In this lesson you will learn how to organize your research
essay by using boxes and bullets.
Let’s ReviewPreparing to write
Research a topic
Generate a big research question
Write your thesis statement
1 2 3 4Outline your essay
How do people invent new things?
There are many ways to invent new things.
A Common Mistake
Leave the introductory outline behind
Core Lesson
Write your introduction in boxes and bullets.
1
2 Make each bullet of your introduction a new box in the body outline.
3 Add details to each body paragraph outline as bullets.
Core Lesson
Write your introduction in boxes and bullets.
1There are many ways to invent new things.
One way to invent something new is by studying nature.Another way to invent new things is by accident.New objects are also invented through trial and error.
Core Lesson
2 Make each bullet of your introduction a new box in the body outline.
There are many ways to invent new things.
One way to invent something new is by studying nature.
Another way to invent new things is by accident.
New objects are also invented through trial and error.
Introductory outlineOne way to invent something new is by studying nature.
Body outline
Another way to invent new things is by accident.
New objects are also invented through trial and error.
Core Lesson
3 Add details to each body paragraph outline as bullets.
One way to invent something new is by studying nature.
Body outlineNotes
“Nature Inspires Advances in Technology” by Margaret Webb Pressler
• Inventors: - George de Mestral: Velcro (studied
burrs). - Christopher Viney: sunscreen bug
repellant (studying hippo sweat).- Scientists: a new kind of needle for
painless shots (studying mosquitos). - Kellar Autumn: developing a strong no-
residue tape (studying geckos’ toe hair).- Airplane design came from studying
birds (biomimicry).
• George de Mestral created Velcro by studying burrs
• Biomimicry is creating a new design by studying nature.
• Lots of scientists are trying to solve problems today by observing nature.
• The Wright brothers’ plane was designed through biomimicry.
Core Lesson
Another way to invent new things is by accident.
Body outlineNotes
• Frank Epperson made the popsicle
• Cornelius Vanderbilt made the potato chip by complaining
• Spencer Silver and Arthur Fry invented post-its together
• Dr Harry Coover tried to make a kind of plastic but it came out as super glue.
3 Add details to each body paragraph outline as bullets.
“Accidental Inventions” by Emily McGee• Invention Design:- Some inventors don’t even mean to invent
anything, they just stumble upon a solution to a problem, or something that people will buy.
• Inventors: - The Epperson kids helped their father, Frank
Epperson, come up with the name “popsicle” for his invention: frozen soda.
- Cornelius Vanderbilt: created potato chips at a restaurant by sending his soggy fries back to the kitchen to be made thinner.
- Spencer Silver & Arthur Fry: invented post-it notes by accidentally creating a weak glue and adding it to choir notes.
- Dr. Harry Coover: accidentally made super glue while trying to make plastic.
Core Lesson
New objects are also invented through trial and error.
Body outlineNotes
• The motor didn’t work on the Wright brothers’ airplane twice, but Orville fixed it himself.
• Plane was damaged after falling to ground during the first attempt, but they kept making attempts.
• Post-its: the glue wasn’t as strong as Silver wanted it, so Fry tried it out as page notes.
3 Add details to each body paragraph outline as bullets.
“The First Flight” by Karen Shaw• Timeline:- Nov. 5: tested the motor and damaged the
propellers.- 2nd time motor didn’t work, Orville fixed it
himself.
• Problems:- Plane was slightly damaged after first flight
attempt (fell to ground).- The plane broke 3 times, but they kept trying.- The first airplane only flew 2 days and then
never again. It was damaged beyond repair.
Core LessonEssay Outline
One way to invent something new is by studying nature.
Another way to invent new things is by accident. New objects are also invented through trial and error.
There are many ways to invent new things.
One way to invent something new is by studying nature.
• George de Mestral created Velcro by studying burrs
• Biomimicry is creating a new design by studying nature.
• Lots of scientists are trying to solve problems today by observing nature.
• The Wright brothers’ plane was designed through biomimicry.
Another way to invent new things is by accident.
• Frank Epperson made the popsicle• Cornelius Vanderbilt made the potato chip by
complaining• Spencer Silver and Arthur Fry invented post-its
together• Dr Harry Coover tried to make a kind of plastic but
it came out as super glue.
New objects are also invented through trial and error. • The motor didn’t work on the Wright brothers’
airplane twice, but Orville fixed it himself. • Plane was damaged after falling to ground during the
first attempt, but they kept making attempts. • Post-its: the glue wasn’t as strong as Silver wanted it,
so Fry tried it out as page notes.
Core Lesson
Write your introduction in boxes and bullets.
1
2 Make each bullet of your introduction a new box in the body outline.
3 Add details to each body paragraph outline as bullets.
In this lesson you have learned how to organize your research
essay by using boxes and bullets.
Guided PracticeOutline the boxes of the body paragraphs below in using information from the introduction.
Some battles of the Civil War were caused by mistakes.
The Attack on Fort Sumter was caused by a mistake.
Soldier mistakes caused the Riot in Baltimore.
Soldiers started the Battle at Ball’s Bluff by accident.
Introductory outline
Body outline
Extension Activities
Extension Activities
Use the thesis: Summer is the best time of year. Create boxes and bullets for an introduction and 3 body paragraphs for an essay.
