Searching for Shakespeare - Lesson 1 - Research Skills PowerPoint

The "Searching for Shakespeare" lesson plan, tailored for primary education, aims to equip students with effective and speedy research skills. The lesson's objectives are to teach students how to gather information quickly and efficiently, vital for academic success across various subjects. Whether researching a country in Geography, an ancient civilization in History, or religious life in R.E., the ability to take good notes from research is emphasized as a cornerstone for learning. Students are encouraged to think about the most relevant sources for their topics, from traditional media like books and newspapers to digital platforms such as search engines and YouTube.

Diving deeper into research methodologies, the lesson introduces practical tips to expedite the research process. It suggests using contents and index pages, search engines, scene selection buttons, the Dewey Decimal System, and even consulting experts like librarians to find information swiftly. To enhance understanding, the lesson includes an activity matching definitions with terms like 'Contents Page', 'Index Pages', and 'Search Engine'. Students also learn time-saving reading techniques such as skimming and scanning for key information, and the use of highlighting to mark significant details. The practical application of these skills is demonstrated through a task where students highlight details about William Shakespeare's personal and professional life using different coloured highlighters. The lesson concludes with a plenary session where students share and discuss their findings, reflecting on how they distinguished between personal and professional information.