Testing the Waters: Generating Research Questions through Primary Source Analysis

This post is from an activity that took place during the 2013-2014 school year. It was previously unpublished, but as I have moved forward with the next steps and hope to share those reflections in this blog, I thought this would be a good reference on my students' journey of generating research questions through primary source analysis.

One thing I’ve rarely done is let my students develop their own research questions. I was afraid they would come up with questions that were far off the topic or impossible to answer with our available resources.

After attending the summer institute, I wondered if students could develop their own research questions through using primary sources and the LOC’s Primary Source Analysis Tool. Might it engage the students in their research and allow them to find more of their own voice through their research writing?

I recruited the fourth grade teachers in my experiment. Fourth grade students research a famous Missourian. They answer questions about the person’s childhood, adulthood, and why they are famous. The questions cover the overall person, but aren’t unique to the researcher or the person being researched.

As a trial “famous Missourian”, I chose Ella Ewing, a woman who grew up in Northeast Missouri and was thought to be the tallest woman of her time. She was a sideshow attraction for years at museums and even the Barnum and Bailey Circus.

 

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002719038/

I chose three primary sources in an effort to look at different elements of Ella’s life. The first was a 1898 Barnum and Bailey circus poster of side-show acts. While it didn’t contain Ella Ewing, these were people she could have worked with. The second was an October 1903 article from the Spokane Press describing Ella as well as other sideshow performers that were appearing at the local fairgrounds. Finally, Students would analyze a photo of Ella Ewing standing next to a chair. My hope was that these three primary sources would bring the students closer to Ella, helping them understand her enough to want to know more.

Students worked in small groups to analyze the primary sources. Magnifying glass in hand, they made observations, reflections, and asked questions using “I see, I think, and I wonder” to frame their statements.

After analyzing the circus poster, I ask students to think about what they would like to know about Ella Ewing after viewing this one connection to her life. They wrote their questions in the Further Investigation section of the Primary Source Analysis Tool.

●      What did she do in the circus?

●      Which circuses did she work for?

●      Did Ella get an offensive “circus” name?

●      I wonder why she would want to do this. (work in the circus)

●      Was she embarrassed about being with these people? (other side show acts)

Even though they knew nothing of Ella Ewing, this poster gave them an idea of her world and made them wonder about her. Their questions reflect that wonder as well as an emotional reaction to Ella’s world. They were beginning to put themselves into her shoes.

http://goo.gl/jEDfbw

Next, students analyzed the newspaper article that mentioned Ella Ewing. They underlined what they saw that was interesting or important to them, wrote reflections and questions. Again, I asked them to think about what they would like to know about Ella Ewing.

●      How tall is she?

●      Was Ella Ewing taller than the Congo Giant?

●      I wonder how much Ella was paid.

●      Did she join the circus for money?

●      Does Ella feel good that she’s not a phoney and some of her crew is?

●      Was she offended to be a circus attraction?

Students read why Ella Ewing was part of the sideshow and it is evident in their questions. Not only did they express their reaction to the second primary source, their questioning about the circus poster evolved as students wondered about the height of Ella and the Congo Giant or compared Ella’s gift of height to what they perceived as other “phoney” sideshow performers.

 

http://www.ruralmissouri.coop/03pages/03MarchElla.html

Finally, students saw the photo of Ella Ewing standing next to a chair. Their analysis was followed by one final chance to ask questions about her life.

●      How did she get so tall?

●      How big was she when she was born?

●      Did she get made fun of at school?

●      Did people stare at Ella?

●      Were people afraid of her height?

With this stark photo, student’s questions are just as stark, but also pointed. The emotional connection continued as students wondered about how others reacted to and treated Ella Ewing.

While not all of these questions can be answered, they do allow student researchers to connect to the person being researched. The answers that students find to other questions provide rich detail that gives depth and unique perspective to a research report.

