Action Research for Kids

Units That Help Kids Create Change in Their Community (Grades 5-8)

Amanda O. Latz, Cheryll Adams

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000492590
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Éducation
• Subtopic: Enseignement des arts et des sciences humaines

Action Research for Kids provides teachers with comprehensive, creative, and hands-on units to engage students in action research. Students will benefit from learning about quantitative and qualitative research practices that can make a real difference in their lives and those within their communities. Within this text, teachers can select a lesson or use whole units as students explore research methods such as survey research, experimental research, life history, and photovoice in fun lessons that ask them to create a library wish list, interview people in their communities, lobby for cookies in the cafeteria, and experiment with preservatives. Each lesson comes with detailed instructions and ideas for differentiation. Grades 5-8

Section 1Overview of Units

---

DOI:10.4324/9781003232728-1

Introduction to the Units

We envision this book as a practical guide for educators interested in using critical differentiation (Latz & Adams, 2011). Five action research units for highability learners in the upper elementary and lower middle school grades are presented. Two units take a quantitative approach (survey and experimental research) and three units take a qualitative approach (life history, photovoice, and playbuilding). Each unit is composed of six lessons: one preteaching lesson for scaffolding, three regular lessons to introduce the concepts, and two action lessons to effect change.

Most lessons consist of three parts: Preparation, Implementation, and Differentiation. Preparation includes the following sections: Purpose, Students Will Know, Students Will Understand, Students Will Be Able To, and Materials Needed. It also includes a Resources section when applicable. Implementation includes a step-by-step outline of how to execute the lesson. These two parts can be found in all lessons. The Differentiation section includes specific information on how to differentiate each lesson to meet the needs of students with varying levels of ability

Units can be implemented in any order. Four preparatory lessons are included at the start of the book to provide students with an overview of the overarching theme of this book: action research. Implementing the units out of order may require an implementation of the four preparatory lessons first.

For all lessons in this book, the following Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts are addressed:

• ■ Text Types & Purposes,
• ■ Research to Build and Present Knowledge, and
• ■ Range of Writing.

DOI:10.4324/9781003232728-2

In addition, Units 1 and 2 (Section 3: Quantitative Research) address the following Common Core State Standards in Mathematics:

• ■ Measurement & Data
• ■ Statistics & Probability, and
• ■ all Mathematical Practices.

Given the current standards-driven educational culture, connecting lessons with specific standards is critical. The inclusion of this information provides a means of justifying lessons to administrators, parents, and other stakeholders.

Theoretical Background

Critical differentiation (Latz & Adams, 2011) is a merger of critical pedagogy and differentiation. This concept was created as we looked outside of the literature on gifted education to attempt to address the unique needs of students who are both gifted and of poverty. We have termed children of poverty with gifts and talents as twice oppressed. In sum, critical differentiation is a means to understand and unravel the unique situation of the twice-oppressed child. Most importantly, it is a way to reach twice-oppressed children, and all children, pedagogically.

Rationale for Lesson Plan Outlines

As stated previously, most lessons consist of three parts: Preparation, Implementation, and Differentiation.

The Preparation section provides the educator with a guide for planning the lesson. The following information is included in the Preparation section:

• ■ Purpose—What is the purpose of this lesson? What are the essential understandings? What key concepts are involved?
• ■ Students Will Know—A list of vocabulary words, with definitions, pertaining to the lesson. This is included for most lessons (some lessons do not introduce new vocabulary).
• ■ Students Will Understand—A summation of what students are expected to learn in this lesson.
• ■ Students Will Be Able To—A list of skills and activities students are expected to perform and complete.
• ■ Materials Needed—If any materials are needed for the lesson, they are listed. Any worksheets, handouts, and rubrics needed are included here as well.
• ■ Resources—Additional readings, websites, films, or other pertinent resources are provided for some lessons. This section is not included in all lessons.

