Looking for Data in All the Right Places: A Guidebook for Conducting Original Research With Young Investigators

Show students how to get out of the library and into the real world! This easy-to-use guidebook introduces different types of research and teaches students how to develop their own research questions, gather and analyze data, and present their results. Each chapter includes explanations, examples, and practice activities for different steps in the research process.

In Connecticut, a group of second-grade students investigate the techniques of historical research. Using photo analysis and interview data, they are researching the question, "How is being in second grade today different from when our parents were in the second grade?" In the same school, third graders are sprawled on the lawn in front of the school with tally sheets, gathering observational data on the behavior of ants toward various food samples. In Michigan, fifth graders survey a random sample of fellow students to determine their amount of computer knowledge and use. In New York, first graders design and conduct experiments to determine the effects of various liquids on growing bean plants. What do these young investigators have in common? In each case, elementary students are conducting real research: making hypotheses, gathering and analyzing data, and drawing conclusions in the manner of professional adults.