This experiment may to a larger test. An archivist at the Missouri History Museum, and I have spoken about putting together sets of primary sources around other famous Missourians. I hope that they will also help students develop research questions and connect with the person they are researching.

Taking Notes Like a Scientist: Using Primary Sources to Examine Note Taking Strategies

Last summer, I participated in the Library of Congress Science Seminar, a five day professional development opportunity that allowed me to begin exploring the integration of primary sources as a resource in science instruction. As part of that week, I made a plan on one way to integrate primary sources with the direction to implement the lesson during the first half of the school year.

My idea for a lesson revolved around science note booking and note taking in our school. In 3rd grade, our science teacher introduces the process. It continues through their elementary career. During a book study last year on research, using Chris Lehman’s book “Energize Research Reading and Writing”, I saw many correlations between the free form style that students use when science note booking and the introduction to note taking styles with student choice based on need emphasized in Lehman’s book.

I saw them as two styles that could complement the other. My question was how to bridge the gap between the two. While at the Seminar, I decided primary sources might be the answer. Through the use of primary sources, students could connect their own natural tendencies to organize information through science note booking with tried methods to organize information that scientists have used in the past. Instead of teachers demonstrating note taking methods, students would discover the note taking methods of actual scientists and attempt to incorporate those methods into their own note taking. These methods could transfer into note taking in other subject areas as needs arose.

During the first week of school, third grade students participated in the note booking emersion. They observed fish, plants (and all of the insects on them), and other scientific phenomena. During their excursion, many students saw some type of small eggs on melon leafs in the school garden. This caused a lot of excitement and speculation. The classroom teacher had a naturally generated question and we decided to run with it. Students would do a mini research project trying to answer their question and I would help them think about their note taking in the process.

http://www.loc.gov/item/magbell.25300102/    

Students began their study of scientists’ notes by analyzing a page from a notebook of Alexander Graham Bell. Students used a modified version of the Primary Sources Analysis Tool from Library of Congress. For the purposes of this lesson and because of time restrictions, I wanted students to focus in on what they saw as an organizational tool (Observation) and why they thought the scientist organized his information in this way (Reflection). 

Students found a great deal of organizing methods. Pages were numbered, ideas were dated and sorted into short paragraphs. There were drawings of Bell’s telephone that was labeled with letters and those corresponding letters were used in his writing about the device. And in each method, students were able to give some reflection as to the “why” of its use. “Short paragraphs are easier to read.” “If you date things, you’ll know what order you did them in.” “Labeling the picture and using the labels in his writing helps me understand what he is writing about.”

Smaller groups then continued by analyzing another note or recording method of a scientist. Students analyzed the directions for using a macaroni machine written by Thomas Jefferson. They explored the drawings for a crossbow by Leonardo da Vinci. Students even looked at more recent notes by Dave Morrison as he thought about measuring the surface temperature on Mars. 

In these other works, students noticed drawings done from different perspectives, underlined and circled words, tables, step by step directions, and different ideas for the same goal drawn side by side. In each case, students were, again, able to express an idea about why the scientist chose to organize his thinking in that way. “It makes it easier to read.” “This was probably really important.” “You can see different details when he draws it this way.”

We extended the activity by asking students to look at their initial writing and drawing from their note booking experience. Could they see similarities between their work and the work of the scientists? They shared example after example, further reinforcing themselves as scientists and their work as scientific. I also feel they saw the work they do in a school setting existing outside of and beyond school. This skill was important and was used by great minds! Finally, I asked them, “As you take more notes, either from observations or from reading or viewing images, what strategies did these scientists use to organize their information that could help you?” Many shared ideas directly from their findings through the primary source analysis.

As they moved forward with their study, I did revisit their second set of notes and there were definite similarities between their work at the scientists’ work they studied.  My hope is that this has laid a foundation and gives examples to call back to as students continue to explore note taking.

note: For anyone trying something similar, I will share that I did have to make transcripts of much of the notes because of the cursive handwriting. While students were willing to make attempts, the struggle would have slowed down the activity too much.