Question Quest Slides Question Quest
Expedition Phase 1: The Inquiry
Every great discovery starts with a "Why?" or a "How?"
What is a Research Question?
Open-Ended
It cannot be answered with just "Yes" or "No". It needs an explanation.
Searchable
You can find facts and evidence to answer it in books or online.
Just Right
Not too broad (like "Animals") and not too narrow (like "What does a cat eat?").
Bad Question:
Are bees important?
Good Question:
How would our food supply change if bees went extinct?
Tuning Your Topic
Too Broad
"Space Travel"
Hard to cover in 1 week!
Just Right
"Living on Mars"
Perfect for a mini-project.
The Question
"What are the biggest challenges to building a city on Mars?"
Investigator's Toolkit: Starters
Avoid "Who", "What", or "Where" for your main question. Instead, try:
How...
"How does pollution affect ocean life?"
Why...
"Why are rainforests important for the world's oxygen?"
What if...
"What would happen if we stopped using plastic?"
In what ways...
"In what ways has technology changed schools?"
Your Mission
1. Think of a topic you LOVE.
2. Narrow it down using the Topic Tuner.
3. Write your "Just Right" question on a sticky note.
4. Post it on the Wonder Wall!
Topic Tuner Worksheet Topic Tuner
Expedition Phase 1: Planning
INVESTIGATOR:
DATE:
The Investigator's Funnel
A research project is like a journey. If you try to go everywhere at once, you'll get lost! Use this "funnel" to narrow your focus from a big idea down to one specific, powerful research question.
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Step 1: The Broad Topic
What is a big subject you are curious about? (Example: Space, Animals, History)
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Step 2: Narrow it Down
Choose one small part of that topic. (Example: Mars, Honeybees, Ancient Egypt)
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Step 3: The Research Question
Ask an open-ended question starting with "How," "Why," or "What if..."
Investigator's Quality Check
Does it start with How , Why , or What if ?
Is it more than a "Yes/No" question?
Can I find facts to answer it in a week?
Am I actually curious about the answer?
Source Scavenger Slides Source Scavenger
Expedition Phase 2: The Search
Finding gold in a mountain of information.
Keywords: The Investigator's Keys
Don't type your whole question into a search engine. Use Keywords .
Question:
"How do honeybees make honey in their hives?"
Keywords to search:
honeybee + honey production + hive
Pro Tips
Use + to combine words.
Use " " for exact phrases.
If you get 0 results, try simpler words.
The 3-C Source Check
Current
When was it written? Is the information up-to-date?
Credible
Who wrote it? Are they an expert? Does it look professional?
Connected
Does it actually answer YOUR research question?
Watch the URL:
.gov .edu .org .com
Scavenger Challenge
20
Minutes to find TWO strong sources.
Use the Fact Finder Checklist for each.
Be ready to DEFEND your sources!
Fact Finder Checklist Fact Finder
Expedition Phase 2: Source Evaluation
INVESTIGATOR:
PROJECT:
Mission: Use the 3C Check for every website or book you find. If you answer "No" to more than one question, the source might not be reliable!
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Source One Details
Title / Website Name
URL or Author
Was it written or updated in the last 5-10 years?
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Credible
Is the author an expert? Does the URL end in .gov, .edu, or .org?
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Connected
Does this source actually answer my research question?
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Source Two Details
Title / Website Name
URL or Author
Was it written or updated in the last 5-10 years?
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Credible
Is the author an expert? Does the URL end in .gov, .edu, or .org?
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Connected
Does this source actually answer my research question?
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A great researcher always checks their sources. If you found "gold," keep it! If it's "trash," throw it out and keep hunting.
Note Ninja Slides Note Ninja
Expedition Phase 3: Capturing Facts
"The art of taking notes without stealing words."
The Plagiarism Trap
Plagiarism is when you copy someone else's words and pretend they are yours.
Don't be a Word Thief!
No Copying & Pasting
No changing just 1 word
THE SOURCE SAYS:
"Honeybees are social insects that live in complex colonies with thousands of members."
PLAGIARISM (BAD):
Honeybees are social insects that live in complex colonies with many members.
The Keyword Ninja Strategy
1. Strip it Down
Read a sentence. Close your eyes. What are the 3 most important words ?
"social", "complex", "colonies"
2. Build it Up
Use your keywords to write a NEW sentence later.
"Bees are social and live in large, complicated groups called colonies."
Ninja Practice
Source Text:
"The queen bee is the most important member of the hive because she is the only one who can lay eggs to create new bees."
Step 1: Keywords
Step 2: New Sentence
Keyword Catcher Organizer Keyword Catcher
Expedition Phase 3: Note-Taking
INVESTIGATOR:
My Main Research Question:
Sub-Topic / Detail Key Facts (3-5 words only!) Source Title
Ninja Reminder
• Read the whole paragraph first.
• Look for numbers, names, and dates.
• Write down words that answer your question.
