The fourth graders have been working to organize their notes. This is the first time that many of them have done a formal outline and we spend a lot of time explaining why outlining is necessary and how to turn an outline into interesting prose.
First, we look at each of the umbrella topics they've taken notes on. These are conveniently on color coded note cards (there is a method to our madness). For each umbrella, students consider what facts make sense to share with the reader first. Sometimes, a fact doesn't fit in anywhere and it's discarded, sometimes it belongs under another umbrella. We stress that research always involves learning more than you teach.
Each umbrella is then briefly outlined. Most students use a traditional paper outline. Some choose the
program Kidspiration to create a web that can then be turned into a traditional outline. We stress the idea of a strong main idea (one's umbrella) and supporting details. While I use roman numerals and capital letters to model an outline, the children are not expected to master this particular format. Instead, we want to make sure they understand the concept of organizing one's information so that it is easier to understand. This is the most information that they have ever tried to share. It's no longer an option to list one's facts willy-nilly. They have a responsibility to help the reader make sense of what they're saying by organizing the information with paragraphs and topic sentences.
This emphasis on "making sense" and "teaching" helps to make the process of research and writing authentic. The students are not simply working through the required steps of an assignment. They are learning tools to be successfully reach their goal: to teach and inspire the interest of others.
Our next steps are honing our writing, editing and making a visual representation of our learning (i.e. a neat, coherent poster). Then, after spring break, we'll work on how to present our information orally and how to involve our audience in a meaningful way. Each fourth grader presents three times during honoring week (April 13-15).
Comments