Inquiry and Research: Developing and Revising Research Plans (TEKS.ELA.7.12.B)
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Texas 7th Grade ELA › Inquiry and Research: Developing and Revising Research Plans (TEKS.ELA.7.12.B)
Student's Initial Research Plan (Independent Inquiry) Topic: How drought affects rivers in the Texas Hill Country. Plan:
- Day 1: Pick topic and make final research question.
- Day 2: Visit four different river sites across Texas to take pictures and measurements.
- Day 3: Survey 300 residents about river levels.
- Day 4: Write the final report.
- Day 5: Make the slideshow.
- Day 6: Present. Notes: I will just use whatever I find on the first Google page. I don't need to cite because I'm using my own photos.
Which revision would most improve the plan's effectiveness and feasibility?
Add a colorful cover and a longer slideshow so the presentation looks more impressive.
Change the topic to a broader one like "Water" to include oceans, weather, and plumbing for more content.
Revise the schedule: Week 1—use library databases and one credible website to gather background info and refine the research question; plan one safe visit to 1–2 nearby creeks with adult permission to take notes/photos; design a short 10-question survey for 15–20 classmates with consent. Week 2—conduct the visit and survey, organize notes, and begin drafting with citations. Week 3—analyze findings, revise with peer feedback, and finalize the slideshow with photo credits.
Keep the same plan but add a second presentation with videos to make it more exciting.
Explanation
Choice C adds missing steps (credible background research, permissions, citations), scales travel and survey size to be realistic, and spaces tasks across weeks for drafting and revision. The other options either ignore research steps, widen scope unrealistically, or add flash without fixing feasibility.
Student Team Initial Plan (Collaborative, Cross-Curricular) Project: Investigate how our school uses energy and propose one practical conservation idea. Plan:
- Each team member writes a full, separate report at home.
- We meet the day before it's due to combine the three reports into one.
- We will try to read the school's electric meter once and guess the rest.
- Turn in after two days. Notes: No need to ask staff for data; we can just estimate.
Which revision would most improve the plan's effectiveness and feasibility?
Set roles and a realistic timeline: Week 1—meet to agree on a focused question, assign roles (Data Lead requests permission/data from custodial staff, Research Lead gathers sources, Writing Lead organizes notes); Week 2—collect approved data (two short meter checks with staff, simple classroom appliance tally), meet twice to compare notes; Week 3—draft a single shared report, peer-review, revise, and add cited sources and one practical recommendation.
Skip collecting any data and rely on student opinions so we don't need permission.
Extend the project to the entire semester with daily team meetings and a full building audit of every outlet.
Add five more topics (cafeteria menus, bus routes, recycling, attendance, class schedules) to make the report more comprehensive.
Explanation
Choice A introduces clear roles, permissions, data collection steps, collaboration checkpoints, and time for drafting/revision—key parts of an effective plan. The other choices either remove essential data collection, make the scope unmanageable, or create unrealistic timelines.
Student's Initial Research Plan (Local History, Texas Theme) Topic: Story behind a neighborhood mural in San Antonio. Plan:
- Find the artist's phone number and try to interview them tomorrow.
- If the artist doesn't answer, just skip interviews.
- Write the final report the next day and print posters for the whole school. Notes: I don't need other sources because the artist will tell me everything.
Which revision would most improve the plan's effectiveness and feasibility?
Replace interviews with a personal reflection about murals so no sources are needed.
Add a requirement to build a full website with animations and custom code in addition to the report.
Keep the same plan but finish everything in one day instead of two to save time.
Plan two weeks: Week 1—locate at least three sources (library/local news archive, city arts office records, and one community organization), email the artist with guardian/teacher permission while also arranging a backup interview with a community member; create 5–7 guiding questions; start a simple timeline of key mural events. Week 2—conduct one approved interview, take observational notes at the mural site with an adult, draft with citations and photo credits, peer-review, revise, and present a short slide deck instead of school-wide posters.
Explanation
Choice D adds multiple credible sources, permissions, backup plans, guiding questions, and a realistic two-week schedule with drafting and revision. The distractors remove key research steps, add unnecessary complexity, or compress the timeline unrealistically.
Student's Initial Research Plan (Independent Inquiry) Topic: How much time students spend on homework versus extracurriculars. Plan:
- This weekend, hand out a 30-question survey to all 800 students.
