How to write a report explorer junior library how to write

PublishedintheUnitedStatesofAmericabyCherryLakePublishing
AnnArbor,Michigan
www.cherrylakepublishing.com
ContentAdviser:JeannetteMancilla-Martinez,EdD,AssistantProfessorofLiteracy,Language,andCulture,
UniversityofIllinoisatChicago
DesignandIllustration:TheDesignLab
PhotoCredits:Page5,© OlgaKadroff/Shutterstock,Inc.;page6,© Jarno
GonzalezZarraonandia/Shutterstock,Inc.;page9,© DmitriyShironosov/
Dreamstime.com;page16,© EpicStockMedia/Shutterstock,Inc.;page20,
© iStockphoto.com/laflor
Copyright© 2012byCherryLakePublishing
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedorutilizedin
anyformorbyanymeanswithoutwrittenpermissionfromthepublisher.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Minden,Cecilia.
Howtowriteareport/byCeciliaMindenandKateRoth.
p.cm.—(Languageartsexplorerjunior)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN-13:978-1-61080-105-8(lib.bdg.)
ISBN-10:1-61080-105-9(lib.bdg.)
1.Languagearts(Elementary)2.Englishlanguage—Compositionand
exercises—Studyandteaching.3.Reportwriting—Juvenileliterature.I.
Roth,Kate.II.Title.
LB1576.M5342011
372.62'3—dc222011000169
CherryLakePublishingwouldliketoacknowledgetheworkofThePartnershipfor21stCenturySkills.Pleasevisit
www.21stcenturyskills.orgformoreinformation.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
CorporateGraphicsInc.

July2011
CLFA09


TableofContents
CHAPTERONE
SharingInformation
CHAPTERTWO
KeepItSimple!
CHAPTERTHREE
GettingReadytoResearch
CHAPTERFOUR
FindtheFacts!
CHAPTERFIVE
TheFinalReport
CHAPTERSIX
RereadYourWriting!
Glossary
ForMoreInformation
Index
AbouttheAuthors


ChapterOne
SharingInformation

Yourteacherhasaskedyoutowriteareport.Youmustconductresearchtofind
moreinformationonthetopicyouwillbewritingabout.Yourreportwillorganizeand
explainyourresearchforotherstoread.Itwilltellpeoplewhatyouhavelearned.A
reportmustdothreethingstoinformthereaderaboutyourtopic:

1. Areportfocusesononepartofthetopic.
2. Areportorganizesinformation.
3. Areportshowstheresearch.



ChapterTwo
KeepItSimple!

Areportwouldbelongandboringifitlistedeverythingaboutatopic!Instead,you
shouldchooseafewmainpointstowriteabout.Let’ssayyournewneighborsare
fromPeru.Youwanttolearnmoreabouttheircountry.Agraphicorganizercalleda
webcanhelpyoudecidewhichinformationtoinclude.


ACTIVITY
MakeaWeb!
HERE’SWHATYOU’LLNEED:
•Apencilandpaper
INSTRUCTIONS:
1.choosethetopicyouwillwriteaboutinyourreport.
2.Writethetopicinthemiddleofyourpaperdrawacirclearoundit.
3.Thinkofsixcategoriesthatdealwithyourmaintopic.
4.Writethecategoriesinthespacearoundthemaintopiccircleeachsubtopic
categoryanddrawalineconnectingittothemaintopic.
5.Highlightatleasttwocategoriesthatyouplantofocusoninyourreport.

ChapterThree
GettingReadytoResearch

Thenextstepistoconductyourresearch.Thisiswhenmanywritersuseagraphic
organizercalledaKWLchart.KWLstandsfor“whatyouknow,”“whatyouwantto
know,”and“whatyou’velearned.”Thischarthelpsyouseewhereyouneedtodo
moreresearchtocompleteyourreport.

ACTIVITY
CreateaKWLchart!


HERE’SWHATYOU’LLNEED:
•Apencilandpaper(oracomputerandaprinter)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1.drawastraightlineacrossthetopofyourpaper.
2.drawtwostraightlinesthroughyourfirstlineallthewaytothebottomofthe
paperYoushouldnowhavethreecolumns.
3.labelthefirstcolumnwitha“K,”thesecondwitha“W,”andthethirdwithan
“l.“
4.Inthefirstcolumn,writealistoffactsyoualreadyknowaboutyourtopic.
5.Inthesecondcolumn,makealistofwhatyouwanttolearn.
6.ThethirdcolumniswhereyouwilllistwhatyoulearnFillthiscolumninas
youconductyourresearch.



