Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA) Guide

Starting: Creating information gathering questions and thesis statements

1.  Questions get you FOCUSED and provide DIRECTION for your RESEARCH.

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Open Vs. Closed Questions PowerPoint

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See a list of question varieties

bulletQuestion Sheets for Topic Types
  1. Biography
  2. Checks and Balances (CBA)
  3. Controversial Issue
  4. Conflicts (CBA)
bulletUsing your questions to gather useful information (aka "note-taking"; see below).

2.  The questions you ask will help you create your THESIS statement (controlling argument/statement).  Remember:   
     Although you create a thesis early on in your research, you MIGHT find information that leads you to re-think your
     position.  Your thesis CAN change--it is not set in stone.

Go to the first link below (Thesis Generator).  Read through the "thesis formula" and look at the "stem questions".  These are typically "open" questions.  Notice that strong thesis statements rely on open question stems.

Thesis Generator

Thesis Builder

Next Step: Gathering Information

1.  Accessing your available resources.

bulletprint--books, encyclopedias, anthologies, atlases, almanacs, maps, magazines, newspapers, journals...
bulletelectronic--Internet, databases (Proquest, Opposing Viewpoints...), DVDs, CDs, digital imaging

2.  Evaluating your resources--what to look for in a source:

bulletIs it up-to-date or current? (Is being up-to-date important to your topic?)
bulletIs the source easy to use?  Does it have clear headings, chapters and an index?
bulletAre there reasonable graphs, charts and other visual aides?
bulletIs a bibliography of resources provided?
bulletDoes the source contain primary source materials? (First-hand information)
bulletIs the source well-written and edited?
bulletIs the source appropriate for the audience?
bulletIs the information provided relevant and useful?

Although all of these questions help determine the usefulness of any source, evaluation resources on the INTERNET is a bit more complicated and should be evaluated cautiously.

Website Evaluation Tool 1 (PowerPoint)

Website Evaluation Tool 2 (From Library Website)

3.  Note-taking.

bulletUse a graphic organizer to help keep questions, resources and information together.
 
bulletFocus on ONE QUESTION at a time.
bulletDocument the sources you used to answer the question.
bulletAnswer IN YOUR OWN WORDS to summarize.
bulletUse "quotations" when taking words directly from the text.
bulletUse a second or third organizer to continue with each new source even for the same question.

You might end up with notes that look like this:

Question 1:  What were the causes of the Bosnian War?  (Three sources used, three graphic organizer sheets)

Questions 2 and 3: What countries were involved and when was this conflict? (Two sources, one graphic organizer sheet)

Question 4: What has been the cost of the Bosnian War? (Five sources, six graphic organizer sheets)

(Note: The more OPEN the question is, the more information you will likely gather.  The more CLOSED the question, the less information.)

Time to EVALUATE your RESEARCH progress...

bulletTake some time to identify NEW questions that your information searches are raising.  Consider whether these questions will aid in your research. 
bulletConsider removing questions that might not serve any purpose, or which do not lead to relevant information.
bulletReview your thesis statement.  Is what you are finding out still focused on this thesis?  Is there some TWEAKING to be done?
bulletWhat GAPS are missing in your understanding?  What do you still need to find out?

Go back through Steps 1 and 3 to gather more information.  Research is not LINEAR--researchers often need to go back to the "beginning" to find new or better information and do the process again until they have satisfied the requirements of their task or their curiosity.

4.  Synthesis--putting information and ideas together.

At this point you are creating a product from YOUR KNOWLEDGE of the topic, not someone else's.  You should not need any other materials but your NOTES.  The product should be IN YOUR OWN WORDS, with supporting evidence in the form of properly cited summaries, paraphrases, and quotations.

bulletHow will you present your information? (This will help you decide how to ORGANIZE your information.)
 
bulletEssay/Report
bulletPresentation/PowerPoint
bulletAcademic publication
bulletPanel discussion
bulletLesson teaching other students
 
bulletHow will you organize your information?
 
bulletChronologically
bulletTopically
bulletCause and Effect
bulletComparison/Contrast
bulletPoint/Counter-point
bulletSupport/Refute
bulletCombination

Keep in mind that no matter how you decide to present and organize your information, all of your information MUST directly relate back to your THESIS STATEMENT.  If a paragraph does NOT relate to the thesis, it is not relevant and must be removed OR shown to relate (revise).