Lesson 39: Research Multimedia Presentation, Drafting a Thesis

Think-Pair-Write-Share

Have students begin by silently jotting down their ideas first. Then have them turn to a partner for a brief exchange before a whole-class share.

Say these Directions: Share what you have learned about your overarching inquiry question. Take one minute to think about your research and jot a few ideas. Then turn to a partner and discuss. After both partners have shared, select one sentence you might use in your presentation introduction and share it with the class.

Display the following question for students to jot down their ideas first, and then discuss with their partners.

• What did you learn about your overarching inquiry question through your research?

• (Student responses may vary.) My research question is about how fire management affects California oak woodlands. My answer is that cultural burning restores balance because it lowers dangerous fuel buildup, supports healthy oak growth, and reconnects land care with Indigenous knowledge. The main idea my audience needs to understand is that this is not just a fire management technique. It is a long-term relationship between people and the land.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Now that you have said your main finding out loud, you are ready to learn how to plan the opening of your presentation.

Language Study

Display the following mentor sentence from Braiding Sweetgrass:

Signal Phrases

Mentor Sentence:

• Robin Wall Kimmerer writes, “All flourishing is mutual.”

Read the sentence aloud to model fluent reading. Have students read after you.

• Say: When we present research, we use a signal phrase to introduce a quote or idea from an external source. It tells your readers or listeners that you are citing an outside source in your research.

Display the pattern and read it aloud:

Pattern:

• Signal phrase + comma + evidence/paraphrase

Read the following sentences:

• The Wampanoag practiced seasonal fishing.

• Fish populations regenerated between harvests.

• Great Lakes tribes harvested wild rice in ways that increased future yields.

• Say: These sentences contain evidence, but they don’t tell us where the information came from. Here are some examples of signal phrases you can use in your research.

Display the following sentences:

• According to oral histories, the Wampanoag practiced seasonal fishing that allowed fish populations to regenerate between harvests.

• Similarly, Robin Wall Kimmerer documents that the Great Lakes tribes harvested wild rice using methods that increased future yields by distributing seeds during collection.

• Say: I want you to notice that the signal phrase tells the audience where the idea comes from before they hear the evidence. If I just say, “The Wampanoag practiced seasonal fishing that allowed fish populations to recover,” the information is interesting, but the source is missing. If I add, “According to oral histories,” now the audience knows how I learned this information. In the second sentence, I use “Similarly” to add a second source and make the connection even stronger.

• Ask: What changes for the audience when a signal phrase comes first instead of stating the fact by itself?

  • A signal phrase helps the audience know where the information came from. It also makes the sentence sound credible because the evidence is connected to a source instead of sounding random.

Active and Passive Voice

Display these sentences:

• Active voice: According to oral histories, the Wampanoag practiced seasonal fishing.

• Passive voice: Seasonal fishing was practiced by the Wampanoag, according to oral histories.

• Ask: What is emphasized in each version of the sentence? Which version of the sentence is more effective?

  • The active version emphasizes the people. The passive version emphasizes the practice. The first one (active voice) feels stronger for a presentation because it keeps the community visible.

Say these Directions: With a partner:

1. Turn the two sentences below into one connected sentence. Remember to use a signal phrase.

   • The Haudenosaunee planted corn, beans, and squash together.

   • This intercropping method increases soil nitrogen.

2. Write one version that emphasizes the people (active voice) and one version that emphasizes the practice or outcome (passive voice).

   • Active Voice: According to Indigenous agricultural practices, the Haudenosaunee plant corn, beans, and squash together in a way that increases soil nitrogen.

   • Passive Voice: According to Indigenous agricultural practices, corn, beans, and squash are planted together, which increases soil nitrogen.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Now that you have practiced introducing evidence clearly, you will apply that same learning to the introduction of your presentation.

Part A: Analyzing an Introduction Structure (W.8.2.a, SL.8.4) (15 minutes)

• Say: Drafting a presentation is a lot like drafting an informational essay, except that what is written is now said aloud. The presentation should have an introduction, content that comprises the “body” of the presentation, and a conclusion.

Display and review the following information.

For your presentation introduction, you should:

• Introduce your research topic.

• Explain your overarching inquiry question and/or related questions.

• Provide a thesis statement in response to your inquiry question.

