Teacher Resources

Steps in the research process

 

Brief Research Module: Côte d'Ivoire 

 

 Scenario

 "Although it is one of the smallest countries of Africa, the Côte d'Ivoire is a country of extraordinary cultural richness. While the southern coastal area has for the last several decades served as an archetype of prosperity and modernisation, the northern and western regions of the Côte d'Ivoire are home to two fascinating and vital traditional cultures-the Senufo and the Dan."
   Geographia, interKnowledge Inc., 1996

Task and Product

Imagine that you are a young adult born and raised in a village in the west African country of Côte d'Ivoire. Recently you made a major life change by moving to one of the country's major cities in order to find work.

You must write a journal entryor create a video journal in French that reflects what your new life is like in a big city. Include differences as well as similarities to your former life in the village. You should include not only facts but feelings and thoughts, as well.

Assessment

 Rubric for Journal Writing

Question

Essential Question: How does your life in the city compare to your life in the village?

Consider what questions you need to answer in order to complete your task. These could incorporate topics such as housing, food, transportation, recreation, attire, work, technology, safety, pace of life, personal priorities, etc. For example:

  • What are the main means of transportation that I rely on now as opposed to those in my village?
  • How did I spend my leisure time before and how do I now?
  • Is there a noticeable change in the pace of my day-to-day life?

Gather

 

 

As you locate information, consider using a Venn diagram to take notes; it will help you organize the differences and similarities.

Print & Nonprint Resources

Check your library catalog for Côte d'Ivoire and West Africa materials.
Also, see if your library has some of these reference resources.

Internet Websites

Avoid plagiarism; properly quote, paraphrase, and summarize. Be sure to cite all your sources! Check the MLA guidelines and examples for citing resources; however, your school may use a different format.

Organize

(sort, sift, analyze, synthesize, evaluate)

Check point! It is time to assess your progress.

Now that you have gathered information, stop to sort, sift, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate your findings.

  • Have you found sufficient details to answer all your questions?
  • Can you throw away material which is not useful or does not answer your questions?
  • Do you need to rearrange the information in different categories?
  • Can you condense or combine the information?
  • Do you need to develop new questions to adequately cover your topic?

If you have additional research needs, return to any of the resources in the Gather step.

Conclude

Are you ready to write your journal entry?

Recall your task and product as well as the essential question, the questions you formulated, and the answers you researched. Review all of your materials to prepare for your reflection piece. Your writing should reflect your efforts during the research process. Remember to include not only facts but your resulting feelings and thoughts, too. Be sure to write your journal entry in French. Have you cited all your sources? Check the assessment rubric to make sure you've covered all the bases.

Last update: July 25, 2000
Created by Ann B. O'Neill, Library Media Specialist, BCPS Summer Curriculum Development Workshops, July 2000
BCPS Research Module, Copyright 2000, Baltimore County Public Schools, Copyright information