Implementation

All classes through grade 8 can use this form of The Big Six graphic organizer. Teachers who teach primary grades may want to use the organizer by making the spaces larger and turning it sideways. This makes it easier for young children to fill in their responses. A copy of this format is at http://www.col.k12.me.us/fms/big6 samoset/big6landscapesheets.html.Teachers in upper grades may want to use the vertical format at http://www.col.k12.me.us/fms/big6 samoset/big6landscape.html.

Secondary teacher could use the heading and require even more specific notes, etc. or visit http://www.big6.com to see other ways to adapt the Big 6

This research method takes about two weeks to complete, with children working for about 30 minutes at a time. The time on the Internet may vary greatly, depending on the topic. Most of the time for younger children is spent drafting and editing their thoughts so other people can understand the information they are trying to convey.

It takes about one 30-minute period for second grade students to fill out the graphic organizer. This is time well spent because they now have a plan that will help them access information.

The graphic organizer requires the students to fill out the first five sections before they begin their research. Part 1 is Task Definition. They need to answer the questions "What am I suppose to do?" and "What information do I need in order to do this?". The latter question has places for 4 statements to help the student clarify what they want to find out.

Part 2 is Information Seeking Strategies. This section includes a list of possible research media for this information. The Internet is one of the choices out of the ten items listed. The student then needs to write down the research media they that think would best work for them. They may select Internet, reference books and people (primary resources) as the best methods to use to get this information, for example. They then write some keywords to help with their search.

Part 3 is Location and Access. Here the students write where he or she will find these resources and what or who can help them.

Part 4 is Use of Information. It asks them how they will record the information and how they will credit their sources. They may write notes on file cards, for example, and record the titles and authors of the books they used. They also record the web page URLs, which can be later used as links.

Part 5 is Synthesis. Students decide how they will organize their information, what their product will be, and how they will give credit to the sources of their final product. A choice for the final product may be to use something like Claris Home Page and to copy and paste their work into e-mail.

The graphic organizer helps students create a safe search by clarifying what they are seeking and the key words they want to use. The teacher can use this information to check and see if their search terms will likely lead in safe directions. If the words take them to a poor site, the teacher can help them adjust the search by suggesting a different keyword.

Part 6 is an Evaluation that should be checked before the final product is turned in. Students can evaluate the sites they found for interesting information and pictures, which would help, explain the text. They also self check the quality of their work.

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