Teacher Guide

Finding Fact in Fiction

 Scenario

While reading a novel, readers often encounter topics they'd like to learn more about. For example, suppose that while reading the novel Seedfolks for English class, you become curious about inner-city gardens, a topic featured in the story. You'd like to learn more about inner-city gardens: Have such gardens have been created in the real world? If so, where they can be found? Who has created them, and how did they get started? You're also wondering how accurately this topic has been depicted by the author in Seedfolks. You would want to do this brief research efficiently (without wasting time or effort) and effectively (in a way that results in successfully finding the information you want). What process would you use? How would you begin, and what steps would you follow?

What's the most effective way to investigate a topic of interest from the novel I'm reading?

How accurately did the author depict this topic in the novel?

Task and Product
NOTE TO STUDENTS: Prior to this activity, you should have already selected a novel for independent reading. You should be finished (or close to finished) reading this novel before you begin the research process.

NOTE TO TEACHER: See some suggestions for the modeling activity on the Teacher Notes Page.

You will be using a structured research process to accomplish this task. Your teacher or library media specialist will model the steps listed below, using the Student Planning Sheet and Notes Sheet with the novel Seedfolks (or another novel your whole class has read) as an example.

Steps for research inspired by fiction:

1. Identify several topics that you found interesting in the novel you read
2. Select the most appropriate topic for research (with teacher approval)
3. Reflect on what you already know about this topic
4. Generate research questions
5. Identify keywords to be used as search terms
6. Conduct keyword searches to locate information in a variety of resources
7. Evaluate resources for authority, currency, bias, etc.
8. Gather information related to research questions (take notes)

You will use the information from your research to write a sourcebook entry to answer the essential question about your novel and topic:

How accurately did the author depict this topic in the novel?

Your sourcebook entry should compare and contrast details about the topic from your research with the way this topic was presented by the author in your novel.

Your teacher may also offer you the option of creating a project or presentation to share the information you learned from your research with others.

 Assessments

You will be graded on your research process using one of the following scoring tools:

Scoring Tools for Research Process
Daily Research Assessments (Formative)
Student Self-Assessment Rubric for Research Model (Summative)
Teacher Assessment Rubric for Research Model (Summative)

You will be graded on your sourcebook entry using a scoring tool specified by your teacher OR the MSA Reading BCR (Brief Constructed Response) Rubric

 Question

Essential Questions:

What's the most effective way to investigate a topic of interest from the novel I'm reading?

How accurately did the author depict this topic in the novel?

Generate specific questions about the topic you selected from your novel.

  • Try using the 5 W's and How as question-starters:
    Who ... What ... When ... Where ... Why ... How ...
  • Include at least one higher-level thinking question (usually a question beginning with Why ... or How ...)
  • Use the Planning Sheet to record your questions

Gather and Sort 

Gather information about your topic from a variety of sources.
Be sure to evaluate the Internet sources you find before using information from those sources:

Use the Notes Sheet to record and sort your research findings and your sources.

To avoid risking plagiarism, properly paraphrase and quote in your writing.

Organize

 

 Analyze your research notes.

  • What new insights have emerged about your topic?
  • Which facts are the most relevant to the way your topic was depicted in the novel you read?

Evaluate the effectiveness of your research for the task.

  • Have you gathered sufficient details about your topic to compare/contrast facts about this topic with the way the topic was presented in your novel?
  • Do you have enough information to answer the essential question in a sourcebook entry?
Synthesize your findings by writing an sourcebook entry to answer the essential question:
How accurately did the author depict this topic in the novel?

Your sourcebook entry should compare and contrast details about the topic from your research with details about how this topic was presented by the author in your novel.

 Conclusion

Reflect on your research process for this activity by answering the following questions (this could be done in a sourcebook entry or as a class/group discussion).

  • This research was inspired by a topic of interest from a novel. What other situations in life might inspire you to do research about a topic that you find interesting?
  • What research strategies will help you to be successful in finding the information you are seeking?