Webbing!

When teaching students to research and create meaningful projects, it is important for them to gather questions and thoughts, but this is not always an easy task. There is such a plethora of information available, that it can be difficult to narrow down sources and make sure that it is relevant. According to Annette Lamb, "Webbing directs students to locate, search for, and connect ideas and information...it's helpful to think about the descriptors associated with your topic or questions." Finding all of this information can be overwhelming, especially if the student is unaware of how to search and locate it. This is where webbing comes into play.

First, figure out the best sources based on the students' needs. Are they visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners? Then educate the students on the different types of resources. Growing up in a technology age, it is easy for students to go straight to the computer and use the Internet and CD-ROMs. However, I grew up in an age of book research. I usually go there first when completing a project. It is important to educate the students on the availability of resources and to use all forms. Annette Lamb states to use "different channels of communications such as words, pictures, motion images, and sounds."

Now that the students have this information, what should they do with it? This is where the webbing becomes very important. Most students need a format for putting their ideas and thoughts on paper. I know that it has always helped me to create an outline or web of ideas. There are numerous graphic organizers available to assist and can be utilized for all students. I have shown an example of mine below:



In order to locate this information, since I work at a library, I used the sources I had available. I accessed the Ball State Library card catalog and searched for the Trail of Tears and the Cherokee Nation. There were books located in the General Collection and Educational Resources collection. I decided to look at books that were less detailed and contained clear and concise information. I also found numerous websites with information, pictures, and maps. I definitely am on the right track as far as the research goes, it's just putting it all together that will be the hard part.

As for my questions, they are basic questions that I can explore and once I delve more into the topic, then I can ask more analytical questions.

I Wonder...

Now that I have chosen my topic, I am beginning to wonder more and formulate questions related to the Trail of Tears. These are just some of my questions:

• Who were the Cherokee Nation before the Trail of Tears?
• How did they get forced out of their own land?
• What happened along the Trail of Tears?
• How has this changed the Nation today?
• What was done to change this event in history?
• How would the Cherokee Nation be today, if not for this?
• What can be done to educate the children of the future?

From each of the questions, come into effect sub-questions. I want to know more and more about this tragedy and the people that suffered. I want to know what I can do to help and how I can help the future generations understand.

As said by Annette Lamb, "Brainstorming, discussing, and reflecting on questions, concerns, and ideas are all part of the wondering phase." Wondering is an important part of any project and/or research that a students completes. Without this component, students would create a research project without actually thinking about what they are learning. The key to success is the ability to learn!

Since this topic is very important to me, I think it is best to ask a lot of questions before I begin all of the research. I have used Inspiration in the past and found it very helpful to gather my thoughts, questions, and ideas. My wondering web is shown below.




My main focus for this project will be just to learn!

My Decision...

After much consideration and research I have chosen to learn about The Trail of Tears. Not only is this topic important to know about in relation to U.S. History, but in regards to my own heritage. I am part Cherokee on my mother's side of the family and I want to learn more about the struggles of my ancestors and how they made it to still carry on life to this day.

In preparation for this topic, I explored Ball State University and found numerous books on The Trail of Tears and the Cherokee Nation, Internet resources, and local bookstore items. In particular, there is one website that grabbed my attention: (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/trail-of-tears.htm).
This website gives a great overview of the removal of the Cherokees and maps of The Trail of Tears. Although there is a lot more to cover than this website has given, this is a great start to this historical event.

After all of the topics listed, I feel that this is best for me because of the meaning to my life and family, as well as the information I can pass on and give to future generations. I can also relate this to future students that may enter my media center or teachers that are covering this subject.

Decision Making...Watching

There are so many possible topics to choose from, but I have narrowed down my choices to the following:

Laser Eye Surgery:

This is an important topic to me because I wear contacts and glasses. I have numerous friends that have had this surgery and love not having to worry about anything anymore. I typed laser eye surgery into Google and found the FDA website: http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/lasik/. This is a great website to look into if considering laser eye surgery due to what LASIK is, the risks associated, and how to determine if it is the right path for me. After reading more about this topic, I decided that since I am still in my early 20s and wanting to have children in the future, this is not the best topic for me to research now.

The Trail of Tears:

I am looking into this particular topic because I am partially Cherokee on my mother's side. I have always been fascinated with Native Americans and their ways and I recently found out that I am part Cherokee. When completing TrailBlazer 1, I found a lesson about The Trail of Tears. I began reading and realized that this was inflicted upon the Cherokee Nation. It became important to me to learn more about this historical event, so I considered this as part of my Inquiry Project options. I have discovered lots of books in my local library and a lot of website resources that pertain to it. This is definitely a topic worth exploring.

Lent:

People are always talking about what they are giving up for Lent and I thought where does this come from all of a sudden? I have never learned about this particular event in my religious studies or raised in that religious aspect. I thought that this subject would be worth exploring to learn more about how this event was founded and carried out each year. As I thought more about it and searched for information, I found that this was not the best topic for myself at the moment.

Hanukkah:

The Hanukkah holiday has always fascinated me, the same as with Lent. Since I have always celebrated Christmas, I thought it would be good to explore another holiday. Once again, as I began researching for information, I found that it would be better worth my time to search another topic.

Blood Pressure:

Recently in my family there have been a lot of health problems. My grandfather has had a heart attack, my mother a stroke, and my cousin a blood clot. Ever since this has occurred, I felt it is important to watch what I eat, exercise, and check my body health. High blood pressure runs in my family and I am trying hard to keep it at a healthy level. I began looking into the topic and learned that in order to explore this topic, I need to have my blood pressure checked and see a doctor. I definitely want to maintain a healthy body, this might be a great inquiry project.

The 50 States:

One of my life goals is to travel to all 50 states. In order to achieve this goal, I not only have to actually go there, but research and learn about the states. I remember learning about the states in 5th grade, but it was just more of a memorization. After looking into what the project would entail, I think there would be too much to cover with all of the states, instead of just one of the states. Therefore, I do not think that this is going to be the right topic for this project.

Children's Author:

One of my favorite hobbies is to read children's books. When I read these books, I sit and think that I would like to write books, maybe even a series of books. When I first began researching on writing books, I realized that there is a lot more involved than just writing and becoming an author. It takes a lot of time, effort and energy to become a published author. Although this is a life-long dream I also think that this goal will need to be spent more in-depth and more time alloted than just a few weeks. I will continue to pursue this subject, but explore another idea this time.

Africa:

Not only is traveling to all 50 states a goal, but visiting every continent as well. I have a lot of friends that have studied abroad and traveling on vacation to other places in the world and they tell me how magnificent it all is. Since I am interested in traveling to Africa, I know there is a lot that I need to learn before I go there. There is such a rich heritage of tribes and animals that research needs to be conducted before traveling to that part of the world. Since this again contains a lot of information, I feel that it is not my best choice for this product. However, this is something that I can pursue in the future.

Possible Topics

These are the topics that I am currently considering:

• Laser Eye Surgery
• The Trail of Tears
• Lent
• Hanukkah
• Blood Pressure
• The 50 States
  
• Children's book author
• Africa