Research Process

Directions for Students

At the beginning of The Trumpet of the Swan, Sam discovers the wonders of the trumpeter swans and is changed forever:

Nothing he had ever seen before in all his life had made him feel quite the way he felt, on that wild little pond, in the presence of those two enormous swans.

In the same way, E.B White was fascinated when he read about the trumpeter swans and visited their home in the Philadelphia Zoo. His experience led him to write the novel, The Trumpet of the Swan, published in 1970.

Another person, Dr. Sladen, grew up in England and then came to North America to study waterfowl. His studies led to his work with trumpeter swans. He is finding ways to insure that the swans will survive by bringing them to the Chesapeake Bay.

Many people have had experiences like Sam's, E.B. White's, and Dr. Sladen's that have somehow changed their value system. Maybe you have, too. You see or hear or learn about something for the first time, and you become very excited about it. You want to know more! You want to help solve a problem or make a difference in a situation. You want to teach others about this very wonderful thing. You are changed forever!

All of these life experiences affect our value system.

• Sam, in The Trumpeter of the Swan, showed true compassion aiding the swans.
• E.B. White showed a great deal of respect and responsibility for our natural world in making people aware of the trumpeter swans.
• Dr. Sladen demonstrated perseverance in staying with his work to help the swans despite many failures.

Task

To celebrate the Value of the Month your school could establish a Value of the Month Hall of Fame. You will compose an entry for the Hall of Fame after reading a biography on a person of your choice. In your presentation you will focus on an experience in the person's life which deeply affected their values and called them to action in some way. You will also identify the values reflected by their actions and how these actions changed the world around them.

View a chart that will help you evaluate and choose a biography.

Perhaps you are interested in how others are working with the trumpeter swans on the Chesapeake Bay.

Your biographical presentation can be in the form of:

• A written report
• A time line
• A poster
• A multimedia presentation
• A diorama

Assessment

Questions

How does an important learning experience affect a person's life?

Consider these questions when choosing a person for your project:

• Why is this person important and do I want to find out more?
• What contributions have they made to our society?
• How did important learning experiences lead to new choices and actions?
• How did those choices and actions affect others and the world around them?
• How did these choices and actions reflect the person's values?

Gather

Visit these sites to explore lots of biographies:

• Homework Center/Biographies
• Biography.com
• Biographical Dictionary
• Their Stamp on History
• Astronauts
• Inventors

Additional resources .

Use this graphic organizer to organize your research.

Organize

Analyze the information you have gathered.

Synthesize this information.

• What insights have you gained into the person you chose?
• What values are represented here?
• What will catch the interest of my audience?
• Which value will your information reflect for the Hall of Fame?

Evaluate your research.

• Do you have enough information to tell your person's story?
• Have you recorded your sources?

Conclude

Present: Share your person with the class.

Discuss which Value of the Month Hall of Fame your person should be elected to.

Enter your person in the appropriate Hall of Fame.

Reflect: Describe how learning about this person has influenced you.

• How has you thinking changed?
• What activity have you been prompted to get involved in?
• What would you like to learn more about?