• NEVER copy a whole sentence.
Reporting Words Bank
Use these to say where you found the info:
According to... The author says... The text explains... Studies show... The website states...
Fact Fusion Slides Fact Fusion
Expedition Phase 4: The Synthesis
"Combining pieces of a puzzle to see the whole picture."
What is Synthesis?
Synthesis is taking information from multiple sources and putting it together in your own words.
SOURCE A
Bees live in hives.
SOURCE B
Hives are built of wax.
YOUR SYNTHESIS
"Bees build homes called hives using wax."
The Formula:
Fact 1 + Fact 2 =
Giving Credit (Attribution)
In academic writing, we always show WHERE we got our info. Try these starters:
Level 1: Basic
"According to Source A ..."
"The author of NASA.gov states that..."
Level 2: Comparing
"Both Source A and Source B agree that..."
"Similarly, the website explains..."
Level 3: Advanced
"The text illustrates how..."
"This information highlights the fact that..."
The "Talk it Out" Challenge
Before you write, you must TEACH.
Turn to a partner. Explain 3 things you learned using your own words.
If you can say it, you can write it!
Evidence Weaver Template Evidence Weaver
Expedition Phase 4: Drafting Findings
INVESTIGATOR:
The Map (Introduction)
Hook & Topic: (What is this about?)
Research Question: (What are you investigating?)
The Weaving (Synthesis)
Take two facts from your Note Ninja log and weave them into one strong paragraph.
Fact from Source 1
Fact from Source 2
Combined Paragraph (Your Synthesis)
The Attribution Toolbox
To introduce a source:
• According to...
• The text explains that...
• As stated on [Website]...
Powerful Action Verbs:
claims argues illustrates highlights describes
Final Polish Slides Final Polish
Expedition Phase 5: The Publication
"Excellence is in the details."
The Final Inspection
Researchers don't just find facts; they prove where they came from.
Inspection Checklist:
Every fact has a source name.
Every image has a credit.
The bibliography is complete.
Bibliography Format
Example:
1. "Life on Mars." NASA.gov. 2024.
2. Smith, Jane. "The Bee Colony." Science Kids. 2022.
Giving Credit to Art
Image credit: National Geographic Kids
Don't Forget!
Images are research too. If you didn't draw it yourself, you must say where you found it.
Place the credit right underneath the image in small text.
White Glove Inspection
Peer Review Mission:
Swap work with a partner. You are looking for ONE thing only:
Are all the facts credited?
"A good partner helps you avoid mistakes before the world sees them!"
Citation Inspector Checklist Citation Inspector
Expedition Phase 5: Final Review
INSPECTOR:
INVESTIGATOR:
White Glove Inspection: Swap your project with a partner. Read through their work carefully and check off the requirements below. Help them find missing citations!
In-Text Citations (Inside the writing)
<table class="w-full"><tbody><tr class="border-b border-slate-100"><td class="py-3 pr-4 text-slate-700">Does every fact have a source mentioned (e.g., "According to NASA...")?</td><td class="w-20 text-center"><div class="w-6 h-6 border-2 border-slate-300 rounded mx-auto"></div></td></tr><tr class="border-b border-slate-100"><td class="py-3 pr-4 text-slate-700">Did the author use "reporting verbs" (e.g., explains, claims, states)?</td><td class="w-20 text-center"><div class="w-6 h-6 border-2 border-slate-300 rounded mx-auto"></div></td></tr><tr><td class="py-3 pr-4 text-slate-700">Are there any sentences that look copied exactly? (Circle them!)</td><td class="w-20 text-center"><div class="w-6 h-6 border-2 border-slate-300 rounded mx-auto"></div></td></tr></tbody></table>
Visual Credits
<table class="w-full"><tbody><tr class="border-b border-slate-100"><td class="py-3 pr-4 text-slate-700">Does every picture/graph have a caption underneath it?</td><td class="w-20 text-center"><div class="w-6 h-6 border-2 border-slate-300 rounded mx-auto"></div></td></tr><tr><td class="py-3 pr-4 text-slate-700">Does the caption say where the image came from?</td><td class="w-20 text-center"><div class="w-6 h-6 border-2 border-slate-300 rounded mx-auto"></div></td></tr></tbody></table>
The Final List (Bibliography)
<table class="w-full"><tbody><tr class="border-b border-slate-100"><td class="py-3 pr-4 text-slate-700">Is there a list of all sources at the very end?</td><td class="w-20 text-center"><div class="w-6 h-6 border-2 border-slate-300 rounded mx-auto"></div></td></tr><tr class="border-b border-slate-100"><td class="py-3 pr-4 text-slate-700">Does each source have a Title and a Website/Author?</td><td class="w-20 text-center"><div class="w-6 h-6 border-2 border-slate-300 rounded mx-auto"></div></td></tr></tbody></table>
Inspector's Notes:
Give your partner one compliment and one suggestion for their final polish.
Compliment:
Suggestion:
