Patterns for Reporting Research
Reporting with Poetry
Iron Horses by Verla Kay. Putnam, 2003.
Both books relate historical events in chronological order using “Paul Revere” poetry.
See also: Tattered Sails.
The Fighter Wore A Skirt by Nancy Polette Pieces of Learning, 2002.
Narrative poems of 32 American women who faced a challenge and won.
Tic Tac Vocabulary
Use all words in any row to tell why you were late to school
-cells –muscles —nerves –bones throat
-neurons –arteries —heart –veins -tongue
-axons CPR –ventricles —lungs –blood
-dendrites –oxygen —aorta –nutrients -coronary
-brain –virus neuritis —stomach –digestion
Topic Focusing:
Guess the answers.
1. Where is Dunkirk (what country?)
2. What armies were involved in the conflict?
3. How many men were on the beaches?
4. What percent were saved?
Geography Riddle Report
(Use to describe a place or an historical event)
Begin with:
Let’s go to far away (or long ago) places
And see history’s (or the Earth’s) changing faces.
(List six to eight items one would see)
Add: But that’s not all ( List 6-8 more items)
Ask: Where am I? (Name the place)
Geography Poem Report (See these models.)
A World of Wonders by J. Patrick Lewis. Dial, 2002
Atlantic by Brian Karas Putnam, 2002
Excellent writing pattern to describe the ocean. desert, mountain, Arctic, Great Plains
I am____ I begin___.
I stretch____.
But I don’t_____ .
My ___reach out and touch ___
First I was___
And then. ___.
___know me.
___ sing to me.
I am ______.
The Associative Letter Report
How many Bs can you connect with pirate?
How many Cs with the Middle Ages?
Challenging Literal Fact:
Put WHY in front of a fact – for a one half page report.
Example: Why was George Washington the first president of the United States?
The Scrapbook:
See A New England Scrapbook by Loretta Krupinski. Harper, 1995.
Report on a state, province, country or region using factual information, poetry and art
Mystery State, Country, Person Report.
10 clues, one must be a give-away clue.
If I Had, If I Visited, If I Were Report
If I had the ___ of a ___,
I would ___ and ___ and ___ but I wouldn’t ___
because ___ does that.
House That Jack Built Report
See The Boston Tea Party by Pamela Edwards.
“These are the leaves that grew on a bush in a far off land that became part of the Boston Tea Party.”
The Changing Report
You are changing, changing.
You feel: describe the atmosphere
You are: two adjectives
You: two verbs or verb phrases
You are: color
the color of: name an object the same color
You are: give size and shape
and are: use participle and prepositional phrase
You do not walk upright anymore
as you: three verb phrases
It is: adjective to move like this
so: one adjective and one simile
You are: name.
The Only One Report
Report on a historical event using this model:
There were many shots fired during the Revolutionary War but ONLY ONE was heard around the world.
Point of View Report (Share “Buffalo Dusk” from Hour of Freedom by Milton Meltzer (Boyds Mill 2003)
How would William Cody feel about the killing of buffalo?
Sitting Bull?
Ten Reasons Report
Share: Medieval Castle by Joanna Cole (Scholastic,2003)
List ten reasons to want to live (or not live) in a castle.
Expand the idea:
Ten Reasons To Be (or not to be) a Volcano, an Earthquake etc.
The ABC History or Biography
Retell a historical event or major events in a person’s life in 26 sentences, each beginning with a letter of the alphabet.
Fact and Fiction Book
Make a statement on one page, support or deny on the next. See Animal Fact, Animal Fable by Seymour Simon.
The Fortunately/Unfortunately Report (From Fortunately/Unfortunately by Remy Charlip)
Tell the plus and minus events in a person’s life.
The Collective Biography
So You Want to Be President by Judith St. George. Illustrated by David Small. Philomel Books, 2000.