Extension Activities
Extension Activities
Work Backwards!• Look at a completed student essay. • Try to create the boxes and bullets outline that
the writer used by searching for the main ideas and details in each paragraph.
Let’s ReviewQuick Quiz
Use research notes of your own to organize your essay using boxes and bullets.
Lesson Slides RubricUse this rubric to ensure your
lesson plan is great!
Writing Lesson Rubric Criteria for Success Things to avoid
Storyline or Arc of the Lesson
There is a clear arc to the lesson. One slide leads naturally to the next so that there is a flow and a building of meaning
All the components of the lesson are there but they seem disconnected, as if the author wrote each without thinking about how they fit into the whole.
Hook Slide
The teacher poses a simple question that illicits the response, “yeah, I do wonder how that works…”
The question is short A relevant example is included when it is short and
further pulls the learner in The question mirrors what the student will do in
the guided practice
The question seems formulaic, inauthentic, or overly “school-ish” (message: you have to learn this because you’re in school rather than, this is genuinely interesting)
The hook is overly-complicated and potentially confusing The question does not parallel the guided practice
questions
Objective Slide
The objective follows the form (you will learn X by doing Y)
Is concise and follows the form provided in the examples
Does not follow the form Is overly vague in describing either the X or the Y Is too long Is written for teachers but not students
Let’s Review
Reminds the student of how this lesson fits within the writing process
Is as concise as possible
Is either too detailed or not detailed enough in connecting the lesson to other lessons
Leaves out important touch points Makes the lesson overly dependent on the other lessons
(student will be confused or feel like they’ve made a mistake, if they watch this lesson alone)
Is too elaborate
Common Mistake Points out a “common mistakes” that students
make and quickly explains why that is a mistake The mistake is overly simplistic or complicated. Does
not feel authentic
Steps
Clearly connects with the objective Includes 2-3 steps that a writer can take to achieve
the objective Is student focused (the steps accurately imagine
what a student who has never done this before will need to do)
Is logical and specific (you can visualize the act of doing the step. There is no magic leap that happens between steps)
The connection with the objective is unclear Includes 4+ steps (and therefore should be split into two
or more lessons) Involves a magic leap that assumes a student can make
a leap between steps that is natural to an adult
Modeling
Is in “think aloud” format. The teacher is opening up his/her thought process to the student and modeling the struggle; showing how he/she drafts and revises ideas in his/her mind
Engages the learner by asking questions along the way to build suspense
Examples are authentic - they show empathy for the learner and his/her interests, concerns, problems without speaking down the learner
Fails to explain his/her thinking along the way. The teacher effortlessly runs through the steps as if it’s all obvious and easy
Does not ask any questions along the way to pull the learner in
Uses examples which are unlikely to connect with the learner’s life
Steps and Objective Review
Reviews the steps and objective in a “see what I just did” way
Serves as a “let’s pull this all together” moment that helps organize the lesson in the learner’s mind
Creates abrupt feeling between the modeling and the reviewing (subtext: “we’re done modeling, let’s quickly bring this lesson to a close.”)
Guided Practice Challenges the learner to carry out the same steps Is at the same difficulty level modeled in the lesson
Seem unrelated to the hook question Is at a different difficulty level than that modeled in the
lesson
Extension Activity Suggestions
Includes suggestions for at least 2 extensions Includes a suggestion for a struggling student who
needs more opportunities for practice as well as a student ready to be challenged more
Suggestions should clearly build from the approach in the core lesson
Does not include differentiation Does not thoughtfully connect or flow from the lesson Does not clearly build from the approach in the core
lesson
Aesthetics
The slides use the correct colors (blue, green, red) in the correct sequence
The slides use the correct fonts The slides use handwriting and the handwriting
appears as written in the right places The slides only use the headers/titles provided The slides use the provided visuals or include
visuals created by the author or LearnZillion The slides use animation, highlighting, and circling
to scaffold the learning, keeping the eye focused on what the teacher is introducing/explaining
The slides clean and uncluttered. The visuals and text do not exceed the maximum amount (see tutorial for example of maximum)
The slides use other colors or vary the order of the colors
The slides add new headers/titles that aren’t part of the template
The slides use clip art The slides are cluttered Animation is distracting and feels more like sizzle than
part of the steak
Graphic and Image TemplatesCopy and Paste items from these slides to
make your presentation look great!
You can copy and paste these items into any slide
Green text box that appears letter by letterGreen text box that fades inBlue text box that appears letter by letter
Blue text box that fades inRed text box that appears letter by letterRed text box that fades in
You can copy and paste these items into any slide—make sure you copy both the bubble and
the text!Do I feel strongly about it?Do I have a
lot to say?
Do I feel strongly about
it?
Do I have a lot to say? Do I have a lot to
say?
You can copy and paste these items into any slide. You can resize them as
needed! Use black text when you write in me please! Also, keep my text left-justified rather than centered!
Use black text when you write in me please! Also, keep the text left-justified rather than centered!
All arrows can be recolored by changing the “shape fill.” You can also resize them or rotate
them!
[Write first step here…]1
2 [Write second step here…]
3 [Write third step here…]
You can use these when discussing main ideas or steps in a process…
You can resize any of these boxes and use them to highlight text or ideas.
Let’s Review
A Common Mistake
Guided Practice
Quick Quiz
Extension Activities
Core Lesson