ChapterFour
FindtheFacts!
Conductyourresearchbylookingatbooks,magazines,newspapers,andDVDsthat

discussyourtopic.Youcanalsoconductresearchonline.Becareful!Justbecause
informationisonthecomputerdoesnotmeanitistrue.Haveanadulthelpyou
decidewhichWebsitestovisit.
Writeanyimportantfactsandstatisticsyoufindonnotecards.Alsomention
whereyoufoundyourinformation.Makesureyoudonotsimplycopywhatother
peoplehavesaid.Youcaneitherstateinformationadifferentwayorexplainthatyou
arequotingsomeoneelse.

ACTIVITY
ResearchYourTopic!
HERE’SWHATYOU’LLNEED:
•Books,magazines,newspapers,andDVDs
•Apencil
•Notecards
INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Gatheryourresearchmaterials.
2.Writeeachnewfactandstatisticyoufindonanotecard.
3.onthebottomofeachcard,recordwhereyoufoundtheinformation.


SampleResearchNoteCard
SurfinginLima,Peru
TheweatherinLimaisgoodforsurfingbecauseitisusuallywarm.Thereisalsonot
muchrain.
PeruSurfGuides
www.perusurfguides.com

Nextyoumustdecidewhatinformationtousefromyourresearch.Gobackto
yourKWLchart.Fillinginthechartwillhelpyouorganizeyourfactsandstatistics.

ACTIVITY
OrganizeYourInformation!
HERE’SWHATYOU’LLNEED:
•Notecards
•YourKWlchart
•Apencil
INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Rereadtheinformationyoucollectedonyournotecards.
2.Writedowneachfactorstatisticinthe“l”columnThesewillanswerthe
questionsinthe“W”column.


ChapterFive
TheFinalReport
Itistimetowriteyourreport!Beginbywritinganopeningparagraphthatexplainsthe
maintopic.Getthereader’sattention.Aquestionisagoodwaytobegin.Youmay
alsoshareaquoteoraninterestingstatistic.

Thebodyofyourreportcomesaftertheopening.Writeaparagraphforeachofthe
categoriesyouresearched.Includeaheadingforeachtopictoletreadersknow
whatiscomingnext.UseyourKWLcharttodecidewhichinformationtoincludein
thebody.
Wrapeverythingupbyrestatingthemainideaofyourreport.Attheendofyour
report,includeapicturethatsupportsyourtopic.Amapordiagramcanbehelpful.
Nowtheonlythingyourreportneedsisatitle.Thetitleshouldstatethetopicofyour
report.


ACTIVITY

WriteYourReport!
HERE’SWHATYOU’LLNEED:
•YourKWlchart
•Apencilandpaper(oracomputerandaprinter)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Writeanopeningparagraph.
2.WriteaparagraphforeachcategoryinthebodyofyourreportRemember
toincludeheadings!
3.Writeanendingstatement.
4.Giveyourreportatitle.


SampleReport
SportsandGamesinPeru
Canyouimaginelivinginacitywhereitalmostneverrains?TheweatherinLima,
Peru,isusuallysunnyandwarm.Soccerisafavoritesporttoplayoutside.Volleyball
ispopularonthesandybeaches.IwonderedwhatothersportskidsinPeruliketo
playoutside.Ilearnedthatsurfingisalsopopular.
Surfing
ThewesternsideofPeruisonthePacificocean.Surfingisafunwaytospend
thedayonthecoast.Surfersstandonalong,narrowboardandrideawaveintothe
shore.PeopleinPerusaytheircountry’swavesare“thelongestonEarth.”Ifound
thisinformationonaWebsitecalledPeruSurfGuides.
FourSquare
FourSquareisforkidswhowouldratherplayondryland.Abigsquareisdrawn
orpaintedonaflatsurfaceoutside.Thenlinesaredrawntodividethebigsquareinto
foursmallersquares.Fourplayerseachtakeacorner.oneplayerkickstheballinto
anotherplayer’ssquare.Theobjectistokeeptheballoutofyoursquare.Theball
canonlybounceonetime.Youhavetobequick!
Kidsallovertheworldplaysportstohavefun.IfyoulivedinPeru,whatsport

wouldyouchoose?Soccer,volleyball,surfing,orFourSquare?



