Instructions for I-Search Project
An I-Search project involves a form of researching and
writing on a topic that differs somewhat from typical school
research. Instead of heading to the library to search for
sources of information in books and other library sources,
you begin by asking questions about things that you're curious
about, and you being searching in way that curious people
typically search--by talking to other people, posing questions,
and seeking out information in the most likely places to find
it. There are many versions of I-Search papers, but most involve
the following components:
- topic selection according to a genuine interest on the
part of the "I-searcher" (as opposed to "RE-searcher").
What interests you--or potentially might interest
you?
- telling of the story of the search itself in
the process of reporting the outcomes of the search. You
tell your search story as you convey your information to
the reader.
- explaining what the learning means to you.
For a sample of writing done in the I-Search mode, take a
look at the wolf
essay.
For your I-search project, you will choose a story of an
individual's "challenge," "failure," or
"success" (only one, not all three). You are asked
to choose a famous person who underwent great challenges—or
anyone's struggle that you might investigate and interview
people about. Here are the main parts of your I-Search paper
for this project:
- K-W-L chart for your topic: Make a three-column
page headed by "What you already know about your topic"
(or simply abbreviate this column with the letter "K");
"What you want to learn about your topic" ("W");
and "What you have learned about your topic ("L").
- Interviews--Choose at least three people
to interview (one classmate, one adult of your parents'
generation, and one adult of your grandparents' generation).
What do your interviewees know/think of your person's challenges?
What challenges have your interviewees faced in their
own lives that are like or unlike those face by your
paper subject? What have your interviewees learned about
challenges, successes, and failures? Etc.
- I-Search journal: For each class day,
provide an update of where you are in your thinking about
your I-Search process. What are you thinking about in terms
of challenges, successes, and failures, and how do you plan
to continue your search?
- Story of your procedure: Write a narrative
explanation of how you investigated your topic: simply tell
the story, and fill in the information you discovered in
the very telling of the story.
- Connection to classmates' projects: Choose
at least two classmates projects to read and reflect on
in the context of your project. How are your classmates'
projects similar to yours? Dissimilar to yours?
Some Resources on I-Search Papers:
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