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Activity #1 - Brain Dump

Learning Goal:

I can explore possible topics for my SEL research project and utilize search strategies to help me find information. 

3-2-1 Research Organizer 

3-2-1 Research Organizer  SAMPLE - 3-2-1 Research Organizer

Brain-dumping

Image result for brain

What? Brain-dumping is taking pen to paper and getting all your thoughts out of your brain. It’s taking every thing you’re worrying about, questioning, feeling, needing to do, and organizing those thoughts OUT of your brain and putting them somewhere ELSE.

Why? Brain dumping is a focusing activity that helps you organize your thoughts. 

  • Raises self-awareness
  • Relieves stress
  • Takes power away from the the things that are clogging up your brain and occupying your thoughts.

How? Take 5 minutes to write about and/or express creatively negative thoughts and emotions

  • Focus on the negative thoughts and emotions things that are worrying you, making you feel sad and angry, or distracting you.
  • Make a list or write a short paragraph about those negative thoughts and emotions. 
  • Draw a picture or express creatively your negative thoughts and emotions.

Activity #2 - Exploring Topics

Exploring Topics (15 Minutes)

  • Look at this list of topics and choose 5 that you would like to learn more about.
  • Using the Search in WebMD or Psychology Today, read more about the different conditions.
  • Choose three that seem the most interesting to you.
  • Write down your top three topics on the 3-2-1 chart and write them on a post-it note.
  • Post your note on the Topics page in your classroom. 
WebMD Psychology Today
WebMD Acquires ADDitude Turnaround's Back to Basics Series in Psychology Today | Turnaround for Children

 

Activity #3 - Asking Questions

Asking Questions - (7 minutes)

Brainstorming:

Asking questions builds critical thinking skills and empowers you to feel confident about your ideas. 

Brainstorming Questions: Take 3 minutes to write down as many questions as you can think of about the three topics you explored. 

Rules for Producing Questions

* Write down as many questions as you can in 3 minutes.

* Don't stop to judge your questions.

* If you write down a statement, turn it into a question.

 

Narrowing Your Focus:

Choose TWO questions that you are most interested in answering. 

Write them down on your 3-2-1 worksheet.

Activity #4 - Searching for Information

Using Keywords and Search Strategies - Working Smarter NOT Harder!

Keywords Search Strategies

Keywords are terms related to your topic.

They are the BIG or MAIN IDEA WORDS related to your topic.

For example, if your topic is depression, some related keywords might be:

mental health

antidepressants

serotonin

Keywords might also be related ideas that you are interested in exploring with regards to your topic:

symptoms

exercise

transcendental meditation

electroconvulsive therapy

Research Connection: Use your questions to create a list of keywords. 

The act of combining keywords, common words and terms to conduct your searches is call a search strategy. 

Two powerful search strategies are:

1.) Combines keywords and/or phrases using AND, OR, and NOT

Example: Depression AND Exercise

2.) Putting quotation marks around phrases to search for an exact phrase

Example: "mental health" or "teen anxiety"

Example searches:

teens AND depression

depression AND symptoms

teens AND depression AND treatment

 

Google Web Search

Activity #5 - Record Your Source

Keep track of where you found your information. Recording the name of the website and name of the page, helps you stay organized and on track with your research.