Spring Launch — Research-Question Inventory and the Term of Researching

Welcome-back share: each child holds their G4-fall published persuasive essay and names one CREEL move they used. Teacher names the bridge: 'You took a position and defended it. Now you investigate a topic and BUILD an answer from sources.'

• Affirm specific persuasive moves by name (CREEL, modal precision, link-back)
• Bridge explicitly: 'Persuasive defended what you BELIEVE. Research investigates what you WANT TO KNOW — and reports what the SOURCES tell us.'
• Read aloud the opening pages of Funny Bones and ask 'what is the topic this book investigates?'

M-4-S-WR-01-C Chart

Photo-quality reproduction of MG-10 wall chart at 18x24: 8-column grid QUESTION | SOURCES | NOTES | OUTLINE | DRAFT | REVISE | PEER-EDIT | PUBLISH, each column with definition and icon. Print-ready. Note: this REPLACES the fall arguer's-workshop chart for the spring term.

MG-10 Chart

Researcher's-workshop status-of-class wall chart: 8-column grid QUESTION | SOURCES | NOTES | OUTLINE | DRAFT | REVISE | PEER-EDIT | PUBLISH. Each child has a magnetic name-tile moved into the column matching their current stage at the start of each workshop block. Each column has a 1-sentence definition and an icon. Print-ready 18x24.

This spring you become a RESEARCHER — a writer who investigates a topic and builds a multi-paragraph report from at least three sources. Not every topic deserves research; we pick topics with a real QUESTION we want to answer, and where age-appropriate SOURCES exist. A research report has FIVE to SEVEN PARTS (point at MG-2). PART 1 — INTRODUCTION (blue): hook + topic-orienting context + research-thesis. PARTS 2-4 (or 2-6) — CATEGORY BODY PARAGRAPHS (yellow, orange, red, purple, pink): each develops one CATEGORY of the topic using the TIES routine (which we meet in lesson 3). FINAL PART — CONCLUSION (green): SYNTHESIZES the categories — pulls them together with a 'so what does it all mean' move. To find topics we use the RESEARCH-QUESTION INVENTORY — a 2-page notebook spread listing 5 to 10 open-ended questions you want to investigate. Open-ended (HOW / WHY / WHAT / WHO) — not yes/no. Each entry has: a QUESTION, a WHY-I-WANT-TO-KNOW, and 2-3 candidate SOURCES. Examples: 'How did Sojourner Truth use her voice to change a nation? — because I read about her in G3 and want to know more. — sources: McKissack biography, library encyclopedia, kid-friendly history website.' 'Why are golden lion tamarins endangered? — because I love primates. — sources: Markle book, National Geographic Kids, zoo website.'

• Notice each question is OPEN-ENDED (HOW / WHY / WHAT). Each has a WHY-I-WANT-TO-KNOW. Each has 2-3 candidate sources. If you cannot name a source candidate, this topic is not researchable at G4 — pick another.

  model Q1: 'How did Sojourner Truth use her voice to change a nation?' / 'Read about her in G3, want to know more.' / Sources: McKissack 1992, library encyclopedia, kid-friendly website. Q2: 'Why are golden lion tamarins endangered?' / 'Love primates.' / Sources: Markle 2015, NatGeo Kids, zoo site. Q3: 'How does the Mississippi River shape life in towns along it?' / 'Family from Memphis.' / Sources: National Geographic, state geography book, Army Corps fact sheet.

  prompt Teacher models a sample research-question inventory on the board.

• What makes a RESEARCH QUESTION different from a yes/no question?
• Point to one of the 5-7 boxes on MG-2 and say what goes there.

M-4-S-WR-01-A Chart

Reproduction of MG-2 at 11x17: horizontal row of 5-7 color-coded boxes — INTRODUCTION (blue, hook+context+thesis icon), BODY 1-5 (yellow/orange/red/purple/pink, each with category icon), CONCLUSION (green, synthesize icon). Below each box: matching sentence-frame in dyslexic-friendly font. Print-ready, primary colors only.

MG-2 Chart Physical / non-image

Research-report 5-7 box anchor poster: five-to-seven labeled boxes in a horizontal row — INTRODUCTION (blue, with hook+context+research-thesis icon), BODY 1 (yellow, with category 1 icon), BODY 2 (orange, with category 2 icon), BODY 3 (red, with category 3 icon), OPTIONAL BODY 4 (purple, with category 4 icon), OPTIONAL BODY 5 (pink, with category 5 icon), CONCLUSION (green, with synthesize+so-what icon). Below each box: a sentence-frame ('Did you know ___? Today, ___ continues to ___. This report investigates ___ across ___ categories.' / 'First, ___.' / 'Next, ___.' / 'In addition, ___.' / 'Finally, ___.' / 'Across these categories, ___ teaches us ___.'). Print-ready 11x17, dyslexic-friendly font.

• Each child builds their own research-question inventory. Start with 3 entries; add more if time. Each entry: QUESTION + WHY-I-WANT-TO-KNOW + 2-3 candidate SOURCES.

  scaffold 2-page spread at 1.5x; topic-question prompt cards (animal / state-or-region / historical figure / cultural tradition / scientific phenomenon / geographic feature); source-candidate cards
• Share one entry with a partner. Partner asks: 'Could this be answered with the sources you named? Is it researchable in 6-8 weeks?'

  scaffold Sentence frame: 'My question is ___. I want to know because ___. My candidate sources are ___, ___, ___.'

M-4-S-WR-01-B Illustration

Reference image of a completed Grade-4 research-question inventory: a 2-page notebook spread with 5 entries handwritten in pencil, each with QUESTION line, WHY-I-WANT-TO-KNOW line, and 2-3 candidate SOURCES line ('How did Sojourner Truth use her voice — McKissack 1992, library encyclopedia, kid-friendly website'). Print-ready 8.5x11 spread, classroom annotation style, dyslexic-friendly font.

• Pick ONE question from your inventory. Write one sentence stating the QUESTION and one sentence naming a candidate SOURCE.
• Place your name-tile on MG-10 status chart in the QUESTION column.

• Star your strongest research question.
• Predict: tomorrow we meet the WHO-WHEN-CHECK-IT source-evaluation card.

• At dinner tonight, share ONE research question with a family member. Ask: 'Do you know a source where I could start? Have you researched anything like this?' Bring back their answer on a sticky note.