4-1 choosing a topic-what i know

Overview: Getting Started With Project 2: KWL Chart

In this learning block, you will choose a topic to focus on for your final presentation. You will research the topic through each lens in the upcoming learning blocks. The three topics you may choose from are special education and learning disabilities, space exploration, and World Trade Organization. Choose a topic that you are most interested in, as you will be learning more about it and exploring it for the remainder of the course. This may be something you have an interest in or that you have experience with.

For Project 2, you will complete a KWL chart, which is a great graphic for organizing information and recording questions and answers for a project or presentation. The K in KWL chart stands for what you already know. This step is completed before any research is conducted. The W stands for what you want to know. This is a column where you are to record questions you may have about the topic. In future classes, this section can help you identify a focus for a research project. The L stands for what you learned. This section is completed after the research is completed to record what you now understand about your topic in relation to the question(s) you posed.

In this class, the titles of the resources are provided for you, and you will use the Shapiro Library databases to find them. Please keep in mind that the resources you locate may not answer your questions identified in the W column. Therefore, before submitting your KWL Chart, you will have the opportunity to develop a list of keywords that you would use to seek out articles that provide more information to answer any unanswered questions, were you to continue researching your chosen topic.

For this learning block, you will fill in the K column on your chart, writing what you already know about your chosen topic. When writing what you know, be sure to consider any previous and personal experiences that you have had related to your chosen topic. Why have you chosen this topic over the other two options? Are there any biases that you are aware of that may have influenced your choice of this topic? Please see the KWL Chart Exemplar completed on pollution (which was the topic we looked at through each of the lenses as we created the Lenses Chart). You will notice that in this example, the K column is filled in with what was already known about pollution before any research was completed or any articles were reviewed on the subject.

Project 2: KWL Chart Guidelines and Rubric

Review the Project 2 KWL Chart Guidelines and Rubricdocument for details on Project 2, the creation of a KWL chart. Project 2 is due at the end of this theme, by the end of module 5.

KWL Chart Exemplar on Pollution

Review this exemplar KWL chart to help deepen your understanding of the Project 2 requirements. In this learning block, pay particular attention to the K column, as that is the focus of this learning block and what you will be working on. 

Optional: SNHU’s Online Writing Center

Reach out to the Online Writing Center for assistance with the writing assignment in this learning block (and for any writing assignments throughout the course).

4-1-1 Activity: Topic Selection and Completing the K in the KWL Chart (Ungraded)

Review the Project 2 KWL Chart Guidelines and Rubricdocument and the KWL Chart Exemplar. Open up the KWL Chart Template. Choose one of the following topics to focus on for the remainder of the term: special education and learning disabilities, World Trade Organization, or space exploration. Then, in this learning block, complete the K column on the chart, noting which topic you have chosen and then writing what you already know about that topic in relation to the four lenses. In writing what you know, draw on your own previous and personal experience in relation to that topic. Once you have completed the K column, be sure to save this document on your computer, as you will need to access this again and continually add to it in the upcoming learning blocks as you work through completing your chart. You will continue to work on your KWL Chart in the upcoming learning blocks, and your completed KWL Chart is due in learning block 5-4.