McDonald's Project

Objectives:
 

  • Students will learn how to use information--the part that comes between gathering information and presenting it as a report, speech, poster session, etc.
  • Students will learn a strategy for using information that is simple, engaging, and learner-centered.
  • Students will learn how to do research report as a team.

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    Session 1   Introduction to synthesizing and organizing information.
     

  • "Star Wars" - Concepts: cluster, name, sequence.
  • "McDonald's" - Concepts: "granular notes", "concept synthesizing" to organize information (see what you have, how you can narrow or focus the topic, see what information you can discard, and what you still need).

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    Session 2   Introduction to analyzing and evaluating information, review of process, introduction to information hunting and gathering.
     

  • Read > highlight > make post-it notes on selected articles.
  • Synthesize and organize information (as with the McDonald's presentation in the previous session)
  • Information hunting and gathering (library web site, online tutorial, demonstration of selected databases, hands-on practice)

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    Assignment
    Students (or teams) choose a [McDonald's] topic to explore.

    Outside of class

  • Each student finds 4 articles and one book about the [McDonald's] topic.
  • Guidance for information sources and strategies is given on a web page.
  • Students analyze and evaluate (read, highlight, makes post-it notes) each of the sources they found.
  • Students (or teams) synthesize and organize the information.
  • Student (or team) creates a PowerPoint or poster presentation.

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    Session 3   Presentations and assessment
     

  • PowerPoint or poster presentation by students (teams).
  • Interviews/feedback by students (teams) about the process (can be done via handouts or e-mail).

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    This is a sample of a handout for instructors. For more information see
    http://www.west.asu.edu/johnso/synthesis/synthesis.html