Introductory+Overview+of+Project

The three lessons that I have decided to create are part of a year 10 Society & Environment class. These lessons would be taught during the History unit that is taught in schools. There are opportunities for the lessons to take place at either the beginning of the unit, or just prior to the distributing of a major research assessment task, such as an essay.

The lessons focus on internet searches and correct referencing. The skills that will be developed in these lessons are necessary for students to have when they are required to complete their research essay as it will be a major part of the assessment. The skills associated with research and referencing also extend beyond school. The knowledge of how to correctly reference is vital when undertaking tertiary studies, or even any form of post secondary education.

The teaching of how to research and reference is tied into the outcomes of both Society & Environment and Technology & Enterprise. The outcome of Investigation, Communication and Participation (ICP) is required to be assessed in a Society & Environment class, and these lessons provide a prime opportunity for teachers to assess whether these outcomes have been met. The assessable outcomes within ICP that are to be assessed throughout the lessons are:
 * ICP 4.1: Identifies the types of observations, data and sources appropriate to a topic and negotiates how they will be used to gain information.
 * ICP 4.2: Applies social science data-gathering techniques to collect and record accurate information from a variety of perspectives.
 * ICP 5.2: Selects from a range of appropriate data sources and methods of recording that enhance the specific purposes of an investigation.
 * ICP 4.3: Identifies, selects and combines information from a variety of sources and perspectives, connecting similar ideas and making generalisations.
 * ICP 5.3: Collects evidence from a variety of sources and explains patterns in the evidence to draw conclusions that present a particular viewpoint.

The Technology & Enterprise Learning Area is addressed though the Information Technology Scope and Sequence. The most applicable outcome for these lessons is located within the Creation and Use of Information section. Looking towards the Year 10 side we see that the content that is assessed falls under:
 * Practices associated with referencing particular sources of information according to an established system (//e.g. __library referencing__//__,__//networking protocols.//)

The prior knowledge that students will have will be a basic understanding how to research and reference. The aim of this group of lessons is to build the basic level of knowledge into a more rounded and substantial understanding of the methods and techniques used to find and reference information correctly. Throughout the early years of secondary schooling, students would have been introduced to referencing on a very basic level. In regards to researching, it can be assumed that students have had some exposure to search engines such as Google. The building on this basic knowledge into acquired skills will assist students in their own research tasks that will follow and will assist them later in their education careers when they are required to undertake research tasks.