- Collect all responses the same day and type them into a spreadsheet that night.
- Write the final report on Monday. Notes: No need to ask teachers or families for permission; the more people, the better.
Which revision would most improve the plan's effectiveness and feasibility?
Cut the survey to 5 questions and skip the spreadsheet so it's faster to finish.
Use a manageable sample and staged timeline: Week 1—draft and pilot a 10–12 question survey with one class; get teacher and guardian permission as needed; refine questions. Week 2—survey two classes (about 50 students), keep responses anonymous, organize data in a spreadsheet. Week 3—analyze results, compare to one credible article on study habits, draft, peer-review, revise, and include simple charts.
Add three more variables and schedule nightly focus groups for two weeks to collect more information.
Keep the plan but add a bake sale to raise awareness while collecting surveys.
Explanation
Choice B narrows the sample to a realistic size, includes permissions and a pilot, spaces tasks over three weeks, and keeps necessary analysis and citation. The other options remove key steps, add excessive complexity, or distract from the research process.
Initial Research Plan (Group Project) Topic: How drought affects water use in Austin.
- Day 1 (tomorrow): Walk to City Hall at lunch and interview a city official without making an appointment. After school, print pictures from the internet.
- Day 2: Write final report (5 pages). Put in any facts we remember.
- Day 3: Present to class. Sources: We will use Google and the first article we find. We don't need to divide jobs or take notes. Two days seems enough to learn about the whole city.
Which revision would most improve the plan's effectiveness and feasibility?
Add a drone video and conduct a citywide door-to-door survey of every household before next week to make the report more detailed.
Narrow the focus to one neighborhood, draft 3–4 guiding questions, email the city office to request an interview next week, divide group roles, set a 3‑week schedule with checkpoints (research, interviews, drafting), and keep a source list for citations.
Delete the interview step and rely on one blog post to save time; write the report from memory.
Keep the same scope but move the presentation to tomorrow so the project finishes faster.
Explanation
Choice B fixes the plan by narrowing scope, adding guiding questions, sequencing tasks logically, creating a realistic multi‑week timeline, and tracking sources. A is overly complex and unrealistic. C removes a key research step. D makes the already unrealistic timeline worse.
Initial Research Plan (Independent Inquiry) Topic: How much food our school throws away.
- This weekend, I will watch all lunches and write a documentary script.
- I will talk to "someone from the district" if I see them.
- I will finish the whole project by Monday with a slideshow. Resources: my memory and photos on my phone. I don't think I need permission to be near the dumpsters, and I won't keep track of sources.
Which revision would most improve the plan's effectiveness and feasibility?
Build an app and a website, survey every student and staff member this week, and compare our data to 10 other schools in the state.
Skip observing lunches and just estimate waste using an online calculator so the project is faster.
Create a two‑week plan: get principal permission, schedule data collection during three lunch periods across four days using a tally sheet and photos, research district policies in the library, keep a citation list, and outline before drafting.
Keep the same plan but compress everything into one day so it doesn't take too long.
Explanation
Choice C adds permissions, clear data‑collection methods, a realistic two‑week schedule, and source management in a logical order. A makes the scope too complicated. B removes essential data collection. D keeps an unrealistic timeline.
Initial Research Plan (Team of 4, Cross‑Curricular) Topic: Pollinators in our town.
- Count every insect we can find all over the city on Saturday.
- Start writing the final report on Sunday before we look at the data.
- Present Monday. We will all do the same job and figure it out as we go. We won't make charts, and we won't check in with our science teacher.
Which revision would most improve the plan's effectiveness and feasibility?
Add a night survey in a forest, a full microscope lab, a weekend trip to three parks in different towns, and build a website to host all findings.
Skip collecting data and write a creative story about insects instead of a report.
Keep the citywide scope but work nonstop for 14 hours on Sunday to finish sooner.
Limit observations to the school garden and courtyard, draft guiding questions, assign roles (data collection, data entry, researcher, writer), schedule two weeks with specific days for observation, analysis, and drafting, and include one chart plus a brief peer review.
Explanation
Choice D narrows scope, assigns roles, sequences observation–analysis–drafting logically, adds data visualization, and uses a realistic two‑week schedule. A is overly complex. B cuts essential research. C keeps an unrealistic scope and timeline.