Teaching Research Skills Through WebQuests and Literature Units

The topic of research can be somewhat daunting for both parents and students alike,
but it doesn’t have to be. There are some practical ways to introduce these techniques
by using WebQuests, literature, or both. Students as young as 8 can begin to learn
basic research skills. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Gather research tools. Index cards are essential, and having different colors on
hand is helpful. Information gathered and placed on the index cards is easier to
sort by sub-topic if colored cards are used. Small, colored dot stickers can also be
used to classify information.
2. Teach children to use encyclopedias either online, in text form, or both. Learning
these foundational research tools will provide a basis for expanding into other research
texts and skills.
3. Teach the research process. This process involves the following steps:

• Choose a topic. If a WebQuest or piece of literature is used, the topic may already be determined.

•  Gather facts and information. WebQuests and literature related studies provide structured guidance for this portion of the process. For example, a WebQuest about the animal kingdom will have specific questions that need answering. These answers will then become the details that make up a research report.

• Organize facts and information. Using the aforementioned color coding process, sort the information gathered by sub-topic.
• Turn index card information into sentences and paragraphs.

•  WebQuests and literature studies lend themselves nicely to this type of writing. Each color group should

constitute one paragraph of details to explain something related to the topic.
And there you have it! Dive into a WebQuest or literature study and explore the world
of research with your children. You never know what they….or you….might learn!