Fourth Grade Research Project

This project has three parts: a written report, a student created visual aid, and an oral presentation.

First, the students will complete a written report on an animal of their choice. The students need to choose an animal that they can find enough information on to write a 2-page paper, typed and double-spaced. In addition, the animal needs to be a specific species. For example, "bear" is too general to obtain specific information about habitat, size, etc. Therefore, your child would need to choose a specific bear such as "polar bear." Also, the students may not do domestic animals (such as dogs, cats, and hamsters) or Dinosaurs.

In the written report, the students are required to write about 6 different topics. One paragraph on each topic, at least 5 sentences in each paragraph, should easily lead to a 2-page paper, typed and double-spaced. The font choices are 12-point Times Roman or Arial. The topics are as follows:

Description of the animal	Life cycle
Food	Adaptations to its habitat (ie. webbed feet for swimming)
Habitat (where it lives)	OPTIONAL: Additional interesting facts
	Enemies (predator/prey relationship)

In order to find information on the animal, the students can use different resources such as encyclopedias, nonfiction books, and the Internet. At the end of the paper, the students must list at least two references they used. Students will receive instruction at school on the correct way to create an entry. In addition, information will be sent home about the correct way to create this Works Cited page.

Also, the students will create a cover for their paper in school. The students will learn how to import a picture from the Internet or other resources to include on their cover during computer lab.

A timeline will be followed for the written section of this project. Each student will be required to turn in a portion at a time for his or her teacher to look over and make suggestions. This will allow the teachers, along with the parents, to monitor individual progress. Parents must sign the timeline beside each of the parts, signifying that you have read over that part of the paper. Students can turn in each part before the due date. However, points will be lost if any part is late.

The second section of this project is a visual aid to support the written report. The visual must be student created and can be a poster, mobile, or diorama. No stuffed animals or purchased visuals are allowed. The students MUST create their own visual.

The third part of the project is an oral presentation. Each student will present the information in their report and display their visual aid during an oral presentation. Students must be knowledgeable of their topic, and not read straight from their paper or notecards. Your child will need to practice giving the presentation before doing it at school. Please make a copy of your child's paper before turning it in so your child will have the information to practice for the oral presentation.

Click here for a copy of the rubric that the fourth grade teachers will use to grade all three sections. Your child should refer to the rubric to see exactly the criteria he or she will be graded on.

Every fourth grader at South Fayette has the skills necessary to complete a project such as this. The students have been learning research skills all year long in library class. The language arts series has also presented the students with various research skills. In addition, they have been using Microsoft Word to publish paragraphs on the computer throughout the year. This project is a great opportunity to start gathering the building blocks necessary for their graduation project at the high school level.

Please note: We are aware that there are students who do not have access to a computer to type their report. Therefore, students who do not have a computer at home may use the computers here at school. However, the students must bring a rough draft with them to school to follow as they type. The time on the computers needs to be spent typing, not creating paragraphs.