English 10 - Module 3
Researching Multiple Perspectives to Develop a Position
In Module 10.3, students engage in an inquiry-based, iterative process for research. Building on work with evidence-based analysis in Modules 10.1 and 10.2, students explore topics that have multiple positions and perspectives by gathering and analyzing research based on vetted sources to establish a position of their own. Students first generate a written evidence-based perspective, which will serve as the early foundation of what will ultimately become a written research-based argument paper that synthesizes and articulates several claims with valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence Students read and analyze sources to surface potential problem-based questions for research, and develop and strengthen their writing by revising and editing..
In 10.3.1, students closely read selected excerpts from a nonfiction text, focusing on how the author unfolds an analysis of central ideas. Additionally, the text serves as a springboard to research, with students surfacing and tracking potential research topics, regarding medicine, ethics, and scientific research as they emerge from the text.
In 10.3.2, students continue the research process begun in 10.3.1. Students begin to learn and engage in this iterative, non-linear process by pursuing research topics/areas of investigation. They also begin to deepen their understanding by using guiding inquiry questions and evaluating multiple texts’ arguments. Students use this inquiry-based process to gather, assess, read, and analyze sources. In the latter half of the unit, students then take those sources and begin to organize and synthesize research findings to establish a perspective about a specific problem-based question.
In 10.3.3, students engage in the writing process with the goal of synthesizing and articulating their evidence-based research position on the page. The end product of this unit is a final draft of a research-based argument paper that articulates a perspective gleaned from research throughout Module 10.3. The writing cycle—in which students self-edit, peer review, and continually revise their work—serves as the primary framework for this unit.