How to Research a Topic Online
We taught our kids to tie their shoes by tying them for years in front of them, then with explicit teaching and supervision.
We taught them to load the dishwasher, brush their teeth, run a load of laundry, and buckle up in the car the same way.
When it’s time to learn how to research a topic for writing, you can use the same tactics!
- Model what it looks like to do an online search.
- Show them how criteria changes the search results.
- Discuss how to differentiate reliable and unreliable sources.
- Look at viewpoints in conflict with each other.
- Discuss the key ideas that each source wants to convey.
Each of the search ideas below shift the focus slightly to seek and include more data from a variety of sources.
Search Terms
- [topic] data
- [topic] experts
- [topic] interview
- [topic] vocabulary
- [topic] eyewitness
- [topic] controversy
Try this exercise even if you aren’t working on a writing assignment. The practice of conducting these searches, even with topics like “Yu-Gi-Oh cards” or “swimming” or the “Olympics” will call up controversy and aspects of the topic you and your kids have never considered.
See what you find!
This post is originally from Instagram and @juliebravewriter is my account there so come follow along for more conversations like this one!
