make a start on your extended project
DESCRIPTION
Make a Start on your Extended Project. Choosing a topic and asking questions. …you ’ re really interested in. …that’ s related to your plans for the future, e.g. study at university or possible career. … you ’ re curious about. … that you can realistically research. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Choosing a topic and
asking questions
Make a Start on your Make a Start on your Extended ProjectExtended Project
Choosing your topic
…you’re really interested in
… you’re curious about
…you know something - but not everything - about already
… that you can realistically research
…that’s related to your plans for the future, e.g. study
at university or possible career
Identify a theme that…
Activity 1 – Lucky Dip
• In pairs, tear up a piece of paper into 5 pieces• Write one of the following words or phrases on
each piece: Hobbies; Career; Further study; Subjects I really like; What makes me tick?
• Screw up the pieces of paper• Take it in turns to pick one out, then have a
brief chat about your own thoughts on each topic with your partner
• Note down your ideas on post-it notes, one idea per note
Activity 2 - Making Connections• Go back to the answers you gave in Activity 1• Lay out your post-its in front of you on another,
large, piece of paper• Look for any possible links, overlaps, or
commonalities between your ideas• Move the post-its around if you need to, then
use arrows, lines, notes, to jot down your thoughts about possible connections
Activity 3: Narrow your focus
Goals
Content
Range
Depth
TimescalesLook at your web of post-it notes.
Consider the factors to the right, to refine you topic area.
Annotate your web - Use s, cross things out, add ideas. You aim is to reach a realistic sense of what your topic could be
Your research question Once you have decided on your research topic,
it is important to identify a focussed question.
General topic
Focussed research question
?
?
?
Honing in on a questionQuestions are good because they:•give guidance and focus to both your research and your product
•help you to actually address an issue rather than just talking round a topic
•require you to provide an answer, and to justify it with reasoned arguments – they make it easier to say something original and interesting
Activity 4: Exploring question words
Before fixing on a question it’s worth considering the many different types of question you can ask
•Take your bundle of question words•Identify which words would be most / least helpful in forming your EP title question•As you go along, consider why some will be more / less appropriate
Activity 4 Hint! • There are no absolutely right or wrong
answers as to which words will help you form the best questions
• However, you are doing an extended project – a project that must go beyond the descriptive, and involve a substantial amount of critical analysis and reflection
• So, you should consider words that will really provoke you to extend your enquiry
Activity 5: Forming your question
• Look back at your topic web• Consider some of the question words that you
have identified that offer• Bringing the two aspects together, formulate
at least 3 different questions you could use to title your project
• Share your questions with your partner – consider which do you think are - most appropriate?- most appealing?
Using questions during your research
• Always keep your title question in mind • Keep revisiting your question, you need to be
prepared to revise it • It is often useful to break your main question
down into sub-questions – ‘smaller’ questions that you need to answer in order to answer your main question. If you’re doing a practical project, sub-questions may be smaller activities or problems you need to solve.
• Use sub-questions to guide your research and also to form sub-headings within the body of your writing
Reflection
• If you need to revise your question along the way, this doesn‘t mean you ‘got it wrong’ to begin with
• Modifying your question later may show that you’re taking on board what you learn from your research – this is a good thing!
• Don’t forget - keep all your notes from today’s session for your EP logs.