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Why
are
research
assignments
important?
Research
assignments
provide
students
the
opportunity
to
develop
questions,
gather
and
assess
information,
and
synthesize
the
results
into
a
product
from
their
perspective.
Learning
to
research
helps
develop
the
critical
thinking
and
processing
skills
students
will
need
when
making
decisions
throughout
life.
Ways
parents
can
help
-
Review
with
your
child
the
requirements
of
the
project
including
any
deadlines.
Often
research
projects
extend
over
several
weeks
and
time
management
is
important.
-
Help
set
up
a
timeline
of
important
dates
and
display
at
home.
-
Examine
any
rubrics
the
teacher
may
have
supplied
to
see
how
notes
should
be
taken,
the
number
and
types
of
resources
selected,
etc.
Step-by-step
help
Choosing
a
topic
Have
a
discussion
with
your
child
about
possible
research
topics
if
it
has
not
been
assigned
by
the
teacher.
Do
a
quick
search
together
of
the Farnsworth
catalog
or
the
databases
to
see
if
materials
exist.
Once
a
topic
is
chosen,
help
your
child
understand
the
background
information
about
this
topic
by
having
him
read
an
encyclopedia
article
on
it.
Encyclopedias
online:
Encarta
Assist
your
child
in
thinking
about
the
key
words
associated
with
the
topic.
For
example,
if
she
is
doing
a
report
on
the
planet,
Venus,
what
key
words
could
she
put
in
a
database
to
get
information?
Remember,
correct
spelling
is
crucial.
Some
key
words:
Venus,
planets,
solar
system.
astronomy.
Developing
questions
The
teacher
usually
assigns
specific
questions
that
she/he
wants
answered
and
these
should
be
found
first.
Often,
though,
students
are
asked
to
develop
their
own
questions
as
well.
As
they
learn
more
about
their
topic,
their
questions
may
change.
Finding
appropriate
resources
Students
can
find
information
from
various
places:
Farnsworth
Catalog
(OPAC)
-
books,
videos,
specialized
encyclopedias.
Farnsworth Databases
-
full-text
periodical
articles
you
can
print
out
Guilderland
Public
Library
Internet
(caution:
evaluate
web
sites
carefully
for
authority,
accuracy,
currency,
etc.)
When
an
entire
class
or
team
is
doing
a
project,
books
will
often
be
put
on
a
reserve
cart
and
will
not
be
allowed
to
be
checked
out
or
possibly
overnight
only.
Students
have
time
during
class
or
activity
periods
to
access
these
materials.
Sometimes
materials
can
be
borrowed
from
other
schools
in
the
system,
if
time
permits.
Check-out
rules
are
decided
by
the
teacher
and
librarian.
Help
your
child
assess
the
reading
level
of
the
resource
to
be
sure
she
can
comprehend
what
she
is
reading.
Help
your
child
use
the
index
to
answer
specific
questions
about
her
topic.
Gathering
information
Once
the
materials
are
found,
the
next
step
is
taking
notes.
Find
out
ahead
of
time,
how
the
teacher
wants
this
done.
Teachers
will
always
require
bibliographic
source
information
for
each
source
used.
In
order
to
avoid
plagiarism,
students
should
not
copy
complete
sentences
from
their
sources.
They
should
jot
down
key
facts
only
to
jog
their
memory
about
what
they
have
read
(this
applies
to
web
pages
as
well).
This
makes
it
less
difficult
to
use
the
words
of
others.
Quotations
should
be
placed
around
an
author's
exact
words
if
needed.
Defining
product
and
audience
The
teacher
may
assign
a
final
product
of
a
research
paper,
PowerPoint
presentation,
newsletter,
debate,
picture
book,
etc.
or
leave
it
open-ended.
Encourage
your
child
to
talk
to
his
teacher
about
his
ideas.
Keep
in
mind
that
the
end
product
should
be
designed
for
its
intended
audience
whether
it's
classmates,
adults,
community
members
or
younger
students.
Producing
the
product
Help
your
child
obtain
the
supplies
he
needs,
encourage
his
progress
and
help
him
check
to
be
sure
he
has
fulfilled
the
requirements
set
up
by
his
teacher.
Sharing
and
Evaluating
Help
your
child
celebrate
his
accomplishments
and
evaluate
what
he
has
learned
from
the
experience.
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