Information is so widely available to students. From using books and magazines to websites and YouTube videos, they are able to research and report on a wide range of topics with a wealth of resources to back up their findings. I feel like my students don’t have enough instruction and practice with citations to prepare them for the expectation of using citations as they progress through school. I am not the only teacher who feels this way. Dreher et al say, "many students have great difficulty with the research tasks schools expect them to perform." (2000)
I would like to see the students gain the skills and understanding to make reasonable citations for their grade level. I found a resource that explains these reasonable citations, Kathy Schrock’s Research and Style Manual. This is a document that lays out how to gradually release the MLA style to elementary students. It begins with first grade, and end with sixth grade. As each grade progresses, the student will be responsible for including increasing amounts of bibliographic information.
As a teacher I will need to model this with the students and show them how to apply it in their research. There are many tools out there that make creating citations simple for students, and I would like my students to be able to use and be familiar with these tools so that they will be able cite and attribute their sources. Eventually, I would like them to do this independently because this is a skill they will need to use throughout their academic careers.
I would like to see the students gain the skills and understanding to make reasonable citations for their grade level. I found a resource that explains these reasonable citations, Kathy Schrock’s Research and Style Manual. This is a document that lays out how to gradually release the MLA style to elementary students. It begins with first grade, and end with sixth grade. As each grade progresses, the student will be responsible for including increasing amounts of bibliographic information.
As a teacher I will need to model this with the students and show them how to apply it in their research. There are many tools out there that make creating citations simple for students, and I would like my students to be able to use and be familiar with these tools so that they will be able cite and attribute their sources. Eventually, I would like them to do this independently because this is a skill they will need to use throughout their academic careers.
Resources
Dreher, Jean, et al. 2000. Easy Steps to Writing Fantastic Research Reports (Grades 3-6). New York: Scholastic Professional Books.
Dreher, Jean, et al. 2000. Easy Steps to Writing Fantastic Research Reports (Grades 3-6). New York: Scholastic Professional Books.