Conduct an interview research lesson by pairing students of relatively different backgrounds and having them interview each other. Have the students plan a list of 20 questions and then interview their partners. Then, allow them to use the school library and the Internet to research facts and locate pictures that represent their partner's background. Teach the students how to sift through all of their research to choose the best information, and teach them how to choose a few direct quotes from their partner and format them properly. Then, have the students write a short essay (one or two paragraphs) about their partner and present it to the class. As a visual aid for their presentation, they can create a poster with the fun facts and photos they found.
Have students pretend to be archaeologists/scientists for the day. This is another way to get students actively engaged in researching past cultures. Choose a cultures and fill a box with small items and pictures that represent those cultures. Have the students go through the items and try to guess what the items meant to that culture. For example, if you are studying ancient Egypt, you could include a map page showing the Nile River, a picture of the Pyramids, and fake gold jewelry. Have the students work individually or with teams to list each object and try to guess what they think it means about the culture. Have the students brainstorm a list of 20 questions spawned by the activity. Then, teach the students how to conduct research at the library or online to find out more about the ancient society. Finally, have the students write a short essay or prepare a presentation to share with the class.
Complete a model report as a class. Have students decide on a topic; it is good to have them choose one related to a subject they are currently studying. As a class, brainstorm the topic and write the students' ideas on the board. Narrow the topic to one main idea, and then have the students come up with several major research questions about that main idea. Then, put the students in small groups and have each group research one particular question. Have each group write a paragraph or two to answer the question and correctly cite the source or sources they use. Come back together as a class and use the research to write an introductory paragraph and thesis statement as a group. Then, determine the order in which the paragraphs should appear in the essay, and compile all of the paragraphs into a group report.