I have some freshmen who can talk to each other just fine, but you ask them to speak in a professional manner and suddenly they whisper.  So, I’d like to integrate these inquiry skills in the Listening and Speaking section of the 9th grade standards:

9.7.19 Deliver descriptive presentations that:

•establish a clear point of view on the subject of the presentation.

•establish the presenter’s relationship with the subject of the presentation (whether the presentation is made as an uninvolved observer or by someone who is personally involved).

•contain effective, factual descriptions of appearance, concrete images, shifting perspectives, and sensory details.

I think a good lesson for starting the descriptive presentation process would be if I presented the research process briefly and then each student took one of the 8Ws to focus on.  Their job would be to explain in detail the W they were assigned, using examples from something they are interested in their life, using images and “sensory details.”

Juniors

So, I have not decided what I’d like my Juniors to research, but here is a standard where I could use this project.  Actually, I think I will!

11.5.9 Write academic essays, such as an analytical essay, a persuasive essay, a research report, a summary, an explanation, a description, or a literary analysis that:

•develops a thesis.

•creates an organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience, and context.

•includes accurate information from primary and secondary sources and excludes extraneous information.

•makes valid inferences.

•supports judgments with relevant and substantial evidence and well-chosen details.

•uses technical terms and notations correctly.

•provides a coherent conclusion.

I think I will actually try blogging on the computer just like we did in this class.  It’s really important for blind students to access the technology and learn to work in the world the rest of us use all the time even if it takes extra effort on their part.  I think I’m going to ask them to blog their process of inquiry.  They are a class that enjoys writing, and this would be a good way to connect them to the online discussion world.