Take a moment to consider what skills a good investigative journalist might use to cover a story in-depth. Some words that might come to mind: Information, Source, Topics, Research, Organization, Reading, Evaluation, Writing, Audience, Relevant, Storyline, Websites, Information, Resource, etc. These are all skills that are required as you move through the research process. The “POWERS” process serves as an acronym to help you remember the steps in greater detail.
To watch a video presentation of the POWERS Process, click on the POWERS Video Presentation. Otherwise, review the information below before taking the POWERS Quiz to see what you've learned!
To watch a video presentation of the POWERS Process, click on the POWERS Video Presentation. Otherwise, review the information below before taking the POWERS Quiz to see what you've learned!
Prior Knowledge: What do you already know about your topic? Use a Mind Map or Word Splash to identify as many concepts as you can related to your topic.
Observations: Has your topic been mentioned in the news lately or does it have any impact on what is currently happening today?
Write Your Questions: What questions do you have about your topic? List as many as you can, beginning with these BINGO question starters, then focus on three (3) to start your research. For Example:
1) How many Jewish resistance movements existed during WWII?
2) What kind of jobs did women fill on the U.S. homefront during WWII?
3) For what reason did Hitler target the Jewish population during the Holocaust?
1) How many Jewish resistance movements existed during WWII?
2) What kind of jobs did women fill on the U.S. homefront during WWII?
3) For what reason did Hitler target the Jewish population during the Holocaust?
Explore Your Sources: What sources do you have available to you? Consider starting with your textbook as a secondary source, then begin to search the internet for at least (3) three other credible primary and secondary sources. Be sure to cite your references to prevent plagiarism!
Record Your Information: Use a variety of note-taking strategies to capture and record the information you find. Some strategies include:
- Cornell Note-taking
- Mind Mapping
- Outlining
- Cornell Note-taking
- Mind Mapping
- Outlining
Share Your Results: Choose a method for presenting your information to others. A simple way is to create a Google Drive presentation, then upload it to Movenote. Use Movenote to record yourself presenting the slideshow so that others may learn about your research.
Collaborative Workshop Project - Eddie Aikau