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Gathering Information and Planning a Research Project

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Basics on the topic Gathering Information and Planning a Research Project

When creating a project on a person, it is important to do some research before writing. The research could be from a range of sources such as print media, books or digital media such as online sources. Learn more about how to gather information and plan a research project.

Transcript Gathering Information and Planning a Research Project

Jane and Ernie need to research someone special for a new article. "What about the artist, Tom Yendell?" "That won't paint a clear enough picture for our readers!" "How about the astronaut, Yi So-Yeon?" "I don't think we have enough space to cover her!" "Hmm, Isaac Newton?" "Oh, that's a gravity-defying idea!" Let's join Ernie and Jane as they begin planning a research project on a person. You might already know about researching, when you investigate and discover specific information about a person. You can conduct your research using print media, such as books, articles, and magazines, or digital media, such as videos, websites and online articles. Many people write about the same topic with different points of view on the internet, so check all reliable sources for accurate information. Researching about a person's life can be difficult, that's where a graphic organiser like this can help. Each box helps us to answer questions about the person and their life. I wonder what Jane and Ernie will write down first? They begin by writing 'Isaac Newton', the person they are researching, at the top. For the 'date of birth' and 'date of death' boxes, you can usually find this in the person's biography, or by finding the information on reliable websites on the internet. Jane and Ernie note that Isaac Newton was born on the 4th of January, 1643 and died on the thirty-first of March, 1727. To save time, keep your notes short since you aren't writing just yet! Next, we have the 'famous for' box, which is where we research what this person is known for. Again, this can be found in biographies, or by searching 'what is Isaac Newton famous for?' on the internet, and using a reliable website for the information. Jane and Ernie wrote 'important contributions to maths and science' and 'discovery of gravity'. Next we can find some fun facts. In this section, we would need to read and research to find things that others might find interesting about the person. You should try to find at least two fun facts from either books, or again by finding trustworthy websites online. For Isaac Newton, Jane and Ernie wrote 'professor at Cambridge University' and 'an apple never fell on him'! Finally, we have personality traits. This is where you might need to make inferences about this person based on research you conduct. The more you research and read about a person, the more you can get an idea about their personality. After lots of reading and researching Isaac Newton on the internet, Jane and Ernie wrote that he was a 'curious and brilliant thinker' and was a 'very experimental person'. You can always add more topics of interest to your research project, such as family life, famous quotes and achievements. The information you gather in your organiser can help you to write a report or give a presentation on the person you chose! Before we review, think of one person you would love to research, and why. Share in the comments below! Remember, when conducting research you can use print media and digital media. You can use an organiser to help plan and take notes about when they were born and when they died, what they were famous for, some fun facts, their personality traits and any other areas of their life you may wish to research. "Hmm, I wonder..." "It looks like gravity is working against you, Ernie!"

Gathering Information and Planning a Research Project exercise

Would you like to apply the knowledge you’ve learnt? You can review and practice it with the tasks for the video Gathering Information and Planning a Research Project.
  • What is research?

    Hints

    Researching a person involves looking into the life of those you want to learn about.

    It is good to organise your findings before you write or share your findings.

    Solution

    Research is where you investigate a person to learn more about them.

    You can use print media and digital media to conduct your research.

    It can be difficult, so it’s important to use a graphic organiser to help you plan.

    When you have finished, you can present your research to other people.

  • Organise the types of media.

    Hints

    Print media is physical media that you would most likely hold to read.

    Digital media is usually media that you would need to use the internet to access.

    Books are an example of print media.

    Videos are an example of digital media.

    Solution

    The correct answers are:

    Print Media

    • magazines
    • articles
    • books
    Digital Media
    • videos
    • websites
    • online articles

  • When was Isaac Newton born?

    Hints

    Find the date of birth on the graphic organiser.

    Look carefully to make sure you select the date of birth and not the date of death.

    Solution

    The correct answer is 4th January 1643.

    This is the date of Isaac Newton's birth.

  • What was Isaac Newton famous for?

    Hints

    Make sure you are looking in the correct box on the graphic organiser.

    To find the answer, locate the famous for box and review what Ernie and Jane wrote.

    Solution

    Isaac Newton was famous for discovering gravity.

  • Complete the graphic organiser.

    Hints

    Tom Yendell is famous for his paintings.

    Tom Yendell was born in March.

    Tom Yendell does nice things for other people.

    Solution

    Name: Tom Yandell

    Date of Birth: March 1962

    Date of Death: N/A (still living)

    Famous for: Mouth and foot paintings

    Fun Facts: Named man of the year in 1988

    Personality Traits: Compassionate, creative, kind

  • Complete the graphic organiser.

    Hints

    N/A means not applicable. In this situation, it means it is not available since the person is still alive.

    Yi So-yeon is the first person in her country to fly into space.

    Personality traits are the characteristics of a person. Look at this sentence to help you.

    Yi So-yeon is a very humble and grateful person, and probably realises just how lucky she was she got to go into space.

    Solution

    Name: Yi So-Yeon

    Date of Birth: 2nd June 1978

    Date of Date: N/A (still living)

    Famous For: Being an astronaut

    Fun Facts: Korea's first astronaut, selected out of 36,000

    Personality traits: Determined, grateful