ChapterSix
RereadYourWriting!
Don’tforgettocheckyourreportforanygrammarorspellingmistakes.Willyouread
yourreporttoyourclassorhangitsomewhereintheclassroom?Everyonewillenjoy
findingoutallthatyouhavelearned!


ACTIVITY
DoaFinalCheck!
Askyourselfthesequestionsasyourereadyourreport:
DoIreportononemaintopic?
DoImentionatleasttwocategoriesthatdealwithmy

topic?
DoIusemyresearchtoexplainwhatIlearned?
DoIincludeatitleinmyreport?
DoIorganizemyinformationintoanopening,abody,anda

closing?
DoIhaveaheadingforeachoftheparagraphsinthebody?
DoIusecorrectgrammarandspelling


Glossary
body(BAH-dee)themainpartofareport
category(KAT-ih-gor-ee)anideawithinamaintopic

conduct(kuhn-DUHKT)carryout
graphicorganizer(GRA-fikOR-guh-ni-zur)adrawingthathelpsorganizeideas
heading(HE-ding)thetitleofaparagraph
quoting(KWOT-ing)repeatingsomeone’sexactwords
report(ri-PORT)awritingprojectthatsharesinformationaboutacertaintopic
research(REE-surch)theactofcollectinginformationaboutatopic
statistics(steh-TIS-tiks)acollectionofnumbersthatdealwithacertaintopic
topic(TAH-pik)subject


ForMoreInformation
BOOKS
Bentley,Nancy.Don’tBeaCopycat!WriteaGreatReportWithoutPlagiarizing.
BerkeleyHeights,NJ:EnslowPublishers,2008.
Herman,Gail.Make-a-SplashWritingRules.Pleasantville,NY:GarethStevens
Publishers,2010.
WEBSITES
Kids.gov—SocialStudies
www.kids.gov/k_5/k_5_social.shtml
Checkoutthissitefortopicsforsocialstudiesreports.
Scholastic:WriteaWinningResearchReport
www.scholastic.com/resources/article/write-a-winning-research-report
Discovermoretipsforwritinggreatresearchreports.


Index
body,17,18,21
endings,17,18,21
facts,10,12,13,14
grammar,20,21

graphicorganizers,6,7–8,9,10–11,14–15,17,18
headings,17,18,21
KWLcharts,9,10–11,14–15,17,18
notecards,12,13,14
openingparagraphs,16,18,21
paragraphs,16,17,18,21
pictures,17
questions,14,17
quotes,12,17
research,4–5,9,10,12,13,14,17,21
spelling,20,21
statistics,12,13,14,17
subtopics,7,17,18,21
titles,16,18,21
topics,4–5,6,7,10,12,13,16,17,21
webs,6,7–8
Websites,12


AbouttheAuthor
CeciliaMinden,PhD,istheformerdirectoroftheLanguageandLiteracyProgramat
HarvardGraduateSchoolofEducation.Sheearnedherdoctoratefromthe
UniversityofVirginia.WhileatHarvard,Dr.Mindenalsotaughtseveralwriting
courses.Herresearchfocusesonearlyliteracyskillsanddevelopingphonics
curriculums.Sheisnowafull-timeliteracyconsultantandtheauthorofmorethan
100booksforchildren.Dr.MindenliveswithherfamilyinChapelHill,NorthCarolina.
Shelikestowriteearlyinthemorningwhilethehouseisstillquiet.
KateRothhasadoctoratefromHarvardUniversityinlanguageandliteracyanda
master’sdegreefromColumbiaUniversityTeachersCollegeincurriculumand
teaching.Herworkfocusesonwritinginstructionintheprimarygrades.Shehas

taughtkindergarten,firstgrade,andReadingRecovery.Shehasalsoinstructed
hundredsofteachersaroundtheworldinearly-literacypractices.Shelivesin
Shanghai,China,withherhusbandandthreechildren,ages2,6,and9.Together
theydoalotofwritingtostayintouchwithfriendsandfamilyandtorecordtheir
experiences.