Unit 07 · Research, Evidence & Media Literacy · Week 19
What makes a research question focused, significant, and answerable?
A complete five-day investigation with a local source packet, explicit research instruction, printable evidence workspaces, and evaluator-reviewed mastery.
Weekly targets
Local research simulation · Rivermark Learning Annex
Decision: Rivermark must decide whether to convert an unused municipal annex into an evening study center for students ages 13–18.
Background brief: The annex has four rooms, basic internet wiring, and a bus stop nearby. Renovation, supervision, accessibility, transportation, operating cost, demand, and neighborhood impact all require investigation. No conclusion is supplied.
Evidence boundary: Rivermark and every document in this packet are course-created simulations. Students may cite them for this instructional case but must never present them as evidence about a real community.
Week 19 evidence packet
The council asks only: “Would a teen study center help?” This wording hides several questions: who would use it, when, for what purpose, at what cost, and compared with which alternatives?
Day 91 · Required lesson
Separate a broad topic from a researchable problem.
A topic names an area; a problem identifies a condition, affected group, context, and uncertainty. Model: “teen spaces” → “Rivermark lacks evidence about whether evening access would meet student study needs.”
Write one topic, one problem statement, and two facts still needed. Explain why each fact matters.
Day 92 · Required lesson
Test focus, significance, answerability, neutrality, and ethical scope.
A strong question is neither a disguised opinion nor answerable by one fact. Compare “Why is the annex a great idea?” with “Under what conditions would an evening annex improve access without creating unsustainable cost?”
Score three candidate questions on the five tests. Revise the weakest into one defensible inquiry question.
Day 93 · Required lesson
Build concept blocks rather than typing the whole question.
Extract 2–4 core concepts, then list synonyms, narrower terms, broader terms, and exclusions. Demonstrate AND between concepts, OR between synonyms, and quotation marks for exact phrases.
Create a three-column keyword matrix for users, access, and outcomes. Write three search strings and predict how their results will differ.
Day 94 · Required lesson
Match a question to the evidence capable of answering it.
Budgets answer cost questions; attendance records answer use questions; interviews reveal experiences; scholarly studies test broader patterns. No single source type answers everything.
Make an evidence-needs table with four subquestions, the best source type for each, and one likely limitation.
Day 95 · Required lesson
Explain why the inquiry deserves investigation and how the search can be repeated.
A reproducible plan records question, scope, terms, filters, source types, dates searched, and adjustments. Search results are leads, not automatic evidence.
Submit the proposal and search log. Add a 150–200 word defense of the question’s significance, neutrality, and answerability.
Weekly mastery assessment
Submit the named product, five daily responses, source notes, and final reflection. A button press or draft submission does not establish mastery.
| Criterion | 2 · Secure | 1 · Developing | 0 · Insufficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research concept accuracy | Specific, accurate and complete | Partly demonstrated; revision required | Missing, unsupported or inaccurate |
| Source use and attribution | Specific, accurate and complete | Partly demonstrated; revision required | Missing, unsupported or inaccurate |
| Evidence-to-claim reasoning | Specific, accurate and complete | Partly demonstrated; revision required | Missing, unsupported or inaccurate |
| Limitations and ethical disclosure | Specific, accurate and complete | Partly demonstrated; revision required | Missing, unsupported or inaccurate |
| Organization, revision and reflection | Specific, accurate and complete | Partly demonstrated; revision required | Missing, unsupported or inaccurate |
Mastery: 8/10 after evaluator review. Below 8/10, revise the lowest criterion and resubmit. Automated tools may organize evidence but may not award the score.
Earlier notes remain in their original fields. Bring revisions and tool evidence here.