The author compares the Presidents of the United States by: Similar names, Birthplace, Size, Personality, Appearance, Pets, Musical ability, Athletic ability, Education, Military service, Previous occupations.
George Washington’s Teeth by Deborah Chandra. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2003.
Told in rollicking verse, this is a carefully researched account of what happened to George Washington’s teeth.
Activity:
Write a rhyming song about a president.
Andrew Jackson Seventh President 1829-1837
(Comin’ Round the Mountain)
He was born in Carolina
Yes, he was.
Studied law in Tennessee
Yes, he did.
Killed another in a duel
For remarks made oh so cruel
Andrew Jackson was his name
Yes, it was.
Major General in the Army
Yes, he was.
Fought the War of 1812
Yes, he did.
Brought the British to defeat
With the help of Jean Laffite
And became the nation’s hero
Yes, he was. Got the nickname of Old Hickory
Yes, he did.
Thought that all should do their duty
Yes, he did.
He became a White House resident
As the nation’s seventh president
And he served a second term
Yes, he did
(Walter J.Gr 6)
The Acrostic:
Use each letter of the name as the first letter of a sentence about the person or topic.
See: Summer by Steve Schnur.
The Good and Bad Report
Thomas Edison was born in 1847. When Tom was seven he and entered school there.
Audience: That was good!
No, it was bad because his teachers thought he was dull. He dropped out of school in third grade.
Audience: That was bad.
To Test The Truth Script (Eyewitness Report)
HOSTESS: LORETTA BORE
Welcome everyone to our show. Only one eyewitness is telling the complete truth about the siege of Boonesborough. It is up to you to guess which it is. Now let’s meet our guests.
EYEWITNESS #1:
My name is Jemima Boone and I was an eyewitness to the siege of Boonesborough, Sept. 7, 1778.
EYEWITNESS #2:
My name is Jemima Boone. I was an eyewitness to the siege of Boonesborough on Sept. 7, 1778, along with my husband, Daniel.
EYEWITNESS #3:
My name is Jemima Boone, wife of Daniel Boone and I was an eyewitness to the siege of Boonesborough on Sept. 7, 1778.
BORE:
Eyewitness #1, tell us your story.
EYEWITNESS #1:
We only had about 50 men and boys to protect us against 400 braves led by Chief Black Fish. fearsome sight…then Black Fish asked for a parley. Alone and unarmed, Daniel Boone went out to meet them.
EYEWITNESS #2:
Somehow a peace treaty was hammered out but before it could be signed, the Indians grabbed my father, but he threw Blackfish to the ground and was shot in the shoulder getting back to the fort.
EYEWITNESS #3:
The Indians cut the telephone wires, then they massed for a charge on the North wall. The women and children were hidden away in case the Indians broke through.
BORE:
Now it is time to decide who is the real eyewitness to the siege of Boonesborough. We will vote by a show of hands. Is it #1? (Wait for show of hands) Is it #2? (Wait for show of hands) Is it #3? (Wait for show of hands). Now for the moment you have all been waiting for. Will the real Jemima Boone, eyewitness to the siege of Boonesborough, please step forward.
The Research Report
Data Bank: Alligators
EATS– HAS– LIVES
-fish/snakes -thick body -SE U.S.
-dogs/turtles -sharp teeth -China/S. Am.
-frogs -powerful tail -Cent. Am.
DOES– LOOKS LIKE
-nest of grass -18 ft long
-lays 50 eggs -450-550 lbs.
-lives 50-60 yrs. -dull gray
Notes Why? Like/Unlike
__________ __________ __________
Share: September 12 by first graders of the Kennett, MO Elementary School. Scholastic, 2002.
Resources: Books by Nancy Polette are available from Pieces of Learning. For a free catalog call toll free 1-800-729-5137
About Your Speaker
Nancy Polette is Professor of Education at Lindenwood University and author of 150 plus professional books and six children’s books. She travels the country weekly conducting workshops for school districts on Research-Based Strategies for Reading,Writing and Research.