Biography Research

Hello students!

You will investigate a particular person from your grade-level history studies using the six steps of Cub Library Research Process:

I. Topic: On the first day you will select a person from the extensive biography section of the school library. This person will become your topic.

II. Subtopics: Ask yourself: "What do I want to learn about this person?" The general subtopics that will guide your research will include: personal life and public life (accomplishments). You may instead use specific subtopics found in sources such as The World Book Encyclopedia such as early life, education, etc.

III. Sources: You are required to use print and non-print sources of information, specifically three kinds (formats) including a nonfiction biography, a reference (encyclopedia) and Internet Web sites, beginning with the left menu. Please write an MLA citation for each source on the color-cards provided, later to be written into a Works Cited list. Or use the Son of Citation Machine Web site where you create your citations, then copy/paste them into a Works Cited page in alphabetical order.

IV. Read/Think/Select: Read a variety of sources, think about what you've read, and select important facts.

V. Note-taking: Use Cornell-style note-taking adapted to library research. Your notes should be in the form of facts. All sentences will be assumed to be plagiarized. Summarize or paraphrase when appropriate.

VI. Sort Notes: You will sort notes into a logical order for writing about your person and you will use what you've learned to explain the era in which the person lived. Your writing and project should be interesting!