The Implementation section includes step-by-step, easy to follow instructions for executing the lesson. Teachers are encouraged to modify the lessons to meet the needs of their schools, classrooms, or student groups. For example, Unit 1's Action Lesson 1 provides the example of oatmeal raisin cookies versus chocolate chip cookies. These two types of cookies can be substituted for any number of items offered, or not offered, by the school's cafeteria. Each lesson includes a variety of assessments, activities, and/or rubrics, the use of which are explained in this section. These handouts, worksheets, and rubrics can be found at the end of each lesson.

The Differentiation section provides ideas regarding how to modify the lessons to meet the needs of diverse learners within a single classroom or student group. Students inevitably vary in terms of ability, readiness, and culture. To reach all students educationally, their individual needs must be taken into consideration. This section reduces guesswork and allows teachers to match students' skills with the appropriate challenge. This section is included for most, but not all, lessons.

Differentiating the Lessons

Use of the preassessments, where applicable, can assist in decision making about differentiation strategies and grouping for students. Each lesson can and should be modified with the students in mind. Careful consideration must be given to the students' attributes as well as the educational context within which learning will take place. The Differentiation sections offer specific ways in which content, process, and products can be differentiated.

Section 2Introduction to Research

---

DOI:10.4324/9781003232728-3

Preparatory Unit

These lessons are designed to teach students about research in a broad sense. They are also designed to prepare students for the forthcoming action units.

What You Will Find in This Unit

1. Preparatory Lesson 1 What Is Research?
2. Preparatory Lesson 2 What Is the Difference Between Quantitative and Qualitative Research?
3. Preparatory Lesson 3 What Is Action Research?
4. Preparatory Lesson 4 Why Is Research Important?

DOI:10.4324/9781003232728-4

PREPARATORY LESSON 1
What Is Research?

---

Preparation

Purpose: To understand the broad concept of research.

Students Will Know:

• ■ Application (noun): A way in which something is used.
• ■ Hypothesis (noun): A proposed explanation.
• ■ Knowledge (noun): A collection of information that is known.
• ■ Research (noun or verb): A systematic study of a topic that yields new, confirms previous, or counters previous knowledge, theories, or applications.
• ■ Researcher (noun): An individual who engages in research.
• ■ Scientific method (noun): The process for experimentation; a way to empirically address a research question (for more information, see Handout 1).
• ■ Systematic (adjective): Anything that involves a plan, method, or system.
• ■ Theory (noun): A proposed explanation of a phenomenon.

Students Will Understand:

• ■ the broad concept of research.

Students Will Be Able To:

• ■ explain the scientific method, and
• ■ articulate and create a feasible research action plan.

Instructional Strategies Used:

• ■ Whole-group instruction
• ■ Thinlc-pair-share

Materials Needed:

• ■ Copies of Preassessment
• ■ Preassessment Rubric
• ■ Copies or visual display of The Scientific Method handout
• ■ Copies or visual display of Research Topic Narrowing Example handout
• ■ Paper for students to take notes/brainstorm
• ■ Copies of Postassessment
• ■ Postassessment Rubric
• ■ Copies of What Is Research? Choice Board handout

DOI:10.4324/9781003232728-5

Implementation

Time Needed:

• ■ Part 1: 25 minutes
• ■ Part 2: 45 minutes
• ■ Part 3: 25 minutes

Instructions:

Part 1

• ■ Explain to students that they will soon be star ting a unit on one of the five areas of action research presented in this book. Before doing so, it is important that the students have a solid base of understanding and knowledge about research as a broad concept.
• ■ Explain to the students that it is important for you to learn about each student's prior knowledge on the broad topic of research so that you will know in which direction to take the lesson. Encourage students to do their best work. Emphasize that the preassessment is not taken for a grade.
• ■ Provide each student with the preassessment sheet. Allow students approximately 2...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Preface
• Section 1 Overview of Units
• Section 2 Introduction to Research
• Section 3 Quantitative Research
• Section 4 Qualitative Research
• References
• About the Authors
• Common Core State Standards & Next Generation Science Standards