Teach: Creating an Oral Introduction from Research Notes

Display the following:

Introduction Structure:

• Hook (1–2 sentences)

• Engaging opening context (2–3 sentences)

• Inquiry question/related questions (2 sentences)

• Thesis (1–2 sentences)

• Preview (1 sentence)

• Say: When I draft an introduction, I begin by hooking the audience into my topic. I want to entice them to keep listening to my presentation by catching their interest. Then I give them the context they need to follow my thinking.

• Next, I share my inquiry question.

• Then, I answer my inquiry question with a thesis. My thesis has to answer my inquiry question clearly, so I ask myself: What is my interpretation of the research findings?

• Finally, I close with a preview of what my presentation will cover.

Display the following model introduction and present it orally to students so they can listen and follow along with the text.

• Say: As I read the model introduction out loud, listen for the hook, the context, the overarching inquiry question, the thesis, and the preview.

• Model Introduction:

  • Have you ever wondered why a healthy landscape sometimes needs to be exposed to fire? Does that sound surprising? Well, it’s all part of fire management practices that restore the land. My research focused on fire management in California oak woodlands and asked how this practice affects forest health and human relationships with the land. According to tribal practitioners and ecological studies, cultural burning is not simply a way to remove brush. My research shows that cultural fire management restores balance because it reduces fuel buildup, supports oak ecosystems, and reconnects environmental care with Indigenous knowledge that has too often been ignored. In this presentation, I will explain how the practice works, where sources agree and differ, and why restoring Indigenous knowledge about fire management is part of restoring the land.

Provide students with the Structure and Purpose graphic organizer. Transition students into partners. Instruct students to reread the introduction and determine which parts of the introduction align with the introduction structure and the purpose of each part.

Say these Directions: With a partner, use the Structure and Purpose organizer to categorize the sentences in the model introduction. On the left, write the sentences that come under each category of the introduction structure. And, on the right, include the purpose of each sentence.

After students have completed their graphic organizers, lead a whole-class discussion using the following questions.

• Ask: What job does the hook do in this introduction?

  • The hook makes the audience curious by asking them to rethink fire. It gets attention right away and leads into the topic instead of starting with a definition.

• Ask: How does the thesis answer the inquiry question instead of only naming the topic?

  • The thesis gives an interpretation, not just a topic. It says that cultural fire management restores balance and then explains how. This way, the audience already knows the main idea the presentation will support.

Check for Understanding

Provide students with a confidence continuum (i.e., 1–5). As needed, model how to demonstrate a level of confidence using the continuum.

Part B: Drafting an Introduction (W.8.2.a, SL.8.4) (15 minutes)

Instruct students to begin drafting their presentation introduction using their research notes. Provide students with another copy of the Structure and Purpose graphic organizer to use to draft their introduction.

Say these Directions: Use the Structure and Purpose organizer to draft your introduction. Under Purpose, write the terms topic, hook, content, thesis, and preview. Under Structure, write each part of your introduction.

As you draft, check your work for the following:

• Did I include a hook to engage my audience?

• Did I introduce my research topic clearly?

• Did I explain my inquiry question or a related question?

• Did I include a thesis that answers the question instead of only naming the topic?

• Did I preview what my presentation will explain next?

• Say: As I draft the introduction, I look for places where I might have stacked ideas too quickly, and I add a phrase like This suggests that or In this presentation, I will explain. Finally, I read the introduction aloud because writing for speaking is different from writing only for the page.

Provide time for students to individually draft their presentation introductions. Confer with students to ensure they have all parts of the introduction structure needed.

Transition students into reflecting on their learning from the lesson by completing a Quick Write response.

Quick Write

• Say: A strong thesis is not just one line on a page. It is the sentence that helps your audience understand your answer, and it becomes the backbone of your whole Reciprocity in Action presentation. When you can say your claim clearly, the rest of your presentation becomes easier to organize and easier for your audience to follow.

Use your Quick Write to check whether your introduction has a thesis that is ready for your presentation.

Say these Directions: Complete the Quick Write.

Display the following sentence frames.

• My thesis statement is: ______________________________.

• My thesis is strong because it:

  • States interpretation, not just a fact

  • Is specific

  • Is supported by my research

  • Previews what my presentation will explain

• My next step is: ______________________________.

• My thesis statement is: Research shows that cultural fire management restores balance because it reduces fuel buildup, supports oak health, and reconnects the land with Indigenous stewardship knowledge. My thesis is strong because it gives an interpretation, it is specific, it comes from my research, and it previews the three ideas my presentation will explain.

Instruct students to complete the draft of their presentation introduction for homework if they did not finish during the lesson.

• Complete the draft of your presentation introduction if you did not finish during the lesson.